tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978152.post113949387216123473..comments2023-10-18T05:38:08.545-07:00Comments on . . . With Both Hands: Chicago Tribune Finds Joliet Bishop Guiltypathickeyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01051997614374510451noreply@blogger.comBlogger1125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8978152.post-67266382537649736222011-11-10T13:45:46.032-08:002011-11-10T13:45:46.032-08:00I liked what Imesch said about Gibbs, who was accu...I liked what Imesch said about Gibbs, who was accused of abusing boys (or at least engaging in inappropriate behavior of the naked and honey-oriented variety) in Lombard. "Imesch moved Gibbs to a Lockport parish, ***where he again was accused.*** When Anderson asked Imesch if he considered the 1980 Lombard allegations against Gibbs credible, the bishop replied: "Well, I think what happened happened. It was not considered a crime or a criminal activity so there was no reason for me not to transfer him." Really, Imesch? No reason? How about cooperating with the police? How about the fact that his transfer of Gibbs interrupted an ongoing investigation? John Rotunno, then an investigator for the DuPage Co. State's attorney, was trying to build a case against him. He expected the cooperation of the diocese, but instead he got this. "I went to the rectory to pick him up, and they said he had been moved and they would not give me one iota of information about him." Diocese officials repeatedly refused to return his phone calls, he said. "I told them I was an investigator from the DuPage County state's attorney's office and that it was in regard to Father Gibbs," Rotunno said. "They never called me back." With Gibbs gone and the diocese not cooperating, the investigation ended and no charges were filed. Until he did more sick stuff, of course. Then some new charges were filed.<br /><br />Even without convictions, that type of behavior is the sort of thing that should have ended the careers of both Gibbs and Imesch. You don't have to be convicted of a crime in order to lose your job, you know. You can lose your job for doing something like being chronically late. It's not a crime you can be convicted of, but you can sure get fired for it. You can get fired from a lot of jobs for being bad with people and giving them a bad customer experience. It's certainly not a crime, but it can and should get you fired if you're chronically bad in that area. Likewise, transferring a priest in the middle of an investigation and refusing to cooperate fully with the police might not have gotten Imesch convicted for obstruction of justice, but it is part of a disturbing pattern of behavior that's far worse than being chronically late. He should have lost his job, and there's no way in hell that he should have been allowed to retire on his terms. Just look at Joe Pa and the way he lost his job yesterday. He failed to go to the police with the info he had; all he did was inform his superiors. But did Penn St. grant his wish to let him finish out the current season? Hell no! That's not how it works when a board of directors has a good sense of when to fire someone. They may have tarnished his iconic memory and legendary career, but that's what you do when you're doing things right.<br /><br />Needless to say, the CC is still doing a lot of things wrong.mmmcountshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/12697048970643383902noreply@blogger.com