Fatal hit-run accident adds to church woes

Christian Century, July 12, 2003

The Vatican acted quickly to repair another tear in the U.S. Catholic Church's image, one that shocked even those inured to painful tragedies in the past year and a half.

Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas O'Brien of Phoenix on June 18 after O'Brien was charged with a fatal hit-and-run accident that occurred four days earlier. The pope assigned Archbishop Michael Sheehan of New Mexico as interim administrator. Sheehan, who was named to Santa Fe in 1993 after a massive sex-abuse scandal there, said he promised to work pastorally with Phoenix Catholics to help yet another diocese heal from its wounds.

O'Brien said he submitted his resignation "with a heavy heart and great sorrow" after more than 20 years of leadership. Only two weeks earlier O'Brien had gained notoriety for a deal he signed with local prosecutors in which he agreed to cede much of his authority in exchange for avoiding criminal charges for his mishandling of cases involving abusive priests.

A pedestrian, Jim Reed, was killed June 14 crossing a Phoenix street, and witnesses gave police a partial license number that was later traced to O'Brien's car. When investigators arrived at the bishop's house, they found the windshield of his car shattered and caved in. He told police then he thought he had hit a dog or a cat or that someone had thrown a rock at his car. Charged with leaving the scene of an accident--a felony--O'Brien could also be charged with obstruction of justice for attempting to have his car windshield replaced without notifying police.

The swirling storms of controversy have converged at a critical time for the bishops as they try to regain credibility with parishioners. Former religion writer David Gibson, author of the new The Coming Catholic Church, said the bishops are basically "back at square one."

Added Gibson: "Bishop O'Brien's terrible, tragic car accident in a way has nothing to do with anything else ... and yet he becomes the perfect metaphor for the way people view the bishops--as hit-and-run drivers who leave their victims and head on without punishment."