If you say to me, Socrates, this time you shall be let off, but upon one condition, that you are not to inquire and speculate in this way any more, and that if you are caught doing so again you shall die— If this was the condition on which you let me go, I should reply: Men of Athens, I honor and love you, but I shall obey God rather than you.
Socrates, to the jury, as quoted in Plato’s Apology
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I received a letter from my bishop on Wednesday. Bishop Knestout wrote:
Father White:
The restoration of your priestly ministry will be dependent on your taking down your blog, as you were directed by decree, specifically:
Reverend Mark White is to cease from this moment in disseminating his opinions by means of any social media: in print, by audio, or video, or any digital means… Any previous posts are to be removed from all social media and the account is to be closed.
In the exercise of his pastoral office, Father White is to refrain from all assertions against, or judgments about, the hierarchy of the Church.
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Every pope for the last sixty years has endorsed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. Article 19 of the Declaration states:
Everyone has the right to freedom of opinion and expression; this right includes the freedom to hold opinions without interference, and to seek, receive, and impart information and ideas through any media.
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I thank Bishop Knestout for putting the matter so clearly.
Father Mark White Blog 
How do we protest this? Who do we write to?
Im confused… maybe i shouldnt be… so are you saying youre not going to go by those requirements….and if you do go by his requirement…. des that mean the parishes or the prison chaplains office?
Personally if it were me… id be like yes sir thank you sir…. but thats just me.
. im sorry i wont get to be at your birhday celebration… i hope you have a wonderful birthday…im sure it will be an amazing gathering.. and i hope this is the start of a year filled with many graces
A man, Father White, gives his entire life to save the souls of the flock entrusted to his care. Thank you from the bottom of my heart for your priesthood, Father White. We flock are grateful for the good priest who will step out and point out what is wrong and what is right.
Will you consider the Bishop’s requirement, at least until there is a ruling from the Vatican? Your ministry is needed. Allow the water’s to calm. Please consider it, knowing your points about clerical sexual abuse have been widely heard.
I have prayed about this “battle” and, in a personal prayer request to the Bishop, asked that you be returned to active ministry. It’s a huge decision…Priest or right sayer. My prayers continue. Love you!
I have lost all respect for our bishop. He has shown that he is a bully, and if you don’t agree with him, then you must be silenced. Father Mark, I’m not sure what your real feelings are, but I suggest you do not bend to this trickery. He did not offer a return to your flock at St Joseph’s and St Francis, which tells me he is afraid of what you are presenting as factual data of his possible complicity in the whole coverup. My question is, how deeply involved in the gay mafia is Bishop Knestout, what does he know, and what are his plans, politically, to be promoted in the Church? Corruption breeds corruption.
Fr. Mark, you are who you are, the man God made you to be, the priest God called you to be. I know you have to be who you are…you will obey God. You, and you alone, know God’s words to you. The wickedness and ruthlessness of the hierarchy has now been openly displayed for all the world to see! May God’s love protect you, give you strength and keep you safe.
My prayers continue for the Bishop’s heart to be healed and whatever darkness has invaded his spirit to be healed by God’s grace. He has chosen to fight this battle on his terms and it saddens me. You must (and will) follow the voice of God who speaks to your heart. You are a true Shepherd and the people need you. My prayers for you are for spiritual strength to continue walking the path the Lord has placed before you. The narrow road leads to life etermal. I ponder why the Bishop is so intent on derailing your efforts to help obtain justice for the abused. To me it appears an abnormal reaction for someone in such a position of authority.
There’s no argument to be made about this. Freedom of speech is a right God has given to all of us. Barry Knestout defies God’s law in his attempt to take away Mark’s freedom of speech. Every Catholic — every Christian — should stand against Knestout’s evil words and evil act.
Ann White
Will the real bishops please stand up?
What a blatant example of why so many of the Faithful are disillusioned with many of the Hierarchy in the Church who abuse their power.
One can only wonder what promises were made to Bishop Knestout by the Lavender Mafia in exchange for ardently pursuing the silencing of Father Mark, thus keeping the truth from the faithful.
Here is a quote from the Catholic Register about the “Lavender Mafia”:
“That there is such a thing as the Lavender Mafia in the church used to be a rumor, but with the seedy revelations of the rise of Theodor McCarrick to the cardinalate, it is now an established fact. Only the existence of a widespread network of protection and coercion in the highest reaches of the Church hierarchy could explain McCarrick’s ongoing power and prestige despite the fact that his homosexual proclivities were widely known among his fellow bishops and cardinals. Only such a network could make sense of McCarrick’s crucial Teflon coating under Pope Francis’ watch that kept sanctions from sticking to him but not honors and advancements .”
Lori Tucker