Posted on 09/11/2002 8:08:58 AM PDT by narses
ONLY ON 7 TONIGHT, SHOCKING NEW ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRIESTS IN THE CATHOLIC DIOCESE OF ARLINGTON.
AN UNSEALED COURT DOCUMENT REVEALS CONFISCATED PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIAL, IN THE RECTORIES OF MORE THAN ONE CHURCH.
ABC SEVEN NEWS REPORTER GRETA KREUZ HAS DETAILS.
Story:
A SCATHING SIDEBAR HAS EMERGED FROM THE RECENT DISMISSAL OF A 5-MILLION-DOLLAR LAWSUIT AGAINST THE ARLINGTON DIOCESE -- A SUIT BROUGHT BY A MAN WHOSE PASTOR HAD AN AFFAIR WITH HIS WIFE.
A DEPOSITION TAKEN IN THAT CASE OF FATHER JAMES HALEY REVEALS EXPLOSIVE ALLEGATIONS, NOT ONLY OF WIDESPREAD SEXUAL ACTIVITY AMONG GAY PRIESTS, BUT ALSO OF EXTENSIVE PORNOGRAPHIC MATERIALS AT LEAST TWO LOCAL PASTORS ALLEGEDLY KEPT IN THEIR LIVING QUARTERS. ONE INCLUDED GAY MAGAZINES, VIDEOS AND SEX TOYS.
FATHER HALEY TESTIFIED HE WAS SHOCKED, AND WENT TO BISHOP PAUL LOVERDE IN JUNE OF 2001 WITH SOME OF THE PHOTOS, EXPECTING ACTION.
"SO I GAVE HIM THE KEY TO THE RECTORY AND TOLD HIM TO SEE FOR HIMSELF," HALEY SAYS, "AND HE REFUSED."
HALEY WAS THEN TRANSFERRED TO ANOTHER PARISH, WHERE HE SAYS IT WAS JUST AS BAD. THIS TIME, HE SAYS, THE PASTOR HOARDED COLLECTIONS OF SADOMASOCHISM, SEXUAL TORTURE, PORNOGRAPHY INVOLVING SHE-MALES, MATERIALS SOMETIMES MAILED TO THE RECTORY ITSELF. AGAIN, HE SAYS HE APPEALED TO THE BISHOP, AND THIS TIME "THE BISHOP TOLD ME THAT I HAD BETTER WATCH OUT, THAT I DID NOT KNOW WHAT HE WAS CAPABLE OF DOING."
GREG MURPHY, FATHER HALEY'S ATTORNEY: "To our knowledge, he's never done anything. The only he did was punish Father Haley for coming forward with the information."
THE BISHOP WAS UNAVAILABLE FOR COMMENT TODAY, BUT SPOKESWOMAN LINDA SHOVLAIN RELEASED A STATEMENT SAYING, "THE DIOCESE WILL INVESTIGATE ANY SUCH ALLEGATIONS OF MISCONDUCT BY PRIESTS THAT COME TO ITS ATTENTION. BISHOP LOVERDE EXPECTS ALL PRIESTS TO LIVE THEIR PRIESTLY COMMITMENTS."
Greta Kreuz on set:
FATHER HALEY, BY THE BISHOP'S DECREE, HAS BEEN STRIPPED OF HIS FACULTIES -- NOT ALLOWED TO CELEBRATE MASS OR THE SACRAMENTS IN PUBLIC. HE AND HIS ATTORNEY SAY THEY PLAN TO PRESENT THEIR EVIDENCE TO BISHOP GREGORY, HEAD OF THE U.S. BISHOPS' CONFERENCE, IN HOPES OF GETTING SOMETHING DONE TO STOP WHAT THEY SAY ARE IMMORAL AND ILLEGAL ACTIVITIES."
Anchor:
GRETA, WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO THE PRIESTS IN QUESTION?
Kreuz:
WE'RE STILL TRYING TO GET THOSE ANSWERS FROM THE DIOCESE. ONE PASTOR WAS REMOVED, ACTUALLY FOR EMBEZZLING PARISH FUNDS ... WE'RE NOT SURE WHERE HE IS ... AND THE OTHER WE HEARD JUST RESIGNED LAST WEEK. BUT FATHER HALEY'S DEPOSITION SUGGESTS THIS IS PART OF A LARGER SORDID PROBLEM THE DIOCESE HAS TURNED A DEAF EAR TO.
Your CapsLock key seems to be broke.
Haley was then transferred to another parish, where he says it was just as bad. This time, he says, the pastor hoarded collections of sadomasochism, sexual torture, pornography involving she-males, materials sometimes mailed to the rectory itself.
Perhaps these were just resource materials for "inculturating" the liturgy.
"So I gave him the key to the rectory and told him to see for himself," Haley says, "and he refused."
... Again, he says he appealed to the bishop, and this time "the bishop told me that I had better watch out, that I did not know what he was capable of doing."
Greg Murphy, Fr. Haley's attorney: "To our knowledge, he's never done anything. The only thing he did was punish Father Haley for coming forward with the information."
Sounds like that phrase "Lavender Mafia" is not an exaggeration.
I hope they do not have their hopes up too high.
But Fr. Haley's deposition suggests this is part of a larger sordid problem the diocese has turned a deaf ear to.
A sordid problem much larger than his diocese. A national and international network of perverted priests, protected by the bishops.
"'sinful things ... but where is the illegal part?' I was wondering the same thing."
Anchor: Greta, what has happened to the priests in question?
Kreuz: We're still trying to get those answers from the diocese. One pastor was removed, actually for embezzling parish funds. We're not sure where he is. And the other we heard just resigned last week.
The article is NOT about that "one pastor" and not about "embezzling funds."
It is about "Pornography Found in Arlington Churches,"
5-MILLION-DOLLAR LAWSUIT,
SEXUAL ACTIVITY AMONG GAY PRIESTS,
GAY MAGAZINES,
VIDEOS AND SEX TOYS,
COLLECTIONS OF SADOMASOCHISM,
SEXUAL TORTURE,
PORNOGRAPHY INVOLVING SHE-MALES,
PRIESTS NOT LIVING THEIR PRIESTLY COMMITMENTS.
So, my question is this,
These are all sinful things reported by ABC 7 Exclusive, but where is the illegal part? What business have the ABC News in reporting it when they themselves support sexual perversions?
It is a maliciously hypocritical ABC News report.
Only on 7 tonight, shocking new allegations against priests in the Catholic Diocese of Arlington.
An unsealed court document reveals confiscated pornographic material, in the rectories of more than one church.
ABC Seven news reporter Greta Kreuz has details.
Story:
A scathing sidebar has emerged from the recent dismissal of a 5-million-dollar lawsuit against the Arlington Diocese -- a suit brought by a man whose pastor had an affair with his wife.
A deposition taken in that case of Father James Haley reveals explosive allegations, not only of widespread sexual activity among gay priests, but also of extensive pornographic materials at least two local pastors allegedly kept in their living quarters. One included gay magazines, videos and sex toys.
Father Haley testified he was shocked, and went to Bishop Paul Loverde in June of 2001 with some of the photos, expecting action.
"So I gave him the key to the rectory and told him to see for himself," Haley says, "and he refused."
Haley was then transferred to another parish, where he says it was just as bad. This time, he says, the pastor hoarded collections of sadomasochism, sexual torture, pornography involving she-males, materials sometimes mailed to the rectory itself. Again, he says he appealed to the bishop, and this time "the bishop told me that I had better watch out, that I did not know what he was capable of doing."
Greg Murphy, Father Haley's attorney: "To our knowledge, he's never done anything. The only [thing] he did was punish Father Haley for coming forward with the information."
The bishop was unavailable for comment today, but spokeswoman Linda Shovlain released a statement saying, "The diocese will investigate any such allegations of misconduct by priests that come to its attention. Bishop Loverde expects all priests to live their priestly commitments."
Greta Kreuz on set:
Father Haley, by the bishop's decree, has been stripped of his faculties -- not allowed to celebrate mass or the sacraments in public. He and his attorney say they plan to present their evidence to Bishop Gregory, head of the U.S. Bishops' Conference, in hopes of getting something done to stop what they say are immoral and illegal activities."
Anchor:
Greta, what has happened to the priests in question?
Kreuz:
We're still trying to get those answers from the diocese. One pastor was removed, actually for embezzling parish funds ... We're not sure where he is ... And the other we heard just resigned last week. But Father Haley's deposition suggests this is part of a larger sordid problem the diocese has turned a deaf ear to.
See post #35. It's real.
Yes he did, in regard to the embezzlement and adultery, but not with the porn collections. The bishop doesn't seem to object to a pastor collecting queer porn. He also explicitly told Fr. Haley that he saw nothing wrong with homosexuality in a priest.
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