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	Controversial Bishop Forced by Church to Cancel Arizona Appearances By Michael Clancy Arizona Republic February 5, 2007 http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0205bishop-ON.html The Vatican has silenced an outspoken Catholic bishop, forcing him to cancel two planned talks in Arizona, organizers of the talks said Monday. Bishop Thomas Gumbleton of Detroit is required to seek permission from local bishops anywhere he wishes to speak, by order of the Papal Nuncio, the Vatican's ambassador to the United States, according to local leaders of Call to Action. Normally, clergymen need permission only to conduct religious services. Bishops Thomas Olmsted of Phoenix and Gerald Kicanas of Tucson refused to grant the permission, citing Call to Action's positions that conflict with church policy. A source close to Gumbleton in Detroit confirmed the nuncio's action. But a man who declined to identify himself at the nuncio's office in Washington, D.C., said the office would not talk about any such order. Phoenix Diocese spokesman James Dwyer said the problem was not with Gumbleton, who has taken positions at odds with a majority of his fellow bishops, but with Call to Action. But a member of a different organization, Voice of the Faithful, claimed Gumbleton is being "blackballed" for his controversial positions. Call to Action, which has about 325 members locally, describes itself as "a Catholic movement working for equality and justice in the church and society." It has called for an end to priests' celibacy requirement, approval for female priests, and lay participation in the choice of church leaders, among other things. Such positions conflict with official church teaching. "The bishop is pleased that Bishop Gumbleton has decided to cancel," Dwyer said. "I don't believe he or any bishop has to explain in detail why we do not endorse Call to Action. The record speaks for itself." Nicole Sotelo, a Phoenix native who is one of the leaders in CTA's Chicago headquarters, said the local CTA meetings would proceed at other churches with Gumbleton on video. She said Gumbleton was disappointed in the bishops' reactions. Gumbleton declined to respond to numerous requests for comment. Call to Action leaders said Archbishop Pietro Sambi, the papal nuncio, laid down the requirement to Gumbleton several months ago, allegedly as a result of testimony Gumbleton gave to the Ohio Legislature in favor of expanded time frames for abuse victims to file lawsuits. That position and others have made him a favorite of liberal Catholics but also a maverick among American bishops. Frank Douglas, a Voice of the Faithful leader in Tucson, claimed Gumbleton "has been blackballed by his own church" because of the Ohio testimony. M.J. Benton, one of the leaders of the Phoenix Call to Action group, said the group would proceed with its meetings in Tucson and Phoenix, featuring Gumbleton on video. The Phoenix meeting is at 7 p.m. at Church of the Beatitudes, 555 W. Glendale Ave. "He has been an advocate for justice, so it is sad to see him treated so unjustly," Benton said.
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