News Conference at the Diocesan Pastoral Center, Dec. 21, 2010 from Diocese of Phoenix on Vimeo.
THE CATHOLIC KNIGHT: It took a lot of courage to do this and God bless Bishop Olmsted for having the backbone to do in his diocese what needs to be done to dozens of dioceses all across America. Thank you Bishop Olmsted for this much needed, and long awaited, Christmas gift to the cause for LIFE in this country.
Only in the face of such heroic courage is our nationwide episcopal apathy revealed. Bishop's Olmsted's press conference was not harsh, and he did not come across as some kind of authoritarian dictator. He gently said a state of schism already exists, that the hospital had effectively broken itself from the Church, and that it was his solemn duty, to point out with much regret, that this schism has taken place and the people of his diocese have a right to know. It wasn't hard. He did it. And after making his case thoroughly, and expressing his unwavering support for the Gospel and Canon Law, he actually received a round of applause. This applause came from an audience of reporters that was openly hostile to him with some of their questions. In effect, they may not have liked what he had to say, but they couldn't help but respect him for standing up for what he believed in. Let this be a lesson to every other bishop in the United States.
Attention all U.S. Catholic bishops! You want to know how to regain the respect of the laity in the United States? Look at this bishop. Imitate him! That's how you do it. Or else you can go on your way, pleasing the press and liberal establishment, all the while leading souls to hell through your spineless complicity. This nation (indeed the whole western world) is in a spiritual crisis on a level not seen since the Protestant Reformation. We need LEADERS not bureaucrats!!! May God bless Bishop Olmsted!!!! And may more like him follow.
Now that's I've ripped into the good bishops of this great land, let me say a short word in their defense. Bishop Olmsted pointed out a common problem that should make every bishop in America quake in his mitre. Bishop Olmsted pointed out that for many years he had been deceived by the very people he is supposed to trust. This is a VERY COMMON problem in the U.S. Catholic Church these days. All too often, bishops do not have the control they think they do over their chancery office and advisory boards. All too often the people closest to them tell them what they want to hear instead of what they need to know. All too often bishops in this land are sheltered and kept out of touch with what is really going on right beneath their noses. In their defense I will say that many, MANY bishops in this land are deliberately kept in the dark about any happenings that contradict Canon Law and official Church teaching. This must stop, because after all is said and done, each and every bishop has the proverbial sign on his desk "The buck stops here." It is time for the bishops to get busy, audit their own chancery offices to make sure people are really telling them what they need to know, and then go through every hospital, university and school to make sure Church teaching is being respected. Likewise, it is time for every bishop to have a sit-down meeting with many Catholic politicians and celebrities in their dioceses to explain why they have excommunicated themselves from the Church with their public stand in favor of abortion and gay-marriage.
In this post sex-scandal age the U.S. Catholic bishops are worried about credibility. Well, the sex-abuse scandals don't hold a candle to the scandal that has erupted for many years over Catholic politicians, movie stars and Catholic institution that have contradicted (even deceived) the Church in so many ways. The real challenge of today's bishops has little to do with sex-scandals and everything to do with Canon Law scandals. Nobody takes seriously an institution that does not follow it's own rules.
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