SoCal's other wayward bishop

In early 2004, in front of dozens of reporters and parishioners, Bishop Tod D. Brown of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Orange nailed a "Covenant with the Faithful" to the door of the Holy Family Cathedral in the city of Orange. This publicist-cooked document contained seven "theses" vowing to create a new era of openness in a diocese long plagued by leaders who protected pedophile priests at the expense of innocents. "We will be open, honest and forthright in our public statements to the media," the fifth thesis promised, "and consistent and transparent in our communications with the Catholics of our Diocese."

By Gustavo Arellano

October 1, 2007