Papers in Pedophile Case Show Church Effort to Avert Scandal

              Papers in Pedophile Case
              Show Church Effort to Avert
              Scandal

                   OSTON, Jan. 24 — The Roman Catholic
                   archdiocese here seemed more preoccupied
              with avoiding a scandal involving a pedophile priest
              than making sure the priest had no further contact
              with children, documents released today suggest.

              The documents — depositions, letters and
              memorandums from 84 civil lawsuits against the
              priest and the archdiocese — reveal in detail that
              the church knew of the priest's pedophilia, but
              moved him from one parish to another for 30
              years.

              The revelations prompted Boston's cardinal, Bernard F. Law, to apologize for the second time this month for
              the archdiocese's handling of the priest, John J. Geoghan, 66, who was convicted last week of molesting a
              boy in a youth club pool and faces two more criminal trials on similar charges.

              More than 130 people in half a dozen parishes here said Mr. Geoghan, who was defrocked in 1998,
              molested them as children in incidents that occurred from 1962 to 1995. The church has settled about 50
              lawsuits for a total of more than $10 million.

"I made a mistake in assigning John Geoghan," Cardinal Law said. "I regret that assignment, and I have
attempted to learn from that mistake."

In a departure from longstanding church policy, the cardinal also announced that he would require clergymen
and officials of the archdiocese to report to the authorities past accusations of sexual abuse by priests.

"We will be going to public authorities with the names of all priests that we
are aware of that have abused minors," Cardinal Law said.

He also said he was convening a panel of medical experts to study ways to
prevent child abuse and deal with victims.

              The 10,000 pages of new documents include depositions by bishops who
              were aware of Mr. Geoghan's problem, notes from psychiatrists who
              evaluated him, letters from parishioners complaining of church inaction and
              letters from the two cardinals during Mr. Geoghan's tenure, the late Cardinal
              Humberto Medeiros and Cardinal Law.

              The Boston archdiocese has long tried to keep the documents sealed, and
              they became public only after The Boston Globe filed a request to see them
              and a judge ordered the records opened last year. The Globe published
              excerpts and an analysis of the records today.

              In one deposition, Bishop Thomas V. Daily, now leader of the Brooklyn
              diocese, was asked if it were archdiocesan policy "to avoid scandal where
              possible."

"And were these events types of events that would cause scandal for the church?" Bishop Daily was asked.

              In a 1982 letter, Margaret Gallant, a relative of seven boys molested by Mr. Geoghan, wrote to Cardinal
              Medeiros complaining that Bishop Daily had "suggested that we keep silent." Her relatives, Mrs. Gallant
              wrote, "never as much as received an apology from the church, much less any offer for counseling for the
              boys."

              In reply, Cardinal Medeiros wrote, "While I am and must be very sensitive to a very delicate situation and one
              that has caused great scandal, I must at the same time invoke the mercy of God and share in that mercy in the
              knowledge that God forgives sins and that sinners indeed can be forgiven."

In the documents, church officials, including Cardinal Law, often treated Mr. Geoghan as a sinner who had
repented and recovered.

              "It is most heartening to know that things have gone well for you and that you are ready to resume your efforts
              with a renewed zeal," Cardinal Law wrote to Mr. Geoghan in 1989, when the cardinal allowed the priest to
              return to St. Julia Parish in suburban Weston after treatment.

The documents released today deepened the anger that Boston Catholics already felt over the church's
handling of the case.

              "Even the ones who raised the red flag, they raised it as scandal, they said they didn't want scandal to come to
              the church," said Thomas H. Groome, a professor of religious education at Boston College. "That the crime
              had caused extraordinary damage to the parishioners and their children was not in their consciousness."

              Some parishioners and a few priests have called on Cardinal Law to resign. But today the cardinal, who is
              considered close to the pope and is one of the country's most influential Roman Catholic leaders, dismissed
              that possibility.

"The solution to this problem as I see it does not include my resignation as archbishop," Cardinal Law said.
"You don't walk away when the problem is difficult."

              Two weeks ago, in his first apology, the cardinal announced a policy of zero tolerance of future sexual abuse
              of children by priests and required clergymen to report evidence of such abuse to the state authorities. This
              followed a Vatican order requiring all archdioceses to report accusations of pedophilia to the Vatican.

But this week, the Senate in this heavily Roman Catholic state voted to go beyond Cardinal Law's actions,
passing an amendment that would require reporting of evidence of past sexual abuse.

              "In a state like Massachusetts, in a city like Boston, I think that's a considerable turnaround," said Thomas H.
              O'Connor, the university historian at Boston College. "The general perception was that the Legislature would
              do pretty much what the cardinal said, but they can't afford to take that position any longer."

In response to the Legislature, the cardinal revised archdiocese policy to require reporting of past abuse as
well.

              In his first apology, Cardinal Law said he relied on psychiatric evaluations that suggested Mr. Geoghan could
              be safely reassigned to parishes. The newly disclosed documents contain a number of positive evaluations of
              Mr. Geoghan. But they also include negative ones, including notes that Bishop Robert J. Banks took from a
              conversation he had with one of Mr. Geoghan's psychiatrists in 1989, saying "you can't afford to have him in a
              parish," and "you better clip his wings before there is an explosion."

              Later that year, Mr. Geoghan was removed for treatment and then allowed to return to St. Julia Parish. Soon
              after Mr. Geoghan's reinstatement, the documents show, Bishop Banks wrote to doctors at the treatment
              center, who had written that Mr. Geoghan had "atypical pedophilia, in remission" and "mixed personality
              disorder with obsessive-compulsive, histrionic and narcissistic features."

              In his note, Bishop Banks said that he was disappointed by the evaluation and that he had been given oral
              assurances by the center that "it would be all right to reassign Father Geoghan to pastoral ministry." The
              bishop asked for a letter confirming that, and he received a note from the doctor saying it was "quite safe" to
              reinstate Mr. Geoghan in the parish and "the probability that he would sexually act out again is quite low."

The documents make little mention of Mr. Geoghan's victims and give little indication that the church offered
the victims counseling or comfort.

Today, several people who say they were molested by Mr. Geoghan as boys said the documents destroyed
their trust and respect for the church.

"I believe in the Catholic religion, but I can't go to church," said Anthony Muzzi Jr., 47, who said he was
molested over two years, sometimes while Mr. Geoghan was "blessing us in the bedroom."

"I've lost my faith in the church," Mr. Muzzi said. "I have to say my prayers in my vehicle going to and from
work."

>>For example, the presbyterian and the Anglican churches have almost accepted homosexuality. The presbyterians are at least discussing it in the open. And what about birth control? All prostestant churchs are pro--BC. That is a foundational sin. Anyone who thinks birth-control and abortion aren't linked are uninformed. And then there is divorce<<

We Protestants have many failings, some of which you reference above. Sometimes, the catalog is enough to make me think the Reformation has failed, or worse, was a mistake to begin with.

But please do accept, from a friend who prays for the Church at least weekly, that this story "has legs" because it contains elements of unpleasant truth about the Church AND raises questions about the source of authority in Christ's church, which has been a problem in the West since at least 1054.

OF COURSE priests who are pedophiles do not commit these crimes because they are denied marriage to women. But it seems to me that, since the general increase in sexual acting out that we are living with began in the 1960s, that priests who "act out" in a healthy and life-affirming way (I.e., who seek marriage) are shunned; and that the remnant must of necessity have an increased proportion of men whose sexuality is not healthy and life-affirming.

This is not Catholic bashing, it's math. If the exercise of healthy heterosexuality becomes the principal disqualifier for priests, the result is that you get more unhealthiness.

And I do agree that more sexual continence would be good for the world and good for the Church-but fifty pedophile priests sheltering in the Boston archdiocese is really too much-and should be a sign that something (other than Catholic bashing) is seriously amiss.

"...one thing i mentioned about the WHORE OF BABYLON, I said it includes ALL religions, but that it would probably be headed by the RCC because the RCC has the organization the others don't, think about that!!!"""

WHORE OF BABYLON......A Roman Catholic!!! You have on more than one occasion made that same accusation, and I for one think you are FULL of SH*T, and at 6'4" 345 lbs, thats a real load to carry. LOLOL

Since you read that I said all religions are in the WHORE, why do you only concentrate on your own? Are you deliberately misreading what I write so you can swear at me in asterics? By saying that all are in it, I am also saying that mine is in it, too. You are being intellectually dishonest.

And, by the way, I have sent out on average 40 resumes a week, and I am taking a job soon that is a $9 cut in pay so I can get off unemployment, because I dont want to be a leech on society like you deliberately slander me as doing.

Read my posts with your lights on, all I am doing is expressing my opinion, I make no personal attacks against people's character, I stick to the topic at hand. You should try to do the same without making it look like all Catholics are vulgar swearing fools who have nothing better to do than swear at those who only disagree with you.

There can be no defending of pedophile priests. The church hierarchy has failed to do what is morally right and just. We must have a clean house. If the Church is held up to a higher scrutiny then other faiths and institutions, so be it. We Catholics should not be surprised. What we should do is pray for God's healing guidance and ask him to send us better priests and make all members of the Body of Christ more aware and devoted. We should pray that the Catholics that flounder and have strayed in their faith will be strengthened by our prayers and will return in humility to help within the church. Jesus had a betrayer: Judas. That was one of twelve. And we have had betrayers. Did that Judas nullify all that Jesus did and stood for. Take heart: Jesus walked the walk to Calvary. He took their insults, their spitting, their scourges. Can we do any less, in faith? V's wife.

And yet, even today, you still have not entered that thread, Former Pastor To Stand Trial to voice your dismay and umbrage that a protestant pastor is also guilty of that which you Catholic bashers maintain is due to "unscriptural" celibacy requirements. You are a bunch of hypocrites, and your attacks are waking up a sleeping giant.

carlo3b's comments in post # 178 prove the point I made to VLH above:

WHORE OF BABYLON INDEED... I haven't been a good Catholic in many years, but bigots like you are making me think I should kick it up a notch!

You and vlh and the rest of your pathetic ilk are doing the work of the Lord indeed.

Seeing as how I never heard about that thread until yesterday, and I attended a FREEP yesterday, I havent had time to go there, so, learn some patience here. The accusations I continuously hear only make RCC people look hateful. All I have done is explain myself and back up what I believe with Scripture. Besides, I have been not creating new posts to all these threads because I am trying to let them die so we can move on, it is the RCC people that keep bringing it up, not me.

why would you call telling someone to be saved hate?

That's not what I did, nor is what those links teach 'saving.'

Is that what your religion teaches?

No, that's what you teach, Pope VLH, founder of your own religion: part Jack Chick, part masonic-style anticlericalism, with more than a dash of Clintonian lie/smear/bait. May God have mercy on you for the home 'schooling' one can only imagine you're giving your children.

How exactly do you come up with 1 out of 50? Do you have an estimation of how many priests exist in the world?

Faithful Catholics want these people out of our church. You can help by praying for us. We are doing everything we can to bring about reform.

I also bring up an issue I have with protestant churches that I find as evil as pedophilia. Please see posts 67 and 69. Thanks.

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