CHURCH ABUSE - ARCHBISHOP REMBERT WEAKLAND

Good Morning America | May 23, 2002 | ABC News

[NYer]

MILWAUKEE (AP) _ Roman Catholic Archbishop Rembert Weakland agreed in 1998 to pay $450,000 to a man who accused him of sexual assault, according to documents cited Thursday by ABC News. ABC said the agreement had required Paul J. Marcoux, 53, to keep silent.

``I was involved in a cover-up. I accepted money to be silent about it, not to speak out against what was going on,'' Marcoux said in an interview broadcast on ``Good Morning America.'' Marcoux (pronounced mar COO) said he was sexually assaulted 20 years ago, when he was a student at Marquette University and had gone to the archbishop seeking advice about entering the priesthood.

Marcoux told the network Weakland ``started to try and kiss me and continued to force himself on me, pull down my trousers and attempted to fondle me.'' ``Think of it in terms of date rape,'' Marcoux told ABC.

ABC said as part of the settlement, the archbishop and the archdiocese denied the claims. It said the church declined to comment until the report was aired. Matthew Flynn, an attorney for the archdiocese, reached after the interview aired on the East Coast but before it appeared in Milwaukee, declined comment to The Associated Press. Jerry Topczewski, the spokesman for the archdiocese, did not immediately return calls from the AP.

The network also quoted from an 11-page handwritten letter that it said was written by Weakland. The letter, dated Aug. 25, 1980, said Weakland could not pay Marcoux more than $14,000 to settle the case.

``I should not put down on paper what I would not want the whole world to read. But here goes anyway,'' the letter said. ``I felt like the world's worst hypocrite. So gradually I came back to the importance of celibacy in my life. ...''

The ABC report said Marcoux sought more money in 1997 and the archbishop paid $450,000 to settle the case on condition of secrecy.

AP-ES-05-23-02 0852EDT

[B Knotts]

Does he know the difference?

I would hope so, but you have a point.

[american colleen]

Here are a couple of interesting links mentioning Abp. Weakland in particular. The articles are both from the "New Oxford Review" and the first one is interesting because it lists all US Diocese and the ratio of vocations to the Catholic population.

"Dear Bishop: If You Really Want More Vocations…"

"Remodel the Cathedral: What a Boondoggle!"

[NYer]

Weakland's last major project was the vandalisation, excuse me, "renovation" of Milwukee's Cathedral, in complete disregard of the howls of anguish and protest of faithful Catholics in his diocese.

A bizarre sculpture of Christ hangs above the centralized "marble table".

Archbishop Weakland is featured in this bronze sculpture (such humility!). He is the figure to the left.

Loyal catholics remind church goers that the bishop ignored vatican orders to halt cathedral renovations.

[CWW]

Again, the facts don't support your assertion. There are a few bishops and Cardinals who allegely covered up the problem. And even so, most of the priests involved were removed from parish work or where they could be exposed to children. Cardinal Law is obviously a worse case scenario, and his conduct is reprehensible!

IMHO, if there is substantial evidence of such misconduct by a priest or Bishop, they should be removed and, if appropriate, prosecuted.

Why don't you provide facts in support of your argument rather than merely parroting half truths and rumors?!

[pgkdan]

They are not men of satan, they are merely fairies

Respectfully and completely disagree. A Priest takes the Church as his bride and vows to live his live in service to Jesus Christ. These monsters have taken the great respect, love and dignity that the Catholic lay people invest in the priesthood and hide behind that to commit unspeakaable acts of perversion. This IS the work of Satan and these men knowingly do his bidding when they corrupt the morals of those entrusted to tehir care...either through pedophilia or garden variety homosexual perversions.

[1 spark]

RE:Eventually realized that at least 75% (if not more) of the priests and brothers were flaming, and some were sexually active

My younger brother went away to a "good" Catholic high school. He lived there Monday thru Friday, and came home every weekend. To this day, he is grateful to my parents for sending him there, because he made wonderful friends, and got back on the "right track". I can't tell you what a great kid my brother is, but he does not believe in God. There have been numerous times we have had long discussions over it. I remember incredulously asking him, how he could not believe in God, after attending St. Mary's for 4 years, being among priests, and taking religion classes all that time. He laughed at my ignorance and told me basically the same thing you said. In fact, he said no priest even believed in God. I told him he was wrong, that he must have encountered a few bad ones. He laughed at me. To this day he doesn't believe in God.

Last summer, i had lunch with a friend who has a son at Notre Dame. She told me her son has no respect for the priests for the same reason.

I don't think this is a "new" phenomenom, like so many here seem to think. My guess is it's rampant and has been there from the beginning. At least it's finally coming out.

My heart goes out to you for what you've endured.

[Petronski]

Looks like the Catholic Church is full of these men of Satan from top to bottom?

Weakland is an evil man whether he engaged in this abuse or not.

[Kenny Bunk]

...and if they do a good job, it'll soon be Monsignor Goon.

[Campion]

I shudder when I think of the crises of faith these revelations are undoubtedly causing among untold millions of Catholics.

Well, I can't speak for the "untold millions", but as for this Catholic, watching Weakland and Mahony squirm causes my faith to burst into flame. The only question I have is, "Dear Lord, what took you so long?"

(Law is a different case. I've always thought of Law as being on the side of the angels, and it is indeed disappointing to find out that he's combines some level of evil with some degree of incompetence.)

: In my view, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Roman Catholic Church in America is teetering on the edge of collapse. I don't think so. Surgery is not a pleasant experience, and the Divine Surgeon is now beginning to excise a gigantic, ugly tumor from the Body of Christ. Afterwards, some recovery and healing will be required, and eventually, the patient will be much healthier than she was before the operation.

[redhead]

"I shudder when I think of the crises of faith these revelations are undoubtedly causing among untold millions of Catholics. In my view, it is not an exaggeration to say that the Roman Catholic Church in America is teetering on the edge of collapse."

Well, this hasn't been a crisis of MY faith, although I see your point. Those Catholics who have been poorly catechised are at risk, perhaps. But my own faith is strengthened, because my husband and I have been praying for this very thing (specifically: "We pray that the evil priests and bishops can be exposed for what and who they are, and that the truth of their evil will be told...") for the last three or four years. We pray every day that this outing of bishops and priests is the work of God's hands, and that it will continue until the Church is purged. Thanks be to God.

[AKA Elena]

The American hierarchy needs to be thoroughly purged.

This phrase is becoming a never ending mantra here on FR.

How do we, so scattered, but so strong in Faith, make the slightest impression when that conclave of our hierarchy meet next month?

There have been some wonderful articles by scholars who approach the problems in pretty explanatory terms.

We are making prayerfully powerful requests for intercession of all of the Saints, the BVM and requests for relief from God Himself ... are we to leave it to Faith alone to solve this problem and root out the evil?

This is the festering wound for me. I am outraged and cannot express my outrage ... I am wounded and feel betrayed, and feel the message that is sent to me is one of patient reconciliation to a Hierarchy's decisions which look for internal solutions without outreach to those who have been victimized.

Would or could Dr. Brian Kopp, who was actively a FReeper and is a recognied voice in our Church, act as our intermediary with the Counsel and write a definition of all facets of our pain and allow a place for us to sign ... not as petitioners, but as thoughtful and powerful voices for OUR FAITH who demand that there be a sea change across this country in the entire manner this scandal is being addressed.

I'm sorry to sound so hopeless ... but I, personally need to do something beyond prayer and beyond waiting and seeing what these political priests actually accomplish.

[sinkspur]

I don't think this is a "new" phenomenom, like so many here seem to think. My guess is it's rampant and has been there from the beginning. At least it's finally coming out.

It's not. The Church has never been exempt from the problem all helping professions have always had. They are havens for sexual predators, and always have been.

Schools (especially one gender boarding schools), counseling, social work, and churches.

It is good that they are ALL on notice now, that they will be outed and turned over to law enforcement.

[ThomasMore]

I was just wondering why a 33 year old man couldn't fight off a priest quicker than he apparently did

Yeah, somebody had posted that he was a scam artist. Maybe so.

[Daus]

Matthew Flynn, an attorney for the archdiocese, reached after the interview aired on the East Coast but before it appeared in Milwaukee

For out-of-towners... Matt Flynn is one of the biggest players in Left wing politics in Milwaukee. And, in general, an idiot.

[Catholicguy]

OK -- but when this nun goes on trial and her lawyer calls me to the witness stand, the first thing he's going to ask me is what I did to prevent the "molestation" from taking place. And when the jury is faced with an 80 year-old nun accused of "molesting" a 6-1, 225-pound guy who plays hockey three times a week, they're going to laugh in my face and acquit her in about three seconds.

Have you seen the size of some of these nuns?

My point is that even though Rembie was left with passion unrequited, it nevertheless was molesting

[GovernmentShrinker]

These "hush agreements" ought to be explicitly illegal, and anyone involved in arranging the agreements and/or the accompanying payments should do hard time, no exceptions. And that includes parents who accept huge cash payoffs in exchange for keeping their own child quiet about having been raped.

[caddie]

Cool pic.

Who is the lady cleaning his clock?

What is this confrontation about, if you are able to tell me?

[GovernmentShrinker]

Hang on to your money; don't give a penny to the Church. They'll get the message, and they also won't have hundreds of millions of dollars to throw around as hush money. I'm sure there are plenty of independent Catholic charities to which your offerings could be redirected.

[caddie]

Father Goon.

ROTFLMAO!