Posted on 04/15/2002 8:31:13 PM PDT by Slyfox
As for informing the media, I don't see what the diocese would have to gain by alerting the media. It would seem to me with the recent scandals, that any publicity would be bad publicity for them. Do you agree?
TS
The person in charge of alerting the media was the woman chancery officer. I wonder how she feels now that it has become a media circus and has embarrassed the bishop.
None of us at the church had any intention of protesting in the face of the world. In fact, we had no inclination to protest until we were made aware that Father had been truly wronged and was deserving to have the matter looked at by Rome. But, we have had to deal with what has been given us. We are not a parish who has been chomping at the bit to protest.
What we have here is a good man who is having his face dragged through the mud for no reason. That is why we are upset. A good man does not deserve to be treated in such a manner.
Sounds like somebody put them up to this.
It appears, in the article Smedley-Butler referenced, that any record of anybody being checked was missing.
In a showdown with the bishops, who have dug in their heels, you're not going to win.
I'm not aware of anything in Canon Law that forbids a bishop from moving a priest at any time, for any reason.
Peace, TS
It is my understanding that Dallas had a HUGE problem with sexual abuse and homosexual priests a few years ago. Appparently it had to do with the liberal attitudes of the Bishop, his staff members and the folks in charge of the seminaries. Is this a NEW Bishop? If so, then people should be thrilled he's trying to do something to change the past.
Let me guess, this Fr. Biershcenk isone of those 'relevant priests who can talk to the young'.
After reading a few more posts, I'm willing to be 'corrected' in my original opinion if this Bishop is the same as was there during the scandals. Maybe he just doesn't like this particular priest. But parishoners should be careful about talking down the Bishop in front of their kids. The kids don't have the same level of judgement as adults, and it could hurt their practice of the Faith. Heck, it could hurt the Faith of adults as well!
Well, Bishop Tschoepe wasn't liberal, he was just clueless. He wasn't a very smart man, and liked to go around blessing parking lots and animals and meeting parishioners, but he wasn't one for getting involved in a lot of administrative issues. He left that to the Vicar General, Msgr. Robert Rehkemper, who was a liberal, but ended his career in the diocese when he infamously blamed Rudy Kos' victims for their involvement with the pederast priest.
There are actually two bishops in Dallas, and it is the coadjutor who will take the old bishops' place who is being hardline in getting these background checks done.
Let me guess, this Fr. Biershcenk isone of those 'relevant priests who can talk to the young'.
Actually, Fr. Bierschenk is one of the most conservative priests in the Dallas diocese. I don't know how he does with young people.
That is what has us all baffled. On a related note, I was involved in a dioceasan sex ed fight in 1984. We NEVER went to the media with it. We dealt directly with the bishop. It was at one point leaked to the media through, again, a feminist when she realized she was losing her fight to sexualize the kids in all of our school and CCD programs. We miraculously won that fight and we felt it was wrong to bring scandal to the church. However, in this case, what else can we do when we are dragged into a media circus at Sunday Mass?
I suspect the feminist in charge of this one counted on the fact that we are such a reserved parish that we would be silenced by the media involvement. What she didn't count on was the fact that a number of us have been bruised in other fights in other churches. St. Thomas has been a refuge for us. Well, she pulled the media in, now she will have to deal with embarassing the bishop.
The bishop is not the one who is embarrassed in this whole fiasco. In the end, Steve will still have to go to McKinney.
Most Catholics believe the bishop, especially given how tough this looks in light of the wimpiness of the Northeast bishops.
What an arrogant thing to say! It's not for you to set conditions for how your bishop must behave for you not to protest him. The bishop can change his mind whenever he likes, and there is nothing licit you can do about about. It doesn't matter at all how much you like "your" priest. He serves at the bishop's pleasure, not yours. That's the way the Catholic Church is set up, and cry as you might, you are not going to change that basic structure.
You seem to be completely oblivious to real issue. This isn't about conservatives or liberals, or whether a bishop is fair or unfair, it's about assent and dissent. You need to decide which side you are on.
Uh-huh. As I have explained, the issue is that the diocese has a conservative priest they have been trying to get rid of for years and they have found a few 'i's' not dotted and a few 't's' not crossed and they have seen fit to drag this good priest's face through the mud, insinuating that he did something wrong, which he did not.
Who's trying to change the basic structure? You obviously have no idea what the liberals and the feminists have had in mind for pastors like ours. Our pastor is one who plays by all the rules set by the Pope. We do those things in our church, which set the liberals teeth on edge. Our catechism classes, our music, our respect for our pastor are all in line with the way the Pope would do it if he were running our parish. Some people don't like that.
Love it! With all due respect, Your Excellency, you have got egg all over your face.
Again, I will pray for all concerned.
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