Posted on 06/18/2004 8:34:00 AM PDT by Ronly Bonly Jones
As is well known by now in Catholic blogdom, we are waiting for the Sunday commencement of a series in the Dallas Morning News on the latest investigations into a hitherto unexplored facet of the clergy sexual abuse scandal.
This morning, DMN reporter Bruce Egerton was featured on National Public Radio, offering a low-key overview of what is coming. For over a year, he and a colleague have been exploring the ramifications on the Scandal of the international nature of the Church. He has discovered hundreds of cases of priests who were accused of sexual abuse -- even convicted -- who were quietly, conveniently moved to another country, out of the reach of the law. Some of these men had served in America, both American citizens and externs; others had served elsewhere and were moved here after getting in trouble.
One Salesian had gotten in trouble in several South American countries; he surfaced in Chicago, having presented a letter of recommendation from his Superiors. Another, whom the Salesian Order had said was in a rural area with no ministry and no access to children, surfaced in Samoa with an active parish ministry, passing out candy on the church steps to kids and tutoring them... in his bedroom.
The material they have collected is vast, and this investigative report, dealing with other Religious Orders and with dioceses in six continents, will be both extensive and prolonged over weeks. It will give much food for thought to those credulous souls who credited episcopal assertions that the scandal is "History" and the cover-ups over.
The bishops' conference reminds me of a Victorian family lined up for a photo, everyone holding his breath, saying "Cheese" and deathly still. They came out of their Dallas 2002 meeting with a carefully prescripted protocol which put virtually all of the blame and definitely all of the accountability on priests, neatly sidestepping the question of episcopal accountability. Since then, they've presented themselves as The Solution to the quagmire, all the while biding their time until the attention of the country was diverted elsewhere. Rudely, a few of them broke formation over the Kerry Kommunion Kapers, but, by and large, they're still holding their breath, hoping that things return to 'Normal,' assuring us all that the Crisis is past -- and, Lord knows, not even beginning to address the many areas of crisis in the Church's life in this fortieth year of 'Renewal.'
How rude of the Dallas Morning News to look under the bed at the chaotic mess that had been swept out of sight. It is still common to hear a certain type of Catholic sneer at the reporting on the Scandal with dismissive references to the 'anti-Catholicism' of the Boston Globe or the Dallas Morning News; "You know, Father, they're no friends of ours. They hate the Faith," I've heard time and again.
Surprising that the DMN reporters, given their extensive exposure to the life of the Church and the antics of our fathers in God, aren't edified into the full communion of Holy Mother Church, isn't it?
The full story will be in print on Sunday, downloadable from Dallas Morning News web site (www.dmn.com) on Saturday.
How long, oh Lord?!!?!
Thanks for posting this. There was an extremely ugly thread on this matter yesterday. I am going to defer any comment until I read the articles and have time to digest the material.
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ping
There's no doubt that there were serious abuses in the Church, covered up by weak or in some cases guilty bishops. Since the American Church has always been heavily involved in mission activities, in a generous and admirable spirit of giving to others, it would not be surprising if some of the guilty priests were transfered abroad as well as inside the country.
Most of the worst of these activities occurred in the time frame 1975-85, at the height of the Sexual Revolution of the 60s, when the whole country was going berserk. The media pretends that it's an ongoing problem, and to a small degree it is, but the worst of it is well in the past.
I doubt this will change anything. It's more Catholic bashing on the part of the liberal press. Which is ironic, because the abuses were almost entirely the work of liberal dissidents. And the very liberals who are so critical of the Church in these matters supports these sorts of activities--notably the desirability of open and flagrant homosexuality, which was responsible for the great majority of these abuses.
Those of weak, or merely cultural faith will turn away from the Church. Those of a solid formation will know of the Psalms, and know that the lamentations were never meant as merely for those outside the church, but for the faithful within. This shame is a cross that must be borne by the faithful, for the hope of the weak.
My previous posting was not, btw, to criticize you, but to concur with you.
But if I may be naughty, your post reminds me of a bad lawyer joke:
Q: Do you know how to save a drowning lawyer?
(supposing the listener says "No."
A1: Good.
A2: Take your foot off his neck.
I guess child rape is the gift that just keeps on giving.
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Just remember, that "we" are the church. The purging of this filth will only contribute to a healthier hierarchy. Be patient, hang in there. Watching the recent ordinations of two Franciscan priests (MFVA - Franciscan Missionaries of the Eternal Word), provided the reassurance we all need that this "crisis" was necessary. Out of the ashes, springs new life.
Catholic Ping - let me know if you want on/off this list
I knew something big was coming down the pike. I read it the other day on the forums. I am totally disgusted about this!
You're right on that thread -- it should have been put on the Religion Forum.
However it appears this is the meat of this expose:
**dealing with other Religious Orders and with dioceses in six continents,**
ugh.
The bishops' conference reminds me of a Victorian family lined up for a photo, everyone holding his breath, saying "Cheese" and deathly still. They came out of their Dallas 2002 meeting with a carefully prescripted protocol which put virtually all of the blame and definitely all of the accountability on priests, neatly sidestepping the question of episcopal accountabilityThis has been a problem for decades (as a lot of people do, I have a friend who...), and the behavior of the hierarchy before and after exposure has been reprehensible.
George W. Bush will be reelected by a margin of at least ten per cent
"I guess child rape is the gift that just keeps on giving."
Let's keep it accurate. A huge majority of the offenses, like 80 - 90 percent, did not involve children.
Most were just garden variety homos doing what homos always do -- molesting adolescent boys.
Oh Well. The Church has survived heresies, and heretics for two millenia.
It will survive the Modernists as well. (And make no mistake about it, the abuse scandal is the inevitable physical symptom of the sickness attacking the body.)
If you look at the percent of catholics as a whole - members and clergy that believe and practice the faith -comapred to the number of individuals this behavior will end up being associated with, it will demonstrate two things:
1) How little evil it takes to bring down something as large as the Catholic Church.
2) How corruption and power can magnify that evil.
Prepare for gratuitous references to the "rat line" accusations of post-war assistance to escaping Nazis.
There was a book out about this topic not too long ago.... I cannot remember the title. I think it was based on the phrase "a few good men." Does anybody remember this book? Has anyone read it? I understood the subject to be at least in part the infiltration of homosexuality into seminaries. Can anyone shed light on this? I had meant to get the book, but never did.... I am wondering if anyone has read it and can comment on it.
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