Albany bishop celebrates funeral for predecessor who defied Vatican by marrying

 

Albany bishop celebrates funeral for predecessor who defied Vatican by marrying

ALBANY (NY)
Crux [Denver CO]

August 26, 2023

By John Lavenburg

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NEW YORK – At the funeral Mass for Bishop Emeritus Howard Hubbard, Bishop Edward Scharfenberger of Albany said that there is “much to be celebrated,” from Hubbard’s life, while also acknowledging that his predecessor “was not an uncontroversial figure at times.”

Scharfenberger made the comments during his homily at the funeral Mass, held at the parish of St. Pius X in the diocese on Aug. 25. Throughout his approximately 17-minute address, Scharfenberger kept his mentions of Hubbard brief, instead highlighting the pure intentions priests have to serve, including those who fall victim to “their own sinfulness and brokenness.”

“There will be many, many times, as we say, to celebrate the life of the decedent, and [there] is much to be celebrated, and much to be contemplated on, even as we recognize by no stretch of the imagination was Bishop Hubbard … not an uncontroversial figure at times,” Scharfenberger said. “But…