Posted on 05/30/2002 11:03:34 AM PDT by Antoninus
On EWTN radio this morning, I heard a program called "Living His Life Abundantly" with Johnnette Benkovic. Some of you may be familiar with this program. Johnnette's guest today was Mary Jo Anderson, a business woman and mother who turned reporter in response to attacks on the Church from within. What she had to say on today's show was very disturbing and contained a lot of information I had never heard before. Here's the blurb on the show from the LHLA web site:
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How are dissident groups which claim to be "Catholic" using the current scandal to their advantage? What is their involvement in fanning the flames of attack against the Catholic Church? What types of "reform" are they calling for in the Catholic Church in America? On this eye opening program, guest Mary Jo Anderson discusses the agendas and aggressive tactics that are currently being used by dissident groups who claim to be "Catholic" to forward their own ideas. She also explores the homosexual subculture which has infiltrated some areas of the Church and its direct connection to the abuse scandals. You won't want to miss this informative program!
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Check it out if you have a chance. Ms. Anderson singled out a group known as "Call to Action" which is planning to have a major presence at the upcoming bishops' conference in Dallas. They are apparently 'gay-friendly', pro-priestess, and furthermore are trying to use the scandal to pry open the celibacy issue. Perhaps some area Freepers could show up and protest them. Also, it might not be a bad idea to start barraging some of these people with some "dissent" letters of our own.
I propose that we use this thread as a storehouse of information on such dissenting groups -- who they are and what they're doing. I'll start by posting a little blurb on 'Call to Action' based on some internet research. I encourage others to add what they know.
No power on Earth can convince me the Church itself hasn't been gay friendly lately.
It may be that this entire scandal broke when it did,in order to provide an oppurtunity for them to dramatically change the Catholic Church into a secular,progressive,community church that is comfortable in the world and is obedient to government,not God.
That's stupid. Some bishops have been so, some are afflicted themselves with the disorder. Unfortunately when homosexuals find themselves in positions of authority they staff the positions under their control with homosexuals and it spreads until it gets rooted out which operation has begun. The Church does not just take out all the offenders and shoot them, however. It is a 2000 year old organization and thinks in generations, not election cycles.
It should be pointed out that it was precisely their ideas that brought this situation about in the first place. Had the clergy been genuninely celibate and obedient in to the Church in faith and morals, none of this would have happened.
Has the USCCB even announced the hotel at which the meetings will take place?
The meetings will, no doubt have very tight security, and the Call to Action people won't get anywhere near the bishops.
From what I've read, the bishops are inviting in some outside experts on child sexual abuse, and some of the victims, to address them.
They are NOT going to entertain speeches from outside interest groups.
So, yes, I'm sure the campaign against pedophile priests was orchestrated by liberals hoping to weaken and discredit the Church. The announced goals were to eliminate clerical celibacy and bring in women priests, and in the early days the Boston Globe and the rest of the press pushed this agenda hard--including the liberal editor of The Pilot, Boston's diocesan newspaper, who was recently fired for writing an article on that subject.
IMHO the campaign has backfired serious on its perpetrators. It's been about as successful as the Enron campaign and the "What did Bush Know?" campaign. The results will be exactly opposite from what they intended. Instead, it has put the heat on homosexual priests and tolerant bishops. In the end, the scandal is likely to prove healthy for the Church, because it provides the impetus to clean out this nest of perverts and traitors.
No, they won't all get cleaned out. In this world, nothing is ever perfect. But the Church will end up in much better shape than it was before the scandal broke.
I encourage others to add what they know.Here's a link to an article in the Dallas News about Call to Action's opposition to a zero-tolerance policy.
By RICHARD N. OSTLING
AP Religion Writer
A liberal Roman Catholic group on Wednesday came out against the adoption of a "zero tolerance" policy toward child-molesting priests, saying those who commit misdemeanors may deserve a second chance.
Call to Action, an organization that claims 25,000 members in 40 chapters, mailed its recommendations May 15 to America's bishops, who are scheduled to meet in mid-June to set new policies on sexual abuse by priests. Disagreement over "zero tolerance" is expected at the meeting.
Church critics and many victims' advocates have demanded expulsion for any priest guilty of molestation, with no second chance allowed.
The Chicago-based group agreed that those convicted of felonies should be automatically defrocked, but said some discretion is needed for priests who commit lesser offenses.
"Zero tolerance policies are generally revised after ridiculous outcomes, such as expelling a second-grader who brings a plastic knife to school," said Linda Pieczynski, a Call to Action spokeswoman and former Illinois prosecutor.
"Distinguishing the seriousness of an offense based on whether it is a felony or misdemeanor is an objective standard that has worked well in the legal system for over 200 years."
The group also said the bishops' new policy should include prompt reporting of allegations to police; immediate suspension of accused priests; independent review boards in each diocese and a national review board; and public disclosure of the names of all perpetrators past and present.
With sexual misdemeanors, it said, a priest should serve any criminal sentence and undergo therapy, after which an independent church review board would decide whether he should be reassigned to active ministry. If the priest were reassigned, the church would publicize his past offenses.
David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said his organization believes that "if someone molests a child even once, they shouldn't be a priest."
True; and unfortunate. As Chairman of ABE Ministries (Against Basically Everything) I had prepared a firey speech peppered with adamantine analogies, dyspeptic denunciations, numinous non sequiturs and incandescent irrationalities that I was prepared to deliver in an obstreperous rant castigating everything that has happened since the Thirteenth Century and now it looks like all my work has come to naught and the Bishops will content themselves listening with faux interest to "experts" ceaselessly droning, blathering, dithering and temporising about "norms, programs, committees, canon law," blah, blah, blah...
Had they accepted my offer, sparks would have flown, calumnies been shrieked and the possibility of an entertaining fist-fight would not have been so remote that Vegas would have taken if off the Board. It's their loss...
Has the USCCB even announced the hotel at which the meetings will take place?The semi-annual meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops will be held at the Fairmont Hotel in Dallas, Texas, from June 13 to June 15.
They are NOT going to entertain speeches from outside interest groups.No, but you can still make your voice heard as follows:
Happy FReeping! : )Most Reverend Wilton D. Gregory
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
3211 4th Street, N.E.
Washington, DC 20017-1194 Tel: (202) 541-3000orMost Reverend Wilton D. Gregory
President
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
c/o Diocese of Belleville
222 South Third Street
Belleville, IL 62220Tel: (618) 277-8181
Fax: (618) 277-0387
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