I read your latest post, and I don't think you've done a good job reasoning to your conclusion.
"Bernadin was twice accused of personal homosexual molestation."
Allegations are not proof. The fact that both accusers backed off indicates that the allegations could just as easily be false. Have you ever been publicly falsely accused of a serious charge? We just had this happen in our Knights of Columbus Council. It is hard for the falsely-accused person to ever get back their reputation.
"Certain of the priests that Bernadin trained with and who were his close personal friends became embroiled in multiple homosexual abuse molestation charges involving teenage boys."
Guilt by association. The fact is, Cardinal Bernadin was a very powerful man in the Church, and knew many, many, many folks. I wouldn't be surprised if he had at least a passing acquaintance with a majority of the 1000 - 2000 priests accused over the past 40 years. I wouldn't be surprised if he had at least a passing acquaintance with a majority of all the priests ordained for the past 40 years.
The world of priests isn't a very big one. You can quite ably do the guilt-by-association thing in such a small community.
I went to school with rapists, murderers, bank robbers, and drug dealers. One of my best friends in 6th grade went to jail for Grand Theft Auto. My former business partner used to snort cocaine. A dear personal friend was once convicted of arson. I could go on like this for some time.
And I don't know a fraction of the people that Cardinal Bernadin knew.
"Bernadin's appointments were virtually all heavily in favor of condoning homosexual activity."
So it is alleged. I would prefer a better statistical analysis of: all the bishops for whom he was a primary mover; all the bishops who endorse or condone homosexual activity. All I see here is some names bandied back and forth, fewer than the hundreds over which Cardinal Bernadin had a great deal of influence in appointing. And of course, there is the confounding variable: what other prominent bishops supported these candidates to the episcopacy at the time?
"Despite all the mass of homosexual molestation charges swirling around those close to Bernadin (and himself), he never managed (like virtually all of the bishops) to clearly and strongly denounce homosexual molestation of teenage boys."
These charges have swirled around a large number of bishops. And an equally large number of bishops also failed to strongly denounce homosexual molestation of teenage boys. Something on the order of TWO-THIRDS of the bishops failed to strongly denounce homosexual molestation of teenage boys. That is awful. And to the degree that Cardinal Bernadin was guilty of that, he must answer before God.
But do you think that TWO-THIRDS of the bishops raped young girls and performed satanic rituals on them?
"To my eyes, he was clearly at the epicenter of one of the rashes of homosexual activity (involving boys) and promotion of homosexual activity in the Church, and likely involved in it himself."
My eyes see that far more of this garbage seemed to be happening in Boston, under Cardinal Law and his predecessors. Do you think that Cardinal Law or his predecessors raped young girls and performed satanic rituals on them?
"No, that doesnt' amount to proof."
Now that wasn't so hard to admit, was it? ;-)
"Only God knows for sure where Bernadin belongs (in heaven or hell). Let's leave it at that."
Gee, that's sort of what I've been saying all along! I'm glad I persuaded you!! ;-)
sitetest
No, and I didn't say that. But a research study by an Arizona newspaper indicated that 2/3 of bishops have knowingly moved molester priests from parish to parish.
To my eyes, (I'm sorry, what you say doesn't convince me otherwise.) both Bernadin and Law were at the center of rashes of homosexual activity in the Church. And why would you think that I think that Cardinal Law raped young girls and performed satanic rituals on them? Is there strong circumstantial evidence supporting that? I don't think there is. I do think there is regarding Bernadin and homosexual activity. - Look - I have been lied to repeatedly and constantly by my own bishop, and every other 'leader' in this Church. The fog of lies and obfuscation from the Cardinals and Bishops could fill a bible length book. Most every single charge subsequently proven to be true in this scandal was repeatedly denied by those who 'lead' our Church prior to its revelation. Do you really believe Law didn't know that Geoghan and Shanley were child molesters? Do you really think Bernadin didn't know what was going on around him? My own bishop, Rodimer, spent summers with his best friend, a fellow priest, at a beach house. A young teenage boy accompanied his friend on these vacations and slept in his bedroom every night. Then it comes out that the boy was serially homoesexually molested by Rodimer's friend - while at the beach house. The offending priest has admitted his crimes and been removed. And Rodimer, of course, says he knew nothing, NOTHING. Given that Rodimer showed not the least concern for homosexually raped boys in the town next to mine (until forced to), I really don't believe him regarding his friend. Are we so gullible as to believe that he didn't know he good friend of many years was homosexual? Didn't it occur to him that having a homosexual friend sleep every night with a teenage boy in his room might not be a good thing? C'mon. I have a homosexual friend who is an organist for a major parish in the Church near here. He tells me that the diocese has been full of active homosexuals for years, and that what he calls 'the immature ones' look for young (often teenage) men in bars, seminaries and even brothels in New York City. There is a difference from facing an out-of-the-blue charge about something, and having a life surrounded by both such charges and close friends being so charged. I personally think you're being naive. I could be wrong, I admit. But I'm not so naive anymore. I am astounded and heartbroken by the proven things which have come out, and extremely suspicious of people like Bernadin and Rodimer. I am tired of being taken for a complete dupe by our Church.