Bill Donohue comments on an editorial by the Gallup Independent, a New Mexico daily, attacking the Diocese of Gallup:
Much to the pleasure of the Gallup Independent, the Diocese of Gallup filed for bankruptcy a year ago. How do I know they are delighted? Because of a November 12 editorial noting the “one-year anniversary.”
The editorial wants Bishop James S. Wall to “Publicize the list of credibly accused abusers by inserting it for three consecutive weeks in the church bulletins of every parish that was ever part of the Gallup Diocese.” Reality check: Parishes that have closed have no bulletin.
There is a rampant problem with the sexual abuse of minors among the Navajo in the Gallup area, yet we know of no campaign by this newspaper to demand that they publicize such a list. Wonder why.
The overreach of Bob Zollinger, who runs the Gallup Independent, is incontestable: “Publicly release a list of all real property in Arizona and New Mexico, along with the sale price,” he says. Here’s my favorite: “The Diocese of Gallup has no need for such property.”
I do not know if Bob has ever employed any wayward characters at his paper, but if he did, would he not think it evidence of an agenda if his critics opined that his newspaper occupies too much space in Gallup? Moreover, since Bob is one of the richest persons in New Mexico, and rich people have been known to cheat on their taxes, does he not have a moral obligation to let the public examine his tax returns? Perhaps he could publish them for three consecutive weeks in his newspaper.
Maybe Bob is not anti-Catholic. Maybe he’s just loopy: he’s gotten into several physical encounters, two of which were with city mayors (in one instance the mayor pinned him to the floor, which is the way things usually go for Bob).
We don’t have Bob’s email address, but we have his managing editor’s.
Contact Barry Heifner: barryheifner@yahoo.com (hope this doesn’t lead to another fight).
