More devastating Scandal stories coming?

Bettnet.com ^ | June 16, 2004 | Domenico Bettenelli, Jr.

[Rutles4Ever]

Bettinelli reports:

I just got this message from Rod Dreher:

"On Sunday, The Dallas Morning News will begin publishing the results of a major yearlong investigation into a largely uncovered aspect of the Catholic sex abuse scandal. The series of stories are international in scope, and will make headlines nationally and overseas. I’m not at liberty to disclose details yet, but I’ve seen advanced copies of the articles, and they are devastating. I believe at this point, more details will be available on Friday morning, when one of the reporters on the series does an interview on National Public Radio’s “Morning Edition.” The stories will be available on the dallasnews.com website starting either late Saturday night or early Sunday morning.

I expect these stories to dominate conversation among concerned American Catholics next week, and into the early summer (because there will be much more to come; next week’s series only reveals part of what our reporters have uncovered and documented). These findings give lie to the claim from Church officialdom that this scandal is over. The cover-up continues."

Rod Dreher confirms:

"Not only stories, but photographs. I’ve seen the planned cover of Sunday’s DMN. The picture they’re going to run is a jaw-dropper...I hate to tell you this, but the bishops already know. They have known. They hoped you and I wouldn’t find out. That’s part of the story... Also, our people are now talking to national media about this. Starting Friday night, you might be seeing stuff about this. I’ll let Dom and others know if any early media appearances are scheduled."

[r9etb]

LOL! As an Episcopalian, I know exactly what you mean!

[Taliesan]

You guys really need to get your arms around this thing.

[r9etb]

You know.... MOF. Isn't it obvious?

[TheCrusader]

The Dallas Morning News also reported that 606 teachers from Texas have been punished for sexually abusing minor children over the last eight years. Hence, the State of Texas alone has more teacher child sex abusers than the entire Catholic Church priesthood in the U.S. This should make one seriously wonder why the media place so much of their highly focused attention on the Catholic Church and so relatively little attention on the much larger national problem within secular institutions.

[John Will]

I hope the next pope is Latin American, American or African.
There are far to many liberal preists infesting the church.

[Jaded]

Ping

[maryz]

I wonder what aspect of the sex abuse scandal the author could call "largely uncovered."

The obvious one would be the homosexual angle, but Rod said it's not that.

Incidentally, Rod pointed out on bettnet.com that he talked with a Fox staffer at the Dallas bishops' meeting and said Fox should seek out Michael Rose, who wrote a couple of books on the lavendar mafia in the church, but the Fox person said they had orders from above not to mention the homosexual angle.

[Salvation]

A thread from the Religion Forum -- Windswept House come true?

[Salvation]

thank you!

[what's up]

I believe many of the abuses happened in the Boston area.

No surprise...it's a small number of priests and the Boston Catholics are probably among the most liberal in the world. It makes me think the conservative Catholic Church is stepping up to the plate finally.

I really like the way the Catholic Church is talking about disallowing pro-abortion politicians from Communion.

Beware of broad-based attacks on the Catholic church or any church; they are from Communists.

[q_an_a]

nice bit of detective work. that is why the net is so powerful, people like you keep facts so the ignorant can be enlightened. good work.

[Salvation]

sorry to hear your story. I'm wondering if there isn't more to it?

[sinkspur]

And, let me say, I used to be Catholic and went to Catholic church. Until I was 8. My father walked out the door when on the day JFK was killed. My sister was 3 weeks old. There were 4 of us kids. The priest came the following week to tell my mother none of us could receive the sacrament. Previous to that, the church had been a source of comfort to her, and to us.

Well, the priest was wrong about that. But, it doesn't surprise me that a priest might say that, back then.

My mother and dad went through a rough patch and went to a priest for counseling, back in 1959.

When, during the course of the conversation, my dad told him he was a convert, the priest (a young priest, by the way) turned to my mother and said "See, that's what you get for marrying a convert."

My dad never darkened the door of a Catholic Church again.

I know priests and even deacons can be jerks, but, back then, it seems that a great many more were than now.

[The KG9 Kid]

Quite. Hope this will stifle the Pope for awhile.

[Rutles4Ever]

I agree, but the fact is, we're the target du jour. Now, we can argue about numbers, but it's one thing to put faith and trust into a secular teacher, it's another thing to put faith and trust into a representative of Christ. Both situations are abhorrent, but I believe this has much more impact with people because religion and religious persons should be the first and last resort of sanctuary from evil, not the source of it.

That said, Dreher is not some liberal columnist. He's a conservative Catholic who's followed the scandal closely, and, although he's not the AUTHOR of this spread, I lean towards taking his word that if it's not going to be pleasant...

We will see. I don't have any opinions on the material because I haven't seen it. This is just an FYI to all concerned...

[Salvation]

This story was probably the reason for the bishops meeting this week in Denver.

[JohnnyZ]

Just the spokespeople within the church who think they have the moral authority to comment on the war.

We are all sinners. No human has moral authority except it comes from God. You're just looking for an excuse to attack the Catholic Church, otherwise why bring the war into it?

[Peach]

More to what? I share something that happened to tens of thousands of divorced families across America in the early 1960's and you think there is more to it?

Divorced families were told across America, indeed across the world, do not receive the sacrament.

What is your agenda?

[LuigiBasco]

"I hope the next pope is Latin American, American or African. There are far to many liberal preists infesting the church.

Surely you don't want an American Pope. The American Catholic Church is THE problem. They are the liberals along with the Jesuits and their Liberation Theology! Just my 2¢

[Campion]

My father walked out the door when on the day JFK was killed. My sister was 3 weeks old. There were 4 of us kids. The priest came the following week to tell my mother none of us could receive the sacrament.

Either you're full of malarkey, or the priest was, or someone isn't telling the whole story. Being abandoned by a spouse isn't a sin, and can't be grounds for excommunication.