Lay Faithful Sue Bishop Ochoa!

I received this information this morning via email: 

PRESS RELEASE: LAY FAITHFUL SUE BISHOP OCHOA, ADMINISTRATOR OF THE DIOCESE OF EL PASO

After much thought and prayerful consideration, we have decided to take this extraordinary measure in order to ensure that truth and justice prevail within our beloved Church. We love our Catholic Faith and we maintain the utmost respect for the office of Bishop. However, we now face a real crisis situation and must step forward in order to witness to the truth. We and many other lay faithful donated money for a specific building project at San Juan Bautista Catholic Church under the supervision of the parish administrator, whom we respect and trust. We did not donate our money in order for it to be seized by the diocese or San Juan Bautista Parish and used for other purposes. Over six weeks ago we sent the Administrator of the Diocese, Bishop Ochoa, a letter asking him to resolve this situation in private and in a spirit of Christian charity. We simply asked that our money be used for the specific intention for which it had been donated or that it be returned to the rightful owners. He never even had the courtesy to give us a return telephone call. As lay Catholics, we have a certain responsibility to protect the spiritual and material patrimony of our Church, and this is also why we have taken this extraordinary measure. Canon 428 of the Code of Canon Law states very clearly that “those who temporarily govern the diocese are prohibited from doing anything which could in any way be prejudicial to the diocese.” By creating this unnecessary public scandal, Bishop Armando Ochoa is harming our diocese. We shall continue to pray for Bishop Ochoa and all our priests. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

The local media has an initial story although it is not the most accurate in my opinion, so please take it with a grain of salt:

http://www.kvia.com/news/30335574/detail.html

Yesterday the story also ran in the local paper here in Spanish:

http://www.diario.com.mx/notas.php?f=2012/01/28&id=b6f71d26f519c62276b2210a10cb0ecd

See also: "El Paso: Curiouser and Curiouser" 

See also: "Fr. Rodriguez Speaks at City Council Meeting about Homosexuality"


I’ve also written about Fr. Rodriguez on this blog here and here.

See also "Religious Freedom and the Ochoa Lawsuit"


And "Effects of the Lawsuit Against Fr. Rodriguez"