Are you from Colorado? Nobody I know here is terribly concerned about Whipkey. Generally they only see him as an embarrassment and a weirdo rather than a hardened criminal worthy of obsessive attention.
I have several Catholic relatives in Colorado.
Nobody I know here is terribly concerned about Whipkey.
I take it that means you're in Colorado?
Generally they only see him as an embarrassment and a weirdo rather than a hardened criminal worthy of obsessive attention.
When the Whipkey story first broke last year, I initially agreed with this. It was wierd and a little creepy (and a little funny), but that was about it. My interest was piqued when it was reported that Whipkey had received some form of counseling and was shuffled from parish to parish after prior reports of public nudity (as a priest). I decided that Whipkey's case might make an excellent test of reforms made in the wake of the Catholic priest/pedophilia scandals. When I heard that Whipkey's diocese was in Archbishop Chaput's archdiocese, my interest was riveted.
It's my understanding that Chaput is new to the Archdiocese (or at least his position within it), coming on board after Whipkey's prior exhibitionist behaviors (and possibly after his recent jogging incident). I've been following the case ever since, specifically to see how the archdiocese (under Chaput) would respond. And how have they responded? You be the judge...
- Whipkey was only put on administrative leave when the story broke last August, not six weeks prior, when Whipkey was actually arrested (and confessed). The archdiocese said they would wait for the outcome of the case before taking action (note that the priest was convicted this last June, and we're still waiting for the Archdiocese to take further action).What is Archbishop Chaput and the Archdiocese of Colorado waiting for? To find out how long Whipkey's sentence will be? Or just whether Whipkey will have to register as a convicted sex offender? Isn't the conviction enough for them?
- The Archdiocese, although under a court order, did not release Whipkey's files in time for his arraignment hearing (at which time Whipkey entered a plea of "not guilty")
- Whipkey's motions hearing was delayed two months. News reports after January named a different legal team representing him, and also indicated that said legal team successfully argued that Whipkey's priestly status would not be mentioned during the jury trial, despite Whipkey's arrest taking place in front of the parish rectory after the nude jog.
- Whipkey's jury trial was delayed three months. Whipkey's attorney said Whipkey would be "out of state, undergoing some treatment."
- Following Whipkey's conviction in June, the archdiocese still has him on "administrative leave".
- Following an unsuccessful appeal this month to lower Whipkey's conviction to a lesser offense, the archdiocese still has him on "administrative leave".