Replies

Here are two more letters.
Tuesday, March 11, 2003

Comments were |misunderstood

I write to clarify certain charges against me in the March 4 Herald News article, "Rodimer: Psychologist gave me bad advice," by Maya Kremen. I have asked the diocese to publish a clarification as well and they have agreed. I am not critical of the writer who used the information she had.

I had nothing to do with the reappointment of the Rev. James Hanley to another parish after he was removed from Mendham as a result of serious accusations of abuse of minors. In fact, I had never heard of the case. I became involved when Hanley came on retreat after he was removed a second time from a new assignment because his picture appeared in the diocesan paper with a group of altar boys.

I totally agreed with the Serrano family that this was a serious violation of a provision that had been given to them; namely, that Hanley not work with minors. No additional charges of misconduct were made as far as I know from Hanley's second assignment. I strongly suggested that he not be assigned to any parish duties and that he be supervised closely. Hanley, at this time, was an active AA member and was very remorseful.

I was never involved with such a case before, and I was startled by the degree of anger and hurt Hanley's sinful behavior had generated. Since that time, I have worked with a number of victims, and I accept their anger as appropriate and say so in my book, "From Scandal to Hope."

The other two cases mentioned in the article pertain to consenting adults, or at least that was the information I was given originally. There was no involvement with minors that I knew about.

Buddy Cotton's criticism of me is unfounded, but certainly understandable. If I said what he believes I said he would be totally justified in his criticism.

What I said was that as a result of working on the case of the late Archbishop Marino, I had come to realize that about 98 percent of what the media says about people involved in scandals is untrue or distorted. I mentioned that I did not believe everything said about a scandal involving a former president.

I suspect that Cotton never read my book. Any honest person reading the book will see that I am horrified by the abuse of minors or anyone else propositioned by a priest.

My book is a very serious and powerful call for the reform of the Catholic Church and of our society that is so lacking in morality and respect for the individual.

I am at a great disadvantage in defending myself because of the right of confidentiality of the people involved.

I have worked as a therapist and spiritual director with clergy for 30 years after obtaining a doctorate in counseling psychology at Columbia University.

I have never charged a fee and have never asked for or received payment. I have seen clergy of various different denominations and faiths.

Like any therapist I have made mistakes. People forget that therapists and spiritual directors are neither prosecutors nor defense attorneys. Since I cannot defend myself, I think that any honest person will admit that what has been said against me is unfair and based on misinformation. Being a strong advocate of church reform does not make you popular - but Jesus did not suggest that we would be popular if we try to follow Him.

Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel, |Larchmont, N.Y.

Diocese not |affixing blame

By way of clarification, I comment on Maya Kremen's March 4 Herald News article, "Rodimer: Psychologist gave me bad advice". I gave an interview to the Dallas Morning News answering questions about the Rev. Benedict Groeschel. Kemen's article reflects that more comprehensive story.

The headline is certainly misleading. It implies blame. I never used the word "blame" in my conversations with the Dallas Morning News. We relied heavily on the advice of the Rev. Benedict Groeschel. It was also the advice of other health care professionals at the time.

In the 1980s many professionals believed, with false optimism, that those pedophiles could be cured. To our horror and and to the detriment of many victims as well, we now know this is not true. Bishop Rodimer also is on record admitting his own responsibility for diocesan decisions.

Kremen did not include Groeschel's own quotation in the Dallas Morning News story: "I've been involved in psychology for four decades and we in the profession were naïve enough to believe that these offenders could almost always be cured... "

He goes on to say that therapists "were sometimes tragically wrong about a particular case." This quote comes from Father Groeschel's book "From Scandal to Hope."

The diocesan focus in this issue is not to cast blame on others, but to reach out to victims, to listen, to assist and to work toward reconciliation.

Marianna Thompson, director |of communications, Roman Catholic Diocese of Paterson