Traditionalist donors charge outgoing El Paso bishop misused funds
February 01, 2012
A group of Texas parishioners has filed suit against the outgoing Bishop of El Paso, claiming that he misused funds that they had donated to encourage the use of the traditional Latin Mass.
Five lay Catholics from the Texas diocese charged that Bishop Armando Ochoa had accepted the contributions they gave for a chapel devoted to the “extraordinary form” of the Latin rite. Because the bishop used the money for other purposes, the donors want their contributions refunded.
Bishop Ochoa—who will be installed on February 2 as the head of the Fresno, California diocese—is already involved in another unusual court case involving a traditionalist Catholic. Before leaving the Texas diocese the bishop filed suit against Father Michael Rodriguez, charging that the priest misappropriated diocesan funds. Father Rodgriguez has countered that the bishop has sought to silence him because of his conservative views.
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