Worcester bishop accused of DUI in hit-and-run

WORCESTER, Mass. (MyFoxBoston.com/AP) - The leader of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Worcester has been arrested on drunken driving charges in Rhode Island.

Police say Bishop Robert McManus was arrested Saturday night after a hit-and-run crash in Narragansett, R.I.

Police say the driver of the vehicle that was hit followed McManus and called police. Police say McManus was arrested at his nearby vacation house.

He's scheduled to be arraigned Tuesday in District Court in Wakefield, R.I. McManus declined to take a blood alcohol test and faces an additional civil charge of refusing to submit to a chemical test, which will be heard before a traffic tribunal at a later time, said Narragansett police Capt. Sean Corrigan.

In a statement, the 61-year-old McManus said he drove after drinking wine at dinner. He said he has no excuse for his mistake and is ready to accept its consequences and make amends.

"On Saturday evening, May 4, I made a terrible error in judgment by driving after having consumed alcohol with dinner. There is no excuse for the mistake I made, only a commitment to make amends and accept the consequences of my action. More importantly, I ask forgiveness from the good people whom I serve, as well as my family and friends, in the Diocese of Worcester and the Diocese of Providence."

McManus is a Providence, R.I., native and served as Auxiliary Bishop in Providence for five years. He's led the Worcester Diocese since 2004.

A year ago, McManus pressured Anna Maria College, a Catholic school in Paxton, to rescind its invitation to U.S. Sen. Edward Kennedy's widow, Victoria Reggie Kennedy, to deliver its commencement address. McManus objected to her public support for abortion rights and gay marriage, which are against church teachings. Kennedy later accepted an invitation to give the keynote address at commencement for the Boston College School of Law, a Catholic school in the Boston Archdiocese.

Cox Media Group