Heavy-Handed Bishop

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TRANSCRIPT

A bulldog reporter is on the trail of a prelate who appointed a convicted sex offender as pastor of a parish in the diocese of Richmond.

In tonight's In-Depth Report, Church Militant's Kristine Christlieb tells what happened to a veteran journalist who is pushing for the truth.

George Neumayr, investigative journalist: "This guy just got very upset, and he charged at me. He saw that I was videotaping him. He said, 'You can't videotape me.' And I said, 'Yeah, I can.' And he charged me and he tried to grab the camera."

Catholic journalist George Neumayr is describing how cathedral cantor Evan Heiter assaulted him on Sunday outside Richmond's Cathedral of the Sacred Heart, where Barry Knestout is bishop. Knestout is a protégé of the disgraced Theodore McCarrick.

Heiter was upset by Neumayr's questions about Knestout's appointment of convicted sex offender Fr. Wayne Ball.

But instead of disciplining Heiter, Knestout permanently banned Neumayr from the cathedral premises.

Neumayr: "He got out of his car and threatened to run at me. He was kind of behaving in a menacing manner. I was on foot. He was in a car, so I felt a little bit vulnerable, and I started to feel a little bit concerned about my personal safety. And so I said to him, 'I'm going to call 911 if you keep acting this way.' And that's what I did."

Richmond police arrived, located Heiter in the Cathedral and took his statement.

Neumayr [to a police officer]: "The gentleman admitted he was wrong?"

Police officer, Richmond, Va.: "He just said he reacted wrong. And I told him how he should have reacted, and that was it."

The assault occurred at the cathedral on Sunday, when Neumayr was attempting to ask Knestout follow-up questions about Fr. Ball.

On Saturday, Neumayr caught Knestout at the rectory.

Neumayr: "Hi. Bishop Knestout?"

Bp. Barry Knestout, diocese of Richmond, Va.: "Yes."

Neumayr: "Can I talk to you for a moment?"

Knestout: "What about?"

Neumayr: "About your appointment of a public sex offender to St. Augustine's parish in 2018 without informing the congregation."

Knestout: "I suggest that you talk with the communications office."

Neumayr: "Did you do that? Why did you do that? Why would you do that when you're posturing as a reformer, sir? And yet, what you did was disgraceful. Why did you do that?

Knestout: "Talk to the communications office."

Neumayr: "Why did you do that, sir?"

Knestout: "Thanks very much."

Neumayr: "You're a fraud."

Neumayr isn't surprised Knestout would try to get away with yet another cover-up.

Neumayr: "He is a weasel, a weasely bureaucrat, [an] ambitious bureaucrat of the first order who got the plum assignment of Richmond, the bishop's chair in Richmond, because he did the dirty work, or some of the dirty work, for the gay mafia."

Neumayr is used to tough treatment by bad bishops and will not let their heavy-handedness deter him from pursuing the truth.

Neumayr is also taking exception to Knestout's election to chair the USCCB's Committee on Protection of Children and Young People, and he's calling for Knestout's resignation.

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