“With one hand he giveth, and the other he taketh away.” Just when I get through praising Bishop Olmsted, a friend emails me with news that the good bishop has just appointed Fr. Peter Liuzzi, O.Carm, to the Phoenix diocese’s Presbyteral Council. Who is Fr. Luizzi? He is the former head of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles’ Gay and Lesbian Ministry. Seems harmless enough, right? No.
From The Wanderer, September 18, 1997, an article entitled “Diocesan Gay Ministries Group Moves Into the Mainstream,’ by Teresa Cepeda:
On September 4, 1997, Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles welcomed 170 Catholic homosexual activists to a conference in Long Beach hosted by the three-year old National Association of Diocesan Lesbian and Gay Ministries, the high point of which was a burlesque performed by Fr Peter Liuzzi O.Carm, his top “minister” to the Lesbian and gay community. Liuzzi pretended to bless attendees with puppy urine, and then simulated a strip show, tossing his clerical collar into the crowd.
So why is Olmsted bringing this priest into his diocese and giving him a position of some prominence? Why does it seem sometimes that every time a bishop appears to do something right, they then “compensate” by doing something wrong?
Of curse we don’t know if the good father has had a change of heart in the years following his LA gay stint. If Liuzzi has come around to the orthodox side of things, then his appointment may be Olmsted’s way of signaling to the others that obedience will be rewarded – the carrot and the stick.
The sickness in the Church runs deep and wide…
Then how do we explain the workshop on spirituality for priests given by Fr. Ron Rolheiser, OMI ( http://www.diocesephoenix.org/priestpersonnel/discipleship.htm )? (Do a Google on his name for more about him.) How about the anger management workshop, also for priests, given by a nun from the execrable St. Luke Institute ( http://www.diocesephoenix.org/priestpersonnel/anger.htm )? One is an isolated case. Three is a pattern.
BTW, Dom, isn’t Cdl. George the ex-superior of the OMI in the USA?
Dom,
Conservative bishops are like Neocon Republicans or “moderate Republicans”. They talk the talk but never walk the walk. They put up with anything just to keep people happy. They throw a crumb here and there and a bone over there so that all sides will be pleased. Sounds like George Bush who is so committed to pro-life that he does every thing that he can to make sure that Arlen Spector is re elected….
Some of our bishops are just into appeasement and scandal avoidance at this point. So they do what they can to reward their buddies, keep the blackmailers off their case and then look as decent as possible with the lights on.
You should know that as well as I do. It’s blatant.
If it’s anything like any other widespread phenomena, there’s a pattern. 80% of the trouble is always caused by 20% of the possible causes. So measure the trouble and you probably have a very good estimate of the number.
Brian, this thread is about the bishops and the whole gay thing.
The only reason it sounds like politics is because politicians have a messiah complex and think they know what they’re doing. And they’re doing it for their own gain. And some of us fall for it.
Get a clue.