The following was provided to me by Mike and Mary Tripoli. It is an (unedited) open letter addressed to Bishop Tod Brown of the Orange, Calif., diocese.

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Wednesday, April 19, 2006

Open Letter to Tod Brown, Bishop of Orange

Diocese of Orange
Attn: Bishop Tod D. Brown
2811 East Villa Real Drive
Orange, CA 92867

Bishop Brown,

It has been brought to our attention that you have expressed confusion and distress as to why many of the laity within your diocese should be unhappy with your leadership. As Catholics who respect the authority of Pope Benedict XVI, strive to be faithful to the Magisterium, and are informed about Church teaching, we care deeply about our diocese. This letter is intended to clarify the reasons for our extreme disappointment with your actions as our bishop.

Upon your arrival in the Diocese, you had an interview with the Orange County Register that appeared in their July 1, 1998 edition as a means of introducing yourself to your new flock. The article was titled, 'Middle of the road' bishop to lead O.C. Catholics RELIGION: Tod Brown is praised by his Idaho diocese, but his moderate views 'riled' some. In that interview, we were disappointed to see that you referred to yourself as a moderate. Was Christ a moderate, Bishop Brown? Did He introduce Himself to His disciples as "middle of the road"? We prayed that your moderation was not in regard to your fidelity to Christ and upholding the teaching of His Church. However, we had grave apprehension as our contact with some of the faithful in Boise had given cause for serious concern. ("Yes He Is! No He Isn't!" Los Angeles Lay Catholic Mission, September 1998 )

In the same interview, you listed your activism in the area of homosexual rights among your accomplishments. The article states, "...he has not been afraid to ruffle feathers, speaking out in favor of gay civil rights..." and later added that, "In one instance, some were upset when he refused to support an anti-gay initiative in Idaho. The bishop said it would have "contributed to attitudes of intolerance and hostility directed at homosexual citizens." We saw this as significant because, as you must know, first impressions are important. By letting us know upon your first introduction that homosexuality is an issue close to your heart, you revealed (perhaps more than you meant to) the direction you wish to take us.

We have for years seen the element of elitist dissenters that have sought to dissemble Church teaching inside the Orange Diocese from within the chancery office and in the structure of Religious Education within the diocese. We were disheartened to see these dissenters dance with joy when Bishop McFarland made way for your arrival. Imagine our further disappointment upon hearing that our new bishop describes himself not as faithful, but as a "middle of the road," gay rights activist.

Our disenchantment with your leadership was only heightened by the Fr. Gerald Coleman debacle. In February of 2000, you sent each priest in the diocese two articles by Fr. Gerald D. Coleman dealing with the Prop. 22 ban on homosexual marriage. In the message you wrote that Fr. Coleman's article "expresses very well my own thoughts on this subject." In that article, Fr. Coleman argued, "Some homosexual persons have shown that it is possible to enter into long-term, committed and loving relationships, named by certain segments of our society as domestic partnerships." We have a copy of your memo.

The story was chronicled in the Los Angeles Lay Catholic Missi

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