Posted on 05/02/2004 3:32:02 PM PDT by Phx_RC
Some 4 1/2 months into his tenure, Bishop Thomas Olmsted has left no doubt that he is what the Vatican ordered when he was named to head the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix. A rapid series of recent diocesan actions underscores that Olmsted is a loyal and ardently faithful servant to Pope John Paul II, with whom the bishop once regularly worked during assignments with the Curia in the early 1980s.
The pope tapped the 31-year priest last fall to leave his bishop's job in the Diocese of Wichita, Kan., to come to Arizona to rebuild a church rocked by sexual misconduct by priests with minors and the disgrace brought by longtime Bishop Thomas O'Brien's felony case of leaving the scene of a fatal pedestrian accident.
Many parishioners, angered by the scandals, have welcomed Olmsted's no-nonsense crackdown on seeming waywardness in the priesthood, his shake-up in chancery leadership and such initiatives as bringing back the traditional Latin Mass on a limited basis.
Others are critical of his conservative actions.
In a private "personal and confidential letter," Olmsted recently ordered nine priests - five from the East Valley - to remove their names from an interfaith clergy letter, the "Phoenix Declaration," which urges full acceptance of homosexuals in religious and community life.
On Thursday, the bishop suspended a popular longtime Gilbert priest, the Rev. John "Jack" Cunningham, for allegedly allowing a non-Catholic priest to participate in a Eucharist Mass during a recent wedding, in violation of Catholic teaching. The incident is under investigation by a diocesan team.
After years of turmoil and allegations of financial mismanagement in two Mesa parishes, Holy Cross and St. Bridget, Olmsted has looked into complaints there. He ordered the Holy Cross priest removed.
"He is taking his time, and he is doing it right," said Donald Seyfferle, a parishioner at Holy Cross. "He is evaluating things first, and he is making the right moves," especially "getting rid of people he needs to get rid of."
From leading a high-profile vigil in protest at an abortion center to speaking out against capital punishment and contraception, the 57-year-old bishop has supported traditional Vatican positions --much to the disappointment of Catholics seeking reforms in the more than 1 billion member worldwide church.
Though the "season of conflict" related to sexual misconduct seems over, "we are not through the darkness yet," said
Mary Jane Benton, a Scottsdale Catholic. "Our new bishop has given out rules and regulations, instead of healing and compassion as Jesus modeled."
Benton, who serves on the national and Arizona boards of the Catholic reform group Called to Action, said Olmsted's stance on such issues as the priests' names on the gay sensitive declaration show more emphasis on legalism and rules than respect for the men's freedom of conscience and the treatments of gays by society.
"The pope obviously chose a conservative bishop," said Carolyn Warner, an Arizona State University political science associate professor and Catholicism scholar. "He wants to makes sure that the priests here in the diocese adhere to the line that he is mandated to uphold."
A pastor at All Saints Catholic Newman Center next to ASU, which sponsors a gay and lesbian fellowship, acknowledged that Olmsted looked into the center's ministry to gays.
"The bishop inquired about what it was, and we told him," said the Rev. Fred Lucci, associate pastor. Olmsted read the gay fellowship's mission, whose "primary goal (is) to foster a spirit of community and fellowship among gay Catholics in order to offer and receive mutual support in living out lives of faith within the Church in a welcoming community."
Olmsted raised no objection, Lucci said, but he said, "Just make sure that they understand and abide by Catholic teaching."
Olmsted's suspension of the Rev. Cunningham in Gilbert has irked some parishioners.
"I have never been so upset with a bishop" in a lifetime of being Catholic, said Ray Rafford of Mesa.
"What you are seeing is a move by the ultra-conservative branch of the Catholic Church to bring the parish priests in line to the bishop's thinking," he said. "Father John has a history of reaching out to all religions in a spirit of the overall love of God."
The pope, who will be 84 this month and 25 years in the papacy, has named about 80 percent of the world's bishops and has chosen them based on a "litmus test" on how candidates stand on fundamental church issues, said John Rusnak, Arizona president of Call to Action and a former priest. Olmsted, he said, clearly had met that test, and it's meant good assignments and reassignments.
While witnessing outside a Phoenix abortion clinic on Christmas Eve, Olmsted affirmed what he sees as his duty, "I have a special obligation, especially to Catholics in whatever position they occupy in society, to explain the church teachings and to share the good news about life. That includes politicians."
Olmsted released a statement Friday in response to inquiries as to where he is taking the diocese.
"I find it difficult to answer the question: 'Where am I going to take the diocese?' " he said, "because the church is not mine; it is Christ's." Olmsted called himself "just his servant therefore a servant of his church."
Also guiding him, he said, is the pope's document, "Ecclesia in America," plus church teachings and scripture. Olmsted said it is important that he lets Christ lead him and all faithful "along the paths of conversion, communion and solidarity."
He said he tries to teach others from what he has been taught. "I want to do that faithfully and without compromise, both by word and example," the bishop said.
Note: Underlines and bolds added for emphasis.
The good Bishop Olmsted needs our help. If you have any information that might help the Bishop
regarding Fr. Cunningham, regardless of how old it is,
or about any priest involved with No Longer Silent
please read subsequent posts for advise and further details.
If you have a private question or comment use FReepMail.
You don't want to "help" Olmsted; you want to destroy priests. If Olmsted is the man of God you paint him to be, he will refuse your "help."
What the heck are you talking about? Phx_RC asked for information. Information is not a bad thing.
Obviously, some of the priests in that diocese are in need of correction. That they are corrected benefits everyone in the diocese, including the priests themselves.
This is what it looks like when a bishop just does his job. We should be seeing this sort of action from the chanceries all over the country. That we are not only points to the sad state of the episcopacy in the U.S.
Wow. I call it a move by the obeyers-of-Church-law-and-Church-doctrine branch of the Catholic Church to bring the parish priests in line with doctrine and Church law.
I missed the child molesting in these priests background.
Can you give me some specific cites?
I asked for some specific citations, and you give me musings.
I assume you have nothing specific against these priests.
Context and citation backing up your statements would be welcome.
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