BishopAccountability.org
	Alleged Fight Involves Bishop Edward Kmiec WIVB August 13, 2007 http://wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=6922173 (August 13, 2007) — There has been an alleged fight involving Bishop Edward Kmiec. News 4's Alysha Palumbo has details about what happened over the weekend. Buffalo Bishop Edward Kmiec and Catholic Parishioners Against Church Suppression member Bill Parks don't exactly see eye-to-eye. Yet when both happened to be at separate functions in the Clarion Hotel in Dunkirk Saturday night, they met and took a smiling photo together, but just moments later the mood quickly changed. (shown on WIVB-TV) Fredonia resident Bill Parks said, "As soon as I mentioned my name, Bishop Kmiec went ballistic." Parks says he has been writing to Kmiec about not closing local churches ever since the Catholic Diocese restructuring plan was unveiled. Parks said, "I pleaded with him not to close either of the Polish churches in Dunkirk, and he got very angry he said 'you don't know anything about this.'" That's when Parks alleges the confrontation became physical. Parks said, "He was yelling and moving his arms around in a hysterical manner with anger and he was also pounding my chest just like this. You could hear it. It was very loud." Parks called police to report the incident. He says they encouraged him to file a police report for harassment and unwanted touching. Parks said, "He was pounding my chest, over and over again." "When a person touches you in a way you don't want, you have a right to complain about it." But Catholic Diocese spokesperson Kevin Keenan says it was nothing more than an animated discussion. Parks said, "Yes it was animated, but it was more than animated, it was belligerent it was physical, it was definitely a confrontation that was beyond the norm."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.