BishopAccountability.org

Priest Criminal Arrests and Suicides

By Patrick J. Wall
Patrick J. Wall
June 12, 2013

http://patrickjwall.wordpress.com/2013/06/12/priest-criminal-arrests-and-suicides/

One of the key lessons we were taught as priests is that bishops are the Episkopos, or, the Overseer of their Dioceses.  As the Episkopos, a bishop oversees all Roman Catholic Priests to whom he has granted faculties.

A bishop’s ability to oversee or supervise the clergy is reaching a new low.  The criminal conduct by priests in 2013 has not abated.  Rather, priest arrests are increasing.  See the most recent arrests of Fathers Koppala, Guarin-Sosa, Medina-Cruz and Wehmeyer.

Worse yet, even though the Dallas 2002 Charter prohibited Episcokopos from having criminally convicted priests in ministry, Archbishops have chosen to continue placing such priests like Father Michael Fugee in control over children.

Two recent priest suicides are another sign the Bishops are not supervising the Priests.  Father David Anderson in Los Angeles and Father Jamie Medina-Cruz chose to end their lives.  I do not fault them—we must hear their cries of deep desperation.

It is time for the Bishops to stop speaking in code words and take action to protect children and oversee the priests.  Unless an outside civil agency forces change on the Bishops more children will be harmed and more priests will become more alone and more desperate.

Father Leo Charles Koppala, Diocese of Winona, Minnesota.

Father Jamie Medina-Cruz, Diocese of Alexandria Louisiana.

Father Julio Cesar Guarin-Sosa, Diocese of Stockton California

Father David Ellis Anderson, Archdiocese of Los Angeles.

Father Curtis Wehmeyer, Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.

Father Michael Fugee, Archdiocese of Newark.




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