Tuesday 13 June 2017

HOW CATHOLIC BISHOPS HANDLE ABUSE COMPLAINTS

Today's Blog shows 4 recorded interviews showing how Catholic bishops have reacted to being questioned about covering up abuse in the past.

They are worth watching to get an insight into the culture of denial that existed - and might still exist - in certain sectors of the Catholic Church.

These interviews are upsetting and frustrating.

It is worth listening to them.


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PAT SAYS:

When abuse occurs in the Catholic Church the primary response of the Church is to go into self protect mode.

You would imagine that when any Christian - especially a bishop or a priest - gets an abuse complaint they would want to reflect upon it in the context of the Gospel, pray for all involved, reach out compassionately to the abused and make sure the accused priest - as a precaution - is not in contact with minors.

Of course they also have to understand that the priest is INNOCENT UNTIL PROVEN GUILTY.

But it is appropriate that the priest is asked to step down - without his guilt being assumed - until the matter is resolved.

This is for the priest's own protection as well as the protection of all involved.

But why is it that the first and continuing approach is to CALL IN THE LAWYERS - at the cost of TENS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS.

In these tapes we can see the Church's expensive lawyers being ultra protective of the bishops under questioning.

And of course we see the old chestnuts emerging:

- the mental reservation.

- "I can't recall".

- "I can't remember".

etc, etc.

34 comments:

  1. Pat, you too have a selective memory of the past.

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  2. Is this Carlson in jail now ?

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  3. Please bishop please try to unearth the excellent BBC spotlight documentary about sex abuse covered up by the Raphoe Diocese. The suffering goes on today.

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  4. Prudence Juris14 June 2017 at 09:39

    Pat, these interviews are three years old, and while that doesn't change their damning nature I do believe that things have moved on from there.
    It would be naive of the Church to accept the unverified evidence of someone to be a victim. In the same way that and Insurance company won't pay out until they have proven the genuineness of a claim so the Church has to perform the same due dilligence to avoid scamsters. There have been several cases in the US where money was extorted and the facts presented, when later forensically examined didn't add up.
    Of course where claims can be verified to a reasonable degree of probability the church should and has paid out compensation. Archbishop Carlson was obviously under caution by his lawyers.

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  5. So his lawyer told him to lie
    Carlson then goes to confession and all is good
    Let's show theses videos to all children going for first confession.
    I will never go to confession again
    I'm astounded Pat...totally unbelievable.

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  6. So Prudence...it was ok to lie a couple of years ago,but we don't lie theses days
    Your post astounds me
    Are you another senior priest by any chance ?

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    1. Prudence Juris14 June 2017 at 11:58

      I did not say it was ok to lie then and we don't lie now. What I did say was that a natural caution needs to observed when dealing with these sensitive matters. There have been, and there will be in the future scamsters who make false allegations to extort money. Not everybody who claims abuse is telling the truth and testimonies need to be carefully examined. Carlson was obviously walking on eggshells at that hearing and no doubt directed by lawyers. Sadly that has to be the way. And no I am not a senior priest or indeed a priest at all.

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  7. Sean Brady said if his inaction led to other children being abused he would resign. We now know he was given a list of names of children who were being abused, that list was not acted upon by Sean Brady and others. Some of the children on that list went on to be abused for years after and guess what? Brady did not resign as he promised to and still continues to show his face in Armagh, Rome, Lourdes and next week will be conducting a retreat for Raphoe Priests at the Ards Retreat Centre in Donegal. This man has no shame, this man continues to cause anxiety to victims of abuse, this man gives brass neck a totally different meaning.

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  8. Prudence....he ! Carlson! Still Lied
    All about money...that's the Rc church
    True saying----- the law is an ass

    Who cares if some get money unnecessarily, if the truth is told.
    Lies , Lies, and damned Lies

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  9. 12.04 I was just reading the Ards Retreat Centre Retreat programme online and makes no mention of Cardinal Brady conducting a Retreat???

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    1. They want to keep it quiet!

      The information we have received is that he is conducting the Raphoe Priests retreat next week - June 19th - 22nd.

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  10. God help them...

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  11. Yes check the website it says private - why shouldnt members of the church be allowed to know who is giving it ? The church in Ards is public so are they going to prevent Pat and Mary Public from attending mass if they happen to turn up?
    Someone somewhere knows this stinks to high heaven. Perhaps a little call to the very popular Sean Doherty of Highland radio might clear things up?

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    1. I have never heard of "Highland Radio". Is it a Scottish station?Haven't heard of a Sean Doherty either..

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    2. Are you Bishop Boyce?

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  12. Yes, you should contact the radio as to why this has become the hush hush retreat? I thought worship is a public matter as opposed to private. This is a disgrace and people should object to it. Imagine Priests in Raphoe sitting listening to that pathetic coverer up of abuse after Eugene Greens appalling record in Raphoe. It's simply disgusting.

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  13. Shameless seaneen?

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  14. Expect he will tell him
    Do as I say, not as i did

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  15. Let whoever among you who is without sin cast the first stone.

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  16. Pat quit living in the PAST!

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  17. 14.30 and 14.59, it's people like you that excuse the abusers and enablers by misusing Scripture to justify your arguments - shame on you!! Explain that to the many who were abused? Brady has been allowed to parade around in all his finery because people like you justify what he did.

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    1. Yes the church is guilty of past abuse but it is naive to think that it was only the Church that is to blame. Yes the church takes most of the responsibility but let us not forget that guards and some parents were involved in not believing what the children were saying at the time. The Church is at fault but also you cannot apply 2017 standards to 1970 standards. Different society and a much different mentality. Let us look to the future so this never happens again. I believe at this time the RC.Church has the strongest policies in place for dealing with accusations. Some priests who have been accused in the wrong have been taken out of ministry. So many are called guilty even if they are innoccent. But protection of the innocent and the must vulnerable must be paramount. But at the same time we ha e to be aware of false accusers trying to make a fast buck. Caught in the middle are some real genuine and hurt ppl whether they are the abused or the falsely accused

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    2. Sounds like a load of excuses to me 16.42. Dont you realise Child abuse was wrong in 1970 just as it's wrong in 2017, there is no difference. I wish people wouldn't use the argument that because abuse happened in the 70's it excuses the Church from how they reacted to and dealt with it. That is a great disservice to victims of abuse and does little to address the great suffering they endured. Inviting a Cardinal, who covered up abuse, to address Priests in a diocese where great abuse took place is crass and in very bad taste. I hope people in Raphoe, Donegal, will make their voices heard.

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  18. I imagine Sean Brady as a lonely gnome looking for someone to offer him a warm corner in their garden so the sun can shine on him and he can smile happily. Thing is there is allot of animosity out there as this blog proves. My question is if there is any criminality involved. If so where are the charges.

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  19. Ex Raphoe Seminarian14 June 2017 at 17:05

    16.42 Fine words with which I largely agree. But why is a man who failed in a most catastrophic way in protecting little children who were being raped be giving a retreat to priests in a diocese with a shocking history of clerical buggery and brutality. Has he or the Raphoe clergy no sense of decency , compassion or shame? It would appear not to me.

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  20. Well I don't think 16.42 has used fine words
    You always hear this about the parents....they too were brainwashed by the Rc church into thinking senior priests were next to god.
    Money is always used as an excuse too....people looking for compo
    Yes one could be accused in the wrong, but this is absolutely no excuse.
    No he isn't a bit lonely Sean....he isalwayspokinghis head up and getting the laity annoyed
    There is room for him in the 3rd world where he could repent, but he didn't have the courage to take himself off....and do good

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  21. Given the rawness around Eugene Green and the extent of clerical sexual abuse in Raphoe, it is entirely inappropriate that Brady give a retreat to priests of that diocese.

    To invite this man into a wounded diocese is shockingly insensitive and exhibits a crassness towards victims and their families that is astonishing for its lack of pastoral charity and intelligence.

    The new bishop of Raphoe should be asked to withdraw the invitation. Also, Highland Radio could be utilised to apply further pressure if necessary.

    Brady - the self-styled, self-appointed, so-called "wounded healer" (an obscenity in itself) - needs to be prevented from further wounding people in Donegal, like those whom he helped to betray in his earlier roles in the Church.

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  22. What part of him got wounded
    His arrogance ????????

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