Worship God - Kiss the devil

“BOSTON, Massachusetts (AP) -- Acting on a pledge made by Cardinal Bernard F. Law, the Archdiocese of Boston provided authorities the names of priests accused of sexually abusing children during the past four decades.

The archdiocese did not disclose the number of names reported, but a spokesman for the Suffolk County district attorney's office said they received a package of information that included the names of 10 priests or former priests.

Meanwhile, The Boston Globe reported that the Archdiocese of Boston had settled child molestation claims against at least 70 priests in the last 10 years.

The Globe's estimate includes numbers provided by attorneys whose clients were involved in settlements. It also includes priests named in lawsuits and priests named in interviews with victims who contacted the Globe. The Globe said it also learned of 20 court lawsuits in which the records were impounded.

On Wednesday, district attorneys received packets of information about priests accused of sex abuse in their jurisdictions.

The Suffolk County district attorney's office said the packet included 10 names of priests or former priests, said spokesman David Procopio. He said investigations are possible, if victims cooperate and statutes of limitations haven't expired.”

“-- A defrocked Catholic priest was found guilty Friday of molesting a boy in a swimming pool 10 years ago.

The jury of eight men and four women deliberated for seven hours over two days before reaching the verdict against John Geoghan. He could be sentenced to 10 years in prison.

Geoghan, 66, still faces two other criminal cases and dozens of civil lawsuits accusing him of sexual abuse of children. More than 130 people have accused him of sexual abuse during his 30-year career in six parishes. Geoghan was defrocked in 1998.

The Catholic Church has already paid out $10 million dollars stemming from 50 civil suits filed in connection with Geoghan. Eighty-four more suits are pending.

Friday's verdict only pertains to one case in which he was charged with indecent assault and battery against a 10-year-old boy. The boy, now a college student, testified Wednesday that Geoghan reached under his swimming suit and grabbed his buttocks while the two were in a pool at the Waltham Boys and Girls Club in 1991.”

“Yeah, dats bad mojo. I think it should show how universal the problem is. It shouldn't show so much that it goes on in the catholic church but that it goes on everywhere.”

“The evidence in the Boston area suggests that it has been a major problem in the Catholic Church... at least in this area. The figure that keeps appearing (including in Spock's first post) is that there have been over 70 cases settled by the Archdiocese (almost all in secret) and lots of priests accused.

There are at least two big elements to the problem: 1) the Church's struggle to keep cases secret to the poin of reassigning molesting priests to parishes where they have many opportunities to re-offend, 2) the possibility that the Priesthood may either attract deviants or increase deviant behavior.

I can't say either is true for sure, but the churches celibacy policy and its ban on masturbation could be a problem because: a) in this day and age, what healthy people are going to be attracted to a life of complete sexual abstinence, and b) what kinds of unhealthy urges are going to arise over many years of having no acceptible sexual outlets (I find Paul's dictum that "it is better to marry than to burn" unromantic, but relevant here).

Of course, it is also possible that some pedophiles are drawn to the Priesthood because the position of authority and trust involved gives them opportunities.”

“I heard an interview with a priests victim who came forth,upon this mans going public over 120 individuals who were allegedly molested by the same priest came forth. I also heard an interview with the Cardinal of the diocese in Boston, he was VERY evasive and non-committal . Reminded me of a politician doing damage control more than a "man of the cloth" attempting to heal wounds.”

“Every time this priest got busted they'd send him through their deprogramming program and just shuffle him to another perish where it would happen again. He went through this process FIVE TIMES over 30 years. The mother church did give police the names of the sex offenderes and not surprisingly every one of them were no longer in the church.”

“Cardinal Mahony accused of abuse


Prelate reveals and denies
charges he molested girl in ’70s


April 6 — In an extraordinary public statement, the head of the nation largest Roman Catholic archdiocese said he has been accused of sexually molesting a high school student 32 years ago.”

“Remember back during the Carter adminstration when Hamilton Jordan was accused of using cocaine?

All kinds of people came crawling out of the woodwork claiming they used drugs with him -- and most of them hadn't been anywhere near him their entire lives.

Dozens of women came forward and claimed Bill Clinton had made passes at them. Most of them had never been within 100 miles of Clinton ever.

You are seeing the same thing now. People who have never been in a Catholic Church ever are claiming molestation.”

“It would be naïve to think this is some new phenomenon in the church (and out of it). It’s been happening from the start of time. It’s just chic’ to go after them now because of recent revelations. Yes, it’s a shame and something to be addressed and justice should be served but it’s nothing new.

If only the priests could settle for whacking off in the shower like TheBackwiper does.”

“If only it hadn't been swept under the rug for so many decades...”

“I heard an interview with two nuns the other day. They have a website about catholic issues (the name escapes me). Any way they had a very unflattering view of the way this situation has been handled. They were far more honest and open about their concerns than anyone I've heard. They also had a positive attitude about the good that can come from such horrible revelations. The big shame is that the Catholic Church has been petitioning its wealthiest members for donations to cover litigation. Contributions are down in many areas due to concerns about where the money will go. Today or yesterday a bishop (or other high ranking leadrer) went to the vaticanto personally resign due to his failure to report the incidents he was made aware of.”

“As a Catholic, I am hoping that this scandal gets bigger and bigger and continues to show that "the emperor has no clothes."

Anyone who lets another person abuse a child deserves to be brought low. That's the type of good, right morality that I learned in my Catholic grade school. It doesn't matter whether it is a priest or bishop or pope.

The church absolutely needed something like this to expose the corrupt way in which decisions are made in the church. It will be better in the long run to let the damage occur.

If the hierarchy decides to take on the real issues in the church, it will eventually survive. If it can't, perhaps we'll have a type of rabbinic Catholicism similar to Judaism after the destruction of the second temple killed the Jewish priesthood.

Either way, it's the choice of the institutional church. Personally, I could care less. I'll still go to church every Sunday and smile at the pious preacher man - and await my opportunity to exact change.”

“Oh, and did I say that the schools, hospitals and social justice organizations run by Catholic organizations never cease to inspire me. The Catholic Church has a scope - 1 billion baptized members - that, if energized, can change the world.

Love and Hate,
rl”

“Now we know thebackwipers occupation -- he's a priest.”

“I thought that Mahony might be innocent because he seemed to be handling the accusations against him with incredible openness.

Reading todays newspaper (AP story), confirms in my mind that the guy is probably innocent. I'm not a big supporter of how the Catholic church deals with sexually abuse (they seem to be most concerned with protecting children from conception until birth). Still, I think this guy is clean on this one (I still think there should be an investigation):

"Hickman [the accuser]told The Associated Press on Saturday she was knocked unconscious while fighting with students and woke to find the ''bottom'' portion of her clothing removed and Mahony, then a monsignor in Fresno, ''over her.''

Hickman also said she is taking medication for depression and has been told by a psychiatrist that she is a paranoid schizophrenic. She said she could not remember many details of what happened.

The AP does not normally identify alleged victims in sexual assault cases, but Hickman gave permission for her name to be used. Her name was also included in Mahony's statement."”

“Hey there, this isn't meant to be a shot at Catholics in particular, there are others espousing the same kinds of things.

How's about them reading the Bible, that they lay such great claim to following???? (Incidentally, every church has portions of the Bible they don't follow-that's why there are so many denominations, perhaps this will show why they should follow the whole Bible.) Um... why do I feel like I'm the pot caling the kettle black???

I know no one likes Bible preaching, but.... here goes:
1Timothy 3:1-1 and Titus 1:6-9 speak that a bishop, elder, and deacon must be married and have their children in control. Whether you call them aldermen, or what ever, a rose by any other name would still be a rose. Leviticus chapter 7 speaks of the priesthood being for Aaron and his sons. Hello!!! How does Aaron get sons??? By marrying, presumably!!! I doubt that the intention were to hire a harlot.

Maybe I'm just guessing here, but do you think God had an idea that he placed some pretty strong "urges" in all of us and he planned to make allowances in the make up of the clergy. Uh, perhaps if these preists were married and could "take care of business in their own marrige bed" there would be one hell of a temptation removed from the clergy. It's not a fail safe, however. Some are prone to "wander", do the names Jimmy Swaggert and Jim Baker, sound familiar? I hear even Jim Jones "had" many , as well as the leader of the Davidian branch in Waco.

It's really sad that it goes on and on...”

“the "Cathoholic Church" needs to take "The Responsible Hiker Test"”

“Uphill Klimber!

You can find almost anything in the bible. Passages conflict.

There is also the problem of translation. If God supposedly said something in Hebrew, how do you accurately translate the "word of god" without losing important meaning.

There is also cultural difference. One action or word, even if translated accurately, exists within a specific time and place. If you take the events of the bible without considering the cultural and historic factors surrounding it, you lose lots of the meaning.

You also have corruption of the text. I've seen some of the earliest papyrus fragments of Paul's epistles at the grad. library in Ann Arbor. They are broken into little pieces and were chewed on by mice. Not all bible texts survived in complete form.

You also have the question about what is an accepted portion of the bible. Various church councils occured during the centuries to determine which books would be accepted. The Catholic bible today has more books than that of the Protestants.

Within Catholicism you also have the fact that tradition - the sum total of Catholic experience through the generations - is considered almost equal in importance to the bible. If god is at work in the world, than we are not bound by the original revelation.

That said, the is issue of married priests is not a piece of core Catholic doctrine. It is an administrative decision. There are currently married priests in Eastern Rite Catholic churches that are connected to Rome. There are also converted, married Episcopalian priests who are now married Roman rite Catholic priests. The Catholic church also has married deacons - who have recieved the sacrament of Holy Orders and can marry people, baptise people, bury people and conduct communion services.

So, there won't be many people who disagree with your Bible reading in the Catholic church. But that is pretty much irrelevant to the issue.

Most pedophiles in the general population are married. Marriage would not necessarily solve the problem. Effective administration of the priesthood by church authorities would. This is a scandal more of abused power than pedophilia.”

“Amen, brothers and sisters!

As a catholic I would like to see this taken all the way to the top.

Its been a "Boy's Club" for way too long'.
And they have made a mess of things for hundreds of years.

I like what reformedlurker says about changing the world.
Members of that church have done many good things and there are a lot of dedicated people.”

“Reformed Lurker, you make some good points, some. I'll take issue with others though.

Yes, you can find almost anything in the bible, it speaks of a great many situations and histories. There are culteral differences, it is important to remember the context in which things are said or done. Also there are no surviving copies of the original manuscripts. Even the dead sea scrolls are not the originals. Was everything properly copied??? King James himself had the translators change some things to suit his tastes. Most pedophiles are married?? Can you provide documentation, or is that a popular opinion??? I don't know, I am just curious.

About the copying of the texts over time. It had to be done as the papyrus was not durable and copies were needed. Would it be fair to say a 10th edition printing of a John Steinbeck novel was not authentic because it was not an original?

About the clergy marrying: First I have quoted several passages where the clergy are mandated to marry. I don't believe there is anywhere that the clergy are not supposed to be married, although Paul does speak to one benefit of being unmarried, you won't have trouble with your wife. (LOL) I suspect that many "urges" are better allowed to play their course in marrige, than trying to deny them altogether. I think that puts quite a harsh burden on the clergy. Isn't there a funny movie out about 40 days of celibacy right now. I don't believe I could do it...

If you question how accurately the Bible is translated, you have good reason to question it. Greek, Hebrew, and Aramaic do not translate well into English. For example, if we say love, it can mean many types of love. In Greek, there is a different word for each of the types of love. A greek and Hebrew lexicon will help to settle those questions, but it requires a good deal of study, if one were truly interested.

When I was younger, I used to say you can't believe the Bible, it's full of contradictions, people contort, so how can you believe it. But then, I read it for myself, so I could form a proper judgement of what I was talking about. Then I read it a few more times, and studied it. I involved the lexicons, and studied under a teacher. I did not always agree with his opinions, which led to me dropping out, as it were. (This was not a college accredited course, so I don't know if it is really dropping out). However, when it came to studying the Bible, he could cause you to find the answers for yourself. Which, like I said caused me to disassociate myself with him. He could bear a differing opinion. Who knows, he may be right or I may be, it was so long ago, I barely remember the details....

What I found to be very interesting, was that the Bible "tells all" about it's subjects. It speaks of the cowardice of Abraham and Peter, of the murderous King David. And many more. These are the great heroes of the faith. It tells the good and the bad. It records it all. And the Bible is corraborated by other books, most notably Josephus' writings. Historically, it is found to be very accurate. It even speaks of the continental drift, and how the earth was a ball, when even it medival times many thought the earth flat....

I think it is interesting that the vast majority of those who have truly studied and read the Bible, do not dismiss it as so much rubbish....

You mention that several types of churches have more or less books to the Bible. That is part of the reason there is division amongst the many churches. The apochrypha (SP) has always been in dispute when some tried to add it (after the fact??). Just for the record: Many churches have no affiliation with other churches. The catholic church has none with the Southern baptists, as the Southern Baptists have little to do with the American baptists. It's really unfair to say that one church speaks for the other.

On a lighter note, the young will often scoff at the bible, while the old don't. The old attend all the meetings they can, why not they are retired, and have time. It may be the social thing to do. I'm sure it has nothing to do with cramming for "the big final".”

“Hey, Uphill!

Good post!

The factoid about most pedophiles being married should be in the transcript for "Meet the Press" from Easter Sunday morning. Granted, that is not always the best source of info., but that's where I heard it. The reality is that there is very little comparative data about abuse across the various churches. It is easy to simply blame this on celibacy, but in the absence of hard data, that is not a reasonable conclusion to make.

Not that I am necessarily for celibacy. In fact, I'm not.

Certainly, I would not argue that a later edition of a Steinbeck novel is invalid. However, Steinbeck is a contemporary author. The "chain of evidence" - so to speak - is not as clearly defined for a document that is almost 2,000 years old and for which original copies do not exist.

Your point about married clergy being better able to deal with human instincts is rock solid. Although all the stats that I've seen indicate that only 1 or 2 percent of all Catholic priests have been accused of sexual abuse - read in a recent edition of the New York Times. But, certainly, there are married men and women who would make great priests if allowed to do so.

The Bible - New Testament - is an incredible source of early church tradition. Since they were most closely tied to the reality of a living Jesus, their stories - the Bible - should always be respected by those trying hard to believe. But, it is not the only source to find the divine. Sometimes, our experiences count for more.

I'm not sure where I said that one church speaks for another. That is certainly not what I intended.

I do believe that there are lots of good young Christians and Catholics out there. Church attendance does not prove what lies within someone's heart.”

“Reformed Lurker, you didn't lump all religious types into one group, I guess that's an opinion I hold, that many do lump all protestants together...

Very enlightening, glad you responded.

I wholeheartedly agree with your last statement, I work with men of various religions, and I have to say they are all good men. The condition of their heart, only God can judge.

By the way, only God can judge Osama's heart, our soldiers are attempting to arrange the meeting.”

“I can say with confidence that I've never met a Catholic person who was not kind. Even when some protestants around me were telling me I was going to hell, and condeming me for leaving christianity for Judaism the Catholics I know were very suportive.

I have always held the misbehaviour of Priests as a personal deed they have done. After learning of all the covering up, I feel that is soomething on the church's deeds. I do not look any differently on any catholic even now.”

“You've converted to Judaism? That is way interesting. I'm surprised they let you in. BTW, that's not a slight on you, just not what I've come to expect from Jewish groups I've been involved with.

BTW, if I were Pope, I'd encourage all Catholics to go to another church/relgion's service once per month. I've been to black and hispanic churches in Detroit, mosques in Dearborn, shabbas services in Ann Arbor. I've had Sikh, Buddhist and Hindu friends. Good people all.

One of the best things to happen to Catholicism since the 60s is the acceptance of the validity of the world's religions. It is wonderful to be able to strengthen one's Catholicism with kernals of truth from the other great traditions.”

“RL and others. There may be a misuse of terms. Pedophilia is a sexual fascination with pre-adolesent children. Many pedophiles obsess over adolescent youths 13-18 (granted an odd distinction,but important). The latter are normally stunted emotionally and have the equivalent mentallity of an adolscent (sexually speaking) due to their own adolescent sexual trauma or some other trauma. Many of these people are treatable. Obviously there is a massive stigma (as there should be) so getting folks into treatment (few and far between) presents a difficulty.

Regarding scripture... I have heard so many times about conflicting scriptures yet have never been shown any examples. I am NOT trying to be argumenative but I certainly believe that statements like that deserve some examples.

" all scripture is given by inspiration of God ( or God breathed depending on translation) and is useful for teaching,rebuking,correcting and training in righteousness. So that the man of God may be thoroughly equipped for every good work." 2 Timothy 3:16-17”

“Sorry, Birch. I've heard people explain the difference re: pedophilia. Point taken.

Birch, I'd need a little time to find the actual passages, but I've seen comparisons of the gospels in terms of the story of Jesus' death and resurrection. That's a good place to look because you have four different narratives about the same story.”

“Here's a web site. It color codes the content of the three synoptic gospels. Each of the gospels includes and omits certain pieces of information to fit the goals of the gospel writer.

http://religion.rutgers.edu/nt/primer/outlines.html”

“Thanks RL for the site RL. I will check it out. No ned to apolpgize about defintion, I thought it was worth mentioning, thats all.”

“I checked out outline 9 regarding the ressurection (quickly no less). The major differences I noticed had to do with detail, not an inherent change in meaning. In all three mary and mary showed up (in mark salome joins them). In luke there were two angels as opposed to one. Also in luke 24:10 there is a more detailed list of those who went to the tomb,including joanna and "the others". Luke also speaks of the road to emmaus which is not included by others.

I would simply say that each of us can view they same situation and pick up on details that were missed by others. The women were the ones passing on the info to the disciples. Luke said " their words seemed like nonsense" Luke 24: 11. I imagine it is possible in their fear and excitement the two marys (and others?) couldnt recall just how many angels they saw. The were terrified at the sight of them (this much we do know). By excluding the names of others the writer may have been deleting them due to insignificance as they could have been unknown people (salome excluded). Ultimately I think that if the three passages were identical more eyebrows would be raised in skepticism.

This is my 2 cents written at 630am on the first day of daylight savings time.”

“Birch makes a good point about the different recordings of the ressurection. If 3 of saw the superbowl, we'd give three different stories about how the Patriots kicked butt. That won't change the fact that the Patriots kicked butt!!!!”

“I'm surprised they let you in. BTW, that's not a slight on you, just not what I've come to expect from Jewish groups I've been involved with.

LOL! No slight taken. It is a common practice for Rabbis to turn away those who wish to convert at least three times. It is far more complicated than converting to Islam or Christianity. My conversion will take close to three years because there is so much I have to learn, the greatest is learning Hebrew. There are other complications that I have to work through also because my wife is a Christian and will continue to follow that path (with my encouragement).

As for the conflicting scripture thing…Many of the differences between the Greek and Hebrew scriptures came about because of how they were translated from Hebrew to Greek and by whom. The Greek scriptures that Christianity uses is called the Septuagint which was transcribed by the early Greco/Roman church. The Hebrew scriptures and the Septuagint are two different translations. I had always thought the Old Testament was the same as the Hebrew Tenach, but there are many differences.

One of the most common ones is in Isaiah 7:14 where the word “almah” (meaning young maiden) was mistranslated as “Betulah” (meaning virgin). While the word “almah” can refer to a young woman who happens to be a virgin, nowhere in the Hebrew scriptures is it used to describe a virgin. It’s kind of like calling a girl a “chick”. Yes, she is a girl and yes she may be a virgin but it doesn’t mean virgin. The word “Betulah” is used (Prov. 30:18-20). If Isaiah had meant virgin he would have used the word “almah”. The word “almah” is if fact used five times in Isaiah to refer to a virgin but was not used in 7:14. This causes a problem also because Matthew misquotes it directly as “virgin”. Even moving beyond this simple word the prophecy it is contained in was a short term prophecy that was fulfilled by King Ahaz’s wife who gave birth to Hezekiah. But as with anything someone else tells you study into it and draw your own conclusions.

If you want the source for the above info I can e mail it to you.”

“IMHO

Bernard, Cardinal Law in Boston should be criminally prosecuted.

He sheltered Goeghan and moved him from parish to parish, giving him the opportunity to prey on youngster all over the greater Boston area.

Law KNEW that Geoghan was molesting children (a criminal offense), did NOTHING to report it to authorities, and provided opportunity for him to molest again.


What if I was the Regional Supervisor for Chuckee Cheese, and had a child molester on staff. Instead of turning him over the the authorities on the first evidence, I instead "prayed" for him, sent him to therapy and then gave him a job at another Chuckee Cheese, and then another Chuckee Cheese and then another. At some point I put in the backoffice of a Chuckee CHeese where he wouldn't be in direct contact with kids, and he STILL molested them.

I would be strung up. I would be fired. I would be criminally prosecuted for aiding, abetting, or whatever else they could throw at me.

Cardinal Law makes me puke. He should be cuffed, stuffed, prosecuted and do time.

He'd get religion pretty quick when some huge guy made him his #&%!$ on cell block D.”

“Under a new law designed to protect minors, local police departments will now be required to inform residents any time a known Roman Catholic church moves into their neighborhood.”

“Thats just nutz!!!!!!

8|”

“Lee's take was a topic of discussion at work today. We are so in agreement with Lee. Cardinal Law can not be above the law. Jim Baker wasn't...”

“Cardinal Law should be prosecuted. And the lay Catholics in that area have a responsibility to rise up against the church leadership. In fact we all do. I'll bet 90% of church activities are now run by lay people. It's time for us to take our rightful authority.

This whole scandal is only the tip of the iceberg. I've had personal experience with alcoholic priests who've been moved around and are still serving in my area. A current priest friend has just been moved to a parish whose pastor was removed for sex abuse - the bishop never told him the circumstances of the switch and, in fact, told him that there was no scandal involved. He's pissed.

But that's what happens when there is no check on power.”

“EILEEN MCNAMARA
An obvious question
By Eileen McNamara, Globe Columnist, 4/10/2002
Was the Rev. Paul R. Shanley blackmailing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston?
It is not a frivolous question; it's the most obvious one to arise from the personnel file that Cardinal Bernard F. Law and his high-priced legal team tried so hard to suppress.
As striking as the revelations of the hierarchy's coverup of Shanley's crimes is the light that more than 800 pages of documents shed on the lengths to which his supervisors went to emotionally appease and financially accommodate a renegade priest they knew to be a serial child molester. Why?
Was the late Cardinal Humberto Medeiros moved by compassion for a sick but repentant priest? That might make sense, if only Shanley's letters to his superiors expressed any remorse for his exploitation of children. Instead, his correspondence betrays a smug self-satisfaction and a barely disguised contempt for chancery officials and for the people he was ordained to serve.
''Put a Roman collar on a lamp-post and some woman will fall in love with it,'' he wrote to a fellow priest about a woman who had accused him of molesting a boy.
Was Cardinal Bernard Law moved by charity for a retired priest who, whatever his sins, had served the church for decades? That might make sense, if only Law's history was one of charitable impulses toward retired priests. Instead, his record includes more than a decade spent rebuffing reasonable requests for a meager pension from scores of honorable men who left the priesthood, some after 25 years of faithful service, to marry.
'' ... the trusts that have been set up for the medical and pension/retirement care of clergy are specifically limited to those who are in `good standing.''' the Rev. William Murphy wrote on Law's behalf to a group of former priests petitioning for pensions from the retirement fund to which they all had contributed.
Shanley was one of those deemed to be in ''good standing.'' Even as the archdiocese was negotiating with his rape victims, it sent emissaries to California to meet with Shanley and agreed to increase by $300 his monthly stipend. Why?
Buried in Shanley's personnel file might be a hint. ''I have abided by my promise not to mention to anyone the fact that I too had been sexually abused as a teenager, and, later, as a seminarian by a priest, a faculty member, a pastor, and, ironically, by the predecessor of one of two cardinals who now debate my fate,'' Shanley wrote to the Rev. Brian M. Flatley in an appeal for Law's support for his efforts to be appointed director of a church-sponsored youth hostel in New York City.
Absent blackmail, why would Law recommend to dioceses in New York and California a ''street priest'' whose public advocacy of sex between men and boys contradicted church teaching and whose private behavior violated criminal and canon law? Law's insistence on adherence to convention, after all, is so strict that he had a nun fired two years ago because she had the temerity to wear a clerical stole at a baptismal rite.
''The discipline of the church is clear and has to be followed,'' Law said then in support of the dismissal of Sister Jeannette T. Normandin from the Jesuit Urban Center. ''A trust is violated when that is not followed.''
Law on trust - how's that for irony? No yardstick can measure the trust betrayed by this cardinal and by the sycophants in clerical collars who have done his bidding during his tenure as archbishop of Boston. But if a criminal prosecution of Law and his minions becomes the sole focus of our anger, we will have missed an opportunity to understand the modern history of the Catholic Church in Boston.
What we need to know is locked in the files that Law is trying so hard to shield. We should not have to win access to them one plaintiff at a time. Unless Attorney General Thomas Reilly can find a way to subpoena every last piece of paper in the mansion on Lake Street, we will never know the answer to the question that haunts this community: Why?”

“Abuse claims against archdiocese mount
Law heckled; 'Throw the bum in jail!' crowd yells
May 5, 2002 Posted: 2:57 PM EDT (1857 GMT)



Cardinal Law speaks out on the sexual abuse claims facing the Boston Archdiocese during Sunday Mass.



BOSTON, Massachusetts (CNN) -- Cardinal Bernard Law said Sunday that the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston faces more than 236 legal claims over sexual abuse by priests, which a finance council to turn down a settlement proposal for 86 people who say they were victims of defrocked priest John Geoghan.

Law, speaking at Mass at Holy Cross Cathedral, said the finance council refused to go along with the settlement out of fears that the church would not have enough resources to deal with the other cases.

"Up until a month ago, we thought that there were about 30 more outstanding claims beyond those 86. In recent weeks, however, that number of 30 has grown to in excess of 150 additional claims," Law said.

"It was their judgment that the dramatic increase in the number of cases had substantially altered the situation. Their concern, and I think it is a laudable concern, is that justice and equity would not be served by agreeing to this settlement for 86 persons, which would thereby negatively affect the response which the archdiocese can later make to the other victims."

In response to the decision, anti-Law protestors in front of the cathedral, who now gather every Sunday, held signs reading "Duped Again" and "Sell the Chancery, Pay the Victims," referring to the building housing Law's offices.

As he left the church after Mass, demonstrators chanted, "Indict Law now, throw the bum in jail!" as they gathered at a cathedral gate waving their signs at his exiting car.

Law had asked the 13-member finance council -- 12 of whom are lay people -- to approve the settlement at a meeting Friday morning, and he publicly expressed "deep regret" when it refused.(Full story)

According to the archdiocese, it was the first time since Law became Boston's archbishop in 1984 that the council voted against one of his requests.

Law said Sunday that after Friday's vote, he asked his advisers on church law whether he could approve the settlement despite the council's objection. He said he was told he could not.

"I can understand ... the disappointment, the anger and even the sense of betrayal which may be in the hearts of the 86 persons and their families and friends affected by this decision," he said. "Nonetheless, I pray that as time goes on, they may be willing to help in the framing of a wider settlement which can include the victims that have only recently come forward."

The archdiocese now plans to develop a fund to compensate victims that would not involve litigation, Law said. It would be "within the means of the archdiocese," he said.

On Saturday, an attorney in the Geoghan case expressed outrage at the archdiocese's decision not to proceed with the settlement.

"What kind of example are they setting?" asked attorney Mitchell Garabedian. "They are purportedly the most moral institution in the world, but they're evil. They're nothing but evil."

Garabedian said that, as late as Thursday, attorneys for the archdiocese told him that the church had enough money to pay the settlement, which he had previously indicated could be worth around $30 million.

Geoghan is currently in prison after receiving a sentence in January of up to 10 years for fondling a young boy, and he faces other child sexual abuse charges. Authorities believe Geoghan was a serial sexual offender over many years, with as many as 200 victims.

Law's handling of the Geoghan case, and the case of another former priest, Paul Shanley, have prompted calls for the cardinal's resignation from critics who charge he did not move quickly enough to remove the priests from their ministries, despite his awareness of numerous allegations that they were abusing children. Law has refused to step down.”

“ROFL!!!!!!!!!!”

“I found that clip funny but what really scares the shat out of me is the source it came from. These bloody wankers believe the hate they spread!

Unfortunately we are ”

“HOLY.. err... crap... I'm going to hell!



Ah well, better get used to it.”

“yikes! that's almost too scary to be funny... (never trust anyone who can't even spell their own website correctly, is what i say!)”

“Goint Point Lyra...

Dya think I could make much money in the Boston area selling T-Shirts that say: "My Priest went to Hell and All I got was this lousy T-shirt"?”

“i think "only" getting a lousy T-shirt would be quite a relief! yikes.”

“Here's a link if you know someone who should go to hell in your place.

Send a friend to hell ”

“Thanks fade... that was useful.”

“LOL! I sent myself to hell:

nig,

Just a quick note to let you know that me has put in a request that you
be sent to the burning pits of hell where you will spend an eternity
slow-roasting in a fiery lake of acid. You may read the details of this
request by clicking on or pasting the following URL in a browser:

http://www.littlenicky.com/cards/may6-7002711817.html

Please note that you have 7 days to respond to this notice before the
ground opens up and you are swallowed whole.

See you soon!

Best,

The Gatekeeper
666 Avenue B
Hell”

“I never know what to pack! Should I take the heated drysuit for the frozen lake or the Nomex jumpsuit for the lake of fire or WHAT Dammit????”