Gov. Keating Resigns U.S. Conference Of Bishops

BOSTON -- Gov. Frank Keating's resignation letter to the President of the U.S. Conference of Bishops was released late Monday afternoon. In it, Newscenter 5's Amalia Barreda reported that he makes reference to but does not take back his words likening the secrecy of some Catholic bishops to organized crime.

In his letter he writes, "My remarks, which some bishops found offensive, were deadly accurate. I make no apology."

For those who looked at Keating as a no nonsense crusader for the truth, his expected resignation from the national review board studying the clergy sexual abuse crisis is a shocking disappointment.

"Governor Keating was a passionate believer in the truth and he pursued it passionately. At a time when the church needs to be doing exactly that, "said Steve Krueger, spokesman for The Voice of the Faithful.

Voice of the Faithful calls it an unfortunate use of misspoken words when the former Oklahoma Governor compared the secrecy under which some Catholic bishops still operate to "La Cosa Nostra." He specifically singled out Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony as one of the would be 'mafiosos' because of his reluctance to cooperate with a grand jury investigation into priest sexual abuse.

"When we hear public reports of bishops indicating that they are not going to release records that they previously agreed to release, one can't help but ask themselves what is going on?" Krueger said.

That question about the behavior of church hierarchy might also be asked in the wake of Monday's stunning news that Phoenix police searched the home of Bishop Thomas O'Brien Monday because the bishop is being investigated for a fatal hit and run accident Saturday night. O'Brien recently agreed to a reduced role in the Phoenix diocese as part of a deal to avoid prosecution for protecting sex abusing priests.

No doubt this week's developments will make for interesting conversation at the next meeting of American Bishops scheduled to begin Thursday in St. Louis.

"We will be there to both engage our bishops in dialogue as well as to hold them accountable," said Krueger.