The bishop and the cyclist
Posted by Elizabeth Kaeton, Telling Secrets...
So, let us be very clear here:
Leaving the scene of an accident is a felony.
Period.
Whatever else she did or didn't do, she has admitted to leaving the scene of an accident. Doesn't matter that she returned. She left. She is already a felon awaiting conviction.
Whether or not she will also be charged and convicted with vehicular homicide (pending the results of the investigation), she was directly involved with the death of a young man with young children.
Nothing changes that.
She will have to live with that fact for the rest of her life. If your imagination needs some exercise, try to imagine that for yourself.
The record reflects that, since her ordination in 1987, she has been a good priest with lots of skills and talents, creativity and imagination - good enough to be elected as Bishop Suffragan despite being thoroughly and vigorously vetted by the diocese.
I can't imagine the personal, spiritual and psychological hell she (and her family) must be going through, knowing that her actions resulted in the death of another human being (My God!), knowing she's probably going to go to jail (Sweet Jesus!), will probably be asked to resign as bishop and just may, in fact, lose her orders (Come, Holy Spirit!).
I also can't imagine the unbearable grief the deceased man's family must be feeling. I hope and pray they are getting the spiritual, emotional and psychological support they need at this time.
My prayers are with the Palermo family - including a wife and two children - as well as prayers for compassion for Bishop Cook, which must be provided side by side with accountability and forgiveness.
Now - right now, in these dark days - is time for the community to gather and rally and provide help and support for both of these families, for whom - in the twinkling of an eye and the gentle beat of the human heart - life was changed and transformed and will never again be the same.
It's just so tragic, on so many levels, for so many people.
No one comes out a winner in these situations.
So, why the mean-spirit and conjecture and 'trial by media'?
I don't get it.
Not for Christians.
Not for Episcopalians.
What a huge test of our baptismal promises - especially "striving for justice AND peace among ALL people" and "respecting the dignity of EVERY human being" - which includes the deceased and the bishop.
Suddenly, those promises don't sound quite so rote or simple, do they?
...
<a href="http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-bishop-and-cyclist.html">http://telling-secrets.blogspot.com/2014/12/the-bishop-and-cyclist.html</a>;
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[B' Spokes: My two cents: we desperately need drivers to wake up and pay attention when around cyclists, so I hope the bishop faces some serious charges... if the court decides to be lenient that's one thing and quite the other for the charges to be lenient from the get go and all the bishop would face is a hundred and change in fines. I have had enough of that!!! Let's get serious about outrageous driving behavior that ends a life.]
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