BishopAccountability.org
	An Open Letter to Philadelphia Cardinal Justin Rigali By Frank Douglas Voice from the Desert February 21, 2011 http://reform-network.net/ Dear Cardinal Rigali, Given the problems on your plate I doubt that you'll have the time to read this, but I thought I'd write anyway. Here's the way I see it from my perch on the top of a 16-foot saguaro cactus here in the beautiful Southern Arizona Desert (Bishop Jerry Kicanas's turf): The jig is up, and maybe the gig is up. I don't think you can recover from the events of last week in which three of your priests were indicted for child rape and fourth indicted for child endangerment—not to mention the 37 additional priests in your archdiocese who are under investigation for child sex crimes of one sort or another. But I've been wrong before, in fact many times before. The Roman Catholic Church hierarchy in general and Pope Benedict in particular have enormous staying power. If you decide to stay in Philly and ride out the storm there, I understand. The Phillies are great and the Eagles will come back. If you decide to take a promotion in the Vatican (I'm sure the pope will offer a safe haven for the great work you've accomplished in Philly keeping the lid on priestly abuse of kids), I understand. The food and wine in Rome can't be beat. But if neither option is palatable, I suggest you consider Tucson. There are no professional sports teams here and no great Italian restaurants. But Vivace and Giuseppe's fill the bill for less sophisticated palates like mine. If you don't like Tucson but like the desert, you might consider the Holy Spirit Benedictine Monastery in St. David, Arizona, which is less than 100 miles from downtown Tucson. Holy Spirit is the place where Bishop Kicanas stashed fellow Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann, the former bishop of Santa Rosa who resigned in 1999 and died in 2009. Bishop Pat went to Holy Spirit to live a life of repentance following his resignation after admitting a sexual relationship with one of his priests. It was no secret that Bishop Pat had a little problem handling his out-sized desire for male companionship, if you know what I mean. Rumor has it that Bishop Pat frequented gay bars in Tucson while living at Holy Spirit, but I digress. In any case, I wish you the best of luck in trying to wiggle out of the pickle you're in. And no matter if you stay in the City of Brotherly Love or decide to take that slam-dunk promotion in the Vatican, or wind up in or near Tucson or wherever, I wish all the very best. Respectfully yours, Frank Douglas
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