Text of Archbishop O'Malley's remarks on church closings

Boston Herald ^ | May 25, 2004 | Bishop O'Malley

[sinkspur]

Yours is the voice of sanity on these church closings.

Every diocese, in every state, is experiencing retrenchments.

[Salvation]

A sad day for Massachusetts.

[Salvation]

And I think we all need to pray for Archbishop O'Malley. Remember this is Cardinal Law's mess. O'Malley is just cleaning it up.

Things will get better.

(Can you imagine what will happen to Mahony when we finally get the information about Los Angeles Archdiocese?)

[Palladin]

I find this part hard to believe:

In addition, I want to assure the people of the archdiocese that the decision to close parishes is in no way connected with the need to finance the legal settlement with the victims of clergy sexual abuse. The sale of the Brighton property of the former archbishop's residences and surrounding land has raised the $90 million dollars needed to do so. No money from the future sale of parish assets will be used to pay for the settlement. What these funds will do is allow us to financially support as needed the parishes and schools that do remain in the archdiocese as well as to recapitalize our pension and medical funds.

And why are they still paying pensions to the pedophile priests?

[Nov3]

"The first news of closing parishes is coming out. Among the closed, it is interesting to note that the parishes of about 90 percent of the 58 priests who demanded Cardinal Law’s resignation are there. My guess is that these guys had been identified as troublemakers long ago and were put in dead or dying parishes where they could do little harm.

These "church leader" scum make me ashamed to be Catholic.

[sinkspur]

And why are they still paying pensions to the pedophile priests?

If they're defrocked, the CHurch is not paying pensions.

If they're not defrocked, Canon Law requires it.

[Palladin]

Do you really believe that six and seven year old boys "cooperated willingly" in sexual relationships?

[Palladin]

Fewer than 10% have been defrocked.

The rest are all living well either in monasteries or in resort areas, or in the old family home right in the diocese.

[saradippity]

Too bad he is no longer able to end his letter with:"So as sad as many may be to learn their parish is closing,it is good to know that wherever we go,we as Catholics,will hear the same Gospel,learn the same Truths,partake of the same sacraments and worship the same God,with the same prayer in the same tongue with others members of His Church on earth. God Bless you all".

There was an incredible beauty and power in that true,simple,clear and comforting statement for Catholics the world over. And when we can say that again,the Church will thrive.

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

The vast majority of victims were male teenagers and young adults. Sexually mature males. No, I cannot imagine at 14 years old or older ever cooperating in a homosexual relationhip with an older man. It is beyond comprehension that any normal boy that age would keep going back for more with an adult priest, seminarian, or religious brother. That seems very bizarre. There were very few actual "pedophiles" among the predatory homosexual clergy.

[sinkspur]

No, I cannot imagine at 14 years old or older ever cooperating in a homosexual relationhip with an older man. It is beyond comprehension that any normal boy that age would keep going back for more with an adult priest, seminarian, or religious brother.

Yet, the vast majority of them did.

How do you explain abused women going back to their abusing husbands? Over and over and over?

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

Not sure the comparison can be pushed very far. Marital relationships between men and women are quite different.

It is hard for me to imagine a normal, healthy teenage boy (free of mental illness) cooperating in a sado-masochistic sodomy relationship with an adult male clergyman.

[sinkspur]

It is hard for me to imagine a normal, healthy teenage boy (free of mental illness) cooperating in a sado-masochistic sodomy relationship with an adult male clergyman.

It happened. Over 10,000 times involving four percent of the American clergy!

As many of the priests told their victims "Don't tell anyone. They won't believe you."

[HowlinglyMind-BendingAbsurdity]

If it happened millions of times it would not make it any less bizarre or less in the high-weirdness category. We know that human sexuality is complicated, involving deep personality issues, issues of self-esteem, ego formation, moral character, structural patterns and behavior in the family, cultural attitudes, role models, etc. Fetishes, perversions, and peculiar obsessions exist. The Catholic community is not less immune to such toxins even with an elaborate ethical tradition on sexual matters.

But we don't even know the precise numbers, no doubt, due to the unreported nature of such crimes. Just look at the sado-masochistic sexual abuse in the prison in Iraq. That seems bizarre as well. Yet, kids are molested in schools almost every day in America. People are in denial about sexual abuse.

[sinkspur]

People are in denial about sexual abuse.

That's for sure. That's why so many "trusted" individuals can get away with this perversion.

[saradippity]

Were the abuses categorized? Were cases where a priest was reportd one time,denied it and is now dead placed on the list? I am also interested in knowing how many priests there actually were in the priesthood over the past 50 years,I believe there were many more than they say which would skew the percentages.

I said at the onset that there would probably be 5 thousand out of about 125,000 priests,that very few would be pedophiles and most would be just homosexuals doing what they do.

I also wonder about "possession",and whether there were many incidents where exorcism was used and was successful?

Because of the bishops who selected the members of the "Committee" and the questionable credentials of many on it,I believe we should be very wary of many of the programs and auits they ar trying to foist on the Church.

On the other hand,I think about 20 bishops and 2 cardinals should resign for past indiscretions and/or sheltering known offenders,and the word go out to all priests thatif there is evidence of any homosexual activity,consensual notwithstanding,they are out of the loop.

Excuse the rant but I see us going down another path to the abyss.

[Talking_Mouse]

On the other hand,I think about 20 bishops and 2 cardinals should resign for past indiscretions and/or sheltering known offenders,and the word go out to all priests thatif there is evidence of any homosexual activity,consensual notwithstanding,they are out of the loop.
Excuse the rant but I see us going down another path to the abyss.

I happen to agree with you on the resignations. However, the Church has survived much worse scandal by her clergy than this, as horrid as it is. Alexander IV comes to mind. We still have the Holy Spirit, the Blessed Virgin and most importantly the Lord Jesus Himself. The Church will survive and prosper - I try to look on this as necessary pruning of the rot that has infested our branches. Yes, pruning hurts the good part of the plant, it also stops the spreed of diseased through the rest of the plant.

[maryz]

I thought the new bishop was touted as more catholic than the Pope?

Give him a break -- he hasn't been here that long. He's still dealing with the sex abuse crisis suits, and he just announced the closure of 60 parishes in the Archdioceses (from what I heard on Howie Carr yesterday -- and I didn't hear the whole thing -- a number of the closed parishes are ok financially but apparently foster dissent). He can't do everything at once.

And a response to a suit means those remaining Catholics pay. The Church is like the government in that sense -- no money of its own.

[maryz]

And why are they still paying pensions to the pedophile priests?

One by one, they seem to be being defrocked, i.e., no more pension.