Judge Denies Former Phoenix Bishop's Travel Request

THE EAST VALLEY TRIBUNE (Arizona), April 28 — An Arizona judge has denied former Phoenix Bishop Thomas O'Brien's request to make a trip to the Vatican in May.

Bishop O'Brien, who was found guilty in March of leaving the scene of a fatal accident last summer, is in the midst of carrying out his sentence of three years’ probation and 1,000 hours of community service, the newspaper reported. The judge based his April 27 decision on the recommendation of the Maricopa County Probation Department.

Pope John Paul II summoned Bishop O'Brien last year to make his once-every-five-year ad limina visit to the Vatican, which all U.S. bishops are currently fulfilling. He wanted to attend because he was bishop for four of the five years since his last visit, Bishop O'Brien's defense attorney wrote in the request.

A diocesan spokeswoman said the bishop was going to travel on his own and not as an official representative of the Phoenix Diocese.

Cleveland Bishop Bans Controversial Group

CLEVELAND PLAIN DEALER, April 26 — A Cleveland-area group calling itself Future Church is protesting the recent decision of Bishop Anthony Pilla to ban the organization from meeting on Church property.

Future Church supports allowing Catholic priests to marry and is in favor of women's ordination in order to alleviate a shortage of priests. The group had operated in the diocese for more than 10 years, the newspaper reported, but it ended April 1 when Bishop Pilla warned priests about the group.

“Future Church is an independent organization of individuals who promote an agenda that is not consistent with the teachings of the Roman Catholic Church,” and the group's activities are “not appropriate” at Church institutions or facilities, a statement from the bishop said.

The group's executive director, Sister Christine Schenk, said in a statement on Future Church's website that the group's beliefs were consistent with Church teachings and called on the bishop to open discussions on priestly celibacy and women's ordination.