Arrest Weakland!

St. Mary Magdalen ^ | 3/26/10 | Fr. Ray Blake

[marshmallow]

This Vatican secrecy stuff is ridiculous, archbishops, bishops and priests too, are subject to the civil law, if they break it by concealing evidence of a crime then they should be brought to trial and suffer the consequences of their crime, so enough of this media ranting, lets have some prosecutions.

In the case of Lawrence Murphy in Milwalkee, Murphy was investigated by the police, who declined to prosecute. Did Archbishop Rembert Weakland have additional information of Murphy's guilt which he concealed from the civil authorities, which if he had revealed would have brought about his conviction? If so prosecute Weakland, let him answer for it before the civil authorities. Catholics have to obey, just civil laws, the Church is not above the law.

Canon Law is about the internal governance of the Church. It has the same presumption of innocence as any other court and requires the same burden of proof. It relies on the investigations of the local bishop, in the case of the Milwalkee allegations, presumably it would have followed the same course of evidence gathering as the civil authorities. The civil authorities didn't find enough evidence so why should Rome?

Normally a canonical trial will follow a civil trial, for the most part civil offences are the same as ecclessiastical ones, the Church has additional offences such as violation of the sacraments, offences against the unity of the Church, such as heresy or disobedience but for any prosecution proof is required. The outcome of a successful prosecution can result in laicisation, restrictions on the individual's ministry, or censure. It is the canonical process which is secret. The secrecy is there to protect the reputation of the accused and the accuser and to stop any undue influence on witnesses.

The ecclesiastical process is not a substitute for the civil process, it is addition.

I find it almost incredible that the parents of a child who had been raped or otherwise abused by a priest would not go to the civil authorities and seek justice for their child. I find it difficult to believe an adult who has discovered the courage to report an act of abuse in their childhood should choose to report the matter to a bishop rather than the police, except perhaps if there is little evidence, but when there is scant evidence how can the Church proceed against someone justly?

[marshmallow]

Weakland, is an outed, disgraced homosexual member of the episcopate who departed his See after admitting to the payment of hush money to a former homosexual lover in order to buy his silence. As such, he is beyond reproach and will be entirely ignored by the media in this matter. He gets a pass.

[Servant of the Cross]

Yes. Arrest Weakland!

Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, the most liberal bishop in America, has been disgraced by the revelation that he paid $450,000 in hush money to buy the silence of an apparent former male lover.

[livius]

Never happen. Weakland is the darling of the New York Times.

[afraidfortherepublic]

We had a DA in Milwaukee, at the time these allegations surfaced, E. Michael McCann. He never found a voter fraud crime to prosecute. He never found a church crime to prosecute. He never found a Democrat in the wrong and never found a Republican in the right. Certainly, as a prominent member of Jesu Parish (Marquette U), he would never prossecute Abp. Weakland. He’s retired now, and it’s now that all this is becoming public.

I don’t care about arresting Weakland. I just wish they’d ship him to Rome and lock him in the library. We still have to see him around here and pray for him at Mass.

[Servant of the Cross]

Thanks for the background info. I truly empathize with you of having Weakland around (as well as the bad ‘fruit’ of his tenure). I also did not care about him being “arrested” until I see him quoted in articles as saying that he informed Cardinal Ratzinger regarding larry murphy. The utter hypocrisy and gall was just too much to let go without comment.

[afraidfortherepublic]

One of our priests referred to him, sardonically, as “the gift that keeps on giving” when his book came out.

But, a parishioner daren’t say anything about him. We are quickly reminded that he “apologized” to the diocese and gave the money back that he mis-used in his little blackmail caper. Of course, the repayment money was given to him by Catholics who felt sorry for him, and he lives at the expense of all of us in lavish quarters that he built for himself with Diocesan funds.

[livius]

IIRC, his original monastery didn’t even want him staying there. Personally, I don’t see why Rome has allowed him to stay there...it was probably perceived as “compassionate,” but it’s one of those cases of no good deed going unpunished.

[livius]

By “him,” I meant Weakland, btw, not this priest.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Understood!

My State Senator lectured our new Archbishop on the Senate floor recently when Abp. Litensky appeared to testify before the legislature on a bill that was under consideration. The Senator commented that it undermines the image of the church as a whole when Weakland assumes an honored place at the new Abp’s installation, as he did recently. And the Cathedral displays a bronze statue of Weakland ministering to children. I really do wish that he’d move someplace else, instead of hanging around here writing tell-all books.

[Antoninus]

Sounds like a plan. He should be arrested.

[onyx]

I am stunned he’s still around!

[onyx]

I just tossed my lunch into the trash can after reading about the bronze statue. Unbelievable. Why in the name of all things Holy is that allowed to remain?

[vladimir998]

Because the artist’s commission was long standing. I suppose if the new bishop (Listecki, right?) threw it out people would then be on his case for wasting money. Personally I think he should take a sledge hammer to it, but I know that won’t happen.

[onyx]

I think it’s so damned offensive that it ought be removed immediately. If the cost is a factor, then sell tickets for a dollar a hit with a sledge hammer. Dear God. It’s a good thing I’m not in that parish. Or maybe it’s not.

[onyx]

STARWISE AND SE Mom,

I need you two to see this thread and particularly the post #9.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Why in the name of all things Holy is that allowed to remain?

That's a really good question. Many of us have asked that. In addition, when he remodeled the Cathedral before the news of his own indiscretions and blackmail broke, he made certain to have his potrait painted in a rondele along with the portraits of all the previous Abps of Milwaukee.

See the link at the beginning of this article for an account that was published and an assessment of the $4.5M hatchet job on the Cathedral that was expressly forbidden by the Vatican. In addition to that, the building next door to the Cathedral was remodeled to be a center for women & children who were down on their luck. Sometime over the last 10 years, the name was changed so that it is now the "Archbishop Rembert Weakland Center". I didn't even know that (and neither did anyone else around here that I know of) until just recently when our Senator brought it up to the new Abp Listecki when (the Senator) dressed him down at the Legislature.

There is no money going to the Archdiocese from this family. It will all be lost in lawsuits, Weakland left us with so much liability. He should have the decency to remove himself from Milwaukee and help us to forget the shame.

[trisham]

Wow. Absolutely agree.

[afraidfortherepublic]

I had never noticed the statue because I'm always so focused on the UGLY crucifix he commissioned and had installed over the altar.

The caption under this picture reads: A bizarre sculpture of Christ hangs above the centralized marble table. (date actually 2/8/2002)

THe author of these comments called the renovation "the wreckovation".

To tell the truth, I think that the colors chosen are beautiful. But, a lot of people around here were incensed that all the beautiful carved columns and other statuary were removed. When people asked to buy these pieces from the old Cathedral, they were told that they were "wrecked and collapsed when they were removed." THat picture actually doesn't really depict what a horror that cruuuucifix is. It is a gian cercle of what are supposed to be thorns with a tiny Christ figue hanging off of one of them. The figure is so tiny that it is barelyl noticeable. He ought to be banished from the diocese just for leaving us with that!

This is a better picture:

[trisham]

That’s...very unusual.

[afraidfortherepublic]

Here is the offensive bronze statue:

Archbishop Weakland, whose humility is an inspiration to us all, is featured in this bronze sculpture along with Cathedral rector Fr. Carl Last and St. John the Evangelist

**eyes rolling**

An article describing the renovation from a critics standpoint is Here