There’s an absolutely extraordinary story about a priest who tried to warn the Vatican about the dangers posed by pedophile priests.

According to the National Catholic Reporter, “Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, founder of the Servants of the Paracletes, an order established in 1947 to deal with problem priests, wrote regularly to bishops in the United States and to Vatican officials, including the pope, of his opinion that many sexual abusers in the priesthood should be laicized immediately.”

The story continues:

“In a 1957 letter to an unnamed archbishop, Fitzgerald said, “These men, Your Excellency, are devils and the wrath of God is upon them and if I were a bishop I would tremble when I failed to report them to Rome for involuntary layization [sic].” The letter, addressed to “Most dear Cofounder,” was apparently to Archbishop Edwin V. Byrne of Santa Fe, N.M., who was considered a cofounder of the Paraclete facility at Jemez Springs and a good friend of Fitzgerald.”

If the church had listened to Fitzgerald, it might have saved $2 billion and spared thousands of victims.

Bishop Charles Blake, leader of the Church of God in Christ, has been named to the President’s council on faith-based and neighborhood partnerships, it was reported today.

Blake, pastor of West Angeles COGIC, is a native of North Little Rock.

This story just gets stranger and stranger. Kevin Lee Genpo Thew Forrester, the bishop-elect of Michigan’s upper peninsula, reportedly replaced the New Testament reading with a reading from the Koran during one of his Episcopal church services.

(For newcomers to this story, Thew Forrester, adopted the name “Genpo” after going through a Buddhist lay ordination ceremony. He says the new name means “way of universal wisdom” although I’ve been unable to independently verify that. According to another Buddhist leader, it means “mysterious dharma.”)

Several bishops and diocesan standing commitees have already opposed Thew Forrester’s candidacy.

The Iowa Supreme Court decides that same-sex marriage is an inalienable right.
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Folks, this is the best lead I’ve seen in awhile. And the rest of the story’s a hoot, too.

German pastor defends plastic Jesus to toymaker
By CHRISTOF RUEHRMAIR and RACHEL NOLAN
Associated Press Writers
ZIRNDORF, Germany (AP) — Pastor Markus Bomhard has learned that you can’t just crucify a doll and get away with it.
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At First United Methodist Church in Lexington, Fifth Sundays were a big deal. Instead of a sermon, the congregation would enjoy an hour of extraordinary music, led by one of Kentucky’s greatest organists — Albin Whitworth.

After a church split, Whitworth and much of the choir are now attending a new congregation, Faith Fellowship. The new church’s first Fifth Sunday celebration, drew a large crowd.

The choir sounds great, but is still hunting for new robes.

An Episcopal priest who converted to Islam was deposed from the Episcopal priesthood today, the Episcopal News Service reports.

Meanwhile, the bishop of Kentucky revealed he will not vote to confirm an Episco-Buddhist to serve in the House of Bishops, Stand Firm in Faith reports.