BishopAccountability.org
	Circling the Wagons with a New Obedience Required Wagon Master By Kristine Ward National Survivor Advocates Coalition June 16, 2011 http://nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com/press-release/ The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) believes Catholics should be alerted, aware and appalled at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' action to install a deacon in the top post of its child protection office. Diocese of San Jose, California Deacon Bernard V. Nojadera has been named to the national post. He takes office August 15. The Bishops of the United States are gathered in Bellevue,WA this week holding one of their twice yearly meetings. Revisions to the Bishops' Charter on the Protection of Children and Young People are on the agenda. NSAC is not raising concerns about the deacon's background. He has served in a number of positions that are related to the protection of children. We are questioning his appointment to this post because of the promise of obedience deacons make at their ordination and the commitment it places upon them. Encapsulated in this promise of obedience is allegiance and deference to the bishop. This chain of obedience heads up a high ladder going straight to Pope Benedict. This appointment is a bad omen. It is backsliding of the highest order. That's the last thing children need in the Bishops' office of child protection now. The two previous heads of the office were in law enforcement related posts before they accepted the position: Kathleen McChesney, the first director, was with the FBI and Theresa Kettlelkamp was a colonel in the Illinois State Police. Appointing an obedience bound deacon to administer the Bishops' response to the scandal is more than a roll back of even the weak Charter's provisions, it's a wild gallop away from Bishops being held accountable. How far does anyone think a deacon tied by obedience will get with a challenge on any aspect of Charter implementation, change, or expansion with men who continue to excel in window dressing? Catholics if they have any gumption, integrity or simple honesty should not stand for this. And the last thing they should do in light of this bold attempt to bamboozle them is put money in collection envelopes. Contact: KristineWard@hotmail.com
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