Catholic bishop of Phoenix arrested

FOXNEWS | 6/16/2003 | John Gibson

[sinkspur]

Roman Catholic bishop John O'Brien was arrested for leaving the scene of a fatal hit-and-run accident, and his car impounded.

[saradippity]

I have heard that Egan has kind of lost the support of the pro-lifers because of his weak stand. I also know that Mahoney protects and fraternizes with homosexual and other sexual predators. Where is the documentation that they are homosexuals?

If it's around it should be publicized and be part of the reason that all lay Catholics should raise up and demand that homosexuals not be ordained.It also should be used in fighting the horrible sex education classes they are forcing on Catholic children.I believe there is even more to this than sexual preference even though I am convinced that homosexuality is the "tie that binds" beyond ethnicity,race,sex,political party and/birth family.

[Lael]

Anyone who has lived anytime in Phx should be accustomed to driving on surface streets... why is that? Because we aren't known for our freeways

We have the HIGHEST urban speed limits in the country to make up for said lack of Freeways.

And, until you have lived here, you DON'T even begin to comprehend the Wildlife situation. Don't let the harsh Sonoran Desert fool you...Mountain Lions regularly wander into Phoenix and other Valley cities from the Desert, not to mention the Bobcats, Coyotes, foxes, and yes, Deer (Mule Deer).

BTW, not to excuse O'Brien, but merely to point out that The Valley of the Sun literally crawls with Wildlife, and I am NOT refering to Scorpions, Gila Monsters, and Snakes, of which we also have an abundance.

Now, of course, you probably have heard that O'Brien has been rushed to the Hospital with EXTREME Blood Pressure...taken from the Police Station.

Time to pray for ALL involved!

[Robert_Paulson2]

So9 brought him into the context... see the post I was responding to?

the article on the radio news, about arapayoo, followed IMMEDIATELY after the blurb on the bishop here at the office... and at about the same time I was reading So9's post.

It just pointed out to me that today has been kind of a "how the mighty are fallen" sort of watershed day, or even week, here in AZ... seems like people in a position to lead morally, are falling under accusations of very serious moral depravity... accusations have been very concerning... as in hiding pedophile priests, manslaughter or even a "law and order" sheriff framing a private citizen for publicity purposes.

Add to that a very vocal DA, who is dealing with both issues this week in maricopa cty... and working to get his "message out" to the public on the local radio stations...

It is shaping up to be a very eventful week...

[saradippity]

Get your facts straight. The Church sold off two pieces of property they had earmarked for new parishes. I am not defending the church in Phoenix,most catholics here think it's cool and pretty protestant and certainly bishop O' Brien never listened to the Pope until the Pope said altar girls were okay and that priests should take time to take vacation. Oh,and then last week he told us the Pope wouldn't let him resign. Other than that the Phoenix diocese is pretty content with being the "Church of Phoenix" whatever that is.

Nonetheless you have given out a lot of misinformation for no apparent purpose. What's your story?

[Lael]

I don't know what his condition is, but it looks as if Bishop O'Brien's health has finally cracked...and is hospitalized at this time. My prayers are with ALL touched or felled by these tragic events.

If you can find it in your hearts....please consider it.

[Land of the Irish]

Bishop O'Brien's Pastoral Letter to Parishioners June 7, 8, 2003

My Dearly Beloved in Christ,

This has been a painful and stressful week for our Church, and me personally.

Although I am a Bishop, with a calling from the Church, I am still a human being with emotions like anyone else. I would never want to pretend that my pain in any way super-cedes that of those who have been victimized by sexual abuse, particularly those who have been abused by priests.

I know many of you have questions because there have been conflicting news reports and that is due – in part – to the fact many do not understand our faith, church law and how the Roman Catholic Church serves people.

I know you have heard my many apologies to the victims of child abuse. I believe I can never apologize enough, and being sorry is not enough for those who have been harmed so terribly.

Do I feel responsible?

Yes. As the Bishop, whether or not I had only legal responsibility, the hurt and sorrow for any harm caused by priests or diocesan personnel is mine to shoulder.

You also know as Bishop I am the only one, based on church law, who can remove a priest from ministry or authorize a transfer to another parish.

I act on the recommendations of the Priest Personnel Board, which each year reviews priests’ assignments. In the times when I’ve had difficult decisions to make, I made those transfers after spending much time in prayer. I felt in my heart that I had made the right decision and know that God knows I never moved a priest to hide his past sins or to endanger children.

When I became your Bishop, I had never heard the word pedophilia. I, like others, didn’t understand it was an incurable sickness.

I learned – just as law enforcement and health professionals – in the worst way by having to face the reality that our learning curve may have come at the expense of innocent children.

Wherever I have failed or misjudged, though unintentionally, I must acknowledge my mistake and I must carry the wounds of those who were harmed. I ask God, victims of sexual abuse and you, faithful Catholics, to forgive my imperfections.

As church, we have a common goal with the civil authorities to protect people. As church, we have the additional responsibility to nurture and protect their spiritual as well as their physical well-being.

The Catholic Church of Phoenix and Maricopa County Attorney’s Office want the same thing – to ensure that not only is this Diocese doing everything it can to provide a safe environment for Catholic children but for our community as a whole. I promise you that I will never forget the past for it will remain my driving force toward the future. I have been Bishop for two decades. I have committed my life to your service.

St. Paul calls us to be ministers of reconciliation. I assure you I want that above all else.

I believe we are taking creative and bold steps.

I ask for your prayers. As we celebrate Pentecost, I beg from God an outpouring of the Holy Spirit.

Faithfully Yours In Christ,

Most Rev. Bishop Thomas J. O’Brien Bishop of Phoenix

Seems like he forgot "about the past" concerning his "driving force" this past Saturday night. I wonder if he said a Mass for the man he killed on Sunday.These goofball Amchurch Bishops only show remorse when they're backed up against the wall with hard evidence. I'd like to see how much money the archdiocese of Phoenix is willing to spend to defend Bishop Hit'n Run. The coffers are already drained from his perverse protection of homosexual, predator priests. Maybe Mahoney can bail him out, hear his confession and things will be honky-dory again.

[Aliska]

If you can find it in your hearts....please consider it.

I'm with you on that. May God have mercy on all involved in this terrible tragedy. I'm praying for him because he must be suffering terribly.

[CdMGuy]

Catspaw, that must have been one hell of a moth that flew into the Bishop's windshield. Like a moth out of a Japanese horror movie, i.e., Mothra.

[Thorondir]

Pope St. Damasus put it together in the 300s. Without his work in that regard, there would be no NT of the bible.

The holy gospels and letters of the NT --Brought to you courtesy of the authority of the One Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church, founded by Jesus, Christ.

That's a fact.

[Thorondir]

What it likes is non-fiction, and what it does not like is fiction.

Subjugating reason to whim--What better standard is there than that?

[american colleen]

In fact, you can add Cardinal Law to the list. He wouldn't have been so anxious to cover up unless he was homosexual himself.

Cardinal Law is not a homosexual.

[Thorondir]

Absolutely ridiculous! Did you read that looney bit in Tinfoil Christianity Monthly?

Sheesh!

[CdMGuy]

Much as I hate to say it, Mahony has a point here. Keating has been mouthing off too much. He needed to speak softly and carry a big stick.

The problem for Mahony is that the CA legislature passed a horrible law last year. It removed the statute of limitations on all sex abuse cases for a period of one year (2003). So, anyone can come forward and file a lawsuit regardless of how long ago the claimed abuse occured. What Mahony and the other Bishops in CA should have done was gone to Gray DAvis and pressured him to veto the bill or else. But once again, the same chickenshits who wouldn't throw the deviant priests out of the parishes, wouldn't put pressure on Davis to veto this anti-Catholic left wing Demo hit.

As a result, lots of new lawsuits are coming down the track going back 30 or so years. How do you defend against that? How do you separate the real from the imagined? Mahony did not want to gather and supply Keating with certain requested info because that could have been used by plaintiffs attorneys to bring more lawsuits during this year that the statute of limitations has been suspended.

I am all for showing Mahony the door, always have been since he was appointed archbishop. But in this case, I believe Keating screwed up.

[Thorondir]

Some of us had this thing called a Protestant Reformation.

...and set ourselves up as Christ instead of the Church He founded. "Gosh, it's good to be your own god!"

(...but eternally fatal in the end.)

[Jean Chauvin]

Btw, I'm still waiting for your evidence on Edwin Palmer.

Jean

[Thorondir]

As any sane person knows, only the Catholic religion has perveted leaders, ignorant followers, and in turn has never contributed military or political heroes or made other significant contributions to America as all other major religions have in this country.....and in much greater abundance!!

Catholics have always served in America's wars in proportions far greater than they have in the population. About fifty Roman Catholic Priests died on the beaches of Normandy and the USMC has always been about 60% Catholic.

It is bad enough to talk with your mouth full, but with your head empty?

[Thorondir]

No. He got it exactly right. And the truth of his post hit you hard enought to make you boil into profanity on a forum that forbids it.

Class act... again.

[sinkspur]

Mahony did not want to gather and supply Keating with certain requested info because that could have been used by plaintiffs attorneys to bring more lawsuits during this year that the statute of limitations has been suspended.

Well, as they say in the old country, "toughski sh**ski." Mahoney's got to clean up the mess, and if the mess goes back 30 years, then clean it up!

This is as much about PR as it is about reality. If there are charges hanging over clerical heads, the American Catholics don't give a damn about "statutes of limitations." They want all the offenders out of active ministry, and La Mahoney is preventing that.

You can tell that Keating would like to be able to prosecute Mahoney himself, and I wish he could.

"The Don" of Los Angeles and his "omerta" ought to be brought DOWN!

[Thorondir]

"The queen protesteth too much, methinks."

[B Knotts]

Unless you are being sarcastic, you are a sick man. It disgusts me that you choose to spit on the graves of so many brave Catholic men that died to preserve your freedom.