Bishop Zurek misleads?

From Jill Stanek:

Read backstory here.

This fiasco left off with Bishop Patrick Zurek (pictured right) publicly announcing on October 6 a private meeting he had invited Father Frank Pavone to attend on October 13.

When that meeting did not happen, Bishop Zurek appears to have misrepresented why it did not happen, quoting Amarillo Globe-News on October 14…

Embattled activist priest Frank Pavone did not respond to Bishop Patrick J. Zurek’s public invitation for a private meeting Thursday, the bishop said….

But by 5 p.m. Thursday – closing time at the diocese offices – Pavone had yet to appear.
“I would welcome a meeting with Father Pavone, face to face, a meeting as his bishop,” Zurek said. “I am still waiting for a favorable response to that.”

In fact, Father Pavone did respond, requesting – with good reason – that a mediator be present at that meeting, and Bishop Zurek never responded to Father Pavone’s request.

In fact, Father Pavone (pictured left) and Priest for Life’s Chief Canonist have “on numerous occasions” requested mediated meetings between the two men, to which the bishop has never responded. This entire matter could have been cleared up weeks ago had the bishop agreed to the help of mediators.

In addition, I am aware of a letter Bishop Zurek wrote on October 5, finally acknowledging for the first time that he indeed had in his possession PFL’s financial statements for 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2010, as well as “[i]ncomplete financial statements” for 2009 (about which he requested more information, which PFL promptly submitted).

In that letter Bishop Zurek also acknowledged having the 2010 financial statements for Rachel’s Vineyard and Gospel of Life.

To clarify, PFL submits all financial statements and audits to Father Pavone’s diocese and members of PFL’s board of directors as soon as they are completed.

Thus, Bishop Zurek was admitting that the Amarillo Diocese has had PFL’s up-to-date financial records in its possession from the time Father Pavone joined the diocese in 2005 – contrary to Bishop Zurek’s allusion in his September 9 letter to all U.S. bishops that Father Pavone had “rebuff[ed] my every attempt at calling for financial transparency.”

In addition, Bishop Zurek went on to say in that October 5 letter, “I shall submit these statements to my advisors for review. After I have been advised about these financial statements, I shall forward to you all their concerns and questions.”

In other words, Bishop Zurek was conceding that neither he nor his advisers have ever analyzed PFL’s financial statements, even though he wrote a scathing letter to all U.S. bishops on September 9 all but accusing Father Pavone of financial malfeasance and recommending that parishioners withhold donations to PFL.

[Top photo via Amarillo Globe-News]

• Bishop Zurek misleads?

h/t to The Tenth Crusade