Thursday, July 13, 2006

A Curious Rumor

Brad Drell is claiming that a presentment will be filed against Bp. John David Schofield of San Joaquin as early as next Tuesday. He states that this has been confirmed by 5 different sources.

If true, this will be an interesting development. I wonder what the details of the charges will be. If the action that motivated these charges was San Joaquin's request for AlPO, it would seem that Bp. Duncan would have been the obvious first choice, due to his additional demand for a 10th province. As Drell suggests, there may be some specific details regarding property that led to the choice of Bp. Schofield as the first AlPO bishop to be challenged.

I have some personal interest in this diocese, having been baptized by Vic Rivera at St. Paul's, Visalia as a child. Bp. Rivera was an "old school" conservative, and my earliest example of what it meant to be a priest and a bishop.

I had dinner with Bp. Schofield many years ago. He actually offered me a cure, which I declined. I found him to be an unusual man, and, to put it bluntly, was very uncomfortable in his presence. During the years I served in another diocese in California, I heard a few stories from refugees from San Joaquin that affirmed my intial impression.

The sad part of all of this, if it is true, is that it will probably lead to more than a few long and costly lawsuits, which will benefit no one except for the attorneys and the press.

J.

UPDATE: The Living Church is now carrying the story.

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