Last week, Fresno Bishop John T. Steinbock removed Father Geoffrey Farrow, 50, as pastor of the St. Paul Newman Center, which primarily serves students and faculty at Cal State Fresno, because he came out against the California initative that will ban gay marriages. He also admitted that he was gay. According to the Los Angeles Times story, the bishop also stripped the priest of his pay and benefits and barred him from ministry.
“Your statement contradicted the teaching of the Catholic Church and has brought scandal to your parish community as well as the whole Church,” Steinbock wrote in a disciplinary letter that also admonished Farrow against “using the Internet as a means of continuing your conflict with the Church’s teaching.”
The righteous Steinbock, when adminstrator with the Diocese of Orange, was hip-deep in the church’s attempt to protect rapist priests and mislead the families of victims.
“It is hard to believe that our spiritual leaders would knowingly sacrifice lives of innocent children … to keep up the façade and [live] a lie,” a woman wrote in a 1986 letter to Steinbock, after learning that Andrew Christian Andersen, a Huntington Beach priest who allegedly molested her son in 1983, had gone on to sexually abuse three more boys despite the church knowing credible allegations had been made about the cleric for years.
“How many more innocent children does he have to molest before something is done about this sick man!” she wrote.
I would suggest that a priest who advocated for gay marriage has brought much less scandal to the church than a bishop who was a part of the clergy sex abuse scandal. Maybe Steinbock should strip himself of his post, salary and benefits and bar himself from ministry. At least that way, a real sin would be punished.
15 responses so far ↓
1 Drew // Oct 14, 2008 at 10:44 pm
Especially in light of the fact that two competent and consenting adults should be able to marry each other regardless of gender in the “Land of the Free”.
Raping children is just one step up from terrorism in my book. I am not for capital punishment in almost all cases, but these two are exceptions for me.
Catholic Church, Al-Qeada. Not much difference. Except perhaps that the Catholic Church has killed and tortured far more people than probably all other terrorist groups combined.
2 Fr. John P. Lenihan // Oct 15, 2008 at 12:41 am
Drew, Drew, Drew..
There is absolutely NOTHING wrong with raping children. I did it for years, I even admitted it to the Pope and yet I never spent a day in jail. If it was SOOOO wrong I’m sure I would have been punished. But I wasn’t was I? I have a good job, a nice house and I am living happily ever after just like Jesus told me I would.
God bless Bishop Soto and Bishop Brown for upholding the values of the Catholic belief system and making sure nothing bad happened to me, they are blessed men of God.
Praise the Lord
3 Sister Zelda // Oct 15, 2008 at 12:51 am
While I do not live in California, I am concerned for the students I taught for 50 years in Catholic schools. Will those whom God created homosexual be deprived of the legal benefits that support households headed by heterosexual couples? Will they be denied the support and encouragement of lifelong committed relationships? In committed human love we come to know the love our God has for us. In challenging others committed relationships are we arrogant enough to say God does not know how to make the humans that this world needs in the 21st century?
4 Augusta Wynn // Oct 15, 2008 at 1:17 am
Bishop Steinbock is a laughing stock. It is a wonderful thing when these bishops show themselves for what they really are: sychophants working for closeted sexual freaks.
Of course men of Steinbock’s ilk must speak against gay people marrying. That’s the only way they can keep all their closeted clergy under wraps. Keeping it dark and dirty.
Steinbock’s participation in the international pedophile ring of catholic clergy identifies him and his employers. Rev. Farrow speaks the truth and is fired. Steinbock’s loyalists rape kids and are promoted. The so-called priests remain silent.
Thank you, Mr. Lobdell, for your fine reporting. AW
5 david clohessy // Oct 15, 2008 at 1:19 am
Steinbock is also the bishop who made Fr. Eric Swearingen the head of a high school even after a jury found him guilty of molesting Juan Rocha.
This may be hard for some to believe, but look it up. . .the newspaper stories are out there. (see BishopAccountability.org)
(Jurors deadlocked on whether church officials knew of Swearingen’s propensity toward abuse before he assaulted Rocha, so technically, it was a mistrial. But after deliberating just a short while, they conclusively determined that Swearingen did, in fact, molest Rocha.)
6 CER // Oct 15, 2008 at 1:33 am
Somehow the logic of lala Bishop Steinbock eludes me. It is ok, ye even holy, that he and others in the heirarchy of the church protect the evil priests who sexually tortured and violated innocent children. Yet a priest who dares stand up for the rights of consenting adults to live a different lifestyle is reason to be expelled by the same good(?) bishop.
I believe the Bishop shows a lack of morals, a lack of judgement and a lack of leadership qualities. But then he seems to fit right in with the rulling class of the RCC.
Reisz
7 Jenny Moore // Oct 15, 2008 at 2:14 am
Agusta Wynn: you are SPOT ON with your comment. These “closeted sexual freaks” are just that. They are NOT godly people – they have nothing to do with Jesus. But they sure can lure people in when they say they are serving in the name of Christ. NO THEY AREN’T!!! But they sure couldn’t have thought of a better “cover”!
And for all the homosexuals out there – you are fine. You are no better or worse than the rest of the people on Earth. You are made perfectly by a loving God, and you deserve the same civil rights as anyone. Love is love.
8 DB // Oct 15, 2008 at 3:33 am
Re: Freedom of Religion Privilege and Guaranteed Guaranteed Civil Rights
VIA EMAIL & U.S. MAIL
October 14, 2008
Bishop John T. Steinbock
Catholic Diocese of Fresno
1550 N. Fresno Street
Fresno, California 93703-3788
Dear Bishop Steinbock:
As a Catholic wife, mother and advocate on behalf of victims of sex crimes committed by employees of religious institutions, in response to William Lobdell’s “Which priest is the real sinner?” (http://williamlobdell.com/archives/300), I am shocked at your recent public and defaming statements concerning Father Geoffrey Farrow, former pastor at St. Paul Newman Center, for the following reasons:
1. My children were attending Catholic school and church during the time you were assigned to the Diocese of Orange and responsible for protecting all of God’s children. You failed us and you joined the good ‘ol boy network of pedophile protectors and negligent attorneys, placing innocent children and families at serious risk, salvaging the reputation of the Diocese of Orange. Why did you escape public defamation for conspiring with others to break the law and why are you still a Bishop with a reitrement, salary and healthcare benefits? You did not protect my children or the children of thousands of other families. Why?
2. I have personal knowledge there are MANY homosexual priests, school administrators, employees and faithful in the pews, within the Diocese of Orange and other Catholic communities, that were never publicly defamed in the way you spoke about Father Farrow. They are not pedophiles–they never hurt a child and/or would never destroy a family. Why do you choose to protect pedophiles but destroy an ethical and honest priest, Father Farrow? Is it because he spoke the truth as part of his moral obligations as a priest? Is there a SECRET and illegal conspiracy that destroys priests, nuns, employees and the faithful in the pews making a choice to exercise guaranteed freedoms of speech, press and opinion?
Most importantly, I am distraught about the public example you have shown to my children and the children of Catholics and non-Catholics. Believe it or not, there are still many who believe priests live by role modeling Christ’s love and teachings. I am thankful that Father Farrow’s example was shown to children in the midst of the horrific clergy sex abuse crisis that is far from over! You focus on homosexuality while thousands of sex abuse victims suffer in shame and silence. It is obvious your public defamation of Father Farrow was intended to discourage others from participating in speaking truths. Many continue to practice the teachings of the Catholic Church with sincerity in their every day lives, free of retaliation, hate and malicious speech against those expressing a difference of opinion. What is wrong with you?
I pray that your acts of retaliation against Father Farrow do not fall into the patterns and conspiracy of other religious leaders and attorneys, those still believing that freedom of religion is a free pass to sexually abuse another human being and/or destroy an individual’s career for exercising freedoms of speech, press and opinion. We can only hope that children and young adults witnessing the hate radiating from your public statements will never follow your example. The fight against terrorism is consuming the world — religious terrorism only compounds the fear and is a disgrace.
May God bless Father Farrow for speaking truths, refusing to CONCEAL the truths that you and others have conspired to cover-up for decades. By copy of this letter to the recipients below, I am requesting that copies of this letter be provided to Bishops Steinbock and Brown.
Respectfully,
Debby Bodkin
bodkind@hotmail.com
cc: Rev. Msgr. Myron J. Cotta, Catholic Diocese of Fresno, Vicar General,
(msgrmyron@dioceseoffresno.org)
Rev. Jesse Avila, Catholic Diocese of Fresno, Communications Director,
(javila@dioceseoffresno.org)
Diocese of Orange, Attn: Fr. Michael Heher
US Conference of Catholic Bishops
9 More on ‘bringing scandal to the church’ // Oct 15, 2008 at 4:59 am
[...] have a few more thoughts on my recent post about Bishop John Steinbock of Fresno punishing a priest who came out against a California [...]
10 Albino Luciani // Oct 15, 2008 at 8:22 am
http://www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker for daily verified and vetted information on why it is a MORTAL SIN to be donating any monies to the Roman Catholic Church with such blantent CRIMINAL office holders, unremoved, like: Steinbock, Mahony, Leveda, Brown, Soto, Walsh, Brom, Curry, Rivera, Blair, Barnes, Quinn, Ryan, McGrath, Weigland, Cummins, and other none CA office holders, like: McCarrick, Burke, George, Egan, Keeler, Foley, Maida, DiNardo, Rigali, Hughes, Chaput, Gregory, Re, Sambi, Keeler, Bertone, Scola, Sodano, Hummes, Pell, Schonborn, Hubbard McCornack, O’Malley, Law, etc.
“STOP DONATING LAITY!” St. Peter Damien
Ciao,
Albino Lucinai
MURDERED POPE
11 Kay Goodnow // Oct 15, 2008 at 8:22 am
Bishop Steinbock is typical of the arrogant attitude of these “men and women of God.” Fact is, this Roman Catholic Church is nothing more than a cult, utilizing the power of brainwashing from birth. They brainwash with fear.
Their leaders purport themselves to be the ultimate arbiters of right and wrong. Instead, they are criminals of the worst kind. How any Catholic can buy into this evil is beyond me.
It took me more than 50 years to undo the programming, but I did it!
12 vinnie // Oct 15, 2008 at 10:11 am
The most ludicrous statement on this page is from Steinbock himself when he says,”“Your statement contradicted the teaching of the Catholic Church and has brought scandal to your parish community as well as the whole Church,” Does this man have no sense of self at all, no sense of shame at all, no spark of humanity. How dare he blame another for bringing scandal down upon the church. How can he make such a statement with a straight face?
No single group in church history has brought more scandal down upon individual diocese as well as the global church as have the current crop of heartless hierarchy.
Cold sterile men with reptillian hearts who’ve sent sexually abusing priests out to rape and pillage young children again and again can hardly be said to be in touch with humanity.
If this were not the living truth, it would be a very sick commedy indeed.
13 Father Tony // Oct 15, 2008 at 8:30 pm
Dear Debbie Bodkin,
You make a damn fine statement. Not a single inaccuracy and perfect logic. Your ability to appreciate Father Farrow’s integrity rather than simply ask for all the clergy to be lined up and mowed down, given what you went through, is humbling.
I especially agree with the premise that as the administrator, the bishop has deep responsibility for scandal whether it be sexual abuse or heresy.
I don’t know the particulars of the abuse cases that the bishop of Fresno handled, but I am now familiar with the details of Father Farrow’s situation. If this is indeed scandal, as the bishop says it is, let the bishop rend his own garments, let him fast and give alms. Let him surrender his own health coverage. Let the bishop make amends IN EXCESS OF what he has prescribed for Fr. Geoff. Something tells me that ain’t gonna happen.
14 Albino Luciani // Oct 16, 2008 at 7:25 am
http://www.amazon.com for over 100 recently published and totally accurate books on the subject from such salient and cogent aither as: RC Bishop Thomas Gumbleton (USA), RC Bishop Jeffery Robinson, (Australia), and the retired & ailing (Parkinson’s) brilliant Cardinal Carol Maria Martini, formerly of Milano (part time in Jerusalem).
Additionally, check out books by: Richard Sipe, Dr. Leon Podles, Jason Berry, Dr. Robert Grant, MD, Attorney Marci Hamilton, David Yallop, Fr. Thomas Reese, SJ, Fr/Dr Howard Bleichner, SS, and Fr/Dr/Canon Lawyer Thomas Doyle, OP, to name only a few.
“The only condition for the triumph of evil is for good men (or women) to do nothing.” Edmund Burke
On film & DVD:
2006 US Academy Award BEST DOCUMENTARY nominated: ‘DELIVER US FROM EVIL’
2007 Critically Acclaimed & Cannes Film Festival Award Winning: ‘VOWS OF SILENCE’
2008 ‘DOUBT’ Starring US Academay Award Winning Best Actress Meryl Streep & US Academy Award Winning Best Actor Phillip Seymor Hoffman (in theaters nation wide in early December)
“Do not deal in the fruitless deeds of darkness, but expose them!” St. Paul to the Ephesians, 5:11
The Current USCCB & Roman Curia Motto: Isaiah 28:15
“STOP DONATING LAITY!” St. Peter Damien
NOT Smiling, From Heaven
Albino Luciani
MURDERED POPE
15 donnie davies // Oct 18, 2008 at 4:17 am
Bill,
God hates fags
and if you’re a fag he hates you too.
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