Abused bishop stands with all excluded Catholics

The bishop prays at a trial of antiwar demonstrators earlier this year.

Detroit's Bishop Tom Gumbleton shared today that he, too, was a victim of sexual abuse at the hands of a priest. Sensible of the range of victims' experiences, the gentle cleric friends call Gumbo went out of his way to note that others have undergone far worse: Bishop Gumbleton escaped the repeated pattern of violent abuse that can leave the worst scars. This brave disclosure has already exposed the bishop to inchoate and slanderous attacks from the blogosphere, but we're not going to study 'bout that narrow-minded offal. Rather, know:

Bishop Gumbleton is best known as a champion of peace and justice, but he's also worked to strengthen the Church as a supporter of gay and lesbian Catholics. According to a mentor of mine who knew him well (and from whom I drew the nickname), Bishop Gumbleton is a large part of the reason the American Midwest is so open, in parish life, to the gifts of women and laypeople. Aisha Taylor of Women's Ordination Conference wrote in an email: "Bishop Gumbleton was the only bishop to join Women's Ordination Conference at our prayerful protest outside the bishops' meeting in November 2004. He wore a purple stole (international symbol of women's ordination), pearls (symbol of that particular protest), and talked with us before leaving the meeting saying he was not going back inside." Sometimes--often--you minister best by standing with those on the outside. With his courageous disclosure, Bishop Gumbleton steps out of the Church hierarchy to join abuse victims and all Catholics who've been staring for too long at a door that's firmly closed.