Why Does Bishop Tod Brown Support Rod Stephens?

Homosexuality is very important to Bishop Tod Brown. He sent his priests this memo expressing his support of an article by Fr. Gerald Coleman that endorsed homosexual domestic partnerships: Bishop Tod Brown's Memo Supporting Homosexual Domestic Partnerships. For more details on that, see: Damnable Falsehood, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, January 2001, Studied Ambiguity — Reply to Father Coleman's Open Letter to the Mission, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, May 2001, and Lynch Responds To Coleman, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, June 2001.

Bishop Brown supports the ordination of homosexuals and said as much in this memo he sent to his priests: Bishop Brown Memo on the “Instruction on the Criteria for Vocational Discernment with Regard to Persons with Homosexual Tendencies in View of Their Admission to the Seminary and Holy Orders”.

Bishop Brown has been extremely supportive of Fr. Rod Stephens, his former director of Liturgy & Evangelization. Fr. Rod was effectively living with Howard Sellers as his "companion" and business partner for a number of years before and after Bishop Brown came to be Bishop of Orange. Fr. Rod has since taken a leave of absence from the priesthood, but he is still well paid by parishes within the Diocese of Orange for his decorating and design work. See: All That Perceptions Stuff — Ex-priest Rod Stephens Still Works in Orange Diocese, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, July/August 2004

Fr. Stephens assisted with the restoration of the Old Mission Church at Mission San Juan Capistrano: Mission San Juan Capistrano Conservation News

Fr. Stephens also did design work for St. Elizabeth Ann Seton parish and selected the corpus design for the sanctuary. See: Diocesan approval for expenses to be incurred by St. Elizabeth Seton Church from Fr. Tuan Joseph Pham, Secratary to Bishop Brown and also see: Details of the purchase (Fr. Stephens is carbon copied in the bottom left corner)

Here's a recent article which features a photograph of the former Fr. Rod Stephens supporting women's ordination by attending a ceremony in August celebrating the "ordination" of Jane Via where Via "led the Mass, gave a brief homily and distributed Communion.": Ordination puts woman, backers at odds with the Catholic Church

Perhaps Bishop Brown doesn't mind Fr. Stephen's support for women's ordination. Here's a picture of Bishop Brown at the close of Christian Unity Week:

See: The Close of Christian Unity Week, Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, March 2001

Why does Bishop Brown keep supporting this priest who chose to be with his domestic partner instead of remaining faithful to his ordination as a priest? Why was Bishop Brown so cavalier about suspicions of a sexual relationship between Fr. Stephens and another man (even admitting that he believed Fr. Stephens had once had a sexual relationship with his "friend", but was not sexually involved with him to his knowledge) while he was a priest who worked in the chancery of the Diocese of Orange? Why do the donations of hard working Catholics in the Diocese of Orange continue to be used to pay Rod Stephens, thereby funding his so-called alternative lifestyle? Why do priests in the Diocese of Orange continue to secure Rod Stephens' services in designing their "worship space", despite his heterodox views and alternative lifestyle?

Why has Bishop Brown been so supportive of homosexuality since his tenure began as Bishop of the Diocese of Orange in Orange County, California (and even before)? See: Open Letter to Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange

What do you make of all of this?

Comments

[suffering]

I'll tell you why. Because in the Lavender oops I mean Orange Diocese Social Justice, Tolerance and Diversity for Perversity reigns.

[glorybe]

Hello!!! Is anybody out there? What is it going to take for this "confused" Shepherd to be removed? I just keep writing letters to the powers to be in hope that if they get tired of hearing from us that something will be done. It reminds me of those old gangters movies where the FBI try to collar the mobsters on criminal charges and when all else fails, get them on financial misdoings. Do you suppose that there has been some misdoings in this area?

[carol blankfield]

In a few days I'll be posting a link with a letter to the Holy Father and the nuncio (Archbishop Pietro Sambi in Washington, DC) detailing some incidents and asking for the removal of B. Brown. It will be something you can put your own name on and send. (by email or fax - your choice)

[MonaAlona]

Good for you Carol!

In Bishop Brown's new pastoral letter he calls for Catholics to reject Materialism. Too bad Tod can't practice what he preaches. Flying first class, having five star chefs, taking luxury vacations, owning vacation getaways?, etc, etc. He need to learn how to learn a more simple life before he starts telling his sheep to reject materialism. What a joke.

Bishop Tod Brown has a moral obligation to send THIS out in a memo To: ALL Priests -

(See memo to All Priests from Bishop Brown in article "Fr. Gerald Coleman & Support For Homosexual Domestic Partnerships"
http://www.renewamerica.us/columns/abbott/060420

and tell all his homosexual priests that AIDS IS A HOMOSEXUAL DISEASE and therefore they are killing each other. (Hmmm, wouldn't THAT be mortal sin?)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-hiv30sep30,0,2512109.story?coll=la-home-headlines

What Michael Weinstein (from the article)DOES NOT CONSIDER is that homosexual men CREATE the disease among themselves and then the spread it to women through intimate contact (transfer of blood and bodily fluids through minute tearing of tissue and anal sex between a woman and a man) and IV drug users spread it through contact in the blood stream.

Semen has a unique ability to negate immune response (it was designed to do this in the vagina so that the woman's immune system does not attack and destroy the sperm). God created vaginal, heterosexual relations to CREATE life!

Intestines are where nutrients (and whatever else is in there)are absorbed into the blood stream and distributed throughout the entire body.

If a fluid that negates the immune system is absorbed into the blood stream (thru the instestinal wall into the blood stream) it destroys the immune function of the entire being.

This is why the Church IN ITS DIVINE WISDOM has ALWAYS DISAPPROVED OF ANAL INTERCOURSE.

It doesn't take a brain surgeon to understand the physiology involved.

Bishop Brown - how about that memo!!

[Susan Teissere]

Here is some info on Fr. Rod Stephens. Check out Mary Magdalene Catholic Community in San Diego Calif. Fr. Rod will be conducting a "Liturgy" retreat on Oct. 22nd. This organization that he belongs to has a "women priestess" Jane Via anyways! Bishop Brown clearly knows what is going on and he has bless this by allowing Fr. Rod Stephens to work in the Diocese of Orange! Start calling the Diocese of Orange! Lucy! you have some explaaanning to do!!

Here's the link for the article on Rod Stephens and Jane Via.

http://www.signonsandiego.com/uniontrib/20060805/news_1c05woman.html

and here's the link on Mary Magdalene Apostle CATHOLIC Community

http://www.mmacc.org/

And here's the phone number to Bishop Brom - Bishop of San Diego. 858-490-8200

Give him a call and let him know about this situation. Request that he publicly (from the pulpit, in his website, in his monthly Catholic publication AND to the press)denounce this organization - so their is no confusion or misuderstadings for the faithful.

Karl Keating says B. Brom doesn't need to speak publicly.

All bishops need to speak publicly in situations like this - for the sake of the Church - and the faithful.

[Joseph D'Hippolito]

If Karl Keating believes that a bishop of a prominent diocese doesn't need to speak out on a moral matter, then Keating values his Catholic identity more than truth, let alone moral responsibility.

That's the fundamental problem with apologists like Keating, Jimmy Akin, Mark Shea and the like. They are no better than the Jews whom St. Paul criticized in Romans for being too infatuated with their Jewishness.

If anybody believes that last comment is anti-Semitic, please understand that I have nothing against Jews whatsoever.

[ASimpleSinner]

Countdown To Retirement of Bp. Robert Henry Brom of San Diego