(Former) Bishop O'Brian of Phoenix Found Guilty of Manslaughter

ABC Radio News | 2/17/2004 | Pyro7480

[Pyro7480]

Former bishop of Phoenix O'Brian has been found guilty in the case against him for the hit-and-run incident he was involved in.

[american colleen]

What is there to say.

Maybe we can all say a rosary or make Eucharistic Adoration and ask God to send us holy priests and holy bishops - and that we may be made worthy of His promises.

[american colleen]

Bishop Convicted in Fatal Hit-Run Case

From Associated Press
PHOENIX — Bishop Thomas O'Brien was convicted of hit-and-run today for leaving the scene after killing a jaywalking pedestrian with his Buick, a crash that ended his career as head of the Phoenix Roman Catholic Diocese.

O'Brien is believed to be the first U.S. Catholic bishop tried and convicted of a felony.

The 68-year-old bishop could be sentenced to anything from probation to 3 years in prison.

O'Brien, who appeared in court each day wearing a black shirt, Roman collar and a cross around his neck, showed no emotion after the verdict was read.

O'Brien led the diocese's nearly 480,000 Catholics for 21 years, but stepped down in June after he was charged in the crash.

The accident occurred two tumultuous weeks after an announcement by prosecutors that they had reached an immunity deal with O'Brien that would spare him indictment on obstruction charges for protecting priests accused of child molestation.

[BlackElk]

As a condition of probation (after any jail sentence), perhaps O'Brien can be required to give driving lessons to Cardinal Mahoney and Bishop Hubbard and a few more. Any port in a storm. Under the circumstances, dead jaywalkers producing such results might be considered martyrs.

[saradippity]

What is there to say.

Well,one thing we could say to all of the bishops would be;let the fate of bishop O'Brien be an object lesson to all of you. Whether or not he knowingly left an injured man to die after he hit him,doesn't really matter anyway. Bishop O'Brien had lied so many times over the last twenty years that any intelligent juror couldn''t believe anything he said.

IMO,he is so unbelievable that his best chance of a not guilty verdict would have been to plead guilty,and just state that he knew he hit someone and chose to go home. The jury might have been puzzled as to why he did that but knowing that he lies all of the time just figured it was another lie and declared him innocent.That's how nuts it has been out here.

[sydney smith]

Best news I've heard today. Another pampered baby. Let him learn some realities of life. Not all of life is perfume-scented candles and sweet angel figurines.

[gcruse]

PHOENIX — Bishop Thomas O'Brien was convicted of hit-and-run today for leaving the scene after killing a jaywalking pedestrian with his Buick, a crash that ended his career as head of the Phoenix Roman Catholic Diocese.

The 68-year-old bishop could be sentenced to anything from probation to 3 years in prison.

Gee,  you don't suppose three years for killing somebody and running away is too severe, do you?

[autopsy]

Bishop O'Brien had lied so many times over the last twenty years that any intelligent juror couldn''t believe anything he said.

You mean you don't believe that he thought someone threw a 180 lb. rock through his windshield and he never thought to stop or call the police?

[welfareworker]

But Bill Ryan, a spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he didn't expect restrictions against O'Brien, a priest for more than 40 years. "He still will retain the title of bishop," Ryan said. "He still will be a bishop and a priest."

This is the worst part of the story. O'brien ignored his religious duty to stop and offer the dying man the Last Rites. Yet, they aren't defrocking him for this?

This was a civil crime, for which O'brien is being punished for and I hope he gets the 3 years on ice as he was supposed to be a leader in the community who ought to be held to some sort of standard.

But this is also an ecclesiastic crime, its a darn shame that this is being ignored.

[sinkspur]

But this is also an ecclesiastic crime, its a darn shame that this is being ignored.

It's not an "ecclesiastic crime." O'Brien did not commit murder, as he didn't intentionally kill this man. But he did fail to render aid, which is the definition of manslaughter.

There is no provision in Canon Law for "defrocking" him for that.

[welfareworker]

He failed to stop and give the dying man last rites or confession.

I ain't a canon lawyer by any stretch of the word, but Canon 968 suggests that O'brien was obliged as a priest to care for the man spiritually.

From the canon law,

§2 In an urgent necessity, every confessor is bound to hear the confessions of Christ's faithful, and in danger of death every priest is so obliged.

[Aquinasfan]

This is the worst part of the story. O'brien ignored his religious duty to stop and offer the dying man the Last Rites. Yet, they aren't defrocking him for this?

It seems like some type of Church discipline is in order. Fleeing the scene of a crime is hardly a good example.

[rogator]

"There is no provision in Canon Law for "defrocking" him for that."

Canon law obviously did not forsee that bishops would commit manslaughter, use the churches money to pay off sodomite sidekicks, enter into conspiracy to coverup pedophilia and homosexuality, or be complicit in the demise of orthodox priests.
Maybe we need an American Supplement to the Code of Canon Law.

[jscd3]

...use the churches money to pay off sodomite sidekicks, enter into conspiracy to coverup pedophilia and homosexuality, or be complicit in the demise of orthodox priests...

Actually, I think Canon law may in fact have something to say about one ore more of these...

[rogator]

"Actually, I think Canon law may in fact have something to say about one ore more of these..."

Why are we not seeing "bishops" like weakland, Ziemann, and O'brien defrocked?

[rogator]

"But Bill Ryan, a spokesman for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, said he didn't expect restrictions against O'Brien, a priest for more than 40 years. "He still will retain the title of bishop," Ryan said. "He still will be a bishop and a priest."

How many bishops have been defrocked during the voluminous scandals of the last 40 years?

[jscd3]

Why are we not seeing "bishops" like weakland, Ziemann, and O'brien defrocked?

To many Theolagicians in the Church.