So how do the bishops respond upon finding out that one of their top lay officials, tasked with the protection of children, is herself affiliated with an organization that promotes abuse of children (through anti-chastity, anti-abstinence policies) and the death of children (through pro-abortion policies)? Why they defend her of course.
A prominent archbishop has leapt to the defense of embattled director of the USCCBureaucrats’ Office of Child and Youth Protection, Teresa Kettelkamp. To refresh your memory, Kettelkamp sent an officious memo to all US bishops ordering them to implement “safe environment sex education” programs ... or else. We also found out that Kettelkamp, a former colonel in the Illinois state police, was/is a member of the advisory board of the National Center for Women and Policing, an arm of the pro-abortion Feminist Majority Foundation. (I had other substantive criticisms as well.)
To wit, here’s a memo from Archbishop Harry Flynn of Minneapolis/St. Paul to all US bishops, which I have obtained:
I don’t know that your counter-examples obtain. Also, we _are_ supposed to be a little charitable with such things. It would have been nice to hear it from a better source, though.
For me, the problem wasn’t so much about her corporate relations, it was the tone of the original letter (someone, somewhere should have said “these guys are Bishops and you, madam, aren’t, so rewrite this tout d’suite”), and the possible misintent of the education program they are promogulating, plus the daft notion that they can require a Bishop do do a darn thing.
Beyond that, I’ll withhold judgement, given the evidence is a little thin.
Have the bishops hired *anyone* in their response to this issue who is actively pro-life?
Do they not understand that abortion *is* child abuse?
“In fact, even with regard to the NCWP, Ms. Kettelkamp was never an active participant in its board of advisers; and since she retired from law enforcement in 2003, the continued listing of her as a member of the NCWP board was inaccurate information.”
Is it still “inaccurate information” when Kettelkamp is the one listing herself – as recently as April of this year – as being on the advisory board of the NCWP?
http://www.usccb.org/comm/archives/2005/05-094.shtml If that doesn’t work, do a Google search of “USCCB” + “Kettelkamp”. Click the cache of the first result. It’s right there in black and white.
Ms. Kettlekamp’s name *was* on the website, listed in such a way that she did seem to be associated with the (pro-abort) Feminist Majority Foundation. I went there and looked when this first came out.
Surely she had to have known of this. If not, she needs to be more careful where her name and bio ends up as it could scandalize the faithful.
In either case, it’s a stretch for Bishop Flynn to say that she’s been treated “unjustly”. Give me a break. It was there in black and white.