Father Benedict Groeschel (1933-2014)

His comment about "some" minors being "seducers" in priest abuse cases was disappointing however. There can be no excuse for a priest to have allowed himself to be "seduced," most certainly not by a minor.

His comments were IMO worse than that.

Asked in the Register interview about working with priests involved in abuse, Groeschel had said, “Suppose you have a man having a nervous breakdown, and a youngster comes after him. A lot of the cases, the youngster — 14, 16, 18 — is the seducer.” In expanding on his answer, Groeschel also referenced Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State coach convicted of sexually abusing boys, referring to Sandusky as “this poor guy” and wondering why no one said anything for years. He also added later that anyone involved “on their first offense, they should not go to jail because their intention was not committing a crime”....
-- from the thread Rev. ‘Deeply Regrets’ Saying Priests Are Often Seduced by Child Sex Victims & That First-Time Offenders ‘Should Not Go to Jail’
Over the past year, [Bishop Frank J. Rodimer] has apologized numerous times for his mishandling of the situation. He said he would like to see Hanley in jail. He recognized in a statement that he was wrong to follow the advice given to him at the time. Now, through his spokeswoman, he has pointedly named the source of that bad advice. "'I acted upon advice given me at the time, and that advice all stems from Benedict Groeschel,'" Thompson quoted the bishop as saying in a private conversation....
....Two of the Mendham Survivors, who for months blamed Rodimer for failing to control Hanley's abuse, have shifted some of their blame to Groeschel. Buddy Cotton said his anger was sparked when he read an article published Feb. 19 in The Metro West Daily, a Massachusetts newspaper. The article quoted Groeschel saying that 98 percent of what was put forth in the media about the church wasn't true.
"I think Groeschel's more to blame than Rodimer at this point," said Cotton. "He's the person the Church turned to. Even today, he has this horrific arrogance. At least Bishop Rodimer is humble and recognizes that this damage was done." [Mark Serrano] said that he had been wary of Groeschel since the mid-1980s.
-- from the thread(s) Rodimer: Psychologist gave me bad advice (Fr. Groeschel, Bishop Rodimer)
In the world according to Father Benedict Groeschel, the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal is largely the stuff of fiction. Reporters "doing the work of Satan" are driven to lie, the New York priest says, because they hate the church's moral teachings. These are not the opinions of a marginal figure. Indeed, Father Groeschel is one of the most prominent priests in America, reaching millions with his books, tapes, parish lectures and regular appearances on the Eternal Word Television Network. His stature is high among many church leaders, too – he has heard the confessions of a cardinal, consulted with the Vatican on a case for sainthood, been a friend to Mother Teresa.
The preface to his media-blaming 2002 book From Scandal to Hope was written by Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan, who praised Father Groeschel for putting the abuse scandal in context. For all his commentary on the crisis, Father Groeschel has revealed few details about his role as a player in it: He has been a key figure for 30 years in the loose-knit nationwide network of therapists who have helped troubled priests keep working.
The Franciscan friar's base is a mansion on Long Island Sound, where he runs the Archdiocese of New York's spiritual development office and Trinity Retreat Center for clergy. There, according to his own written account, he has counseled hundreds of his brethren and "happily, 85 priests have returned to the active ministry"....
-- from the thread Priest (Fr. Benedict Groeschel) plays down abuse crisis; helps clergy keep jobs

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