Three Things for February 16
1. Priest resigns after 20 years of invalid baptisms
A Catholic priest recently resigned after an investigation revealed he performed invalid baptisms during most of his 20-year career.
According to Bishop Thomas Olmsted of the Diocese of Phoenix, Father Andres Arango would say, "We baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." However, Olmstead explained it should have been “I baptize” instead of “We baptize.”
"The issue with using 'We' is that it is not the community that baptizes a person, rather, it is Christ, and Him alone, who presides at all of the sacraments, and so it is Christ Jesus who baptizes," Olmsted wrote to parishioners last month.
Those who believe they received an invalid baptism have been directed to a website set up by the diocese.
"It saddens me to learn that I have performed invalid baptisms throughout my ministry as a priest by regularly using an incorrect formula. I deeply regret my error and how this has affected numerous people in your parish and elsewhere," Arango wrote in a message on the diocese site.
2. Sandy Hook victims’ families settle for $73 million in lawsuit with Remington Arms
Yesterday, Feb. 15, families of the Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting announced a lawsuit settlement of $73 million against Remington Arms.
“The families and a survivor of the shooting sued Remington in 2015, saying the company should have never sold such a dangerous weapon to the public,” reports AP News. “They said their focus was on preventing future mass shootings by forcing gun companies to be more responsible with their products and how they market them.”
Remington said there was no evidence to support the claim their marketing had anything to do with the shooting. The company said the lawsuit should have been dismissed because of the federal law that gives broad immunity to the gun industry.
“The civil court case in Connecticut focused on how the firearm used by the Newtown shooter — a Bushmaster XM15-E2S rifle — was marketed, alleging it targeted younger, at-risk males in advertising and product placement in violent video games. In one of Remington’s ads, it features the rifle against a plain backdrop and the phrase: ‘Consider Your Man Card Reissued’,” reports AP News.
“Today is about what is right and what is wrong,” said Francine Wheeler, whose 6-year-old son, Ben, was killed in the shooting. “Our legal system has given us some justice today. But ... David and I will never have true justice. True justice would be our 15-year-old healthy and standing next to us right now. But Benny will never be 15. He will be 6 forever because he is gone forever.”
3. Patricia Guerrero nominated to serve on California Supreme Court
Patricia Guerrero, who has experience as appellate justice, trial court judge, partner at a major law firm and an Assistant U.S. Attorney, was nominated by Governor Gavin Newsom for the California Supreme Court.
“Justice Guerrero learned the value of hard work and helping those in need from an early age, lessons she has carried throughout her life to lift up others and advance equity and inclusion,” said Newsom. “As we continue to make strides in building a judiciary more representative of our state’s diversity, Justice Guerrero will bring her rich background and experiences to important decisions that impact the daily lives of every Californian.”
Guerrero would be the first Latina to serve on the California Supreme Court, filling the seat vacated by Mariano-Florentino Cuéllar. Guerrero is a native of the Imperial Valley and was raised by immigrant parents. She studied at the University of Californian, Berkeley and Stanford Law School.
“Justice Guerrero has contributed many hours of pro bono work, including as a member of the Advisory Board of the Immigration Justice Project, to promote due process and access to justice at all levels of the immigration and appellate court system. She has assisted clients on a pro bono basis in immigration matters, including asylum applications and protecting vulnerable families by litigating compliance with fair housing laws,” said Newsom.
The Governor’s nomination will be submitted to the State Bar’s Commission on Judicial Nominees Evaluation and confirmed by the Commission on Judicial Appointments.
News Editor Jada Camille, Multimedia Reporter Annie Youther and Copy Editor Kristin Shaffer contributed to this article.
