Bishops And Dissenters

[jrndveritatis]

This is some of the best news I have heard in a while. A bishop openly pursuing the truth and exercising his office.

[url="http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-religion/1128401/posts"]Olmstead's Stamp on Diocese of Phoenix[/url]

[quote]Olmsted's stamp on Diocese [of Phoenix]
East Valley Tribune [AZ] ^ | May 2, 2004 | Lawn Griffiths

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.
[/quote]

What I am wondering is do you guys think he has the right strategy or not? Is he moving too fast? I mean it seems Pope JP2 has moved with more reserve, and I'm sure he has a good reason.

I personally think Olmstead is acting exactly as he should, and that the reason the pope has seemed to act with more reserve is that he is letting diocesan bishops do their duty and following the principle of subsidiarity. There is always the danger of making people so mad that they go into schism or leave the Church or whatever, but is that bad if they were effectively heretics before they left? Just wondering what you guys think.

[the lumberjack]

doing the Lord's will has no timeline...

and it seems to me that this bishop...bishop, right?....it seems to me that he is doing the right thing.

blazing ahead in the name of Christ.

God bless.

[Dave]

Moving too fast? I think not. It's good he's not letting that carp go on.

[Hananiah]

Bishop Olmsted on the far right fringe of Catholicism? That's laughable.

[toledo_jesus]

now if we could get something like that going on here in Richmond we'd be in business!

[Ellenita]

The longer people are allowed to get away with abuses and being liberal with the Truth, the more opportunity they have to influence or lead others astray! Although it may be painful for some people in the short term, it's better that such practices are sorted out rather than allowed to take root....

He sounds like a good bishop!

[Katholikos]

Way to go, Bishop Olmsted! Not too fast, not too slow, but methodically and with surgical precision, he is lancing the wounds of the Body of Christ in the Diocese of Phoenix. Once rid of the infections, there's hope of healing.

I know Father Jack Cunningham very well, and the bishop should have suspended him years ago. But our former bishop was totally nonconfrontational and did nothing. This is a BISHOP.



JPII rejected three recommendations made to him for our diocese, and selected Olmsted, whom he knows personally because Olmsted used to work for him in Rome. The Pope knew Phoenix was on life support and slipping into a coma, so he sent the very best doctor.

Thank God for Bishop Olmsted!



JMJ Likos

[Crusader_4]

Great job. I wish all bishops could reflect his sense of orthodoxy in both thought and actions...and the way they run their parish.

[mamalove]

Yup, that's why we miss him so much! Rumor 'round here is that he is on his way to a red cap.

[traichuoi]

i love Bishop Olmstead!

he's so holy, simple, proactive, and nothing gets by him...

the thing i love the most about him is that he is not showy at all...he's doing his work...thank you God!