Dallas Catholics subpoena'd

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Mar 16, 2005

The leadership of the Diocese of Dallas is headed back to the courtroom, according to an article in the Dallas Morning News. For purposes not yet publicly known, a grand jury is hearing testimony concerning the arrest of Dallas priest Fr. Matthew Bagert for possession of child pornography. Especially interesting in the present circumstances is that one of the subpoena'd witnesses was Fr. Ramon Alvarez, rector of the cathedral parish, who earlier admitted to groping and propositioning a man who had approached him for a pain relief blessing. Part of the conflict between Bishop Charles Grahmann and his former coadjutor Joseph Galante -- ending in stalemate, and Galante's unusual reassignment to Camden, N.J. -- was Grahmann's refusal to yank Alvarez out of the job, which he still holds today.

So why was Alvarez subpoena'd to testify before the grand jury?

Father Bagert's attorney said Father Alvarez has come under legal scrutiny because of a report he received that his friend had ordered a videotape containing nude children.

As it stands, that statement makes absolutely no sense whatsoever (after all, every reader of the DMN has received a report that Bagert ordered the video). Doubtless the truth that the lawyerly language was meant to conceal is key to the subpoena, and will almost certainly be of interest to Bishop Galante.

By the bye, you'd need a heart of stone not to laugh at the following Kendallism:

Father Bagert's attorney, Patrick McLain, said he did not believe the images were pornographic. He said his client had collected legal, artistic materials that included nudity.

A scholar.