Attorney: Bernardin lied, visited crime scene/ Why did Wisconsin priest commit suicide?

Why did Wisconsin priest commit suicide?

Matt C. Abbott

Matt C. Abbott
December 26, 2004

In the 1987 feature film The Rosary Murders, Father Bob Koesler (played by Donald Sutherland) hears the confession of a man who is killing priests and nuns of Detroit, Mich. The killer doesn't reveal his identity to Koesler, but does give him a clue as to why he is committing the murders. Koesler then begins his own clandestine investigation. Of course, the police get on his case once it becomes obvious he knows something about the killer, but, being bound by the seal of confession, cannot reveal anything to help their investigation.

This key aspect to the film's storyline came to mind after reading about the recent real-life case of Father Ryan Erickson, a Catholic priest who reportedly committed suicide after being interviewed by police about an unsolved double homicide that occurred in Hudson, Wis. in 2002.

According to a Dec. 23 Associated Press story, "Hudson detectives recently interviewed Erickson about the shooting deaths of Dan O'Connell, 39, and James Ellison, 22, at the O'Connell Family Funeral Home Feb. 5, 2002. O'Connell was the director and Ellison an intern at the funeral home. Hudson police issued a statement saying detectives had interviewed Erickson in the case, as they have interviewed others during the probe, but they weren't able to speak to him again after he got an attorney through the state public defender's office." (See: http://www.duluthsuperior.com/.../news/politics/10488758.htm.)

The way I see it, there are three plausible theories as to why Erickson hanged himself. One, he was somehow involved in the murders, and simply couldn't face his crime and grave sin. Two, he knew who committed the murders, but could say nothing to the police because the killer(s) confessed to him. The police figured such might be the case, and questioned him accordingly. Father Erickson couldn't deal with the stress of knowing the perpetrator(s) and keeping it a secret. Three, his suicide had absolutely nothing to do with said situation.

I'm inclined to think it is theory one or two. Yes, it is possible Erickson killed himself for some other reason no one knows about, but I find that an unlikely scenario.

In the film, the fictional Father Koesler is bothered tremendously by the fact that he cannot reveal any information he learned in the confessional. The Catholic Church is clear on this matter: "Given the delicacy and greatness of this ministry and the respect due to persons, the Church declares that every priest who hears confessions is bound under very severe penalties to keep absolute secrecy regarding the sins that his penitents have confessed to him. He can make no use of knowledge that confession gives him about penitents' lives. This secret, which admits of no exceptions, is called the 'sacramental seal,' because what the penitent has made known to the priest remains 'sealed' by the sacrament" (no. 1467).

So what could a priest reveal that wouldn't constitute a violation of the seal? Basically nothing. According to Father William Saunders, pastor of Our Lady of Hope Parish in Potomac Falls and a professor of catechetics and theology at Notre Dame Graduate School in Alexandria, Va., a priest "cannot break the seal to save his own life, to protect his good name, to refute a false accusation, to save the life of another, to aid the course of justice (like reporting a crime), or to avert a public calamity. He cannot be compelled by law to disclose a person's confession or be bound by any oath he takes, e.g. as a witness in a court trial. A priest cannot reveal the contents of a confession either directly, by repeating the substance of what has been said, or indirectly, by some sign, suggestion, or action." (See: http://www.catholicherald.com/saunders/99ws/ws991118.htm.)

Perhaps this is what ate away at Erickson. We may never know.

In the film, the priest almost violates the seal, but is given a providential "out" that allows the story to come to a satisfactory, if melancholy, conclusion. Sadly, that didn't happen in real life. For some reason, Erickson succumbed to despair.

May God have mercy on his soul.

Matt C. Abbott is the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee and the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League. He is a Catholic journalist and commentator. He can be reached at mattcabbott@hotmail.com.

© Copyright 2004 by Matt C. Abbott
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/041226

The views expressed by RenewAmerica columnists are their own and do not necessarily reflect the position of RenewAmerica or its affiliates.

There have been a few more outspoken and incautious dissenting bishops in America, such as Rembert Weakland, who finally had to quit his post in disgrace after it turned out that he had used Church funds to payoff a boyfriend who was blackmailing him. Weakland was an idiot, and frequently came out with obviously heretical remarks.

But Bernardin was immensely more subtle and clever. To my mind, he was the single most destructive force in the post-Vatican II Catholic Church in America. His seamless garment argument more or less convinced the bishops that they didn't need to do anything about abortion. He orchestrated and supported various dissenting lay groups in the Church. He also exerted considerable indirect influence on the bad translations that were perpetrated by ICEL, and the liturgical travesties that were widely imposed. His auxiliary bishops went off to be troublemakers in other cities. He was too smart to stage any clown masses himself, but he encouraged that atmosphere.

Whether or not he was also the head of a homosexual pedophile ring in the Church is still unproven, although widely rumored. I find it altogether believable, although it may never be proven for certain. Likewise the Satanism.

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