Deborah Gyapong: Profile of Bishop OImstead

Profile of Bishop OImstead

The more I read about Bishop Olmstead, the more I love him.

Here's an excerpt of a profile in an Arizona newspaper that doesn't "get him." My comments in red.

Progressives in the church at one time had found a kindred soul in
O'Brien. Under Olmsted, they would find things had changed.

Within days of arriving, the bishop prayed outside a Planned Parenthood clinic for an end to abortion.

He disciplined priests over a letter of support for gay people put
together by an interfaith group of clergy. He barred a controversial but famous
Swiss theologian from speaking at a church. [Who could that be I wonder?]

He also ordered that no politicians who support abortion rights would be welcome on church property. The order included the governor at the time, Janet Napolitano, who was close friends with Monsignor Ed Ryle, one of the previous bishop's confidants.

Olmsted appeared to deal effectively with the aftermath of a priest sex-abuse scandal. Today, the former leader of the local chapter of the activist group Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, now leads the diocese's
child-protection office - a testament to Olmsted's success in the area.
Those close to the bishop echo the praise that followed him from his earlier
roles.

The Rev. Rob Clements served for six years as rector of Sts. Simon and
Jude Cathedral, where Olmsted has resided since he came to Phoenix.
Asked to describe the bishop's personality, Clements responds, "Integrity and kindness come to mind. There is nothing fake or phony about him."
He describes a man who clears the table and does the dishes, and who picks weeds in the rectory garden. He said the bishop is humble but committed to church teaching and principle.