I know I am sort of going off topic here but if I may do a bit of one of my old diary entries, for my own benefit and also to hopefully provide a little insight for readers:

In my session today I was explaining yet another incident which happened to me at school between me and another boy - one of the tough and popular ones - it was an extremely humiliating experience for me and embarrassing - I always felt the runt of the litter being one year younger than everyone always. But I decided to mention this event because I was fascinated by something else - my mum often reminded me of that day or about what I looked like when I came home - she always said how I was white as a ghost and something obviously very upsetting had happened to me. But can I remember the emotions? I have since relegated the event to 'normal' and that my reaction was more a reflection of my patheticness.

I mentioned this in the context of the two sexual assaults I experienced as a teenager - for both I can remember clearly just before (leading up to them) and then after the event but nothing in between though there was never any doubt as to what had occurred was sexual and unwanted. He (again) explained about dissociation and then mentioned another client who had worked through his abuse and said that when he first regained contact with the emotions and pain of his abuse it was as if his soul re-entered his body - he felt it almost as exactly that.

I think I am starting to understand what that means.

For all my life I have constructed what I believe to be 'normal' only to now start realising how ab/non-normal things, my behaviours, thoughts are. There is swimming around me a disembodied collections of emotions and memories from many events - but they are not yet IN me.

I spent yesterday working in my garden, cleaning up my chook pen and my junk (man) shed and pottering with plant cutting in my hot house - all the while I was listening to music with my headphones on and really getting into it and basically enjoying myself. But then a wave of emotion would come over me and I would want to sit down in the middle of the lawn and rage against God and life , and then cry - but I can't: All a part of the disembodied emotions, I guess.

But, you see, I have seen being like this, acting like this, thinking like this as 'normal' - life. I have grown up thinking that children being molested by adults, family friends, priests is somehow normal, that a peer thrusting his hands down my pants and telling everyone in the class watching that I had no hair and mocking me while at that very same time in my life I was being molested by an adult family friend. How else can I have worked this out - it had to be normal because it was happening and when I looked around me at the faces and saw that they could see nothing wrong with this then I suppose I saw that I was the weird one and that all this was normal life. But it hurt so crushingly and was so confusing given what the church constantly told us about sexual purity, and it just didn't feel right - so what does a child do? Dissociate, block out the painful confusing, frightening memories/emotions, but they stay somewhere, outside like buzzing flies, or like shadows that you think should be yours (and they are) but they seem to be someone or something else's, or, inside like illness, body pains and depression, the origins of which lie hidden underneath them.

So, I want to learn what is normal, what is/was acceptable in my childhood, school-life, upbringing, teens because I don't think I really got to learn this: It's why I am almost shocked when Brian, for example, expressed so much abhorrence and anger in his first posts on this thread - I didn't know how to react, I was almost embarrassed but I could also feel it triggered some deep anger and hurt of my own - I think that's why I appreciated it so much - here was another man saying what had happened to me and so many others wasn't right or normal, but disgusting and very, very wrong and it felt so good to hear someone saying this and so strongly. Things I have seen as normal for decades especially in regards to what it means to be me, to be a man, a human being in society - I thought I knew, I am learning otherwise - and my long and much loved church and religion is all very much part of that.

My 'what is normal' is really a rhetorical question in a way and I don't expect any one to answer or respond to any of all the above - just wanted to express it all - it's just another way of re-integrating it all and owning it.

Thank you for reading. See, I even think talking this way on a forum is normal????????????And that everyone will get it???????? I am not trying to generate anger at the church or promote any witch-hunt, I just want people to know a little more about what people who have experienced abuse go through, are going through and need others to know. Yes I am angry at the church but I am also realising what human beings can and can't cope with in all this. A dam has burst and it's hard to contain it and this goes for individuals as well as society and church. Please let us keep focus.

Stephen

As Geoffrey Robinson writes "Sexual abuse is a bulldozer gouging a road through this fragile ecosystem of love and meaning that a person has been painfully constructing".
Boy does he know what he's talking about.

Just what I think, Stephen, whenever I read any of his writings.

Paul, this is brilliant - it echoes so much of how I feel and what I have experienced in both the abuse and the church processes trying to deal with it. Thank you - this is important to me because it makes me feel that I am not living on some foreign planet on which I cannot recognise any fellow creatures.

And James, thanks again for expanding the details - it is good to know you are there, too.

Love this quote, too:

As Geoffrey Robinson writes "Sexual abuse is a bulldozer gouging a road through this fragile ecosystem of love and meaning that a person has been painfully constructing".

Boy does he know what he's talking about.

Just wanted to say thank you to the others who were 'brave' enough who responded to my last post - I know it's difficult to respond to such an emotional outburst. Thank you for caring - I know you all do. But can I say that in a way, when I write such things I am not really looking for personal support or expressions of sorrow for me (though it is appreciated) but I suppose I am just getting it out and trying to change people's perceptions and in this case I suppose I was writing thinking that those involved in not fixing things both when they happened and now, might just read what I wrote. I suppose I imagine I am talking directly to them. So sort of apologies for my strong language but I suppose it's a reflection of my frustration and lack of belief that people who represent Christ can be so closeted and cultured beyond reality.

I suppose it's that I am feeling more and more aware of this 'brick wall' and I am just going to move on now.

Anyway thanks again all.

Stephen

It is my perception that there is significant tension between an attempted pastoral response under Towards Healing, the criminal justice system and Canon Law. I don't have much knowledge or experience of Canon Law. However I fear that these three areas don't sit comfortably together and that the tensions between the three will not ever resolve in a constructive manner which is beneficial to victims.

Paul, I think there is a lot in what you say. Sometimes the criminal justice system is a sledgehammer to crack a nut, creating far more mess than the original nut. To give an example: a teacher or priest may be touching children inappropriately without there being some full on sexual contact. I know from my own experience that all I wanted to happen was to have it stop. Having it stopped, for example by someone speaker to the offender, is a far better solution from the point of view of the child then being dragged into the trauma of a police investigation and a court case. This assumes of course, that the "having it stopped" was effective, and the conduct never went beyond being inappropriate.

When it comes to canonical procedures to defrock priests, we can see from recent events that there is a reluctance on the part of the authorities in some cases to do so.

Just recently there have been moves to take disciplinary procedures for lawyers away from the tribunals that are made up of their colleagues. There is said to be a perceived conflict of interest - a sort of old boys club problem.

If this is a problem for lawyers who are generally pretty competitive, and even canabalistic, and whose numbers are quite large, it must be much more of a problem for tribunals of priests judging other priests. Priests are much more in a "club" than lawyers will ever be.

Just ask, if he were around, Marcial Maciel.

There is also the added administrative pressure arising from the lack of priests, which is never a factor in relation to lawyers or any other profession.

The 7:30 Report and Lateline and Bishop Walker's press release raised a a number of issues.

TOWARDS HEALING
(a)The Towards Healing document was originally produced in December 1996 as a result of a joint effort by the Australian Catholic Bishop's Conference and the Conference of the Leader's of Religious Institutes.

As I understand it the only two groups in Australia who were not party to the original document were the Jesuits and the Archdiocese of Melbourne (then headed by George Pell). Whilst it has always endeavoured to have some uniformity and procedures the practical side is that there may be a diversity of responses depending on which diocese or which religious order is involved.

It was acknowledged that the original document was deficient and Professor Patrick Parkinson from Sydney University (a non-Catholic as I understand it) was asked to do a substantial revision. The revised document did not come out until December 2000. As I understand it there was some delay caused by the need to align what was in the Towards Healing document with the provisions of Canon Law.

A further revision by Professor Parkinson took place last year and the new document released in January 2010.

The latest document is a considerable improvement on the original 1996 version. However, no matter how good the processes look on paper this is never any guarantee that it will work well in practice for victims. I'm sure every diocese, school, parish or any other Catholic institution now has in place policies and procedures designed to protect children. No doubt there has been many hours of training. However we have had the recent situation in Toowoomba where educational staff were sacked because of the inadequacy of their responses to a situation. It seemed to me that it was the same old story - they didn't know how to handle it and sat on their hands.

(b) The Victims: One of the victims on the 7:30 Report last night spoke in very negative terms about her experiences with Towards Healing. She is probably one of many.

Some victims feel they have received some benefit from the process. However it is often a long way from what could be described as 'towards healing'.

In my limited experience I have not come across a victim who any longer has any relationship with institutional Catholicism.

The only church that I have heard of where victims were comfortable attending was, needless to say, St Mary's South Brisbane.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM

The victim last night who had a negative experience of Towards Healing indicated that she was now intending to go to the police and that perhaps she should have done that in the first place.

There is certainly a greater emphasis now in the Towards Healing document abou victims being encouarged to report matters to the police

Whilst many victims may have valid criticisms of their experiences under Towards Healing the experiences of complainants (victims) in the criminal justice system can also be an also be an extremely difficult personal and emotional journey. It can certainly be as protracted as any delays that may have occurred in the Towards Healing process.

Abuse matters are difficult to successfully prosecute in a criminal court.

James has already identified situations where the accused perpetrator is found not guilty or the police decide not to go ahead with charges. Particular difficulties take place with 'historical' cases. These are cases where the victim may have been a child; the incident may have occurred many decades previously. Defence lawyers may push for a significant amount of detail about the allegations and if these cannot be provided to the satisfaction of the court then charges can get tossed out. I have certainly know of this to happen in some clerical abuse cases.

It can be fairly devestating for victims to go through a couple of years in the criminal justice system only to have the alleged perpetrator get off.

A lot of media publicity in recent months has been around the issue of church authorities reporting matters to the police. However many victims will not necessarily want to go down the path of criminal charges. Without a formal complaint from the victim the police may not be able to do much

There is often the expectation by victims that if a perpetrator is convicted and jailed that somehow this will enable them to get on with life. This is not always the case. The modern secular media word for healing seems to be 'closure'. It is a word I personally and professionally abhor as I don't believe that it adequately reflects the reality of people's lives.

Similarly some victims have received substantial payouts as a result of legal proceedings against the Church. Again there is the expectation that somehow the money will improve the quality of their life or make them happy. It invariably doesn't.

It is my perception that there is significant tension between an attempted pastoral response under Towards Healing, the criminal justice system and Canon Law. I don't have much knowledge or experience of Canon Law. However I fear that these three areas don't sit comfortably together and that the tensions between the three will not ever resolve in a constructive manner which is beneficial to victims.

As Geoffrey Robinson writes "Sexual abuse is a bulldozer gouging a road through this fragile ecosystem of love and maening that a person has been painfully constructing "

PaulW

Desi,I agree with you. Stephen and Ann are both very brave - I doubt I could do what they have both done if it had been me. I would have hidden under a rock

Stephen, I posted earlier, in response to the ABC programme, how I was struck by the bravery of the two ladies who had spoken out.

IMO it is cowardice for 'anyone' to hide behind 'prepared statements', refusal to answer questions 'face to face' rather than 'submit the questions, we'll think about the answers and fax them back to you', let alone the 'it's not my responsibility, contact the relevant Bishop'.

There has been a lot of talk in the last few days about 'heros', well, you are a true hero by speaking out (and continuing to do so) and you displaying enormous amounts of bravery in doing so.

YOU have the victory.

http://clericalwhispers.blogspot.com/

Clerical whispers have this on their website now.
Helen

HI Stephen,
I feel you pain in this post so palpably.
Don't EVER let them be the winners! You will come out the other side and be vindicated. Any of us who knew about any of this abuse is guilty to some extent. Many many years ago I heard whispers, but couldn't/wouldn't believe there was any substance in them.
One of the evils that we humans commit, even unwittingly is what I call "Going along to get along".
I saw the holocaust film "Bent" on the weekend, and realised that so much of that horrific event was abetted by "good" people like "us" not wanting to rock the boat. Just letting small injustices slide by us, not wanting to make a scene or upset an apple-cart. If the good people of Nazi Germany stood up as one, then I think the outcome of Hitler's final solution could have been quite different.
Similarly with the destruction of so many children's lives by these wolves in sheep's clothing parading in their camp costumery and smoke and smells, EVERYONE needs to name the hypocrisy where they see it and not just let it slide.
Best wishes to you in your recovery.
Tony

During Lent of this year, we were invited by the Bishops to join with them on a Lenten journey, by using the Lectio Divina as a guide.
"The Reflection"
http://thereflection.vividas.c/

I think it worthwhile to revisit one of these readings and the personal reflection by +David Walker in light of these latest allegations.

Lectio Divina
Praying the Scriptures in
Lent and Holy Week 2010
Year C

Luke 13:1-9
13:1 At that very time there were some present who told him about the Galileans whose blood Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices.

13:2 He asked them, "Do you think that because these Galileans suffered in this way they were worse sinners than all other Galileans?

13:3 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish as they did.

13:4 Or those eighteen who were killed when the tower of Siloam fell on them--do you think that they were worse offenders than all the others living in Jerusalem?

13:5 No, I tell you; but unless you repent, you will all perish just as they did."

13:6 Then he told this parable: "A man had a fig tree planted in his vineyard; and he came looking for fruit on it and found none.

13:7 So he said to the gardener, 'See here! For three years I have come looking for fruit on this fig tree, and still I find none. Cut it down! Why should it be wasting the soil?'

13:8 He replied, 'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.

13:9 If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.

Reflection on the readings for the 3rd Sunday of Lent:
http://thereflection.vividas.com/pdf/LD_Lent_WEB.pdf

This week’s Readings call to mind our ability or inability to hear, see and know. No more are we to hear but do not hear, to see but do not see, for God does hear the cry of the Israelites as we read in the first Reading
and has observed their misery. We are left to do the very same as Luke’s
Gospel passage reminds us: Repent and seek to bear fruit that will last.
It is a God who hears, sees and knows us. A God who calls us and sends us out.

Bishop David Walker’s Reflection of this reading:

http://thereflection.vividas.com/

“The thing that I noticed at my first reading, was the importance of repentance. Unless we repent, we will all perish. And no matter what God does for us, unless our heart is open to God’s love, then we cannot really be saved. The message of John the Baptist, who came to prepare the way for Jesus, was that we should repent. And then Jesus came preaching the same message. We often think that Jesus just preached the Kingdom of God. Well, He did that, but the whole message was “Repent, for the Kingdom of God is at hand”. So the repentance is the gateway to the kingdom, and the message that comes through in this particular text, is that we need to repent.

The fig tree is expected to bear figs so that the God that relates to us, not only loves us, but God calls us to respond in love. Now that same God always recognizes that we don’t always respond as we should. The temptation is to tear the fig tree out if it’s not bearing figs. So the sortof God we are talking about here, is a God that is patient, a God who is understanding, and a God who’s providence carries through and helps us to respond in the way that God expects.”

The next part of a Lectio Divino reflection calls us to take a word, phrase or sentence to meditate upon.

I call upon +David Walker to reflect on the following:

'Sir, let it alone for one more year, until I dig around it and put manure on it.
If it bears fruit next year, well and good, but if not, you can cut it down.

With all due respect here, +Walker, God calls upon us to tear the fig tree out that hasn’t produced any fruit. From the actions we have seen taken by Father Finian Egan, it can be said that with ‘all probability’, that he has indeed not hearkened to the instructions given to him, by you, whilst being still granted the life of a priest. Are you not going to hear the cry of the Israelites if you stand as the person of Christ? Actions taken by such as yourself will lead the Church into perishing once and for all, if you do not cut away the branches that cause sickness to the rest of the tree, the body of Christ.

I think there has been enough manure spread around already. As you said, “Unless we repent, we will all perish.” Times up, +David!

Billy.

In the song below, whatever shoe fits whichever foot. We are all Christs and we are all Judases but after watching Lateline and The 7:30 Report before it, it's time the church institution was called to 'repent' so as to again become a force for future good - or die and go to their renewedly re-proclaimed hell.

Oh, I don't know, can't think straight - for what it's worth - I just get what Leonard is saying.

Give me back my broken night
My mirrored room, my secret life
It's lonely here, there's no one left to torture
Give me absolute control
Over every living soul
And lie beside me, baby, that's an order

Give me crack and anal sex
Take the only tree that's left
Stuff it up the hole in your culture
Give me back the Berlin Wall
Give me Stalin and Saint Paul
I've seen the future, brother, it is murder

Things are gonna slide, slide in all direction
Won't be nothing, nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
Has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul

When they said repent, repent
I wonder what they meant

You don't know me from the wind
You never will, you never did
I'm the little Jew who wrote the bible
I've seen the nations rise and fall
I've heard their stories, heard them all
But love's the only engine of survival

Your servant here, he has been told
To say it clear, to say it cold
It's over, it ain't going any further
And now the wheels of heaven stop
You feel the devil's riding crop
Get ready for the future, it is murder

Things are gonna slide, slide in all direction
Won't be nothing, nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world
Has crossed the threshold and it's overturned the order of the soul

When they said repent, repent
I wonder what they meant

There'll be the breaking of the ancient Western code
Your private life will suddenly explode
There'll be phantoms, there'll be fires on the road
And a white man dancing
You'll see a woman hanging upside down
Her features covered by her fallen gown
And all the lousy little poets come around
Trying to sound like Charlie Manson
And the white man dancing

Give me back the Berlin Wall
Give me Stalin and Saint Paul
Give me Christ or give me Hiroshima
Destroy another fetus now
We don't like children anyhow
I've seen the future, baby, it is murder

Things are gonna slide, slide in all direction
Won't be nothing, nothing you can measure anymore
The blizzard, the blizzard of the world has crossed the threshold
And it's overturned the order of the soul

When they said repent, repent
I wonder what they meant

Cohen to me is a prophet and I see this song as reaching into every nook and cranny of the church - on either side of the road, as well as to society in general - but I want it to here apply to those in the church.

I cannot cope with a two-faced church anymore or at least and more accurately, one which won't acknowledge it's two faces or even truly believe it has them. I will also only believe that they are acknowledging and repenting IF they come clean and join in all the news discussions - and with honesty - trust me, we can see through the crap.

What Peter Gogarty said at the end of the Lateline report: Oh that got to me - I look at photos of me as a boy and a teenager and then look at myself and think I am not the man I.m supposed to be, and why, why? Oh Peter G, I so get what you said. But how many of us are who we were meant to be had some trauma not occurred? hat I don't get yet.

I was also so taken back by the other guy (sincere apologies to him for not remembering his name) when he mentioned how 'everyone knew' even the local community and if they knew, then the bishops, priests etc must have also known. But only a few probably had enough depth of spirit and love to do anything about things then - was it just the culture - well for many it wasn't - why wasn't it for all Catholics/Christians? Why didn't something register in our Gospel and Christ-filled brains and hearts that boys and girls being abused, raped, touched up wasn't acceptable???????????

All are punished - all need to repent but especially the church because of who they have ever proclaimed themselves to be - representatives of Christ.

Well, you tools, Christ didn't fuck or destroy children nor would he have let it go undealt with if he saw others doing this - even if the rest of the culture was 'accepting' of it. Repent!

You wonder why we victims are messed up in our brains and hearts and relationships?

Stephen - a little mixed up and spontaneously combusting (sorry -writing) here but also very clear.

Oh take me to the slaughter house,
I will wait there with the Lamb.

(L. Cohen - The Stories of the Street)

"Dear Mr Smith,
In your inaugural speech to the Parliament of New South Wales you stated:...

Joe Hockey and Tony Abbot would do well to take note.
They continue to gleefully parade as Catholics. I don't think there are too many votes in this anymore. I sometimes wonder if one or other has (hidden) Vatican connections.
Beehive

"From the last few paragraphs of your last post, I thought you must have been referring to Islam.

Sounds like "Star Wars" to me. Beehive

Dear Catholica Friends,

You may be interested in this email I sent off today to

Mr (Greg) Gregory Eugene SMITH, SC MP,
Member of the Legislative Assembly
Member for Epping
Shadow Attorney General, Shadow Minister for Justice
Member of the Liberal Party

Dear Mr Smith,

In your inaugural speech to the Parliament of New South Wales you stated:

"At St Gerard's Father Finian Egan charmed us with his Irish wit and his pastoral devotion to his flock."

In the light of revelations about accusations of sexual misconduct committed by Father Egan, will you now put on public record your response to this issue or will you continue to laud Fr Egan's "pastoral devotion to his flock"?

Yours Sincerely
Tony

"The people who have spoken up bravely in the media today deserve our support."

Well said. Brian. They have mine for sure. In spite of the best intentions of the establishment's "Towards Healing", I feel that much lip service has been paid to it by many Bishops. "Towards Healing" seems to have become part of a cover up itself; an anasthetic that has lolled us Aussies off to sleep thinking that its all under control when it isn't. Only a full blown Irish style inquiry in OZ will be able to lift the wraps.
Beehive

I watched the ABC programme and was surprised that priests under suspension could defy the Bishop and continue to celebrate Mass etc. What power/aithority do Bishops have?

On the other hand, an article in NCR about accused priests in USA left in limbo after allededly false accusations.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/accused-catholic-priests-left-legal-limbo

PatrickW

Very, very moving, how brave are those ladies who spoke out.
Compare them with the Bishop, who the programme put a list of questions to, whose response was "It would be inappropriate for me to comment" and George Pell's office when asked to comment replied that it should be referred to the approriate Bishops.

You're right, James, I posted the above after watching the programme (I knew nothing about any media release).

Surely the Bishop would have said, re the questions, that a press release had already been issued.

Always more questions!!

Then who are the "Judases", the people who write for or read Catholica, the followers of Fr. John George, the cultural Catholics who go to Mass for funerals or weddings, Opus Dei, Liberation theologians, Hans Kung or Josef Ratzinger, George Pell or Pat Power?

From the last few paragraphs of your last post, I thought you must have been referring to Islam.

If the program did have the media release before it went to air and in sufficient time to include it, the ABC is at fault because it was very relevant information, and resulted in an unbalanced report.

But didn't the 7.30 Report say that Bishop Walker said that it would be "inappopriate" or something like that? Did he really say that and then changed his mind?

Is the Diocese trying to say their canonical findings were along the lines of "nolo contendere"?? --
The prosecution does not have enough evidence to prove beyond the shadow of a doubt necessary for a criminal conviction, but there is enough evidence tying the accused to the situation to show that he is not entirely uninvolved and totally innocent, particularly if a civil suit might be pursued instead by the aggrieved...???

KMC in Oregon, USA

http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901859.htm

When will someone finally 'front-up' and be prepared to be interviewed on camera and answer questions face to face?

Everytime the media, whether it be print or broadcasting, run a story it ends with the fact that no-one from 'the Church/Diocese/etc' was available for interview or wouldn't take part.
IMO, somehow worst of all, is when the programme have to submit their questions beforehand which are then answered (?) in writing. (This was the case tonight - details in the above link).

The victims have to be prepared to be interviewed (whether on camera or hidden), can you imagine what would be the response if they said 'Oh, I'll only answer a series if pre-submitted questiions about the abuse I endured'.
I think that the expression is 'laughed out of court'.

Let's SEE someone step out of the shadows, confront the issue and TELL THE TRUTH!

.
After writing the above I was reminded of reading the report last week of the Pope answering journalists questions on the plane to Fatima. My first thought was 'well, fair play to him at least he's confronting the situation (At last)'.
A few days later my opinion changed when it was revealed that the questions had to be submitted beforehand and 4(?) were chosen to be asked.

All highly controlled.

In the note that accompanied the media release, James, I was informed that the media release was given to the 7.30 Report before the program was aired but it was not used. I'm not sure if this was a timing problem in that the program might have been edited some time before it went to air (and according to information I have from other sources that seems to be the case as they needed legal clearance before either the 7.30 Report or Lateline program (or both) was put to air), or if it was because the journalists did not think the information added to the story.

JAMES said - "What are you suggesting, Roch, that we should all gird our loins in readiness for a new Battle of Lepanto?"

Even the Pope has at long last seen and acknowledged that "the Enemy" is not "out there" but "in here" - within the very bosom of the Church.

Joseph Stalin scoffed, "How many Divisions does the Pope have?"

"All too many," we may now reply.

"Judases" within the Church have achieved what Stalin, Mao Tse Tung and all the rest could never achieve.

Roch

We are called to BURN with the FIRE of the Holy Spirit of God's Love [Vat II "Laity" n.2]

We are called to be MEN [and Women] Alive! - on Fire with the "Energies of the Gospel" and the "Dynamism" of Christian Faith" [Pope Paul VI 1971 "Octogesima Adveniens" nn.37, 48]

Why does the Hierarchy "silence" us?

Why are we - and they - so LUKE-WARM (Rev.3:15-16)?

Roch

What are you suggesting, Roch, that we should all gird our loins in readiness for a new Battle of Lepanto?

“I fled Him down the nights and down the days. I fled Him down the arches of the years. I fled Him down the labyrinthine ways of my own mind. And in the mist of tears I hid from Him – and under running laughter. Up vistaed hope I sped – and shot – precipitated adown Titanic glooms of chasmed fears from those strong Feet that followed, followed after. But with unhurrying chase and unperturbed pace, deliberate speed, majestic instancy, they beat. And a Voice beat – more instant than the Feet – “All things betray thee, who betrayest Me!”

“Naked I wait Thy Love’s uplifted stroke! My harness piece by piece Thou hast hewn from me and smitten me to my knee … In the rash lustihood of my young powers I shook the pillaring hours and pulled my life upon me. Grimed with smears, I stand upon the dust o’ the mounded years. My mangled youth lies dead beneath the heap. My days have crackled and gone up in smoke, have puffed and burst as sun-starts on a stream. Yea! Faileth now even dream the dreamer and the lute the lutenist …”

[From “The Hound of Heaven” 1893 by Francis Thompson 1859-1907]

During the 1970s one Dinner Speaker for Toowoomba’s Loyola Association was an Anglican Minister who recalled the loss of the “Ark of the Covenant.” How utterly devastated the Jewish People must have been. Likewise – how would Roman Catholics fare if we were to lose the Vatican Archives – our "Deposit of Faith”! What if we were to lose our Books of Canon Law and Liturgical Rubrics?

The seven City-Churches of Asia Minor [today’s Turkey] were so much on Fire with their spirituality that they were likened to Flaming Torches on seven Golden Lampstands (Rev.1:20). Where are those dynamic churches today? Where are their Bishops? They were all but drowned under the TSUNAMI of ISLAM that swept across the nation about 1400 with Constantinople conquered by the Turkish Muslims in 1453.

We have been warned. The Church has been warned.

The only comment I can make about the Lateline program is that it is a pretty damaging allegation against Australia's senior bishop, and the very best inference that can be drawn from it is the word you used,"naivety".

But the press statement put out by Bishop Walker after the 7.30 Report also shows a similar "naivety". There are a couple of matters that would have put a bit of balance into the 7.30 Report.

The first is that he had suspended Fr. Egan pending the outcome of the investigation - the right thing to do. The second is that the Mass to celebrate Egan's ordination was without his permission. Of course, that raises some other interesting questions: did all the other priests who participated not know of the suspension?

Leaving aside the intriguing question about the knowledge of the other priests involved, why did Walker not issue that statement before the program if he did not want to appear on it? Did he really think that putting out a Press Statement after the program was aired was going to cure the problem? That is where the naivety comes in. The damage has been done.

There are a couple of other matters requiring comment from Walker's statement,

Throughout this process Fr Egan has denied the claims. As the Church's process does not determine guilt or innocence, but a finding based on a 'balance of probability' standard, Fr Egan's future must be very carefully discerned.

This is a very strange thing to say. If the process does not determine "guilt or innocence", what is the "finding" about? I agree with him that the Church's process does involve a finding on the balance of probabilities, but surely the finding has to be whether or not on the evidence presented, Fr. Egan did what he is alleged to have done and therefore is not a fit and proper person to continue to be a priest.

This is precisely the sort of finding that is made on the balance of probabilities in disciplinary tribunals in other professions all over the country. And if the finding is not some sort of admission of liability for compensation (as he states below), what is the point of if all?

After the Towards Healing process, I have to further investigate the issue before making a final determination as to Fr Egan's future in ministry. My determination can be further appealed according to Canon Law, therefore must be well grounded as Canon Law requires a higher degree of certitude than 'balance of probability'.

Well, if the investigation under the Towards Healing process, makes a finding on the balance of probabilities that a priest committed sexual assaults on young girls, and if Canon Law requires some "higher standard" than the "balance of probabilities", to be decided by him as Bishop, then you must theoretically at least have a situation where even though the priest's guilt has been determined according to that "lower" standard, the bishop may not be satisfied on the higher standard and the priest can continue practising. That seems absurd.

And what about the canonical appeal? Presumably that goes to Rome, and presumably, that also would be determined according to the "higher standard".

One of the things that I raised earlier is that if it were decided that Fr. Egan should be able to continue his ministry are reasons likely to be given? Probably not, because "pontifical secrecy" will still apply. Despite the "Guide to Laypersons and Non Canonists", that requirement of pontifical secrecy has never been abrogated except in the sense that there can now be disclosures to the civil authorities. So, if either the Bishop or Rome decides that Fr. Egan can continue to practice as a priest, no one will ever know why.

I'm sorry. This is just another example of how far behind the Church is in standards of civil behaviour. Despite the continued attacks on the secular society, there is an awful lot that the Church could learn from it.

When I do make my final decision, it must be submitted to the NSW Government Ombudsman, who has the power to request a review.

Yes, but what happens if the Bishop still has to decide the right to practice as priest, not on the balance of probabilities (which is the standard the Ombudsman would be working on) but on some higher standard required by Canon law?

It is in the best interest of all concerned that a complainant goes to the Police. To do so means that matters can be investigated with the full resources of the State and ultimately decided in a way that is acceptable to the community – 'beyond reasonable doubt.'

I agree entirely, but what seems to be implied from this is that Walker's and the Church's responsibility will end. Well, it might if there is a conviction because the priest will be prevented from practising by being in jail. But what if there is an acquittal or the police decline to charge because they do not think the evidence is strong enough to justify a finding of guilt beyond reasonable doubt? The bishops cannot just walk away from this, because all disciplinary tribunals in these instances may still need to consider whether or not on the evidence presented, the accused is still a fit and proper person to continue to have the right to practice - and this decided on the balance of probabilities.

Towards Healing is neither a compensation process, nor an acceptance of liability if the outcome is upheld in favour of the complainant. Where appropriate, an offer of assistance may be made to complainants as part of the Church's commitment to pastoral care and compassionate support.

Well, if it does not make a finding upon which the bishop can decide if the priest should continue in his role as priest, what is it all for? It seems from the above, that it is a way of determining who gets "pastoral care", whatever that may mean, and who does not.

I really thought Towards Healing went a long way to fix the problem - and of course it did in requiring reporting to the police - but if this is really what it means, well, it is hardly a model for the rest of the world, as George Pell proclaims.

The only way I can see that the institution can now get out of the quagmire that it now finds itself in is for the Pope, or the collective leadership, to come out and acknowledge that the problem is systemic in the institution and does result in considerable part from the misguided theology and view of priesthood and nature of the Church that has placed the institution, and the Holy Office, on this "pedestal of perfection". It ain't gunna happen of course because, as I keep arguing, we are dealing with forces in the human psyche here that elevate the certitude of authority figures over all else including, ultimately, even their own salvation. As long as there are priests, bishops and popes around who share the perspectives of that element of the population and want to continue appeasing them, this problem isn't going to go away. Trying to educate that element of the population away from their emotional need for certitude and security though is well-nigh impossible.

Amanda told me that there was an interesting follow-up interview on Lateline on the "religious wars" vs "political wars" going on in the world. The story wasn't directly related to the Catholic abuse scandal but more focused on the international problems in the Middle East and elsewhere. From what she told me of the interview though it is very relevant to the challenges facing Catholicism at the moment as well. Our world faces a massive challenge from the rising tide of religious fundamentalism — the need for certitude from sectors of the population and if they cannot get it they will literally destroy entire civilisations, including even their own, on their pathway to trying to placate or appease their insecurities.

I'm sure the interview will be online later and will be worth following up: http://www.abc.net.au/lateline .

We need courageous religious leaders today who are capable of showing the world that we all have to increasingly live in a world where there are many questions that do not have ready answers and that ultimately, even our Creator-God, is largely a Mystery as the best minds in the Church long ago discerned. The challenge for a religious leader today is to help people "live in the Mystery" not to present themselves (the religious leaders) as some kind of modern-day witch doctors who can take the 'mystery' out of the great Mysteries of Life and the Godhead and replace it with dogma and certitudes. That's the essential lesson Benedict needs to get his head around if he is really serious about making Christianity a force for good again in the peoples of the world formed by European culture.

This media release has just been received from Bishop David Walker's office in the Broken Bay Diocese. It is a response to today's revelations in the newspapers and on television tonight.

17 May 2010

Articles today in the Sydney Morning Herald and The Age refer to allegations of professional misconduct made against Fr Finian Egan, a priest of the Diocese of Broken Bay.

The alleged misconduct occurred during the 1980s, in a parish that is now part of the Diocese.

Claims that the Church 'failed' to act on these matters, are grossly inaccurate.

As with all matters of this nature, notification of the allegations was sent to the NSW Government Ombudsman and to the Police.

The two claimants chose not to take their claims to the Police, despite being encouraged to do so on many occasions.

The claimants chose to participate in the Church's, Towards Healing process, which works towards seeking justice and pastoral healing for all concerned.

Fr Egan was asked to stand aside from ministry while the process took place. He currently remains suspended from public ministry.

When a serious complaint is made, I always ask the priest to stand down from ministry.

During the Towards Healing process, it has been my practice that, should the priest's family or close friend ask for his involvement in a particular event, e.g. a wedding, it can only be done with my explicit approval.

In August 2009, Fr Egan con-celebrated a Mass to commemorate his Jubilee of priesthood. This was undertaken without my approval.

The initial Towards Healing process of investigation has now been completed, and I acknowledge that this initial process has taken some time, which may have caused additional stress to those involved.

Throughout this process Fr Egan has denied the claims. As the Church's process does not determine guilt or innocence, but a finding based on a 'balance of probability' standard, Fr Egan's future must be very carefully discerned.

After the Towards Healing process, I have to further investigate the issue before making a final determination as to Fr Egan's future in ministry. My determination can be further appealed according to Canon Law, therefore must be well grounded as Canon Law requires a higher degree of certitude than 'balance of probability'.

When I do make my final decision, it must be submitted to the NSW Government Ombudsman, who has the power to request a review.

It is in the best interest of all concerned that a complainant goes to the Police. To do so means that matters can be investigated with the full resources of the State and ultimately decided in a way that is acceptable to the community – 'beyond reasonable doubt.'

Towards Healing is neither a compensation process, nor an acceptance of liability if the outcome is upheld in favour of the complainant. Where appropriate, an offer of assistance may be made to complainants as part of the Church's commitment to pastoral care and compassionate support.

I am committed to ensure that any complaint of misconduct by any representative of the Church is acted upon with diligence, with justice to all and with due process. I believe that the Diocese of Broken Bay has endeavoured to fulfil its obligations in this regard.

Abuse is a crime that cannot be tolerated.

I urge anyone who needs assistance with any matters related to abuse to contact either the Police, or the Professional Standards Office of the Catholic Church, Towards Healing on Tel: 1300 369 977.

A pdf of the original statement as received from the Bishop's Office can be found at: http://www.catholica.com.au/misc/StatementBishopDavidWalker17-05-10.pdf .

James, I'll be interested in your reaction to the Lateline program. ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901859.htm and http://www.abc.net.au/lateline/ ) My own sense is that what is emerging is an incredible naivety on the part of our church leaders. This has been slowly dawning on me for years partly based on personal experiences but in the last month or so has been becoming increasingly evident in fresh ways. The entire culture of seminaries seems to be somewhere near the heart of the problem. (Some one sent me a good article yesterday by the editor of US Catholic, Bryan Cones, that I must dig out and place on Catholica. It wasn't yet online when I looked last night.)

This naivety does extend right to the top. I still find Benedict's response to the Irish people incredibly naive. It was patently obvious at the time that if he didn't respond correctly all this was going to continue to unfold and it would only get worse. It is true he had few options in terms of what the 'right' response might be and I think Garry Eastman's alternative draft letter published in Eureka Street goes closest to the type of response that might have worked and helped put both the victims and the institution back onto some path of healing. But as others keep saying "they simply don't 'get it'!". Part of the problem I am sure is that they have never had the responsibility of bringing up children, particularly teenagers and young adults. They live in this weird, 'innocent' world of what parenthood is all about — that's where this whole picture of Mary the Mother of God as some sexless, unreal picture of womanhood has ultimately come from. What I find most sad is that I doubt if even these latest round of revelations will have any impact on Benedict. (I would hate to be in the shoes of any bishop in this country tonight though. It will be like water off a duck's back to the Pell brigade but a lot of our bishops are, at heart, what we would call "good blokes" and well intentioned. I really do feel for them tonight.)

This naive business of getting all the "we are faithful to the magisterium" elements in the lay Church in Italy to whip up a 150,000 strong rent-a-crowd for the Pope in St Peter's yesterday continues the naivety. As I keep suggesting, you can keep assembling the 5% of the insecure in football stadiums or St Peter's Square or on internet sites and it all looks very impressive. The reality though is that that 5% does not speak for the wider world and they have buckley's chance of ever reaching out to the wider world in a communications' sense. If the institutional leaders insist though on only surrounding themselves with "yes men" and "yes women" who are principally motivated by their desire to protect their own jobs and long term security this whole mess is a long, long way from over. Peter Gogarty comes across to me as the sort of articulate person we are going to be hearing much more from. The people who have spoken up bravely in the media today deserve our support. It is a horrible thing to have to put yourself at the focus of attention like this and takes enormous courage.

desi, I also got 'not available' on this link.

However, if you go to

http://www.abc.net.au/news/

the front page of abc news online, the story is featured with a photo of the archbishop and a clickable headline.

As far as I can see (tho I'm a notoriously bad proof-reader) the link Brian gives is in fact the correct address for the story, so I'm not sure why it isn't working.

Gaspode

The Church's Towards Healing document was a milestone in that it adopted what secular society has been doing for at least a century in relation to disciplinary proceedings against members of professions - giving the reporting of a crime priority over any other disciplinary proceedings.

Of course, the victims do not have to report the matters to the police provided they have a "reasonable excuse" under S.412 Crimes Act (NSW) and its interstate equivalents. I am sure that any prosecuting authority or magistrate might very well regard the trauma of legal proceedings as providing a reasonable excuse for the victim.

The two women in the 7.30 Report had decided apparently not to go to the police about Fr. Egan, and relied on the Church's disciplinary procedures. It should be noted that Fr. Egan has denied the allegations, but it appears that the Church's tribunal decided that they were well founded.

As I have explained in previous posts, the police will only bring a charge against a priest (or anyone for that matter) if they are satisfied that the evidence is capable of satisfying a court beyond reasonable doubt of the accused's guilt. On the other hand, a disciplinary tribunal only has to be satisfied on the balance of probabilities, and this appears to have been what happened here.

The problem that arises in this case, is not a question of any cover up, but of a failure of the Church tribunal to follow what are these days tending to be accepted punishments for people in professions who abuse their positions of trust.

If a solicitor steals money from a trust account, if a barrister deliberately lies to a court, if a doctor sexually assaults a patient, or becomes a drug addict, the general punishment in serious cases is that he is struck off and not allowed to practice again.

The complaint in these two cases seems to be that the Church is again behind the times in terms of community expectations of appropriate punishments for such professionals by allowing the priests to continue to "practice".

If, on the other hand, the tribunal decides that there are extenuating circumstances and some other punishment other than being "struck off" the register is appropriate, it would be obliged give its reasons why this is so.

The Church seems to need to catch up again on the appropriate standards of civil behaviour by providing reasons why Fr. Egan in particular should not be "struck off". So far it seems to have declined to do so. So long as it keeps doing that, the issue of the adequacy of the Church procedures will not go away either.

Brian, the first link is coming up 'Page not found'.

For our readers in parts of the world who will not be able to view the program on television, you'll get the gist of the story that is now breaking in Australia on this news report from the ABC: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901859.htm . This is separate, and potentially more serious, than the earlier report on the ABC and in the main daily newspapers today. ( http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901234.htm )

...this is not going away! Who would have expected it to end up where it is tonight. Priests, bishops and popes are yet to regret they ever allowed themselves to be placed on the pedestals they were elevated to. Where do we search for the origins of this? Perhaps 200 years ago and the entire UltraMontanist that foisted on Catholicism this bizarre belief in Infallibility? John Henry Newman may well end up with the last laugh — particularly with his coming canonisation in the near future.

Very, very moving, how brave are those ladies who spoke out.

Compare them with the Bishop, who the programme put a list of questions to, whose response was "It would be inappropriate for me to comment" and George Pell's office when asked to comment replied that it should be referred to the approriate Bishops.

What a picture of bravery and cowardice.

There is also more coverage on Lateline at 10.30 tonight.

Helen

Church failed to act against abusers
By Tim Palmer
ABC website, Monday 17 May 2010, 2.20pm

The Catholic Church in Australia faces new allegations of failing to act against priests involved in sexual abuse, after an ABC investigation revealed cases in which priests found by the Church to have committed offences continue to conduct church services.

The revelations, to air on The 7:30 Report tonight, come days after Sydney Archbishop Cardinal George Pell wrote a press release putting forward the Australian Church's processes to deal with abuse as a model for the Church in other countries.

Sex abuse allegations have dogged the Catholic Church around the world, in countries including Ireland, Germany and Brazil.

In his release Cardinal Pell stated that under the Australian Church's Towards Healing program, those found to be abusers are permanently removed from the ministry.

But the ABC has found that last August, weeks after one such investigation finished with a Sydney bishop apologising to victims of a priest in his diocese, the priest celebrated mass in a church across the road from the bishop's office.

And Melbourne's Archbishop Dennis Hart has conceded that a Yarraville priest, who was judged to be an abuser in a 2005 Church investigation, has continued to perform mass on numerous occasions, most recently two months ago.

In the Sydney case, the ABC has obtained the Church's findings against Father Finian Egan, formerly of St Gerard's Church at Carlingford.

Kellie-Anne Roche is one of two women whose allegations were upheld. She was abused as a teenager in the 1980s.

She says Father Egan's continued association with the Church is outrageous.

"It's called Towards Healing but nothing they did has helped me heal," she told The 7:30 Report.

"If anything, it made me feel like they were protecting him.

"I would advise victims to go to the police, not Towards Healing. I don't trust them."

The other victim, who does not wish to be identified, was abused while at St Gerard's primary school. She is equally scathing of the Towards Healing program.

"In my experience it hasn't given me any justice or healing whatsoever," she said.

Both women say their main motivation in making a complaint was to see Father Egan removed from any role in the Church or involvement with children.

They say they were told their cases would be dealt with in a few months.

Instead they have run more than two years.

Apology

Last July Bishop David Walker of the Broken Bay diocese wrote to each woman stating his intention: "...to apologise to you for the way you have been treated by Finian Egan."

"What happened to you is contrary to what is expected of a member of the clergy. We proclaim a Gospel which sees this behaviour as totally unacceptable, and I regret that you have been exposed to it by a member of our clergy."

But the following month Father Egan was the celebrant at an evening mass at St Agatha's Church in Pennant Hills, across the road from Bishop Walker's office.

That mass was advertised across the diocese as honouring Father Egan's 50 years as a priest.

The involvement of Father Egan, with no mention of the Church's findings against him, devastated both victims.

"It makes you feel like a victim again. Even though the Church upheld my allegations and they tell me that they believe me, they don't show it by taking away his robes as a priest," Ms Roche said.

Father Egan remains listed as a retired priest in the diocese online directory, with a phone number, apparently available for supplementary duties or weddings.

After the Church's initial findings against Father Egan, and with the Broken Bay bishop still to determine his future, he played golf in a Church tournament representing the Broken Bay Diocese Education Office.

And last October, three months after the Broken Bay bishop's apology, he played again in the tournament representing Mary Mackillop Girls' School, and partnered with that school's principal.

Father Egan chose not to comment for the story but insisted on his innocence throughout the Church inquiry.

Distressing

In Melbourne, Archbishop Denis Hart has conceded the victims of Yarraville priest Father Paddy Maye will have suffered further because the priest continues to conduct mass.

In 2005 an investigation by the Church in Melbourne found Father Maye had sexually groped two sisters in their family home. He was also found to have committed a serious sexual offence against another woman.

Father Maye refused to take part in the investigation but denied all the allegations of inappropriate conduct. He was stood down from his duties in 2005.

But since 2007 the Melbourne Archbishop has written on at least three occasions to Father Maye telling him to stop conducting masses. So far the letters have made no difference.

In March, Father Maye conducted a mass for the Irish community in Clifton Hill.

A spokesman for Archbishop Hart replied to questions about Father Maye's continued ministry, saying: "The Archbishop recognises that when Father Maye contravenes his explicit directions, this can be distressing to Father Maye's victims. He apologises to them and will take appropriate action against Father Maye."

It is unclear how widely within the Church the findings against Father Maye are known. But in February The Catholic Weekly reported on a party for the retired auxiliary Sydney Bishop David Cremin, for which one of the other noted guests flown up from Melbourne was Father Maye, an old friend of the retired bishop.

Senior Church figures attended, including Monsignor John Usher, the Chancellor of Cardinal Pell's Archdiocese and a man who is closely involved in the Towards Healing process.

So far Cardinal Pell has made no comment about the evidence of the two priests having continued ministry and other associations within the Church.

Source: http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2010/05/17/2901234.htm

Thanks, Desi. I'm not sure if it's "crossed wires" with my contacts and they were confusing the 7.30 Report with Lateline but it might also be worthwhile having a look at Lateline later tonight. I can't say I'm enjoying all this depressing news but there is no way of avoiding it. I find it even more depressing reading these websites and blogs who still believe the Holy Father, the Magisterium and the institution do not have anything to answer for. Faaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaark! What's keeping me sane at the moment is being engrossed in this new language and the new developments for Catholica. I realised last night that I'm probably trying to learn in three days what young computer programmes spend a year or more at university trying to master. I am slowly getting there though and it is immensely rewarding. I only got a couple of hours sleep last night and I'm going to have a rest now for a while before tackling a whole lot more later tonight. Sorry I can't participate much in the interesting discussions on the forum. (I miss it when I can't participate much.)