EDMOND, Okla. (AP) — Edward J. Slattery, a retired Catholic bishop who apologized for reinstating a priest who later admitted to sexually abusing an Oklahoma boy, has died, the Diocese of Tulsa and Eastern Oklahoma said Saturday. He was 84.
Slattery died at his home in the Tulsa area late Friday following “a series of debilitating strokes,” Vicar General Fr. Gary Kastl said in a statement from the diocese.
In 2002, amid a Catholic Church sex abuse scandal involving clergy, Slattery apologized for reinstating the Rev. Kenneth Lewis in 1995 following allegations against him. Slattery said at the time that when allegations emerged in 1994, Lewis was initially removed from the ministry but was reinstated after receiving psychiatric treatment.
“I have made mistakes along the way, and I feel terrible about it, but I do not feel guilty about it,” Slattery told the Tulsa World. “The mistakes are probably part of a culture of trying to protect the church.”
Lewis was later accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old Oklahoma boy during a 2001 trip to Illinois. Lewis was removed from the ministry and resigned in 2007. He eventually pleaded guilty to one count of sex abuse.
In 2009, the Tulsa Diocese was found out of compliance with standards set by U.S. Catholic bishops following the clergy sexual abuse scandal, but by 2010 had implemented training and other abuse prevention programs.
Slattery was also among the bishops who objected to the University of Notre Dame's invitation to then-President Barack Obama to speak at its 2009 graduation ceremony and to present him with an honorary doctorate.
Slattery was born in Chicago and was ordained a priest in 1966. He was ordained as bishop in 1994 and shortly afterward installed as bishop of the diocese in Tulsa.
He oversaw an expansion of Catholic Charities of Eastern Oklahoma and creation of a new campus for the charity in north Tulsa as well as creation of a tuition assistance fund for Catholic families.
He resigned in 2016 after reaching his 75th birthday, as required under church law.
Slattery is survived by four sisters and one brother.
FILE - Edward Slattery, bishop of the Diocese of Tulsa, celebrates Mass in a courtyard for about 30 people Monday, Sept. 5, 2005, at Camp Gruber, in Braggs, Okla. (Jim Beckel/The Oklahoman via AP)
KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes was starting and wide receiver Marquise Brown was active for Saturday's game against the Houston Texans, giving Kansas City arguably its healthiest and most complete offensive lineup of the season.
Mahomes, who sustained a high-ankle sprain in last week's win in Cleveland, was expected to play after he was left off the final injury report. He had full week of practice and insisted that he would play unless he was unable to protect himself.
“And I don't want to limit the game plan. I think that's another thing for me,” Mahomes said. “I want to be able to still move around the pocket so we're not just sitting in one spot the whole, entire game and letting their D-line really get after it. It's about me finding that balance and seeing where I'm at.”
The Chiefs activated Brown from injured reserve on Friday, just over a week after the wide receiver returned to practice following surgery to repair a dislocated sternoclavicular joint in his shoulder. Brown sustained the injury on the first play of the preseason against Jacksonville, and the Chiefs initially were uncertain whether he would make it back at all this season.
Brown caught 51 passes for 574 yards and four touchdowns in 14 games with Arizona last season. He has 313 catches for 3,644 yards and 28 touchdowns over parts of five seasons in Baltimore and with the Cardinals.
“You're adding another guy that can stretch the field," Texans defensive coordinator Matt Burke said. "I mean, Hollywood — that's been his calling card for a long time. So I think if he plays, it's just sort of another top-end guy that we have to account for.”
Chiefs linebacker Leo Chenal was active after he was added to the injury report Friday with an illness.
The Chiefs were missing left tackle D.J. Humphries (hamstring) and safety Chamarri Conner (concussion), both of whom had been ruled out earlier in the week. The other inactives were offensive linemen Ethan Driskell and C.J. Hanson, defensive linemen Malik Herring and Marlon Tuipulotu and linebacker Joshua Uche.
Houston tight end Cade Stover missed his second consecutive game after having an emergency appendectomy last Saturday. He had been ruled out previously along with defensive tackle Foley Fatukasi (ankle), offensive lineman Juice Scruggs (foot) and wide receiver John Metchie III (shoulder).
Also inactive for the Texans were linebacker Devin White, defensive end Jerry Hughes and offensive lineman Nick Broeker.
Texans offensive guard Kenyon Green, who started the first nine games, was active after missing the past five because of a shoulder injury. So was linebacker Christian Harris, who did not practice Friday because of an ankle injury.
The Chiefs (13-1) already clinched the AFC West title while the Texans clinched the AFC South. Kansas City can clinch the No. 1 seed and first-round bye with a win coupled by a loss or tie by Buffalo in its game against New England on Sunday.
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Kansas City Chiefs quarterback Patrick Mahomes watches play during the second half of an NFL football game against the Cleveland Browns, Sunday, Dec. 15, 2024, in Cleveland. (AP Photo/David Richard)
