Thomas J. Olmsted, the Catholic bishop at the center of the abortion excommunication controversy once refused communion to a 10-year-old child with autism.
He refused to allow the child, who could not swallow, to take communion.
Olmsted, of Phoenix, Arizona, also tried to shield his archdiocese from clerical sex abuse suits by incorporating the local parishes individually.
Tellingly, he did not speak out on behalf of the victims, preferring to protect the financial interests of the Church.
Olmsted, described as a "hardline Catholic," is drawing major fire after his decision to excommunicate a nun who approved an abortion to save a pregnant woman's life.
Olmsted condemned Sister Margaret McBride, a Catholic nun and a long time administrator at St. Joseph's Hospital and Medical Center in Phoenix, after she backed the ethics committee's decision to terminate an 11-week pregnancy to save the mother's life.
Olmsted said she had to be "automatically excommunicated."
The patient concerned had a rare and often fatal condition in which the pregnancy can cause the death of the mother.
Suzanne Pfister, a hospital vice president, defended the hospital's action.
"In this tragic case, treatment required the termination of an 11-week pregnancy," Pfister said.
Olmsted disagreed.
He said he was "gravely concerned" by the hospital's decision and said, "I am further concerned by the hospital's statement that the termination of a human life was necessary to treat the mother's underlying medical condition.
"An unborn child is not a disease. While medical professionals should certainly try to save a pregnant mother's life, the means by which they do it can never be by directly killing her unborn child. The end does not justify the means."
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Switch to the desktop site to post a comment.LivvyPritchard | May 23, 2010, 02:36 PM EDT
Unfair, really unbalanced criticism of a holy man holding up Catholic Church truths! re sexual abuse & incorparated parish life: brother priests of our AZ parishes are intelligent,thinking leaders of VERY faithful parish Catholics not liable for over the top secular law suits against them. re Sr McBride excommunicated herself. A Bishop only condemns wrongful teachings of the Church not mecy on the soul --which sister realizes in her own excommunication. God be with her.
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HoundofUlster | May 21, 2010, 08:46 AM EDT
Barnarian. Christ would cruficy him.
chrisdawes2010 | May 21, 2010, 12:50 AM EDT
The Sabbath was not made for man, but man for the Sabbath' and the Bishop Olmstead is only acting the Pharisee of Jesus' time in being such a 'stiff neck' instead of being humane.
GuinnessGrrl | May 20, 2010, 04:09 PM EDT
So he also tried to shield the diocese from sex abuse suits, so pedophile priests are ok by him, but giving an autistic child communion is a big no? And people wonder why so many are leaving the church! Here's exibit A!
ritmomente | May 20, 2010, 02:22 PM EDT
Giving children with disabilities (such as Down Syndrome and Autism) communion is the norm throughout the Catholic Church. This bishop is living in the 19th century.
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Carroll09 | May 20, 2010, 08:10 AM EDT
Southcountykelly- USING the word "transubstantiation" is not the same as TEACHING the doctrine.Neither Christ NOR the Bible use the word "Trinity" or "Incarnation",but those doctrines are taught in Scripture.The word transubstantiation was not first used in Canon Law,but by St Thomas Aquinas-but it was only a means of succintly describing what happens when the bread & wine are consecrated in the Holy Mass: read the writings of the early Church Fathers and you will see that the Catholic Church has always taken Christ's words literally - "This is My Body"..."This is My Blood".Furthermore,the Bible is one expression of the Word - a necessary but insufficient element:it NEVER claims to be the sole rule of faith (in fact,it does the opposite)-this is a false invention of "reformers" from the 16th century onwards.However,you obviously think highly enough of the Catholic Church to prize so highly its most precious book: the Bible.
southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 08:17 PM EDT
Regarding communion, Jesus, never addressed the issue of transubstantian, ( I tried to look up the sp). And why didn't Jesus talk about transsubtantiation? We all need to answer that one. What is the derivation of the word? Could it possibly be from Canon Law? To me, to be a follower of Christ...means to follow the word, the Bible, which according to scripture, He did. Let us remember, Christ often referred to the Old Testament, not Canon Law. If Jesus were to be so adament about taking communion, He would have set dadirective.He did not. The historical distortion and spiritual distortions that have been set forth by a certain autoritative organization,are a down right insult to all of us.
southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 08:01 PM EDT
This is a great forum. Thank you !
southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 07:59 PM EDT
I personally was in the convent in the 60's and had a priest constanlly tell me,' put your head back, put your head back.'(when taking communion) That is not why I left, but who, and I repeat WHO, do they think they are?
mikemeboy | May 19, 2010, 06:52 PM EDT
Sounds like he is a true believer, in what is difficult to judge by the information in this item. Mercy and compassion has gone out of style, or so one would think. What would Jesus have done?
teddybear | May 19, 2010, 05:36 PM EDT
Why do these so called Men Of God act the way they do? No wonder the Catholic Church is going down hill.
bronxjames | May 19, 2010, 03:47 PM EDT
Okay enought of this so called priest. Excommunicate his sorry ass now!!!!
stephengbolger | May 19, 2010, 02:33 PM EDT
I've always been shocked by this attitude. Suppose that woman had four other children. What the bishop would want would be that the mother die and leave five motherless children. Rationality has to see that is the worst conclusion.
millstreet | May 19, 2010, 12:51 PM EDT
What is wrong with putting a small bit of the host on the child's tongue...I have seen this many times with dying patients while a hospice nurse...This bishop needs to have some compassion for others.
richardandjb | May 19, 2010, 12:51 PM EDT
For the dear Lord's sake. Come ON "rev" Tommy, you need to revisit Jesus.
Porickseantuny | May 19, 2010, 11:22 AM EDT
What part of "consume" don't commentors understand? Not only must the host be consumed but the recipient must acknowledge the body of Christ by saying and understanding - "amen" - IT IS SO. Depending upon the impairment, it is likely that the child could do neither.
howareya | May 19, 2010, 10:37 AM EDT
It's hierarchy like this that are driving people away from our Church and fueling the anti-Catholicism! These arrogant bishops and cardinals (read Mahoney) need to be sent to the missions and live in poverty for awhile to get their persepective back!
phoenixnurse | May 19, 2010, 10:09 AM EDT
Time for this Bishop to take a "Hike".... It is a disgraceful outrage what he did to this Nun.....
borefield | May 19, 2010, 09:53 AM EDT
Perhaps the Bishop should be defrocked and sent on his way. This type of behavior shows the Catholic Church in a bad light, where is compassion?. I would advise that parish to petition Rome to get rid of him. To refuse an autistic child communion is the pits, he defends and covers up the behavior of the pedophile priests. He needs to go.
southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 09:40 AM EDT
I do not personally believe in abortion. In the case of Sr. Mc Bride, however, is not the preservation of one's self...or, the human instinct to live...an overriding and innately spiritual directive from God? Wouldn't it be better to assume, that the medical information surrounding this case was in absolute regard for the mother's life? Personally, if I were in this situation, and told I would die unless something were done...I don't know what I would do. This is not a proclamative statement to approve abortion by any means. To proliferate harsh statements towards Sr. MC Bride, however, is un-Christian.
Irishlassred | May 19, 2010, 09:36 AM EDT
We can put a man on the moon, and bring him back safely and this fecking Church can't figure out a way to help a disabled person take communion? For the love of God (Really - for the love of God!) go to Plan B. I refuse to believe that there is no way for this youngester to receive communion. It's the butt brain bishop, refusing to think outside the norm. Idiot. And if I thought this church, in it's present condition, was worth taking back, I would. Much better entertainment watching it implode.
Carroll09 | May 19, 2010, 09:08 AM EDT
This bishop did NOT excommunicate Sr McBride- she excommunicated herself through her direct involvement in abortion which is against the consistent teaching of the Catholic Church.It is McBride who has the blood of an innocent child on her hands,not the bishop.Some may describe the bishop as a "hardline Catholic"- others would say that he is faithful to the teachings of the Church: a kind of leadership that Catholics are crying out for.He is merely affirming the Church's consistent teaching that abortion is wrong & that one cannot be a Catholic and support abortion.
southcountykelly | May 19, 2010, 09:04 AM EDT
Isn't it time that Catholics stand up and take over the church? After all, the people are the church..are they not? Let us read the Word and the Truth will prevail. Canon Law is for Canon lawyers.
Joanhugh | May 19, 2010, 08:59 AM EDT
I was shocked that the Bishop would not allow an 11 year old who happened to be autistic to receive Communion but thanks to your honest reporting I read the child could not swallow. If the child could not swallow how could he receive communion?. By the way not being able to swallow has nothing to do with autism maybe it was another disability.
barneyjo | May 19, 2010, 03:29 AM EDT
If it were not for the fact that I know that this man, like myself, will stand before God and be judged on his actions, I could "be quite cross" with him!!
KathyCallahan | May 18, 2010, 11:44 PM EDT
rebelforce -dissolves on your tongue
ellenfromcork | May 18, 2010, 09:26 PM EDT
If we had women bishops there would be no controversy about Sister Margaret's decision.
francesmargaretmary | May 18, 2010, 08:05 PM EDT
i think it's time for bishop tom to retire............he is one of those people, that gives catholics a bad rap!!!! and, where did he earn his medical degree???
Rebelforce | May 18, 2010, 06:51 PM EDT
If the child isn't able to swallow why would anyone attempt to give him communion?
PKierol | May 18, 2010, 06:37 PM EDT
I agree that this is an abomination. It is not the bishop's decision; it is the mother's and her doctor's. I am just horrified. God bless Sr. McBride for the courage and wisdom she showed. I am sure it took much soul searching on her part. God understands this and I know he is always with her.
MeganFinnegan | May 18, 2010, 05:50 PM EDT
This is abominable. This bishop thinks that a woman's life is not worth saving? Even if one takes the view that life begins at conception and all lives are equal, an 11-week old fetus can't survive if the mother dies, so what is the point in leaving a condition alone to let both mother and child die? Yes, far better to take away the rights of a nun, someone doing real, on the ground work for people in need with no recognition and a patriarchal system to answer to.
hyattsville | May 18, 2010, 03:02 PM EDT
I’m a Catholic. I make an effort to attend Mass most Sundays. I don’t go to Confession and I don’t blindly just drop everything to follow the orders of every priest and bishop. Let’s face it many of them have sinned hugely themselves. I do follow the golden rule however and I do agree with Sr. Mc Brides very difficult decision.
ritmomente | May 18, 2010, 07:53 AM EDT
It seems to me that he should be excommunicated as well. Then he should be put in jail.