Fresno priest still in exile

Matt C. Abbott
Fresno priest still in exile
By Matt C. Abbott
www.MichNews.com
Jun 29, 2007

In 2003, Father Joe Baca, of the Fresno, Calif., diocese – and who, for a time, was permitted to celebrate the Tridentine Mass at St. Agnes Mission Church in Pinedale, Calif. -- was removed from public ministry by Bishop John Steinbock.

Father Baca’s story, along with that of Father Jean-Michael Lastiri, can be found in this 2004 article from Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission.

Father Lastiri is still in public ministry. In June 2006, he was named Diocesan Director of Liturgy and Worship and Evangelization. On March 5, 2007, he was named administrator of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Parish in downtown Fresno, and he currently heads the diocese’s (newly-renamed) Office of Justice, Liturgy, and Worship.

Meanwhile, Father Baca’s situation, like that of Arlington, Va., priest Father James Haley, remains in a sort of limbo.

Since 2003, several letters have been exchanged between Father Baca and Bishop Steinbock regarding Father Baca’s status.

In a letter to Father Baca, dated Feb. 24, 2004, Bishop Steinbock wrote:

‘…I must think of the good of the people of God in this Diocese and of the good of the fraternity of priests in this Diocese. I cannot possibly see you ministering as a priest in the Diocese of Fresno for the following reasons: Your lack of trust of me as your Bishop and your adversarial response to my efforts to help you; the division you have caused in the three parish communities you have; served as priest in this diocese, and the judgmental anger and condemnation you have manifested with parishioners in each of these parishes; your ongoing encouragement of the small group of people in St. Patrick's parish in their defamation of my character and that of the pastor; the alienation of your brother priests in the diocese you have caused by your actions….’

In a letter to Bishop Steinbock, dated June 29, 2005, Father Baca wrote:

‘…I have consulted with my canonical Advocate, and herein make the following response. You have made an administrative decision declaring that I will continue to have the canonical faculties of the Diocese of Fresno, but you will not provide me any diocesan assignment. You have not acted to temporarily revoke my faculties by exercising your authority under the Code of Canon Law (canon 223,2). You have neither declared my orders irregular (canon 1044.1) nor impeded (canon 1044.2). You have expressed your personal opinion, despite medical reports to the contrary, that I may yet be unfit to fulfill my priestly responsibilities (canon 1044.1). Yet, you have issued no decree making my orders irregular. You have provided no explanation or credible evidence, written or oral, supporting why you may believe this canon may apply to my situation.

‘I hereby assert that you know that you have no canonical basis for choosing not to assign me within the Diocese of Fresno. I have not committed any canonical offenses. I have complied with your every directive in addressing your concerns regarding me. Specifically, I have successfully completed treatment programs for alcoholism and anxiety/depression this past year. I have learned from these life experiences. As you know, there is no diagnosis from any of these treatment programs that I suffer from any chronic problem with alcohol or mental health. Additionally, I have successfully addressed what you have perceived as a problem with managing anger. As you know, there is no professional report or competent evidence supporting the allegation. The fact that you have not revoked my canonical faculties nor declared my orders irregular or impeded is clear indication that you understand that you do not have a canonical basis for so doing.

‘In accord with my canonical rights under the Code of Canon Law (canon 1734), 1 hereby petition you to revoke or amend your administrative decision of June 22, 2005. Specifically, I ask that you provide me, as a pries: with full canonical faculties, with a ministry assignment in the Diocese of Fresno. I understand that you have thirty {30} days to respond to my petition. I also understand that I have the canonical right to seek recourse to the Congregation for Clergy at the Holy See regarding any improper negative decision. Further, I reserve all my rights under applicable civil law.

‘Bishop, I do sincerely hope at long last that you will now be open to resolving my situation in a pastoral way. I hope we can agree that it would not be helpful to again open in a public way the issues in my case. I am, however, prepared to do so through both canonical and civil recourse as is my right and duty should you refuse to resolve my case in a pastoral way. I know we have had our differences in the past. I do hope we can now put those differences aside, and move forward. I believe we can work together for the good of the Diocese, all those who have been affected by my situation over these many months, and myself. I understand my role and my obligations. I know that you have the capacity to act with wisdom, fairness and compassion….’

But Bishop Steinbock still doesn’t want Father Baca in the diocese.

In a letter to Father Baca, dated April 23, 2007, Bishop Steinbock wrote:

‘…You certainly may look for ministry in another Diocese… I cannot be neutral in any recommendation regarding you, as I cannot give a positive recommendation for you to enter into ministry. However, if another Bishop or religious superior wants to accept you, knowing my negative recommendation, he is certainly free to do so.’

Interestingly, in a letter to the parishioners of St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Bakersfield, Calif., dated June 11/12, 2005, regarding Father Lastiri, Bishop Steinbock wrote:

‘I am writing to clarify the appointment of Fr. Michael Lastiri as associate pastor of St. Philip the Apostle Parish in Bakersfield. Since the announcement of his pending appointment, there has been a great amount of ferment and discussion in the news media, as well as among parishioners of St. Philip's parish. Unfortunately, a good deal of gossip and misinformation have distorted public perception and seeks to frame Fr. Lastiri's appointment within the context of the clergy sexual abuse scandal. This is simply not the case. Over the past several years, the Catholic Church has established the most stringent and comprehensive guidelines and policies of any organization and institution ill our country to ensure the safety and protection of all who come to church. Neither I nor Msgr. Swett could ever consider in good conscience to disregard these norms and place the people of God at risk. To assume the appointment of Fr. Lastiri as a blatant disregard of those policies arid norms can only be based on insufficient information or, perhaps, on prejudicial information disseminated from elsewhere.

‘The issue with Fr. Lastiri has been one of addiction, not criminal sexual behavior. It has been addiction both to the fantasy world of the Internet and to the spending of money. The journey that has led him to sobriety is the same courageous journey that many of our people in the pews have made, not alone, but with the help and encouragement of family and friends, colleagues and employers, and also with the support and encouragement of their pastors and fellow parishioners. The fact that he has found his way, with the grace of God and by his own responsible choices and decisions in response to intense therapy, to a newfound sobriety, he is in a unique position to minister to others with understanding, clarity of vision, and compassionate support. This ought to give us all a sense of trust in the power of God to heal hearts and transform lives, no matter what we may personally wrestle with in the secret places of our lives. The fact that the Christian community can forgive sins and trust in the power of God to transform sinners into saints, the way God did for another sexual addict, St. Augustine, is a sign that we are people led not by fear, not by prejudice, not by a false righteousness, but by the Gospel and the good news of Jesus Christ, the good news of healing, liberation and freedom that it proclaims.

‘I want to emphasize that his problem had nothing to do with children or youth. He has always been exemplary in his pastoral work with them through his many years of ministry. People have spoken highly of him in every pastoral assignment he has had. Because of the ferment and division his appointment is causing in the area, Fr. Lastiri himself has asked me not to be sent to St. Philip's. He does not want to be the cause of division and condemnation in the parish.

‘I ask your prayers for Fr. Lastiri as he simply seeks to continue to serve the Lord, giving thanks to him for the power of love and mercy in his own personal life. He has often spoken the words of forgiveness in the name of our Lord for God’s people, as he now seeks forgiveness from the Christian community.’

Father Vincent Bertrand, JCL, of the Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Mo., diocese, is Father Baca’s canonical counsel.

In an e-mail response to me, Father Bertrand said the following:

‘I have been assisting Father Joe Baca for a few years now. His case is complicated with various issues, differences in theology and ministry with his bishop and some others in the Diocese of Fresno, as well as some difficulties with his own mental health concerns. I do think Bishop Steinbock has worked with various priests in the Diocese of Fresno with a more progressive theology to address issues so that they can be returned to ministry, and we do hope that Bishop Steinbock will work with more conservative priests like Father Baca so that they also can return to ministry in the diocese of Fresno or in another diocese or religious community. Father Baca is clearly a gifted younger priest who has many gifts to share with the Catholic Church in ministry, and we hope he will be allowed to return to ministry in the near future.’

http://www.rcf.org/docs/lastiri/index.htm

(Matt C. Abbott is a Catholic columnist with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communication, Media and Theatre from Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, and an Associate in Applied Science degree in Business Management from Triton College in River Grove, Ill. He is the former director of public affairs for the Chicago-based Pro-Life Action League and the former executive director of the Illinois Right to Life Committee. He was a contributor to The Wanderer Catholic newspaper and had numerous letters to the editor published in major newspapers, including the New York Times, USA Today, the Wall Street Journal, the Chicago Tribune, and the Chicago Sun-Times. He can be reached at mattcabbott@gmail.com.)