And here I thought priests were forbidden to seek public office

Yet Reverend Raymond Gravel has been elected to the Canadian Parliment.

According to LifeSite, he got permission to run from his bishop —

— "Gilles Lussier of the diocese of Joliette — on condition that he cease priestly functions for the duration of his political career, and that he abstain from voting against the Church on issues such as abortion and homosexual marriage."

Couple of problems here, other than the obvious one (that being that the bishop's "permission" doesn't mean squat when weighed against the Vatican's mandate).

Father Gravel supports abortion.

In 2004, Gravel boasted to a radio interviewer, "I am pro-choice and there is not a bishop on earth that will prevent me from receiving Communion, not even the Pope."

Father Gravel also evidently supports same-sex marriage.

And Father Gravel doesn't have an exactly stellar record in keeping his promises. At his ordination, one presumes, he promised to uphold Catholic doctrine.

He hasn't been doing it. Not in public, anyway.

So how come Bishop Gilles Lussier thinks he'll do it now?

Enough to make your head spin, isn't it?

Please pray for all concerned.

Sources include: LifeSiteNews.com