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	Leader of Catholic Lay Group Speaks against Archdiocese In a Speech in St. Paul, He Accuses the Archdiocese of Turning a Blind Eye to What His Group Calls Violations of Canon. Church Leaders Say the Group Is " Dead Wrong." By Pamela Miller Star Tribune [St. Paul MN] April 12, 2006 http://www.startribune.com/614/story/365591.html David Pence believes that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is broken and that he and his followers have been called to fix it. On Tuesday night, the leader of a group of orthodox laymen called the Defenders of Church Society told about 150 people at a meeting in St. Paul that the archdiocese is violating canon law by tolerating sexual activity by gay and straight priests and covering up a gay subculture that Pence blames for the priest sex abuse scandal. The archdiocese has adamantly denied the group's claims. During his impassioned two-hour speech, Pence asserted that "a fraternity of Catholic men" must confront church leaders about "a culture of deceit" that does not respect priestly celibacy and other church laws. The audience was sympathetic, laughing at Pence's frequent jokes about psychologists, feminists and gays. Those present also readily complied with his request that the men sit in front, the women in back. That, Pence said, "is because men are defenders and protectors." It's not the first time Pence, a Mankato physician, has stirred controversy. Two years ago, he led a group that tried to block gay Catholics and their supporters from receiving communion at the Cathedral of St. Paul. In the past few weeks, the society has created a buzz by posting its criticisms of the archdiocese on its website (www.docsociety.org). Its supporters have spread them via an e-mail network. On Tuesday, Pence named three priests whom he said he has confronted in person and asked to step down. Most prominent among them is the Rev. Kevin McDonough, vicar general of the archdiocese, who Pence said has failed to enforce canon law. Others include an elderly priest he says has had relationships with young men and a priest who "argues openly that homosexuality is just another form of love," Pence said. Pence said his group wants to "signal to priests, deacons and seminarians that we believe the archdiocese should abide by its own laws." "We keep hearing that the abuse crisis happened because Catholic priests are all men, in effect blaming it on the church's purity codes," he said before the meeting. "But the purity codes are sound -- we've just got a group of guys in the priesthood who don't buy it, and feminists who don't believe in the patriarchy of God and male priesthood. Those aren't Catholic arguments." Pence said that McDonough, who is charged with disciplining wayward clergy, uses a code that favors civil law over church law, thereby glossing over some moral issues. "He'll say if a priest is not celibate or is committing adultery, it's consenting adults -- no sanctions," Pence said. "But if a priest sexually harassed someone, then there are big sanctions." 'We address it' McDonough called Pence's charges "dead wrong." "I am very versed in church law, and our approach to discipline is respected around the nation," he said. "The archdiocese expects every one of our priests to live his vows with integrity, and that includes vows of celibacy." McDonough said he investigates all cases in which priests are accused of misbehavior or "misusing the pulpit." "It is hardly a new insight to suggest that there are sinners in the clergy," he said. "When it happens, we address it." McDonough accused Pence of "skewering people's reputations and spreading the wildest of rumors on the Internet." "That, to me, is inexcusable," he said. He said that he met with Pence and that the cases Pence raised had already been investigated and addressed. "I have a lot of real work to do, so rehashing old, already investigated matters is not worth a lot of my time," McDonough said. Name change for group Until recently, Pence's group called itself the Dan O'Connell Society, a reference to the Hudson, Wis., funeral director who, police say, was shot to death by the Rev. Ryan Erickson as he confronted Erickson about allegations of sexual misconduct. The society changed its name this week, and solicitations for contributions in O'Connell's name were removed from its website after an agreement was reached with a Hudson law firm retained by O'Connell's widow. Dan O'Connell's father, Tom O'Connell, said the family "doesn't want to be connected with that organization, or any organization at all." Pamela Miller • 612-673-4290
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