The reason given is an additional past instance of inappropriate conduct toward minor boys by the late Dcn James Orr beyond those reported by the Archdiocese of San Antonio in January of this year, an incident which was first reported to Fr Phillips, but which Fr Phillips did not then report to the archbishop, as policy required. Bp Lopes in his letter also referred to additional documentation provided by the archdiocese covering repeated additional instances of abuse reports against Dcn Orr, which were made by parents to Fr Phillips, but which he deemed not credible on his own initiative and did not refer to the archdiocese.
However, it seems to have taken the one recent complaint that Bp Lopes received first hand, on top of multiple additional documented instances from the archdiocese beyond those reported publicly to provoke this new action, a bit of a puzzle -- as in the Calgary case of flagrant cohabitation by ordinariate priests in a decades-long same sex relationship, Bp Lopes seems to move very slowly. One wonders whether additional pressure had to be brought to force Bp Lopes's hand in this new move.
Another context to this move is the sudden withdrawal of Fr Phillips as keynoter of the recent Toronto Anglicanorum Coetibus Society conference. I believe "health" reasons were given at the time, but my regular correspondent feels it confirms impressions that it was in fact not health related. How long was this sitting on Bp Lopes's desk until he finally took the necessary public action, though?
Fr Barker was then named Fr Phillips's replacement as keynoter, but he then withdrew at the last minute as well. It seems like the ordinariate has no grand old men left, but no credible young leaders, either. Recall that Fr Phillips headlined well-publicized and well-attended meetings in San Antonio and Hollywood promoting the upcoming ordinariate project. What's come out in subsequent years, beginning with his keeping his own parish out of the new ordinariate, suggests the level of hype and disingenuousness behind his involvement.
But if the Anglicanorum Coetibus Society had to hold a new conference next month, who could they make a keynoter? The only possible choice now would be Bp Lopes, himself a late addition to the Toronto program. But he's simply not a charismatic leader, he's at heart an organization bureaucrat with no inspiring message. Says a lot about things going forward.
