Did Priest Break Seal Of Confession?

National Catholic Register ^ | 4/22/10 | Patrick Archbold

[marcbold]

In all the media hype surrounding the sex abuse scandal, haters of the Church have wondered if that scandal could destroy the Church and the priesthood. The short answer is no, but a scandal like this one could. (Not destroy permanently, of course. Nothing could do that.)

Father David Verhasselt, a priest in the parish of St. Catherine of Alexandria Church in the diocese of Milwaukee, has been placed on administrative leave because he is under investigation for breaking the seal of confession.

The charge is so serious that Archbishop Jerome Listecki has even barred Fr. Verhasselt from visiting the church.

According to local news in Milwaukee ...

[Antoninus]

Rape children all you want and cover it up, just don’t break the seal of confession.

You have no clue of what you speak.

You should apologize for making such a profoundly ignorant statement.

[TSgt]

Lass,

I don’t care if the abuse is by Catholics, Protestants, Buddhists, Wiccans, etc...

IT IS ALL WRONG!

Using the excuse, “other groups rape children too” is vile and really doesn’t help your cause.

I’ve been trying to tell you and others on this forum to stop using that excuse not because I’m a member of any of the offending religions but because it is a weak and disgusting defense.

Really, it is sick!

[TSgt]

No insinuation here, these excuses were given to me repeatedly over the past several months by FReepers.

This thread is enough evidence.

[Antoninus]

The beloved Church chose it’s own protection over that of the flock. That is a sin, and a damn shame. It is that which is bringing down the Church, not the “haters”.

On the contrary, those priests who behaved wickedly and those bishops who protected them are hand-in-glove with the haters of the Church. They are working together toward the same ends. They serve the same master.

[laotzu]

there is evil in this world that is bent on the destruction of the Church

Then why ordain this evil as priests? Why compound this evil by denial and evasion?

I love, admire, and respect the Church. I pray for the Church. But, the Church has wrongly placed itself above the flock.

[Irisshlass]

What kind of job do you have in the Air Force during wartime that allows you sit on a forum and bash the Catholic Church...when I was in..I worked 12 hours a day..had little time to do anything afterwards but eat and rest.

[TSgt]

Hello Antoninus!

Same simple question for you:

If a priest rapes a child and confesses it to another priest during confession, would that priest to whom it was confessed notify the police about said child rape?

YES or NO

[Antoninus]

Secondly, I find it interesting that you assume I'm Protestant. Perhaps you are anti-Protestant?

Well, then stop hiding your background like a coward. Then we'll know if you're a hypocrite or just a garden-variety lying bigot.

[TSgt]

Wow!

When you fail to defend your position you resort to attacking my military service?

Could it be that I’m discharged? Retired?

Please keep it up, you are losing credibility by each post.

[Irisshlass]

What Church do you belong to?

[TSgt]

Then we'll know if you're a hypocrite or just a garden-variety lying bigot.

Do you cut and paste this post on every thread? Where is your banner? Your profile instructs other FReepers not to read or respond to posts regarding this subject matter so why do you? Who is the hypocrite now?

[Antoninus]

Harvey would actually qualify under your definition of a homosexual where most of your priest abusers don't since most of their victims are under the age of 14.

That is an outright lie. According to the Jay Report, 80% of the victims were post-pubescent boys--that is, the victims of homosexual chicken-hawks.

[Irisshlass]

Why are you so afraid of answering the questions...the church you belong to, what you do in the Air Force..I’m not embarrass or ashamed of my career.

[Campion]

He's not permitted to do that. (And the law recognizes the same privilege WRT clergymen of every other denomination.)

He can make confession to the police a condition of valid absolution, however, meaning that if the perp wants to keep it a secret, he's accomplishing nothing by going to confession.

[murron]

If a person commits murder, and confesses it to a priest, and the police question the priest as to if the person confessed to the murder or not, the priest is forbidden to say anything. He is even forbidden from acknowledging that he heard the person’s confession. If the person is confessing it, he is supposed to be sorry for what he’s done and promises to never do it again. But imagine if you went to confession, and couldn’t trust that the priest is not going to tell what you confessed to another.

[Antoninus]

Same simple question for you:

And I'm happy to answer it.

Just as soon as you answer the question as to your own religious/belief background.

[TSgt]

Because gay rape isn’t as bad as pedophilia rape?

Not only are you wrong, your defense is disgusting.

22% were younger than 10
51% were between 11 and 14
27% were between 15 and 17

The MAJORITY, 73%, were under the age of 14.

[TSgt]

Why are you so afraid of answering the questions...the church you belong to, what you do in the Air Force..I’m not embarrass or ashamed of my career.

Nice try, my faith or previous military service has no bearing on this argument and I would suggest that you back off from the personal attacks and focus on the discussion.

[Above My Pay Grade]

It is not a faleshood. It is the truth. Priests who confess child molestation to other priests are protected. Priests who break so-called “seal of confession” to report crimes against children would be defrocked and excommunicated.

[Mrs. Don-o]

You're missing something here: none of these are excuses, and nobody says they are excuses.

Catholics in FR and elsewhere hold child abuse to be an abominable sin. Like any normal people, we know this by Natural Law; we are also taught this by our Church.

When there's a credible allegation against a priest, three things have to happen, and fast:

• the victim needs to bring criminal charges against the abuser,
• the bishop must cancel all the accused man's priestly assignments, and
• the bishop must forbid him, in any case (assignment or no assignment) to function as a priest (this is what we call "the loss of priestly faculties.")
• AND In addition, a person who commits such a sin and does not repent of it, is liable to eternal damnation.

Do you seriously think that any Catholic here would dispute these points?