Tales of three bishops
In recent days, besides Mons. Flynn and Bishop Finn in the United States, both criminally indicted (Flynn has now been convicted) of negligence in failing to report suspected sex-offender priests to the police, three other bishops elsewhere have been in more attention-getting headlines: Fernando Lugo, a former Catholic bishop who became President of Paraguay; Fernando Maria Bargallo of Argentina, who was photographed enjoying a seaside vacation with a woman he has now admitted to be his mistress; and Francesco Micciche, bishop of Trapani in Sicily, who was relieved of his post last month by Benedict XVI after a papal legate found evidence of his involvement in irregular financial transactions.
Lugo's is the most strAightforward story because he is no longer a bishop. Bargallo has just announced he has submitted his resignation as Bishop after admitting to a liaison with his divorced 'childhood friend'. But Micciche's is the most difficult to describe because he claims he is the victim of Vatican machinations and because an associate of his is now suspected of having possibly used IOR to deposit money from criminal sources.
[A fourth tale would be that of the Croatian bishop whom the Pope recently dismissed from his post for his role in trying to lay claim for his diocese to a monastery that has been ruled by the Vatican and the Croatian government to belong to the Benedictine community based in Italy, to whom the property was originally .]given by its original owner in the 19th century.
It must be remembered, however, that there are about 5,100 bishops in the world today, so the number of those who have been implicated in any alleged wrongdoing or eyebrow-raising activities is a very small fraction. Also, so far, none of the bishops appointed by Benedict XVI has been implicated in questionable activity.]
Strange ending to the political career
of Paraguay bishop who defied the Vatican
to run and be elected president of his country
Fernando Lugo, the Catholic bishop who was elected President of Paraguay in 2005 and later admitted to have fathered at least one child while he was a bishop, was impeached by the Paraguay Senate yesterday for alleged 'failure to carry out his functions as President'. He has accepted the verdict, and his vice president has taken over, but Lugo says he remains 'a Paraguayan citizen ready to serve his country in any way he can].
He did denounce the impeachment, saying "It is not Fernando Lugo who has been dealt a blow today - it is the history of Paraguay, its democracy, which has been profoundly wounded, because all its principles have been violated in a cowardly and premeditated manner, and I hope that those responsible are conscious of the gravity of their deed". He also called on his followers to express themselves in peaceful ways.
Lugo was named bishop of Paraguay's poorest diocese in 1994, from which he resigned in 2005 because he decided to run for President. He requested the Vatican to be laicized so he could run for office, but he was refused on the grounds that bishops could not undergo laicization, and also denied him the requested canonical permission to run for elected office. Following his election as President, the Church imposed laicization after, because he was elected to political office without permission.
The reaction from other South American government to his impeachments is generally in his favor.
Lugo impeachment
draws strong reactions
June 23, 2012
Governments in Latin America have reacted angrily to the impeachment of Paraguayan president Fernando Lugo.
The move has drawn criticism from the presidents of Ecuador and Venezuela, among others.
A 39-4 vote in the Senate on Friday saw Mr Lugo impeached in the wake of a high-profile land dispute scandal.
The United States and Spain have avoided publicly opposing or supporting the move, instead pressing the principle of democracy in Paraguay.
Fernando Lugo's case was brought before the Senate over his handling of clashes between farmers and police last week in which at least 17 people died.
Vice-President Federico Franco was sworn in as president immediately after proceedings.
President Rafael Correa, the leader of Ecuador, spoke out against the impeachment: "We believe that they [Unasur - Union of South American Nations] should apply the sanctions of what the democratic charter establishes, not to recognise an illegitimate government, even go as far as closing the border.
"Independently of what Unasur decides in respect to the people of Paraguay, in respect to democracy in Paraguay, we won't recognise the president currently elected."
Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez said he would not recognise the new president and his government: "We, the Venezuelan government, the Venezuelan state, do not recognise this illegitimate and illegal government hat has been installed."
A number of South and Central American governments, including Argentina and Bolivia, have also indicated that they will not recognise the new president's government.
In both Argentina and Ecuador, Paraguayan and local citizens took to the streets to protest against the impeachment of Fernando Lugo.
Demonstrators gathered outside the Paraguayan embassy in the Ecuadorean capital Quito.
Spain took a more pragmatic approach in commenting on the move.
According to the AFP news agency, a statement from the foreign ministry said: "Spain defends full respect for democratic institutions and the state of law and trusts that Paraguay, in respect for its constitution and international commitments, will manage to handle this political crisis and safeguard the peaceful coexistence of the Paraguayan people."
The United States took a similar stance.
US State Department spokeswoman Darla Jordan was quoted as saying: "We urge all Paraguayans to act peacefully, with calm and responsibility, in the spirit of Paraguay's democratic principles."
The Argentine bishop and
his Mexican vacation with his mistress
Translated from the Spanish newspaper
June 23, 2012
BUENOS AIRES - After three days of denying any wrongdoing in the publication of photographs showing him bathing in the sea with a woman he claims to be a childhood friend, Mons. Fernando Maria Bargallo, Bishop of Merlo-Moreno in the suburbs of Buenos Aires, called his priests to a meeting to acknowledge a romantic relation with the lady in the photos and to announce that he was resigning as bishop.
The newspaper
Clarin reported further that Bargallo then proceeded to the Apostolic Nunciature in Buenos Aires to submit his letter of resignation to be forwarded to Pope Benedict XVI.
His initial reaction to the photographs was that it was an 'imprudent' action that could be badly interpreted as it was, but that she was merely a childhood friend. However, the following day, another newspaper published more details about his vacation in Puerto Vallarta (Mexico), where the photos were taken, and he decided to come clean.
While it is true that he and the lady were childhood friends, since their families have always known each other, the two-week vacation they took together in January 2011 was not an accidental event. It started in Miami and went on to various luxurious tourist resorts in Mexico.
Bargalló, 57, comes from a very rich family, and it is thought he spent his own money for the vacation, not funds from the diocese or from Caritas, for which he was president for Latin America. His lady friend, 55, is a divorced businesswoman who is also well-off. It was not immediately known if the relationship continues.
Nor is there any clue so far who was responsible for sending six photographs to an Argentine TV station last Tuesday and who later provided the newspaper
Cronica with more details about the January 2011 vacation.
In cases like this, the Vatican usually names an apostolic administrator to take charge of the diocese until a bishop is appointed. It is not known what canonical sanctions Bargallo may face.
[I'm still trying to put together a clear and balanced account of the Micciche case in Italy.]
[Modificato da TERESA BENEDETTA 23/06/2012 22:55]