Spokane Bishop Elected to Lead Church in U.S.

WASHINGTON, D.C. -- In an apparent affirmation of church tradition, Bishop William Skylstad of Spokane yesterday was elected president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops at its annual fall meeting.

The election came just five days after Skylstad announced his diocese would file for bankruptcy within the month, and amid clamor by critics in Spokane that Skylstad should not be elected president because he had failed in the past to deal firmly with complaints about sexually abusive clergy.

Skylstad, 70, had served as vice president of the conference during the past three-year term, and no sitting vice president who's run for the presidency has been denied it.

Bishops and other church officials at the conference praised Skylstad's warmth, his work as vice president and his commitment to social justice and the environment.

But they also emphasized the weight of tradition. Cardinal Theodore McCarrick of Washington, D.C., cited continuity as a main reason Skylstad won. Through his spokesperson, McCarrick added that he has known Skylstad for years and considers him honest and able to work well with other bishops.

The Rev. Thomas Reese, editor of the Jesuit magazine, America, had predicted Skylstad's win. "It would have been very unusual for the conference to reject Bishop Skylstad after serving as vice president."

Reese said the bishops may also have wanted to elect Skylstad as a way to show that negative publicity would not derail tradition.

Of 232 possible votes, Skylstad received 120, with the other votes given to nine other contenders. While no other candidate approached Skylstad's tally, his 52 percent share still made it "the closest race I think we have had," Reese said.

Skylstad declined interview requests.

David Clohessy, national director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), called the election result a step backward. He said the choice suggests that the church hierarchy still doesn't comprehend the seriousness of the sexual-abuse crisis.

"It's disturbing that the bishops can pretend this election can take place totally disconnected from the greatest crisis the church has faced in modern times."

Members of SNAP and some Spokane parishioners last week called on Skylstad to resign as bishop and withdraw his name as candidate for conference president. They said he was unfit to lead the group, having failed in the past to prevent a priest he supervised -- the Rev. Patrick O'Donnell -- from molesting children, even after parishioners complained repeatedly to Skylstad about O'Donnell.

In his deposition in a lawsuit against him, O'Donnell admitted abusing at least 30 boys during his priesthood. According to his own statements, O'Donnell's most abusive period was 1974-76, when he lived in a North Spokane rectory with Skylstad, who was his supervising priest at the time. Skylstad's failure to stop O'Donnell, even after receiving complaints, is a key allegation in five lawsuits against Skylstad, O'Donnell and the diocese.

The first of those trials was scheduled to begin Nov. 29. The bankruptcy filing would put a halt to the trial.

In Spokane, parishioners had mixed reactions to the election.

Terry Corrigan, whose son, Tim Corrigan, committed suicide the day he told his wife about being abused by O'Donnell, said: "I'm obviously not pleased with the election results. I don't think he showed much leadership in this diocese dealing with the victims of abuse and opposing the ongoing cover-up of shifting priests from parish to parish."

But Barbara Anderson, who attends Immaculate Conception parish in Colville, says Skylstad is beloved by many parishioners. "I think it's absolutely wonderful," Anderson said of the election. "He's a wonderful man. I believe he's done everything he can possibly to correct the situation in our diocese."

Skylstad has gone further than some bishops in being open about the sexual-abuse scandal. For instance, he has released the names of alleged abusers and withdrew an initial request that certain court records in lawsuits be kept from the public.

The election produced some surprises: Cardinal Francis George of Chicago, who served as bishop of Yakima from 1990-96 and later as archbishop in Portland, from 1996-97, was chosen vice president.

It's rare for a cardinal, who ranks higher in the church hierarchy, to hold a leadership position in the conference and "it's been quite a long time" since one did, said Francis Butler, president of Foundations and Donors Interested in Catholic Activities, a consortium of foundations that fund Catholic causes.

The other unusual twist was the lack of support for the outspoken Archbishop Charles Chaput of Denver. Chaput, who attracted attention during the U.S. presidential election for condemning Catholic politicians who don't follow church teachings, received only a handful of votes. That clear rejection, said some observers, indicates that the conference does not want a fight over the issue.