The Archdiocese of Mobile says a rapidly growing online petition calling for the removal of three of its top leaders does not reflect only local sentiment, pushing back publicly as the drive passed 14,000 signatures.
A change.org petition posted in late September calls for Archbishop Thomas J. Rodi, the Rev. Bry Shields, and McGill-Toolen Catholic High School Principal Michelle Haas to be removed from their positions. The effort was launched by the Catholic Warrior Initiative, a group of Catholics who say they are frustrated with how the archdiocese has handled recent controversies. Within roughly two weeks it grew from about 1,000 signatures to more than 14,000.
Archdiocese questions who is signing
In a statement released Friday, the archdiocese noted that change.org describes itself as an open platform whose petitions can draw signers from across the country and around the world.
“In other words, reaction to a ‘local’ petition is not necessarily restricted to local response,” the release states, adding that such petitions are “quite likely to elicit response from those nationally, and even globally, that may have other unrelated grievances.”
The statement comes after Rodi addressed criticism directly last week in a video message that discussed the case of Alex Crow, a former Mobile priest who left the diocese amid an investigation, and reiterated what the archbishop described as zero tolerance for sexual misconduct.
Leadership defends its record
Friday’s statement echoed those themes and defended the archdiocese’s record under Rodi, who has led the archdiocese since 2008.
“School and parish officials have responded to every complaint of misconduct with the full force of the office within — and with respect for — canon and civil laws,” the statement reads in part.
Rodi repeated a pledge he has made before: that when he arrived in Mobile 15 years ago, he could not guarantee there would be no cases of misconduct, but he did guarantee such conduct would not be tolerated.
The archdiocese oversees Catholic parishes and schools across south Alabama, including McGill-Toolen Catholic High School, the region’s largest Catholic high school.