PHONE CONVERSATION OF DON MEEHAN WITH THE V.

CHANCELLOR OF THE
NASHVILLE DIOCESE, PRENTICE DEAN, DECEMBER 4, 2008

It is apparent now that Pope Benedict XVI called Bishop Choby to Rome to personally order him
not to ordain Philip Hower, a whistle-blower of corrupt priests and bishops. Choby suddenly left
for Rome at the time of his Philip Hower’s scheduled arrival at the Choby assigned Good
Shepherd Parish in Decherd, Tennessee. It is obvious now that Prentice Dean’s reference below
of final approval from “other interested parties” means Pope Benedict XVI.

Don Meehan - D
Prentice Dean – PD
Dean has answered the phone for Chancellor Hans Toecker and made identification.

D- … and I’ve lost contact with Phil (Hower) I haven’t been able to find him. I understood that
he was going to Decherd (Tennessee) to the Good Shepherd Church there, that he was going to
live there until his ordination. And I’ve lost contact with him. I don’t have any address for him or
phone numbers or anything. I can’t find anybody in Tucson that knows anything about him. I’ve
lost con-, I don’t know where he is. I just called the parish of Good Shepherd in Decherd and
talked to a lady by the name of Carolyn, I believe, and she said to call the diocese. That he’s not
there. So, I’m concerned about where he might be. Uh, what is your name again?

PD - Dean, D-E-A-N.
D - Ok.
PD – Uh, he, uh, was anticipating, uh to be a, uh, seminarian at the diocese, but it required uh,
(pause) final approval from uh, the bishop and other interested parties, and uh, that has not
happened.

D – Well, he had approval from the bishop. It was the bishop that told him to come out there,
and, uh, -

Pd – Well, that wasn’t necessarily final approval. Uh, uh, there may have been some
miscommunication there. But, uh, uh,-

D – That wasn’t the final approval? I thought the bishop has the final approval. Does someone
else have approval? I’m not understanding this. He, he, uh, packed his home, all his belongings,
put them in a truck, on the bishop’s say so, “Come on out and I will put you into a parish where
you can bring your dogs, and you can live there.” And when he got there they had no knowledge
whatsoever, probably, that he was coming, and I don’t know where he is now.

PD- Well, to be honest, I’m not quite sure where he is right now either. I don’t know if he’s still
in Decherd or –

D – Well, they said he’s not in Decherd, ‘cause they said he’s not there. They said, “Call the
diocese. They know.” So, I’m calling the diocese, and you’re saying he had to get final approval.
Final approval from who? Who beside the bishop would give final approval?
PD – Uh, it would be the bishop.

D – Ok, the bishop gave his approval and he came out there and now he’s not going to be
ordained?

PD – I really think you ought to talk to Hans Toecker, the chancellor of the diocese. And if I
have your number, he will give you a call back.

(Don gives him the number and relates his work in promotion of the Virgin Mary and production
etc.)

D - …And we felt that a documentary about Phil would be a great, wonderful thing to show that,
uh, that whistle-blowing does pay within the Church with the corruption that’s been going on.
And then, finally, a bishop had the courage and the guts, or whatever it is, to say, “Come on my
son. You’ve been eight years in seminary, now come on and be a priest. Eight years he’s been to
seminary, you know. And now, they’re turning him away? That’s what I am hearing here.
Because he did have the approval of the bishop.

PD – Well, we’re getting into a semantic argument over what’s approval and what’s not
approval, and, and, I’m really not at the level with which to, to, uh, argue about what is approval
and not approval. It’s just not going to get us anywhere here, and I honestly don’t know, uh, uh,
the final status. I know there was some discussion. Now, the final results of that discussion, I’m
not really sure.

There some final words about Phil blowing the whistle on a corrupt pastor, about the shortage of
priests, his lawsuit and about the possible ending of the proposed documentary. Word was left to
get the bishop to call Meehan and he never did. His last words were, “Somebody will call you
back.” They never did. It was later learned that Philip Hower was homeless and was forced to
live in his car until taken in by a thoughtful parishioner. Choby threw him away like garbage.