Sunday 3 April 2016

ITALIAN BISHOP IN NEW SEX ABUSE PROBE



Antanazzo

An Italian bishop is being investigated for the alleged sexual abuse of eight student priests, media reports said today.

Prosecutors in Cassino, south of Rome, opened a probe into Bishop Gerardo Antonazzo after receiving a letter from a seminarian accusing the bishop of sexually molesting him and seven other adults, La Repubblica said.

"I must stress how utterly unfounded the accusations are," Antonazzo was quoted as saying, adding that he had not been informed that he was under investigation.

Prosecutors said the probe was ongoing, refuting earlier reports that they were ready to arrest the bishop.

"The documents (on Antonazzo) have been sent to the Holy See, so it can evaluate eventual measures to be taken," the online newspaper Il Tempo said.

Sex abuse scandals have dogged the Catholic Church in recent years with alleged victims breaking their silence in the United States, Ireland, the Netherlands, Australia France, Germany, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Mexico and Poland.

Bishop Antonazzo is not the first prelate to be accused of sexually abusing seminarians and young priests. A short time ago Cardinal Keith O'Brien the Archbishop of Edinburgh, Scotland had to resign after it was revealed that he had abused seminarians and young priests over a long number of years - sometimes using the Confession Box to seduce them.

O'Brien
O'Brien was guilty not only abuse but of hypocrisy as he campaigned against gay rights and gay marriage in Scotland.

It was also revealed that O'Brien was a personal friend of the UK's famous paedophile Jimmy Saville. 


 The cases of O'Brien and now Antonazzo are by no means unique. 

Priests who have worked in the Vatican have told me: "The best way to get promotion in the Vatican is to do your religious superiors sexual favours".

As a seminarian and young priest myself I had the experience of senior clergy attempting to seduce me. 

There was active homosexuality in both the seminaries I attended. 

The sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults being molested by clerics has being highlighted in the media.

But there is a whole hidden scandal in the Church of the sexual abuse of seminarians, young priests and nuns by those in power in the Church.   

35 comments:

  1. The Church will never forgive him for opening his mouth. He should attempt to retrain in a secular profession. They will do all in their power to destroy his truth,his name and reputation. It is appalling, but it is a medieval institution with medieval ways. God bless them all.

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    1. I agree with the above post. That seminarian should seriously consider giving up his studies for the priesthood, because those unholy bastards in Rome will have it in for him. They disgust me!

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    2. I entirely agree.

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  2. As a former seminarian in both "The Wing" and St Patrick's College, Maynooth, I was repeatedly propositioned, not by clerics senior or otherwise, but by seminarians themselves.

    Initially, I dismissed their advances as outbreaks of the kind of solacious humour that
    can sometimes be found in the sexually repressed atmosphere of a seminary. Boy! Was I on a steep learning curve?!

    Er, in case any of you are wondering, no, I didn't succumb: I wasn't interested. Besides, we were meant to be observing chastity. Some hope.

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  3. Re post 16:30

    Like the above former seminarian I was also in The Wing. I was only there 3 days when I was propositioned for sex. It was quite rife in those days. In fact two of the students who were rampant performers went on to hold fairly prominent posts.
    I often wonder how many of their fellow travelers went on to ordination and are now in ministry and still indulging in gay sex.
    After my degree from Queens ( no pun intended!) I dropped out.

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    1. At one stage both The Wing and Maynooth were hotbeds of gay sex.

      In Maynooth's case the President, Monsignor Ledwith was seducing seminarians.

      In The Wing at least one priest was going in after a seminarian.

      The Irish College in Rome was a pink palace for some.

      There's a whole untold story out there.

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    2. Anonym. At 19:00, you dropped out at the right time: Maynooth was worse. I was repeatedly bothered there, particularly by one guy. I was very green (code for "virgin"). I knew sweet FA about straight sex and even less about
      gay sex.

      The seminarian queens used to talk in their own code. I was a good Catholic
      boy (really) and felt stupid in their presence.

      I left before ordination, and am very glad I did so.

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  4. I think Bishop Buckley is pandering to Republicans by calling Pearse a "boy lover" If he were writing about a Catholic cleric he would call him a paedophile out straight.

    He is anti Catholic.

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    1. I think there is both a quantative and qualitive between a man who sexually abuses boys and a man who wrote one poem that suggests that the man may have had a sexual attraction to boys but who never acted on it?

      Millons would have preferred that abusing clerics would have confined themselves to poetry rather than actual and horrific abuse.

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    2. Your reasoning is quirky, to say the least. What does "boy lover" mean if not "paedophile"?

      I have NEVER found Pat Buckley "anti-Catholic", but I have found him, like me, anti-abuse by institutional Roman Catholicism. I presume that a good Catholic like you is equally disposed.

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  5. I stand in awe and thankfully never experienced inappropriate sexual activity as a student or priest from within church ranks. If the Bishop is guilty he should accept the consequences If false accusations are in play then the accusers should pay

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    1. Maybe you didn't have a cute face and bum :-)

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    2. That's a fair comment, Sean. However, this bishop is being investigated for abuse against eight seminarians, not just the one who reported the alleged abuse.

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    3. To Anonymous at 21:14

      Unfortunately for me, I had both. I was also sexually innocent, which seemed to make me a more desirable target. But I was aggressive, a fighter (physically , if necessary). That eventually put the buggers off.

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    4. As I say. There is a whole untold story out there.

      How sad - you go into a seminary to give your life to the Church - and immediately become a sexual target.

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    5. Yes, Pat. They "zeroed in" on me and I was so fuckin' green I hadn't a clue what they were up to. I thought they were being nice and friendly, but they weren't.

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    6. Like a previous contributor I entered seminary as green as the proverbial cabbage I did not believe I had a cute rear or face nor did i believe myself to be attractive to female persons of the opposite sex. Miraculously i do not believe this negatively impact the core of my call to priesthood which I still hold as valid. It was only after ordination and exposure to the real world I became aware (slowly) of possibilities and options..the rest is history

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  6. I dunno Pat if it is coincidental or perhaps my cynical mind but whenever abuse or the shenanigans in the Wing or Maynooth gets raised on here there are very few comments from D&C clergy. Funny that
    Annesley Andy

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    1. That's because some of them are still "at it" and the rest of them know that they are "at it".

      The only one who does not know they are "at it" is Bishop Treanor who does not care whether they are "at it" or not.

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    2. You are correct. A significant number of my colleagues are sexually active with both men and women.

      We all know who they are.

      Those of us who are celibate are increasingly unhappy and disillusioned. Morale is sinking lower and lower.

      I feel hopeless about it all. If I had a way out I would be gone.

      PP D&C

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    3. What about a number of you "good guys" getting together and communicating your concerns to the papal nuncio or finding a way of getting to Pope Francis?

      Or going public - without revealing your names?

      For bad to succeed all that is necessary is that good people do nothing ???

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    4. I cannot see any priest or number of priests having the courage to do what you suggest Pat.I do not think any of them have the courage to act.

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    5. An. @ 14:54, you're probably correct. A former priest in a recent blog here called out the Association of Catholic Priests for their timidity when it came to being faced down by the bishops, or the Congregation for the Doctrine of
      the Faith. He actually or effectively accused them of talking tough, but acting like wimps when it came to the crunch. He made the fair point that
      priests are financially under the thumbs of the bishops. If they cross these men too much, they could lose their living as well as their homes.
      Undoubtedly, the bishops know this and gain considerable leverage from it. It's time priests had second occupations to prevent this kind of power hold.

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    6. Go get em Pat. You ve done it before & have my No 1 vote!

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  7. Where are your statistics - and facts?
    Rumour - wishful thinking - speculation - not on iota of proof.
    I am surrounded by four Down & Connor Parishes - neither i nor any of the people in these neighbouring parishes are aware of an form of misconduct.
    Pip

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    1. MourneManMichael4 April 2016 at 17:46

      As far back as the late 1600's, another cleric summed it up very appropriately:
      "There's none so deaf as those that will not hear.
      None so blind as those that will not see."
      Matthew Henry (1662 - 1714)

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  8. Well, you wouldn't be aware of such conduct, would you? They at least attempt to be discreet.

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  9. Pat,
    On the back of 14:54's post I would have to say that I agree that it is very unlikely than any priest or group of priests would break ranks and blow the whistle.
    I have been convinced for some time now that because of the increasing shortage of priests bishops have been under instructions to hold on to as many of them as they can. Unless they are involved in murder or child abuse they should be retained at all costs. Hence the re appearance of my fellow townie at the chrism mass last week. Of course NT knows who's who and what's what. In another age the sex performers would have been booted out the parochial house doors on their asses but hayho we live in different times.
    Any priest or group of priests who would go public and tell the real truth of what's going on inside the "sacred priesthood" ( now there's a contradiction in terms) would get no support from the bishop and would then be left at the mercy of the screaming queens and bitches who populate the priesthood of this diocese in large numbers.
    I feel so sorry for the decent,dedicated hard working priests who are locked in and trapped with no way out.
    The mess just gets worse with time.
    Dalriada Dick

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  10. Here lies the problem: Sin speaks to the sinner in the depths of his heart. There is no fear of God before his eyes. He so flatters himself in his mind that he knows not his guilt. In his mouth are mischief and deceit. All wisdom is gone. He plots the defeat of goodness as he lies on his bed. He has set his foot on evil ways, he clings to what is evil (Ps 36:1-2)

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  11. It's all lies, just like the lies told about Fr Donaghy. He is an innocent man. Lies.

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    1. MourneManMichael4 April 2016 at 23:53

      Dear Anon @20;26, I, for one, would be grateful if you could explain your reasons for this belief. And as your assertion of innocence comes over as very strong, it is reasonable to suggest you have strong evidence in support, especially in relation to Mr Donaghy.
      So perhaps you could share enough of this evidence to correct anyone misguided enough to have believed the contrary evidence.
      MMM

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    2. Dear Anon at 20:26 on April 4th. I'm sure Jimmy Donaghey would be very grateful for your assistance in (a) clearing his name, (b) overturning the cases against him, (c) seeking massive damages for loss of liberty, reputation and livelihood, (d) taking proceedings against those who told lies about him, leading to his criminal convictions and (e) forcing the Pope to rescind his dismissal from the clerical state for sexual abuse.

      I hope you will contact the authorities speedily and not allow this poor innocent man - victim of liars and lies - to languish any longer in prison.

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  12. Re post 4/ 4.
    20:26

    I have been very disturbed since I read the post concerning the appalling possibility of a serious miscarriage of justice in the case of James Donaghy.
    Like others on here would also urge this champion of the maliciously wronged gentleman to ingather as much information as possible pointing to his innocence and to solicit the assistance of those who share his/her opinion about this whole tawdry business.
    Could I also suggest that in order to bolster their case and to give it some weight that they approach the emeritus bishop Patrick Walsh for a testimonial as to the good standing of the incarcerated and wrongly convicted former clergyman.
    Andytown Alex

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    1. Here here! We've had the Guilford Four, the Birmingham Six and now we obviously have, let's see now, what shall we call Jim - ah, I know, the Lisburn One and Only. Let's start the campaign subito! Let's not rest until Jimbo is unfettered! The Truth shall set him free to roam again, at large and at will! And, yes, it would be most fitting that Dr Walsh lead the charge in the fight for Jimbo's freedom.

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    2. MourneManMichael11 April 2016 at 19:00

      Well we've given Anon @ 20:26 a full week to explain his assertions: ("It's all lies, just like the lies about Fr Donaghy. He is an innocent man. Lies")
      Are we all disappointed not to have benefited from his response? Do we now assume the poster was simply another deluded naive person, or someone with a misguided agenda, or perhaps we should we be charitable and allow that the poster might have been away so unable to reply? Let's wait and see.
      MMM

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