Elmhurst College does in fact list an event for February 6, "Did Jesus Really Intend to Establish a Church?". This is described as the Cardinal Joseph Bernardin Lecture, which I suppose is appropriate. A press release from the diocese added to the remarks quoted in the Church Militant piece with "Like many other questions, Christians have to seek answers in the Scriptures and in the living tradition of the Church.”
This is somewhat puzzling. Did George Washington intend to found the United States? Well, there's no absolute answer. Historians must seek answers in primary documents and the tradition of historiography. I suppose if you're a radical skeptic or a postmodernist, there might be merit in this position, but if we spend a lot of time on questions like this, we have less time for more important questions. Is that a stoplight just ahead, and is it red or green? We can debate questions of epistemology and perception, or we can drive the car.
Conlon was installed as Bishop of Joliet in 2011. Although he was installed by the late Cardinal George of Chicago, this site says he's allied with Cardinal Cupich. He's been involved in other controversies related to abusive priests:
The Roman Catholic bishop in Joliet is allowing an accused predator priest to return to limited ministry, and advocates for priest sex abuse victims are livid over the decision.WBBM has stayed on Conlon's case. Last fall,As WBBM Newsradio’s Bernie Tafoya reports, the Rev. F. Lee Ryan was removed a couple of years ago from his ministry at St. Edmund Parish in Watseka and St. Joseph Mission in Crescent City, both in downstate Iroquois County.
. . . The bishop says Rome has decided that at the time Ryan allegedly molested a teen, what he did was not considered a serious crime by the Church according to Church law at the time. For that reason, Conlon ruled, Ryan could not be moved from ministry altogether.
The Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests says Church law at the time actually said a 14-year-old was at an age of consent.
“This is a shocking and dangerous move by Bishop Conlon,” said a statement from SNAP, which pointed out that Conlon is in charge of children’s safety for all of America’s bishops as head of the U.S. Catholic bishops’ committee on sexual abuse.
The Attorney General promised a sweeping inquiry into the state’s six diocese, and on Friday staff from the Attorney General’s office was in Joliet looking at records.It's hard to avoid thinking Conlon is completely out of touch, incapable of dealing with local media in any effective way.The diocese in Joliet has 650,000 Catholics, and CBS 2 has been searching for just one–the Bishop of the Joliet Diocese, Daniel Conlon.
CBS 2’s Brad Edwards found him at home on Friday before he slammed his front door in his face.
CBS 2 obtained this memorandum, initialed by Conlon.
In it, he says, “I would like to update you on the status of the Illinois Attorney General’s inquiry into matters involving allegations of child sexual abuse against clergy in the diocese of Joliet. Today, Nov. 16, four members of the AG’s office will be on site at the Blanchette Catholic Center to review files of diocesan priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse.”
That includes this list of more than 30 priests, including Father James Nowak.
The diocese paid millions to, in part, settle claims brought by eight men alleging Nowak abused them.
This summer, CBS 2 found Nowak living next to a school–with the diocese footing his expenses.
After CBS 2 inquired, he moved to an extended stay motel. He has since moved again.
Nowak once wrote on Facebook, “In regard to our beloved bishop Daniel Conlon, he has cared for me well.”
CBS 2 has been trying to interview Conlon for weeks, but on Friday he told Edwards that he “wasn’t prepared” when CBS 2 showed up at his door.
Conlon has had about two decades to craft a response to a media inquiry about priest sex abuse.
I'd be interested in any other information visitors may have on Bp Conlon.
