Phoenix, Ariz., Dec 21, 2003 / 22:00 pm
God’s love "forces us to face the scandal of child abuse squarely and to combat it with honesty and determination," said Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted in his homily during his installation as the fourth Catholic bishop of Phoenix Dec. 20.
"No disgrace that we suffer, no sorrow or humiliation that we endure, nothing can separate us from the love of God that comes to us in Christ Jesus,” he told a crowd of more than 1,200 people at SS. Simon and Jude Cathedral, according to a report by the Arizona Republic.
"All we need to do is to open the door of our heart to Christ. He does the rest. He comes with his mercy. He reconciles us with the father and with one another. He restores our dignity and gives us fresh hope," he was quoted as saying.
Bishop Olmsted served the Diocese of Wichita before being appointed to the Diocese of Pheonix Nov. 25. He succeeds Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, who resigned in June after he was charged with leaving the scene of a fatal auto accident.