Father Stanbery is one of three priests to be honored as "Priests of Integrity" by the Voice of the Faithful, a national Catholic reform organization based in the Boston area, at its annual convention next month.
The Toledo diocesan priest is one of the bravest men you'll ever meet, taking a stand for what he believes is the right thing to do. That has often put him at odds with his bishop, and bishops can have tremendous impact on a priest's life.
In 2002, Father Stanbery was one of two diocesan priests who called for Bishop James Hoffman to resign over his handling of the clerical sexual abuse crisis. (Father Patrick Rohen was the other; I asked Bishop Hoffman at the time if he planned to punish the two clerics and the bishop said no, they are entitled to their opinions.)
Lately, Fr. Stanbery has been firing off letters to Bishop Leonard Blair demanding explanations and forthrightness in the case of Fr. David Nuss and Fr. Tom Leyland at St. Rose Parish. Father Leyland is the one who says the bishop forced him into retirement against his will, and then his successor, Father Nuss, was caught in a scandal over an "inappropriate relationship" with a woman and had to withdraw from his assignment as St. Rose pastor.
Through all this, Father Stanbery has been asking Bishop Blair the tough questions and refusing to let him sidestep issues. And as a result, the bishop has sent some harsh words at Father Stanbery, accusing him, without naming him by name, of committing the sin of detraction. That is a sin where someone spreads true information about someone that others are not entitled to know.
In his defense, it was not Father Stanbery who brought Father Nuss' misdeeds to public light. And in addition, don't parishioners have the right to know if their new pastor just ended an affair with a widow, one that he reportedly initiated the day he performed her husband's funeral? Father Stanbery and other priests and psychologists have told me that, if true, this constitutes predatory behavior and an abuse of power and fair warning to other potential victims is justified.
If Father Nuss did commit another act like this with a St. Rose parishioner, would Father Stanbery be guilty for not having warned anyone? And not only in a legal sense, it is a moral issue as well. He felt compelled to follow up on the allegations and ensure the safety of the flock.
There are many other examples of Father Stanbery putting himself and his career and his comfort on the line for others.
I am glad a Toledo priest is being recognized for having integrity. Father Stanbery is truly deserving of such an award, even though I'm sure it was the last thing on his mind when he spoke up for what he believed in.
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Sylvania, Ohio
Sept. 10, 2007