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A leaked faculty letter has accused the Archbishop of Detroit of violating seminary rules, breaching contracts, and even breaking civil law after the abrupt dismissal of three senior conservative professors.
The letter, obtained by Stella Maris Media, dated 26 August and circulated anonymously among clergy and lay supporters, was sent by a faculty member of the Archdiocesan seminary, Sacred Heart Major Seminary (SHMS), to Archbishop Edward Weisenburger and the Board of Trustees. It condemned the sudden sackings of Dr Ralph Martin, Dr Ed Peters and Dr Eduardo Echeverria, each of whom had taught at the Detroit seminary for decades.
In July of this year, Archbishop Weisenburger summoned the professors separately to inform them that their employment was terminated with immediate effect. He gave no formal explanation, offering only a brief remark that their theological views differed from his own.
Dr Martin explained to his supporters: “When I asked him for an explanation, he said he didn’t think it would be helpful to give any specifics but mentioned something about having concerns about my theological perspectives.”
“My Sacred Heart Major Seminary teaching contract was terminated by Abp. Weisenburger this week. I have retained counsel,” Dr Peters wrote on X.
The shock removals quickly generated widespread criticism online, with Catholics internationally expressing alarm at what many described as arbitrary and heavy-handed tactics. The Catholic Herald previously reported on the controversy surrounding the new archbishop, installed in Detroit in March, who has already provoked opposition by restricting the Traditional Latin Mass and prohibiting the ad orientem celebration of the liturgy.
Related: Parishioners protest Latin Mass suppression in Detroit
The anonymous faculty letter argues that the dismissals violated the seminary’s Faculty Handbook on at least three counts: Faculty Separation, Academic Freedom, and Contracts. Under the handbook, dismissal requires due process, written notice, and a clear statement of cause. No such procedure was followed in the case of the three professors.
“These dismissals without cause violate their contracts and leave intact the right of each professor to his salary for the remainder of his six-year term,” the letter states. Instead, each was handed a one-year severance offer, conditional upon signing a non-disclosure agreement.
The letter also states that academic freedom protects “differing theological perspectives” so long as they do not promote anything contrary to Catholic faith or morals as taught by the Magisterium. It further adds: “To terminate these faculty members merely for differing theological perspectives … is a violation of their academic freedom.”
Beyond the legal and contractual concerns, the letter warns that the dismissals have already damaged morale within the seminary community. “The abrupt dismissal of SHMS professors in good standing has already had a chilling effect on faculty morale, job security, and academic freedom,” it reads. The letter further warns that it could undermine Sacred Heart’s standing with accrediting bodies such as the Association of Theological Schools and the Higher Learning Commission, both of which require protections for academic freedom.
An accompanying email from a faculty priest, circulated alongside the letter, sheds further light on a mid-August meeting between Archbishop Weisenburger and the seminary staff.
According to the email, the archbishop spoke for less than five minutes on the controversy, citing his “conscience” as the reason for the firings but refusing to provide further details. He said he was reluctant to elaborate because of the confidentiality agreements already in place. Faculty members who challenged the archbishop were allegedly told that canon law “trumps civil norms or procedures.” Others voiced sadness at the sudden treatment of long-serving colleagues, with one remarking: “Are we now going to simply ‘shun’ these men and cancel their memory from SHMS?”
Photo: By Nheyob - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=44973376
