Bishop Michael Olson of Fort Worth released a video message Sunday evening addressing his interventions at the Carmelite monastery in Arlington, Texas.
> "Please pray for a just, peaceful, and merciful conclusion of this matter,”
This sounds like a good idea.
I am intrigued to learn a new phrase "morose delectation" which probably doesn't mean what it sounds like to me (sad tasty things? yeah probably not)... To the summa... https://www.newadvent.org/summa/2074.htm
Check out Complicit Clergy message from today for more context linking to Philip Gray and Church Militant from 2020 Bp. Olson which makes “statement” necessary.
Thanks. I googled and found the article. Very interesting. Opening sentence is a powerful accusation: "Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson is an alcoholic and a self-admitted homosexual, vengeful, troubled, so prone to rage he's even contemplated torturing and murdering a priest. That's the collective sum of multiple lawsuits and complaints laying bare a revolt against Olson's reign in the Texas diocese."
How is this man still in power 3 years later??? God save His Church.
It would be pretty amazing if someone wrote an opening sentence that is "the collective sum" of everything my ex-husband has written about me. I could have it on my gravestone and then people would not forget to pray for my soul when I die (unless they just gave me up as a total loss, I suppose), which in these modern times is a real risk.
As with every other statement from Bishop Olson or the Fort Worth diocese, the video raises more questions than it answers. It implies a serious double-standard in the way Mother Teresa Agnes has been treated compared with the unnamed priest allegedly involved these "sins." This includes the fact that the priest remains unnamed, even though Bishop Olson named and shamed the mother superior before concluding his canonical investigation. Also, it does not appear that she was offered the opportunity to engage civil or canonical representation during the initial questioning by the bishop, while the priest apparently has the benefit of counsel and the choice not to cooperate with the investigation. Finally, as far as I can tell, it was the initial statement from the bishop accusing Mother Teresa Agnes of violating her vow of chastity that started the public debate that he now, while releasing a one-sided public response, claims he will not be drawn into.
Technically she named and shamed herself—she filed a very public lawsuit and her lawyer went on a multi-outlet speaking tour. THEN the diocese responded. At least that’s the timeline being reported
Well then if she started it, the Bishop - as her spiritual father - should have been the bigger man and not jumped into the mud with her. It takes two to keep stoking a dumpster fire of these proportions.
I agree, both behaving badly. Otoh if the diocese made no statement after the lawyer’s repeated press statements speculation could be even worse than the truth
I’m in this diocese. The first thing that I and most of the people I know heard about this was from either the diocesan website or the media story three days after the diocesan announcement. Public perception is that the bishop is at fault for spreading this.
Regarding that protocol number: If it's not assigned to a matter involved with this case, what matter IS it assigned to? And if it's not the right protocol number, what IS the right protocol number? If it's a typo, I imagine it would be simple to discover.
Can any other bishop take Olson aside and provide him with private advice? In Orlando, perhaps? Because he is not inspiring confidence and it’s very clear that he doesn’t understand his words and actions do not align.
By the way, note HOW I AM TRYING TO BE CHARITABLE.
CAN SOME BISHOP HELP A BROTHER BISHOP OUT.
COME HOLY WISDOM
In short: look, I can see there are loads of possibilities where Bishop Olson's actions are justified. HOWEVER, I really don't see many possibilities where his communications thus far have been justified. He really does need some help, and I'm thinking it really needs to come from other bishops.
A lot of the bishops, I really do wonder sometimes.
I'm not in his diocese (I'm in New York -- and boy howdy... we have enough going on.) But the first I heard of this, my eyebrows got raised and they went stratospheric. Given the tardiness in dealing with MEN BEHAVING BADLY in the Church, it makes one really wonder about the unseemly abuse of process that seems to be going on here.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for your sisters, and pray that Holy Wisdom gets sent to the bishops to give them a boot to the head (or some other body part) to provide a bit of guidance.
Excellent point. It is as if the Catholic hierarchy is now acting like Mosaic law applies and punishing the woman -- but not the man -- for adultery . If it's true Mother Superior had sex with the unnamed priest, then why wasn't he also dismissed from the clerical state simultaneously? Is this not blatant gender discrimination? Have we gone back in time 2000 years and only the woman is punished? John 8?
When a Bishop iso longer able to be a Shepherd,in charity and humility he should resign. In many cases his Praetorian guard and those he has strategically placed around him,who enable him,should look to the diocese and do what is best for the faithful- not safeguard their own positions.
Nothing says "I will not be drawn into public debate" like releasing an inflammatory public address. Every word this guy says, every move he makes, seems to vindicate and reinforce the convent's supporters.
I swear, this guy seemes to dig himself a deeper hole every 72 hours.
The degree to which this has been mishandled is astounding. Saying you want this kept private while publishing things guaranteed to make headlines (like, say pictures of tables filled with weed) makes you a liar and a hypocrite. At this point, while I don't doubt there is something more going on, I just don't find this bishop to be credible. There seems to have been no attempt to handle this discretely, and now in the face of backlash he is blaming those who report the facts. I do pray this gets resolved justly, but I don't blame the sisters for taking it to the secular courts. The fact that they were denied their chosen council repeatedly, and the fact that Rome has already very clearly sided with the bishop, making his "commissar" when the irregularity of the situation would seem to beg for a neutral arbiter makes it clear that limiting their options to canonical courts would be foolish.
Bishop Olson has dug himself into a deep hole with his statements. Sure seems like he tries to cover himself in this case. By the way is he a canon lawyer?
Exactly! A "consensual" sex act means both freely participated so why isn't he being prosecuted simultaneously? Isn't one of the aims of canon law justice? As a man, even I see the obvious gender discrimination here. It's embarassing.
Sounds like he’s not from this diocese but since it also says his superiors were notified and he’s hired a lawyer and is refusing to talk…well, those aren’t the actions of someone not facing punishment.
It’s also embarrassing he’s not freely stepping forward with M. Teresa Agnes. Some consensual love affair! Now that she’s been hung out to dry he’s nowhere to be seen. But isn’t that the way with affairs? No REAL love. Pitiful.
The aim of canon law justice? That may have been the intention but a far cry from the effect! Canon law is outdated and in many cases unjust. Cases take forever to be decided canonically where in a civil court would have been much more effectively resolved.How do people 6,000 miles away,relying ONLY on recounting of Biahops,and dealing with people they have never seen,rule justly?
Nothing screams "NOTHING TO SEE HERE, FOLKS!" than "here's my public statement telling the public to not care about all these weird public statements I've been making that make no sense!"
I thought that discussion of confession was to remain secret and held between confessor and penitent. Presumably (always a dangerous word choice), if Mother Superior was confessing a sin, it should remain strictly between priest and penitent.
The bishop has no business discussing her or anyone else’s sins in public. This obviously erodes the Catholic argument of preserving the seal of the sacrament.
There are often second and third order of consequences that are not seen at present and this may be one of them. I can hear it now:
DOJ lawyer “So your honor, it is clearly demonstrated by the bishop if Ft Worth that the seal of confession does not apply to bishops on television.”
Lastly, this sounds like some despicable juvenile drama.
My read is she spoke outside the Sacrament. But using this to justify sharing the info sure looks bad. The secular world and non -Catholic Christians don’t have the seal of confession but I think it’s generally understood that when you confess privately to your pastor or spiritual director he’s not going to turn around and blast it on the internet. It’s such a bad look. If we can’t trust priests and bishops to keep their hands off our kids now we can’t trust them to keep their mouths shut too? Oy. I face palm everyday over this.
Yes! Face palm every day! That certainly captures how many Catholics feel these days. We talk about persecution - it’s so true especially in China, the Middle East, Africa - but who expected this, this internal persecution to begin from within?
Indeed, how can you trust these people with your kids?
Oh I don’t necessarily feel anyone is being persecuted here. M. Teresa Agnes may truly have embarked down the black hole of self-medication-got-out-of-hand due to chronic pain & had some [6th commandment] judgement-lapses while Under The Influence. Who knows at this point. But the Bishop FOR SURE has had some judgement lapses & he AND the Vatican don’t seem to see them as a problem since no drugs or sex are involved. And that, my friends, is a problem. This Bishop canNOT seem to see the plank in his own eye. As another poster said - somebody tell this man! It’s like he has salad stuck in his teeth or toilet paper tucked into his pants & doesn’t know it. He may even be up there tellin’ is how it really is… but we’re all cringing here.
That no one else in the Church has intervened is probably the most baffling piece at this point.
> "Please pray for a just, peaceful, and merciful conclusion of this matter,”
This sounds like a good idea.
I am intrigued to learn a new phrase "morose delectation" which probably doesn't mean what it sounds like to me (sad tasty things? yeah probably not)... To the summa... https://www.newadvent.org/summa/2074.htm
I had to look up that phrase, too! Thanks for the link to the ST.
hey maybe the Pillar can cover "interesting language use in the Church"....
^!
Craziest 'he said she said" I've ever heard.
Check out Complicit Clergy message from today for more context linking to Philip Gray and Church Militant from 2020 Bp. Olson which makes “statement” necessary.
Thanks. I googled and found the article. Very interesting. Opening sentence is a powerful accusation: "Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson is an alcoholic and a self-admitted homosexual, vengeful, troubled, so prone to rage he's even contemplated torturing and murdering a priest. That's the collective sum of multiple lawsuits and complaints laying bare a revolt against Olson's reign in the Texas diocese."
How is this man still in power 3 years later??? God save His Church.
It would be pretty amazing if someone wrote an opening sentence that is "the collective sum" of everything my ex-husband has written about me. I could have it on my gravestone and then people would not forget to pray for my soul when I die (unless they just gave me up as a total loss, I suppose), which in these modern times is a real risk.
As with every other statement from Bishop Olson or the Fort Worth diocese, the video raises more questions than it answers. It implies a serious double-standard in the way Mother Teresa Agnes has been treated compared with the unnamed priest allegedly involved these "sins." This includes the fact that the priest remains unnamed, even though Bishop Olson named and shamed the mother superior before concluding his canonical investigation. Also, it does not appear that she was offered the opportunity to engage civil or canonical representation during the initial questioning by the bishop, while the priest apparently has the benefit of counsel and the choice not to cooperate with the investigation. Finally, as far as I can tell, it was the initial statement from the bishop accusing Mother Teresa Agnes of violating her vow of chastity that started the public debate that he now, while releasing a one-sided public response, claims he will not be drawn into.
Very nice summary, thank you
Technically she named and shamed herself—she filed a very public lawsuit and her lawyer went on a multi-outlet speaking tour. THEN the diocese responded. At least that’s the timeline being reported
Well then if she started it, the Bishop - as her spiritual father - should have been the bigger man and not jumped into the mud with her. It takes two to keep stoking a dumpster fire of these proportions.
I agree, both behaving badly. Otoh if the diocese made no statement after the lawyer’s repeated press statements speculation could be even worse than the truth
I’m in this diocese. The first thing that I and most of the people I know heard about this was from either the diocesan website or the media story three days after the diocesan announcement. Public perception is that the bishop is at fault for spreading this.
Regarding that protocol number: If it's not assigned to a matter involved with this case, what matter IS it assigned to? And if it's not the right protocol number, what IS the right protocol number? If it's a typo, I imagine it would be simple to discover.
Can any other bishop take Olson aside and provide him with private advice? In Orlando, perhaps? Because he is not inspiring confidence and it’s very clear that he doesn’t understand his words and actions do not align.
By the way, note HOW I AM TRYING TO BE CHARITABLE.
CAN SOME BISHOP HELP A BROTHER BISHOP OUT.
COME HOLY WISDOM
In short: look, I can see there are loads of possibilities where Bishop Olson's actions are justified. HOWEVER, I really don't see many possibilities where his communications thus far have been justified. He really does need some help, and I'm thinking it really needs to come from other bishops.
A lot of the bishops, I really do wonder sometimes.
I'm not in his diocese (I'm in New York -- and boy howdy... we have enough going on.) But the first I heard of this, my eyebrows got raised and they went stratospheric. Given the tardiness in dealing with MEN BEHAVING BADLY in the Church, it makes one really wonder about the unseemly abuse of process that seems to be going on here.
St. Teresa of Avila, pray for your sisters, and pray that Holy Wisdom gets sent to the bishops to give them a boot to the head (or some other body part) to provide a bit of guidance.
Excellent point. It is as if the Catholic hierarchy is now acting like Mosaic law applies and punishing the woman -- but not the man -- for adultery . If it's true Mother Superior had sex with the unnamed priest, then why wasn't he also dismissed from the clerical state simultaneously? Is this not blatant gender discrimination? Have we gone back in time 2000 years and only the woman is punished? John 8?
When a Bishop iso longer able to be a Shepherd,in charity and humility he should resign. In many cases his Praetorian guard and those he has strategically placed around him,who enable him,should look to the diocese and do what is best for the faithful- not safeguard their own positions.
Amen!
Nothing says "I will not be drawn into public debate" like releasing an inflammatory public address. Every word this guy says, every move he makes, seems to vindicate and reinforce the convent's supporters.
I swear, this guy seemes to dig himself a deeper hole every 72 hours.
The degree to which this has been mishandled is astounding. Saying you want this kept private while publishing things guaranteed to make headlines (like, say pictures of tables filled with weed) makes you a liar and a hypocrite. At this point, while I don't doubt there is something more going on, I just don't find this bishop to be credible. There seems to have been no attempt to handle this discretely, and now in the face of backlash he is blaming those who report the facts. I do pray this gets resolved justly, but I don't blame the sisters for taking it to the secular courts. The fact that they were denied their chosen council repeatedly, and the fact that Rome has already very clearly sided with the bishop, making his "commissar" when the irregularity of the situation would seem to beg for a neutral arbiter makes it clear that limiting their options to canonical courts would be foolish.
Bishop Olson has dug himself into a deep hole with his statements. Sure seems like he tries to cover himself in this case. By the way is he a canon lawyer?
A "it takes 2 to tango" question.
Where is the alleged priest in all of this?
Exactly! A "consensual" sex act means both freely participated so why isn't he being prosecuted simultaneously? Isn't one of the aims of canon law justice? As a man, even I see the obvious gender discrimination here. It's embarassing.
Sounds like he’s not from this diocese but since it also says his superiors were notified and he’s hired a lawyer and is refusing to talk…well, those aren’t the actions of someone not facing punishment.
He is from his Diocese and is a canon lawyer.
It’s also embarrassing he’s not freely stepping forward with M. Teresa Agnes. Some consensual love affair! Now that she’s been hung out to dry he’s nowhere to be seen. But isn’t that the way with affairs? No REAL love. Pitiful.
The aim of canon law justice? That may have been the intention but a far cry from the effect! Canon law is outdated and in many cases unjust. Cases take forever to be decided canonically where in a civil court would have been much more effectively resolved.How do people 6,000 miles away,relying ONLY on recounting of Biahops,and dealing with people they have never seen,rule justly?
Nothing screams "NOTHING TO SEE HERE, FOLKS!" than "here's my public statement telling the public to not care about all these weird public statements I've been making that make no sense!"
The Bishop is practically going on a Privacy Tour a la South Park
I thought that discussion of confession was to remain secret and held between confessor and penitent. Presumably (always a dangerous word choice), if Mother Superior was confessing a sin, it should remain strictly between priest and penitent.
The bishop has no business discussing her or anyone else’s sins in public. This obviously erodes the Catholic argument of preserving the seal of the sacrament.
There are often second and third order of consequences that are not seen at present and this may be one of them. I can hear it now:
DOJ lawyer “So your honor, it is clearly demonstrated by the bishop if Ft Worth that the seal of confession does not apply to bishops on television.”
Lastly, this sounds like some despicable juvenile drama.
My read is she spoke outside the Sacrament. But using this to justify sharing the info sure looks bad. The secular world and non -Catholic Christians don’t have the seal of confession but I think it’s generally understood that when you confess privately to your pastor or spiritual director he’s not going to turn around and blast it on the internet. It’s such a bad look. If we can’t trust priests and bishops to keep their hands off our kids now we can’t trust them to keep their mouths shut too? Oy. I face palm everyday over this.
Yes! Face palm every day! That certainly captures how many Catholics feel these days. We talk about persecution - it’s so true especially in China, the Middle East, Africa - but who expected this, this internal persecution to begin from within?
Indeed, how can you trust these people with your kids?
Oh I don’t necessarily feel anyone is being persecuted here. M. Teresa Agnes may truly have embarked down the black hole of self-medication-got-out-of-hand due to chronic pain & had some [6th commandment] judgement-lapses while Under The Influence. Who knows at this point. But the Bishop FOR SURE has had some judgement lapses & he AND the Vatican don’t seem to see them as a problem since no drugs or sex are involved. And that, my friends, is a problem. This Bishop canNOT seem to see the plank in his own eye. As another poster said - somebody tell this man! It’s like he has salad stuck in his teeth or toilet paper tucked into his pants & doesn’t know it. He may even be up there tellin’ is how it really is… but we’re all cringing here.
The superior of a Carmelite monastery is called a prioress not an abbess.
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/spotlight-unfit-for-office. Problems for years now with this guy. Megalomaniac on steroids.