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 ...

[Irisshlass]

A Satan worshiper could give a more objective opinion?

You are OUT there!

[TSgt]

RCC Apologetics list of excuses:

1. It happened a long time ago
2. They aren’t pedophiles, they are homosexuals
3. Other people do it, we don’t do it as much
4. It was the psychiatrists fault
5. It was the bishops fault
6. The “victims” are just out for money
7. It’s a great conspiracy against the RCC by the homosexual media

[Campion]

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

Go tell it to the priest in Knoxville who got suspended from all active ministry practically within hours after his bishop found out about abuse that happened 30 years ago. That just happened a couple of days ago.

You'll notice that we were down to *six* abuse allegations involving crimes against minors in 2009 in the US. Somebody's doing something about it, and it's evidently working.

[Irisshlass]

http://www.columbiamissourian.com/stories/2009/09/15/court-oks-sex-abuse-lawsuit-against-methodist-church/

Court OKs sex abuse lawsuit against Methodist church in Missouri

http://bishops.umc.org/interior.asp?ptid=21&mid=1617Sexual Abuse in the Church
By The Council of Bishops, The United Methodist Church
There is little doubt that sexual abuse by clergy or representative lay ministers in the church and society is troubling for our communities and congregations worldwide

http://umsexualethics.org/ This website addresses the issues of sexual misconduct, abuse, and harassment by those entrusted with ministerial roles in the UMC

http://www.snapnetwork.org/news/otherstates/mi_sexabuse_complaints.htm ADRIAN — Complaints of sexual abuse by two United Methodist Church ministers were voiced Saturday from the sidewalk in front of the Adrian College campus where an annual weekend gathering of church leaders in the Detroit Conference was taking place

http://www.wfn.org/2002/10/msg00042.html
Presbyterians suggest United Methodists probe abuse reports

http://www.reformation.com/CSA/startPage.html
Welcome to a collection of news reports on ministers who have sexually abused children:

ALL Protestant denominations - 838 Ministers

147 Baptist Ministers

251 “Bible” Church Ministers (fundamentalist/evangelical)

140 Anglican/Episcopalian Ministers

38 Lutheran Ministers

46 Methodist Ministers

19 Presbyterian Ministers

197 various Church Ministers

[Irisshlass]

Eddie Thomas, pastor of St. Luke Baptist Church in Ringgold, LA., is arrested and charged with indecent behavior with a juvenile, aggravated incest and pornography involving a juvenile. (the Shreveport Times, July 17, 2003)
Police seize videotape alleged to show sex with child

[Irisshlass]

NEWARK, N.J. A convicted sex offender who was named pastor of a city church several weeks ago has been removed from the post. Shiloh Baptist Church leaders had hired the Rev. Chavalis T. Williams in mid-March, even though they knew he had pleaded guilty in Florida to charges of child abuse and using children in a sexual performance. (Newsday, May 7, 2003)
Convicted sex offender removed as pastor of Newark church

[paolop]

TSgt’s inane comments are typical of what weakens the conservative cause. To come to the conclusion that the Catholic Church says that “ its okay to keep child rape a secret” is inane even by generous standards of intelligence and reasoning. Does TSgt also believe that Jews drink children’s blood?
Shame on TSgt!

[Irisshlass]

Tinley Park, IL. For the second time in two weeks, a Baptist pastor from New Lenox has been charged with molesting a child — and prosecutors said they are looking for more victims. Dennis Larry Shaw, 53, of the 2100 block of Sanford Drive, New Lenox, was charged Monday with aggravated criminal sexual abuse of a 16-year-old girl, according to the Will County state’s attorney’s office. On Jan. 31, Shaw was arrested on similar charges after a parishioner’s 12-year-old daughter alleged she was fondled by the pastor inside the church between October and December, prosecutors said. (Daily Southtown, February 11, 2003)
Minister again charged with molestation

[Irisshlass]

Lyons, NY. Former Lyons Minister Sentenced to 1 1/3 -3 years in State Prison. The retired minister of the Mount Zion Baptist Church in Lyons was sen-tenced to 1 1/3 to 3 years in state prisonon Tuesday (1/14). Grady O. KempSr., age 65, ofWadley, Georgia, pled guilty to a reduced crime of Course of Sexual Conduct Against a Child in the 2nd Degree-a Class D Felony on December 12, 2002, sparing the step-daughter from testifying. Kemp, when completing his prison term, must regis-ter as a sexual predator. He had been indicted by a Wayne County Grand Jury in July of last year, for one count of Sexual Mischief in the 1st Degree, 4 counts of Rape in the 2nd Degree, 2 counts of Rape in the 3rd Degree, 4 counts of Sex Abuse in the 2nd Degree, 2 counts of Sex Abuse in the 3rd Degree and one count of Sodomy in the 2nd Degree, involving a step daughter. Grady had been arrested on July 31, 2002. It is alleged that the sexual activity with a step daughter began when the girl was 9 years old and continued until she was 14. “He had sexual contact with the girl hundreds of times,” said Wayne County District Attorney, Rick Healy. The incidents came to light when the girl, now 16 years old, began fidgeting and praying. The next day the girlbegan crying and screaming at a family gathering and said she could not hold it back any longer. The girl’s mother and Kemp’s former wife, Lynda Kemp, said she and her daughter now live in Panama City, Florida. According to Healy, Grady had served as pastor of the church for almost 20 years. “He just retired last year and moved to Georgia,” said Healy. Grady still owned a house at 122 Ford Street in Newark, where the alleged crimes took place. (Times of Wayne County, Jan. 27, 2003

[Irisshlass]

Fort Pierce, FL. Pastor Kenneth Johnson, recently convicted of having sex with a minor, and Friendship Missionary Baptist Church — where he reportedly continues to minister — were named in a sex-abuse lawsuit filed Tuesday. Johnson, 39, is scheduled to be sentenced Friday on one count of unlawful sexual activity with a minor. He faces up to 15 years on the second-degree felony. (The Tribune, January 22, 2003) .
Johnson to be sentenced Friday on 1 count of unlawful sexual activity with minor

[Irisshlass]

Bryan, TX. A pastor was arrested and released from jail Monday night after he was charged with aggravated sexual assault of a child. Ford was indicted earlier this month based on an allegation he had sexually assaulted a teenage boy who went on a trip with the pastor to the Texas Panhandle more than two years ago. Ford was pastor from the New Zion Missionary Baptist Church in Bryan where he had served for 17 years. (Bryan-College Station Eagle, Dec. 24, 2002)
pastor accused of assaulting Bryan boy arrested

[Irisshlass]

TEMECULA, CA. Six years ago, Becky J.’s life revolved around Temecula Valley Baptist Church. She worshipped there, went to school there, and even worked after hours two days a week at the school to earn pocket money. That’s where she met 40-year-old Pastor Kerry Clyde Martin. But at 14, Becky didn’t understand the concept of street smarts, she said. She didn’t know when the man befriended her what the future held. “He listened to my problems and would tell me how right I was if I had a fight with my parents,” she said. “I always thought he meant it in a pastor way, or like a father.” Little did Becky know that as a cleric at two previous churches — one in Maryland and one in Orange County — Martin had already been accused of sexually molesting at least three other girls, all 14. Little did she know the friendly, charismatic minister was taking the first steps that would culminate in his repeatedly raping the girl over the next two years. (The Californian, Dec. 8, 2002)
Child sex abuse reaches far beyond Catholic Church, experts say

[Campion]

RCC Apologetics list of excuses

Most of those are objectively true. Are they still excuses?

>80% of the abuses were committed against postpubescent boys. By definition, that's not pedophilia.

There were just under 400 "new reports" of abuse involving church employees in the US last year. The vast majority were first reports of incidents which happened before 1985. Only six were reports of incidents involving persons who were minors in 2009.

It was the bishops fault

Well, duh. Who do you suppose is responsible for disciplining diocesan priests in the first instance, aside from their lawful superior, the diocesan bishop?

It’s a great conspiracy against the RCC by the homosexual media

As I've pointed out before, if your name is Harvey Milk and you were a city supervisor in SF, you can brag about seducing 16yo boys in your autobiography and get a city holiday named after you.

All of the liberal MSM is pro-abortion. Abortion is the ultimate child abuse. IMO, nobody who is pro-abortion has any standing or justification for condemning anyone else on the grounds of child abuse. They favor the cold-blooded murder of children for the sake of convenience. Their victims don't grow up to sue or talk to reporters; they're flushed down the sewage system or put in a landfill.

It doesn't get any more "abusive" than that.

[Irisshlass]

I can sit here and post all day long probably into the night or even weeks...Don’t point the finger when it is pointing right back at ya! Clean up your own Church!

[Claud]

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

Cute. You got your little rhetorical juxtaposition there, and you only had to murder the truth to do it.

Who the Dickens said, anywhere, anytime, that you could *rape children* all you wanted???

[TSgt]

I can sit here and post all day long probably into the night or even weeks...Don’t point the finger when it is pointing right back at ya! Clean up your own Church!

First, thank you for validating #3 Other people do it, we don’t do it as much It's really a piss-poor excuse and I don't give a pass for any faith who abuses children. Interesting how even in your own examples one can see that the abuser was removed and criminally prosecuted, something that didn't happen in the RCC

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

[TSgt]

80% of the abuses were committed against postpubescent boys. By definition, that's not pedophilia.

A desperate and vile justification. "It was gay sex not child rape." I think the victims beg to differ... Almost 80% were UNDER the age of 14.

You really need to quit with this disgusting excuse.

[Above My Pay Grade]

Sadly, it is an astonishlingly TRUE remark.

[TSgt]

As I've pointed out before, if your name is Harvey Milk and you were a city supervisor in SF, you can brag about seducing 16yo boys in your autobiography and get a city holiday named after you.

Harvey has more integrity than the RCC. He doesn't hide the fact that he is a pedophile while at the same time portending to be the world's moral authority. 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.

[Angry_White_Man_Syndrome]

You have no idea of what the Church is currently doing to prevent this from happening. Currently the Church is doing more to end child abuse then any other organization. They are doing this through extensive training for children as well as adults and background checks for all volunteers that can have contact in any way with children. The people of the Church have learned for past wrongs and are now doing everything they can to protect children.

However, some will use past mistakes to bash the Church forever. What they do not realize is while the members of the Church are imperfect, the Church is ordained by Christ.