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.
I'm not a media lover, but when is reporting news "bashing". As far as them not reporting the good stuff....good stuff is what the church, any church, is suppose to do, so that would not be news. Alot of churches do good that is not reported. Alot of bad people in churches do bad things and are reported. It's news.
Becky
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