Posted on 02/06/2007 8:16:13 AM PST by NYer
It seems your voices have been heard and the Vatican has taken action. According to Call to Action, Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit must seek permission from local bishops anywhere he wishes to speak, by order of the papal nuncio, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States.
OK, you know I thought he was retired, but the article had me confused. So maybe that was only one reason why they put restrictions on him.
By the way, I probably should add that I don't think he has any business testifying to the legislature of another state that they should extend the statute of limitations on lawsuits. Costing the Church money means that parishes and schools and hospitals may have to be closed and charities diminished; it's nothing to be wished for.
As an American citizen, he enjoys First Amendment freedoms. As a Catholic bishop, he has lost his voice and been silenced by the Vatican. If I read this article correctly, Gumbleton is the first bishop to be silenced by the Vatican, at least in the US. Look for Gumbleton to make 'guest appearances' on various mainstream media shows. They love those who are 'disenfranchized'.
Although he tried his darndest not to retire...
The only possible reason he would be asked to testify is because he is a high-profile Catholic bishop. He's not a psychiatrist or legal expert. Basically, by agreeing to testify he was allowing himself to be used for anti-Catholic propaganda purposes. In other words, helping the enemy.
He still can't be stopped from doing things like that even now, since he has a citizen's rights. But he can no longer pretend to be a bishop speaking for the Church.
Definitely...
In a sense, I kind of feel sorry for them--many of the comments are that pathetic...8^)
But perhaps, some of them aren't necessarily driven by hatred of the Church, but rather gross misinformation, stereotypes, biases, etc.
Bishop Thomas Gumbleton was asked to testify because HE was abused by a Catholic priest as a child. Gumbleton IS a Catholic Church sex-abuse victim.
(Gumbleton's brother is gay, I think also abused by same priest - but can't remember for sure, but his brother is gay and so Gumbleton had spoken up early about gay rights, another thorn in the church's side when it comes to Gumbleton).
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