Victims' group accuses Catholic church of sending problem priests to military

The Baltimore Sun ^ | March 24, 2011 | Tricia Bishop

[Gamecock]

Advocates for victims of clergy abuse called Thursday for an investigation into its allegations that the Roman Catholic church purposely funneled problem priests into the chaplain corps of the U.S. military.

....members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests called for congressional hearings to determine "how frequently and why Catholic officials dumped predator priests on military bases."

And they distributed documents that they said showed that Archbishop Edwin F. O'Brien ignored sexual misconduct by chaplains when he headed the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services.

[samiam1972]

I’ve been trying to avoid these threads during Lent but the addition of your pictures drew me in! Truly holy men are a beautiful thing. I’m raising three boys(so far) of my own and would be so proud to have them serve our country and Our Lord.

[Gamecock]

Not sure why you are spamming threads that I start with PCA information. I am not a member of the PCA.

[Gamecock]

Because teachers who abuse children are sent to jail.

Priests who abuse children get dumped on unsuspecting Catholic houses of worship.

[Cronos]

Spamming? Spreading the word about the fact that the PCA and the OPC serve their master in spread hate is not spamming

[Cronos]

As I said,

Are they spreading their message of hate?

Despite the crowing that one may hear or read, the actual numbers show a large number leaving the Presbyterians as a whole

	2009 membership	2010 membership	Lost	Gained
PCUSA	2,934,952	2,844,952	90,000
PCA	335,000	340,000		5,500
OPC	21,123	21,530		407
		Disappearing Presbyterians	84,100

The PCA is 300,000 in membership

2011 Church Membership: Southern Baptists Decline; Jehovah Witnesses, Mormons Increase

And PCA statistics provide a blurry snapshot says that Total membership in 2009 – 346,408, an increase of 5,556 while in contrast the PCUSA has 2,000,000 members --> and dropping

If the PCA adds in 5,500 members each year, they will reach 1 million members in 118 years

Yet one can't go by the same growth percentage as growth tapers as size increases. But even taking that fallacious number, it will be 40 years. That's not counting the number of splits it will have before then.

The truth is that they shout a lot more on internet forums, giving one a wrong idea of their actual size. Why should one oppose these attackers of Christianity and America?

Because they attack the very foundations of our country by having made God into a monster who DECIDES on creating evil -- they do this when they state that God has decided it is “better to bring good out of evil, than not to permit any evil to exist.

They neglect to ask themselves How does God decide anyway since He knows the outcome?Is He NOT sure in the first place and needs to make a decision because He does not understand Himself ,thus making Him not ALL knowing?

If the OPC robot-maker god created evil than evil is part of the essence of the OPC/PCA idea of God. This is not the Christian God

The OPC/PCA believe that Christ has evil in Him as part of His essence since the second person of the Trinity is God incarnate. This is a horrendous belief that leads only to more people leaving Christ.

The OPC and the PCA (combined are 350,000) posters have one aim only -- attacking anyone who is not a member of their little groups

The OPC/PCA seems to be no more than a larger version of the Westboro Baptists -- and like them they do not serve Christ.

The bible refers to the OrthodoPresbyterian and Presbyterian C in America (OPC/PCA) when we read:

Proverbs 6:12-14

A worthless person, a wicked man (OPC/PCA),
Walks with a perverse mouth;
He winks with his eyes,
He shuffles his feet,
He points with his fingers;
Perversity is in his heart,
He devises evil continually,
He sows discord.

[Cronos]

Besides, why are you spamming ME? --> where you ask if I know the differences between the OPC and the PCA.

Do you know the differences between these two?

[Cronos]

Besides, why are you spamming ME? --> where you ask if I know the differences between the OPC and the PCA.

Do you know the differences between these two?

So tell us, what differentiates you PCA types from the OPC?

1. Do you PCA types believe that Charismatic gifts (healing, talking in tongues) is still possible today?
2. Do you PCA types have a liturgy?
3. does the PCA have drama in its services?
4. Does the PCA have liturgical dance in its services?
5. Does the PCA like the OPC deal with dissent in a back-room manner?
6. Do you allow singing with guitars, choirs etc. or just psalms?
7. Do you hold to a literal 6 day creationism view?

What about the PCA view of Jews, Methodists, Pentecostals? Do you deny that the PCA just like the OPC considers these to be damnable heretics?

[Cronos]

So, if you're not a member of the PCA or the OPC, then why the defence? Just join the rest of us Christians who have realised that the OPC/PCA preach nothing more than hatred: hatred of Methodists, Pentecostals, Catholics, Orthodox, Christian Martyrs, Adventists, Baptists, Lutherans, Jews, etc. etc.

It's only natural that the PCA and OPC members do this -- they do not believe in the God of Love, Jesus Christ.

[Cronos]

Notwith:aping the NYT and other communist-atheist types who understand that if you wish to attack Christ, you must attack the Catholic Church

We had one sleeper type called Hank-kerchief who started all threads to set up Catholics versus Protestants. What was strange was even after it was revealed that he was a leftist writer who writes anti-Christian pieces, the familiar band of anti-Catholics (like the thread poster here) still stuck on the thread.

From that point on I began to think that many of the most rabid anti-Catholics (who keep posting threads attacking Catholicism and keep trying to incite CAtholic-Protestant fights) are just aiming to hurt Christianity as a whole

They have let the mask slip at times and I've realised that these are NOT protestants (like our friend Dr. Scarpetta who is a Protestant Christian) and just use the cover of "protestantism" to foment discord among Christians.

they will loudly shout out that they are Protestants, yet when Catholics avoid the FR to pray, these people then start threads attacking Wesleyan Methodists, Adventists, Pentecostals, Baptists, Lutherans etc. --> that reveals their true agenda.

[Cronos]

Gamecock: I am not a member of the PCA.

Interesting --> So, you say you're not PCA, eh? you posted this thread, right? how the PCA got it's mojo back

And didn't you post this?
Gamecock:
"This goes to what the Reformers taught; that is the "enthusiasts" or what we call today Pentecostals, are really no different from the Roman Catholics

So, I ask you again -- what, according to you is the difference between the PCA and the OPC? And do you agree with the OPC that Methodists and Pentecostals are damnable heretics?

[Quix]

Do your personal network sources have anything to add on such assertions . . . e.g. Chaplains in the know etc?

[Rashputin]

"Out brave Soldiers, Sailors, Marines and Airmen go to fight for us and Rome sends Priests to “comfort” the wives and children left behind.

What a convenient setup for Priests who have a thing for vulnerable children!"

LOL!!

Please, anyone who believes that Christ died for only a select few and the rest are helplessly predestined for Hell can't possibly care about someone being predestined to suffer abuse on their way to Hell.

As for "special", it's logical that those who are five point Calvinists are more inclined to be sadists and abusers since they consider all but their own little clan damned and worthless souls or anyway.

[lastchance]

I hope I am not violating any copyright and this falls under fair use. A review of the cases put forth by SNAP shows a very different picture. I have just taken the first 15 profiles and left out the names. I regard the accused as guilty if credible findings were made even if those finding never rose to the level of being prosecuted by civil authorities. This happend in many cases because of statute of limitations. Any way here goes. Please tell me the number of priests who were made military chaplains once accusations of abuse were made to the Diocese. Please tell me the number of priests who were accused while the alleged abuse was occuring and while they were serving as chaplains. Please tell me the number of accusations that came to light years after alleged occurance or actual occurance. Please tell me the number of priests who were accused of committing abuse during their years as chaplains. Here is the info

1. alleged abuse of boy 1953-57 from age 7
admitted abuse to victim’s sister in 1992. USAF chaplain 1950-53

2. Accused by survivor in 1993 letter to Bishop Gettelfinger of sexually abusing the boy at age 16 in 1976; Allen admitted the abuse in 1994, was sent for treatment, and was then returned to ministry. Removed again after survivor came forward on 5/5/02. Allen was an Army chaplain 1972-93.

3. Accused in a 2007 police report of raping a 15-year-old girl in 1952 after using alcohol to incapacitate her. Abuse including intercourse allegedly continued through 1954. Baskett was then transferred to a parish now located in the Jefferson City MO diocese. Became Air Force chaplain in 1955

4. Man filed civil suit 3/08 accusing Blazek of sexually abusing him for over a year “during or after 1979.” Suit also mentions abuse of other youngsters. Blazek, although still part of Honolulu Diocese, had been serving as a military chaplain for over 20 years. He retired 6/1/07 and lives in Houston, TX per Catholic

5. Branded one of Michigan’s worst pedophiles by prosecutors. Original complaint in 1968. He “retired” in 1985. Barred from working as a priest in 1993 after admitting in writing that he molested at least 23 boys during his career. Civil suits filed in 1994 (dismissed on limitations) and 1995 (settled). Listed in Directory as on sick leave, but worked as Army chaplain in Hawaii from 1982. Extradited in 2002; pleaded no contest and was sentenced 30 days jail and 5 yrs probation. Laicized 2005.

6. Accused of child sexual abuse; laicization announced July 2005. VA hospital assignment was in Rochester diocese.

7. Accused in a 4/3/02 letter to Bishop Tod Brown of sexually abusing a boy in the Orange diocese 1979-80 starting at age 15. he worked as a Navy chaplain 1980-2000.

8. Accused in 6/22/02 suit of forcing boy to perform oral sex in 1964-65 at age 10-11 in cathedral rectory. Had been Army chaplain 1960-62

9. Began to abuse boys prior to ordination. Criminal charges in DC, Virginia & Maryland re 2 13-yr-old boys. Convicted in all three states. Sentenced to prison for 22 yrs & 15 yrs probation. Abused one child again after he was reported. Mother of 1 youth filed civil suit. Voluntarily laicized. Believed to still be in prison as of 2007. Rejoined Air Force reserves in order to groom a victim; uncertain whether he functioned as chaplain in USAF.

10. At least 5 suits filed 2002. Accused of abuse of girls. Died 1990 or 1991. May have also abused in Ohio prior to arrival in Kentucky

11. Accused in 4/14/03 suit of groping and sodomizing a boy 1980-83, starting at age 15, in the Rockville Centre NY diocese. Some abuse in confessional. Excardinated to Fresno CA diocese and was a Navy chaplain 1983-94. Charleston says it learned of allegation in 6/02; deemed it credible; put Congro on administrative leave in Fall 2002.

12. Personnel file released 12/02. Removed from active ministry 1994 after Archdiocese received a demand letter from attorney for man who said Conte had sexually abused him when he was 11 or 12. He admitted sharing bed with boy and kissing him on lips but denied sexual abuse. Settled 1995 for $150K. Laicization announced 6/05. Also accused of abuse in NH. In Naval Reserves 1975-1986.

13.Accused 1993 of sexually abusing a girl from age 9 to 15, starting in mid-1960s, worked at the Army’s Redstone Arsenal despite restricted status in Paterson.

14. Chaplain in Air Force from 1959 to apparently 1964. Left priesthood in 1971. Woman filed suit 4/03 alleging abuse by Dearing when she was about 10 in 1966-68. Suit settled 6/03 as part of massive diocesan settlement. Criminal charges filed 7/03. He pleaded not guilty. Charges later dismissed after prosecutor said there was “insufficient evidence at this time” to proceed.

15 Sentenced to five years in prison in 1994 after pleading guilty to drugging and molesting two Marines. He was dismissed from the Navy and resigned from the Jesuit religious order. “It was a tremendous failure of moral responsibility on my part as an officer and a priest,” he said.

I included the last to show the cases include crimes against adults. Which are indeed inexcusable but not to the same level of wrong as those against children.

[ConservativeWarrior]

Every Catholic chaplain I've had the pleasure of meeting has been of the highest moral and military character.

From an on-base perspective, I never knew of any Catholic school or religious education programs. You could attend mass in the base chapel, but it was non-denominational structure. I believe military families had to send their kids off-base for CCD or Catholic school.

It's also been my experience that ex-military chaplains are among the most patriotic and outspoken clergy. The only sermon I've ever heard targetting socialism specifically was delivered by an ex-Army priest.

[ConservativeWarrior]

I want to cry thinking about how small-minded people smear such good men

YOu're making the mistake of taking them seriously. Intead, you should pity them. If you're looking for something extra to offer up for lent, you can also pray for them to be cured of their ignorant ways.

Clowns like gamecock, tsgt, and dr.s shouldn't be taken seriously, but rather idetified for what they are. Anti-Catholic zealots.

Thanks for posting the pics. Your experience with the fine priests who serve our military so well is the norm. Rest assured the silent majority here on FR agree, knucklehead anti-Catholics and their enablers "notwithstanding."

[WPaCon]

I remember that.

The thread was about an “Intended Catholic Dictatorship.”

I actually read like all 15,000 posts on that thread.

[WPaCon]

Thanks for posting these pictures, Notwithstanding.

[MS.BEHAVIN]

Thank you for posting the pictures of Priests tending to our military.
This picture (#38) is especially moving to me, as a Patriot Guard rider.

I have never posted on these Catholic bashing threads before, and probably will not again.
I have read through them numerous times, and have come to the conclusion that they are nothing more than a case of religious “one upmanship.”

It seems to me, that those who profess to love the Lord, but do so at the expense and ridicule of others, are the worst kind of hypocrites and it is contrary to the Lords teachings to love one another.

If I too, love the Lord and Jesus, but worship them according to my beliefs, does that make my profound love for them any less worthy?

If I attend the funeral of a Protestant, Methodist, or Lutheran troop, should I not be there because of threads like these?

Threads like this might turn the troops away from their priests for fear they might be a sexual predator.
I suspect that might be the motive behind them, and that is the saddest part of all.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Unbelievably creepy.

Are ANY Roman Catholic parents paying attention???