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ABUSE IN THE CHURCH – HOW PRIESTS ARE LIVING THROUGH THE STORM.

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Even when they have not been targeted personally by any disparaging remarks, priests are conscious of the climate of ‘suspicion’ that has developed.

Anne-Bénédicte Hoffner and Marie Malzac LA CROIX
France – April 16, 2019

While they will gather around their bishops for the Chrism Mass, a key moment in Holy Week, French priests share with La Croix their distress at the wave of revelations of sexual abuse, but also their need to talk and strengthen the brotherhood amongst them.

Shock, sadness, anger, disillusionment

… many priests realized only in the past few months the “scope” of the crisis of abuses in the Church, which is not limited to “individual cases” as first thought, but takes on a “systemic” dimension in their eyes.
As a member of the monitoring organisation in his Diocese of Nanterre, Father Hugues de Woillemont knows the “depth of the trauma” experienced by the victims in all areas of their personal and spiritual lives. But a documentary aired in early March by Arte TV on the rape of nuns by clerics was the final blow for him.
Even when they have not been targeted personally by any disparaging remarks, priests are still conscious of the climate of “suspicion” that has developed. They are aware of the parents who “are grateful that they did not send their children to catechism,” said Father Erick Delamarre, priest of Saint-Ouen l’Aumône in Val d’Oise department.
How are they living through this storm? What support do they need, and where do they find it? These are delicate questions for men more accustomed to supporting others than to looking after themselves. They are the questions tht La Croix put to diocesan priests in the days leading to the Chrism Mass when they will gather around their bishops to renew their priestly promises.
Balance of life
Some, like Father Gilles Drouin, a priest in the Diocese of Evry who was called a “paedophile” as he left the Cathedral of Chartres, refuse to “dwell on the issue.” Out of decency, out of respect for the victims… there is a whole mix of reasons.
“We’re not children,” he says. “And then, it’s hard for all Christians.”
Others recognize, in not so many words, the need to ensure more than ever their “balance of life.” Annual retreat, spiritual guidance and daily prayer are “extremely important places” for keeping that balance.
“The summer holidays are welcome,” Father Delamarre admits openly. More than ever, they attest to the need to speak about the crisis.
“The first need they express is to talk and to talk among themselves,” said Auxiliary Bishop Bruno Valentin of Versailles, who realized during parish visits that these are different from the usual “everyday and simplistic” discussion.
With his life-review team, Father JacquesTurck, who is in charge of monitoring and training newly ordained priests in the Diocese ofNanterre, has worked on the sense of the “sanctity of the Church.”
“One priest told us he was thinking of cancelling the celebration planned for his fiftieth anniversary of his ordination,” he said. “We discussed it and, in the end, he decided to go ahead with it.”
Friendship and family ties are particularly precious at this time because they “do not depend on my status as a priest or my function as a vicar general,” said Father Guillaume Teissier in Valence. Gestures of affection, even invitations to dinner from parishioners, are well appreciated.
“There is goodwill: people tell me ‘I’m praying for you,'” said a young priest from the Diocese of Orléans, saddened by the tensions that followed the suicide of Father Pierre-Yves Fumery last October.
Sensitive to their fragility
Father Jean-François Berjonneau belongs to a missionary fraternity made up of priests and lay persons. He feels the strength of sharing.
“I’m able to say certain things, thanks to questions from the lay people, that I would not necessarily have said to other priests, and vice versa,” he said.
“We keep up the ties with our former parishes,” said Father Robert Aliger, a priest from Aix-en-Provence and a member of the Apostolic Union of Clergy. “It’s also a question of temperament. Some perhaps do not know how to call for help, to be sensitive to their fragility.”
And that is the issue, those in charge of looking after the priests say.
“Those who do not talk are the ones who are doing less well,” explains Msgr. Valentin. “As in a family, we have to pay extra attention to the most fragile confrères.”
Bishop Christian Nourrichard of Evreux has proposed a three-day session in late April in Saint-Jacut-de-la-Mer, in Côtes d’Armor, to “take stock of our balance of life.”
In Valence, too, the bishop and his vicar-general are working to strengthen a sense of “brotherhood” within the presbyterate, in addition to the “spontaneous or chosen brotherhood with the priests to whom we feel close,” said Father Teissier.
Training days have been organized around the pope’s Letter to the People of God or on non-violent communication to strengthen the links between priests of different generations and cultures, which “emerge, precisely, from this climate of mistrust.”
In this difficult phase, the relationship with one’s bishop is also crucial: knowing that “his door is always open, including for his priests” and that you can “speak to him at any moment,” even send him an SMS and receive a comforting message.
The research and professional development that needs to be done in the face of the crisis is also indispensable.
It’s clearly in this area that there is an urgent need for action, stresses Father Drouin, Director of the Institut Supérieur de Liturgie (Higher Institute of Liturgy). “Guidance and brotherhood, that’s good,” he said. “But that’s not what will resolve the fundamental problem, the notion of authority in the Church.”
Fr. Drouin said the Chrism Mass is an excellent illustration of this because it manifests, during Holy Week, “the relationship between the bishop, priests and the people of God … or, rather, in the opposite order!”

PAT SAYS

There is no doubt that the ocean of abuse scandals overwhelming the church is having a seriously debilitating effect on many priests.

But they are not primary victims.

Victims and their families are the primary victims.

And in so far as priests are not openly and publicly criticising the church’s handling of the abuse priests and bishops are co abusers.

In this article it is stated that the bishops shoukd be very close and available to priests. That is not happening.

Take Treanor in Down and Connor – a most remote and cold figure.

And a Derry priest told me that yesterday’s Chrism Mass in Derry was an exercise in how cold the relationship is between them and McKeown.

My Keown preached about tge dwindling number of priests and how more and more Masses would be cancelled.

Priests may be feeling the heat.

But itbis the clerical church that created and maintains the abuse!

134 replies on “ABUSE IN THE CHURCH – HOW PRIESTS ARE LIVING THROUGH THE STORM.”

I haven’t a scintilla of sympathy with any of these men: these so-called ‘priests’. Each, WILLINGLY, vowed to serve a morally filthy institution, the Roman Catholic Church, instead of Jesus.
These self-chosen Christ-betrayers are now filled with self- pity, and cosmetic pathos. Oh, poor me! POOR ME!😢
Each of these parasites backed the wrong horse the day his Judas ordination took place.
Why should I (why should anyone?) weep for them? They are reaping what they intentionally sowed.
Imagine a world free of these bloated, self-contented leeches. And they are bloated on others’ wealth, others’ good will, others’ sufferance.
BAAAAAA!🐑

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9.58: Another of this blog’s monster haters. Our priest who are genuinely good, kind and caring – and there are many – not perfect but genuinely good – certainly deserve our prayers, support and sympathy. Absolutely. Are you such a hard hearted plonker or just a hate inciting individual? Or just plain thick!! You need God’s healing and mercy.

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1.13: Predictable script from a viperous, ignorant, putrid piece of humanity. You add nothing new to commentary but a repeat of hate incitement. Even on Good Friday, your heart sinks very low! Thank God for our many, many good priests. May he bless them always, particularly from the evil incarnate in dangerous things like Magna…..

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This was posted at 1:13 a.m. Unlikely poster had just returned from the altar of repose. No further comment required.

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The Easter ceremonies are being broadcast on RTE live from Maynooth. Would you not run a live Blog, Pat? Or if your own ceremonies are running simultaneously, would you consider giving someone control of your blog during the ceremony so that comments can be instant during the ceremonies? I am sure there are many commentators who would enjoy reading what your contributors have to say, in real time, particularly for he Vigil Mass.

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Just as I thought! Pat, you don’t know it all. Of course victims/survivors and their families must come first. That’s primary and all priests know that. Your usual mantra that we are all co-abusers is sickening to the majority of priests. I speak frequently against all abuse and the cover ups. I speak about the lack of meaningful leadership. I speak and express my outrage at the abuse scandals. I and many other priests are daily confronted about the damage, hurt and pain still experienced by survivors. It would take a heart of stone not to be moved by the unfolding stories. I refuse to let you label me a co-abuser. You are too fond of throwing this judgment at everyone. Many priests I know are horrified by the experiences we hear each day. In the midst of all the sadness, pain and hurt of many, which we are aware of, we must carry out our daily work. It is sometimes (personally) difficult to face a congregation without feeling they must question my life, my integrity, my bona fides. And, it is, contrary to your assertion, perfectly legitimate for any priest to seek support, counselling and empathy in order to survive this awful storm. It is deeply offensive for you, Pat, to suggest yet again that we are “co-abusers”. I’m certainly not, nor are the majority of priests. We do have hearts of flesh, not of stone, as you infer so unkindly.

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Anon@1:23: You say you “speak frequently” against abuse, lack of leadership etc, and that’s good.
But what is the manner of your “speaking against?”
Is your “speaking” simply a matter of voicing an opinion when asked, or only in restricted circles with those of like mind?
If that is the case, (and I do not ‘accuse’ you of such), then such a timid approach could be viewed as completely ineffective in contrast to the more crusading approach by others such as +bishop Pat.
Could you assist us by explaining your own personal positive actions against abusive behaviour by RC clergy?
MMM

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9.10: MMM : in response to your questions about the places where I’ve spoken out against abuse, irresponsible leadership, corruption etc – Any forum within my Diocese in the presence of my Bishop: through my homilies: at various seminars and gatherings for clerics in my Diocese: at parish pastoral councils: I have organised prayer healing services for all who are affected by abuse and ongoing trauma. My voice is known to my Bishop and the leadership in my Diocese. I also wrote to the Papal Nuncio before Pope Francis’s visit to ensure that victims/survivors were given prominence. I have a troubling conscience all the time re: the abuse scandals of all kinds. Thus I ensure that all parishioners are aware of our child protection policies, that we remain constantly vigilant. Because of a childhood experience (by a neighbour) I once had over a period of time I have always had an abhorrence of abuse and abusers. Once I reported a parish worker’s activities to the Gardai and almost was sent to the most isolated spot in the country but I resisted and knew I had done the right thing. The fact that I and other clerics aren’t splashed all over the news headlines doesn’t mean we’re doing nothing or are
unconcerned. If only you knew the anger I carry …. but I also have a conscience and a desire to renew my own life first. I also try to create a welcoming, hospitable and safe, caring parish community for all.

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I suspect i know who you are,
Your a priest from cloyne,
If I’m correct ill just say this, the year 1982 .

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Yes. If you speak frequently against abuse, for the umpteenth time I will ask you to put your name and diocese to this comment.
You can’t, can you?
Actually what comes first is self preservation, and your claim to speak frequently against abuse is a psychological defense mechanism at your realisation that the institution you have given your life to, is rotten to the core and you are therefore painted with the same brush.

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10.02: Are you finished with your superlatives, unfair judgments, faux outrage? It doesn’t matter to you if I don’t print my real name: Why should I leave myself open to your tyranny of abuse? Why don’t you as the same question of all other anonymous commentators? And why are you not printing your name?? It’s a little hypocritical of you to judge me for something you and many others likewise do…..print anonymously. I have a very clear conscience, thank God.

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No actually I’m not finished. You’ve merely made out that it’s someone else’s fault you can’t put your name here. I am also not being hypocritical – I didn’t claim to speak out against abuse, and in fact don’t.
And I’m sure we’re all relieved to know your conscience is clear. That’s okay then.
Go on, put your name and diocese. Or are you frightened your bishop will find you’re commenting secretly on Pat Buckley’s blog?

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@12.59&@ 10.02
Disgusting. Bullying beyond belief.
Put YOUR OWN names up! Go on, PUT THEM UP! Then we can all judge YOU!
Everyone on this blog apart from Pat is posting anonymously.
This Priest sounds like he is doing his very best. I wonder how exemplary your two lives are? Not very, I’d hazard.
If youse had been around in Jesus’s time youse would have blamed Him for the sins of the Jews and told Him it wasn’t good enough until He renounced His Judaism, none of this going to the temple on feast days and observing the Jewish rituals. Youse would have denounced Him, youse are so blameless!
Leave the man alone. Thugs and bullies!

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@12:40 pm
Calm down!
‘Let nothing disturb you. Let nothing frighten you. All things are passing away: God never changes.
Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices.’ – St. Teresa of Avila.

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@1.56
I am 12.40 and I am perfectly calm.
However, I will rise of my arse to call out such bullying.
Just like St. Teresa, who didn’t spend much time on her own arse either.
You sound rather lukewarm to me, you know, the sort that is to be spat out. Oooops! Jesus mustn’t have been very chilled when he said THAT.
Been watching old Dave Cameron re-runs, have ye? Lol

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At 4:59
Shows how poorly educated you are theologically. The lukewarm image comes from the book of Revelation. So, not something ever said by Jesus but rather an instance of apocalyptic literature.

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“Others recognise, in not so many words, the need to ensure more than ever their ‘balance of life.’ Annual retreat, spiritual guidance, and daily prayer are ‘extremely important places’ for keeping that balance.”
Of course, Bp Pat, for most priests and seminarians other “extremely important places” also include visits to “the meadow” at Lourdes, or holidays in Sitges or Ibiza, for example, as well as gay bars, saunas, and other places that used to be discretely described as “facilities” in old Spartacus gay guides.

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Apart from Amy Armagh, the clergies in the procession were either in the late-sixties or seventies, including her MOC.

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Glad you took time to watch his Grace Archbishop Martin in Dromore for the Holy Mass of Chrism however you did not need to watch it on social media you could have watched it direct.

So you may wish to watch the Easter Holy Mass on Sunday at 10.30 where his Grace will offer the Holy Mass.

If you listened carefully to his Grace at Saint Patricks and at Newry Cathedral then you will see how sincere he is about the trust pope Francis has placed on him, so he is well aware.

However if Archbishop martin is sincere about it all then he will inform the holy father that the Dromore Diocese cannot continue for many many reasons.

Too many dioceses in Ireland and everyone knows that.

The most important thing just now is who is going to be the Coadjutor and the two Assistants in Dublin as it seems it maybe a Bishop from Ireland but working in Rome is going to be announced soon.

The New Bishop on Cork and Ross is 30th June 2019 yes away in June due to his diary commitments.

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I don’t think I have ever heard anyone get ‘his grace’ so frequently into a paragraph before…

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I dont know where Any is sexually. I would suspect a very repressed gay.

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By Post Author

9.15: You may be right about the visitation of other places…but surely your repeated broken record is getting very boring. It’s GOOD FRIDAY and is it possible you might focus your brain on the relevance of this day, instead of demeaning and devaluing its’ spiritual and religious significance in your infantile, pervy mind. Says a lot about your lack of human development! JESUS HAVE MERCY ON YOUR SOUL.

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9.29: All day Buckley you have proved the nasty piece that you are. No doubt you preached love, mercy and forgiveness today! You haven’t a clue how to practice any of these virtues. Your treatment of Archbishop Martin is offensive. Yoh are a bully. As for describing him as repressed gay – hmm..hmmm – infinitely preferable to being an adventurer as you were and paying for it!!!. You should look to your HEART seriously. Stop being a nasty bitch. I’d have Archbishop Martin any day at my table than you.

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Oh, dear. What a self-serving, self-pitying article this is. The themes are:
1. We did not know that this was systemic, we only thought it was a few bad apples. We are surprised. Well, where have you been for the last 25 years ? It has been clear for decades that this is not just about the individual predilections and failings of individual priests. It is about a culture of priests in which they have been brought up and trained by the Church which makes priests think that they are special, set apart, unaccountable, cannot be gain said , and can pretty much do what they want, when they want, with whom they want, and there will be no comeback. That lays the blame equally at the foot of the Church which created and encouraged this dysfunctional and abusive culture. So, please, stop telling us that you knew nothing about it. You were right in the middle of it. Open your eyes. !
2. We must establish a balance of life which will support and sustain us – prayer, retreats, spiritual reading. Yeah ! Well, in addition to this, how about establishing a normal and healthy balance of life that includes embracing mature and warm relationships of love, such as exist in marriage, and grounding oneself in the reality of family and daily life, rather than being separated off from life as most people live it, and falling in to dysfunctional behaviour and life ? In other words, step out of what is a completely discredited and harmful way of existing and move in to the real world. Ask for your Church to allow you to get married, ask for your Church to ordain married men, ask for your Church to ordain women. In that way you will get the balance of life that you are so desperate for. You can still keep the retreats, and prayer, and spiritual reading, only this time it will be upheld by the normal, the real, the healthy underpinning you so desperately need.
3. Talking is good. Sure it is, but how about you people talking to the police every now and again, and letting them know what is happening within your ranks ? Bishops and VGs, how about not sending money to the likes of Fr James Robinson hiding in the USA when the police are looking for him ? How about the Vatican Bank keeping quiet about Fr Laurence Soper in Kosovo accessing his funds in the Vatican Bank (and don’t believe the recent cock and bull excuses given by the Vatican reported in The Tablet this week as an excuse) ? How about Bishops and VGs being upfront and honest about what they have covered up in the past, and come clean, rather than having to be hauled in front of inquiries and been put on oath to tell the truth ? Once you have done all that you can soothe yourselves with counselling for your hurt feelings and sense of being unloved.
This kind of article is more in the way of trying to immunise clergy, bishops and the Church from the reality of what is happening because of them, more of transference of blame, rather like blaming the Devil and the Gays for all that has happened.
And not a word about the victims, until + Pat reminds us that they have primacy in this whole business. Just clergy bemoaning their hurt, and not even thinking about the pain and damage that they and their Church and its clerical culture have inflicted on some of the weakest and most vulnerable amongst us.
I despair !

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And what use is your analysis, 9:56 for shedding light on the phenomenon in society of sexual abuse of children which is not a thing of the past but is a current reality?

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While your question is addressed to 9:56, may I just add a comment.
I disagree with your comment that “sexual abuse of children is not a thing of the past”. You seem to thereby infer that it is only a more recent phenomena.
It is my view that it is a longstanding and enduring perennial phenomena. The matter of its apparent current propensity relates to a series of issues; the shift in social perceptions of the nature of it as abuse, greater public awareness, ease of publicity in the present era. These are some of the relevant factors.
An “answer” as to why it should be so does not lend itself to simplistic answers.
MMM

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1:23am
Most of the hierarchy are morally challenged.
Look where their protecting the ‘repution’ of ‘the church’ has led.
Is the Church the ‘People of God’ or a few thousand clerical hierarchs?
Failure to speak out on systemic human rights abuses and criminal violations is complicit silence.
This is NOT a scandal or CRISIS. It is a phenomenon of the underbelly or shadow side of the church which has been exposed. More exposure will follow in due course. It ain’t going away.
‘The TRUTH sets us free even if the truth is revolting.’ It’s revolting!

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Imagine Jesus on the road to Bethany, to visit Martha and Mary re. the death of Lazarus. One of the apostles, let’s say Peter, comes up to Jesus and tells Him, women followers/disciples of Jesus, had told Peter, their children had been abused, humiliated, degraded and violated by some members of the Scribes and Pharisees.
Who is Jesus most likely to admonish and challenge? Peter, the women, the children or the Scribes and Pharisees?
Or would Jesus keep His mouth shut and remain silent?

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12:50pm
And there was I being kind to the brotherhood.
Re: analogy;
Jesus is told, ‘ rumour has it,’ one of the disciples, female or male, or, one of the aposltes,
James, John or Judas, has humiliated, degraded or abused a child.
In the context of Jesus’s teaching on ‘harm’ ‘millstones’ and ‘suffer little children’,
I reckon, Jesus’s would have been ‘spitting nails.’

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Magna darling, we must make a point of going to the chrism Mass next year – mummy likes to feel relatively young!
Do you remember how we used to alter the words of that hymn to ‘angels, saints, and nations sing, “Mrs Simpson’s got our King”‘?

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Mrs. Carta,

Humpty dumpty sat on a walk. Humpty dumpty had a great fall.
All the kings horses and all the kings men, couldn’t put humpty together again!

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Oh, dearest I do! And what a jolly jape that was! Until Miss Piggy (the parish busybody who always sat behind us), started poking me in the back while hissing: ‘Such irreverence! Such irreverence!’
We would sing those words even louder, then, at each refrain.

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1.53: Magna, of all days to emerge from your slumber – Good Friday! And all you offer is an effort at comedic narrative or the repetitive crap. What a failure😍😍😍🐃🐃! Nothing, as usual, from you that inspires or impresses. Perhaps you might twaddle off to Larne and stay with Pat…your master!

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Oh I’d forgotten about Miss Piggy, darling. His real name was something like Aloysius or Alphonsus wasn’t it?

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@3.31
He wouldn’t have been ‘spitting nails.’ They would have been booted out, pure and simple. Just like Judas was. However, I suspect you don’t believe in booting out those who who choose a lifestyle of flouting Jesus’s lifestyle. Get back to me on that one. I’d wager you’d be making all sorts of exemptions.
Do you think the ‘Glitter Hole’ gang should be considered members of the Church if they wanted to and should they be given Holy Communion?
Out with ALL recidivists and public scandal givers.
Now, whose on your list? Or is it Child abusing priests only?

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4:25pm
Was Aloysius or Alphonsus in Opus Dei? Might have missed his cold shower that day.

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Who are the glitter hole gang? Does this refer to Gary Glitter or to the Giants Ring?
And if you mean homosexuals, why don’t you say so instead of using childish euphemism?

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@5.37
You mean you don’t know about the troupe of drag storytellers and performers who are up in arms against the ‘homophobes’ of parents because they didn’t want them performing their sexual act and stories in front of children in a Dublin public library, some as young as three?
They are the ‘Glitter Hole Gang.’ Their motto is something to do with buggery.
It’s hard to comment informedly if you don’t know what’s going on.

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11.45: You are being stupidly pedantic. I won’t ever print my name for the same reasons most other people won’t print their names. That’s my choice and as anonymous, my arguments are still VALID.. Your premise is false, your argument silly. I and many, many priests have kind, compassionate hearts. That truth doesn’t suit your agenda but that’s your problem. No matter how often you will repeat your mantra of priests not caring, it flows off me like water off a duck’s back. I know that my conscience is very clear in my responses and my responsibilities re: abuse scandals. You worry about your state of grace, God looks after me. Your argument is very vacuous and adds nothing intelligent to the issue being discussed. I have made serious, genuine comments on this blog today, all very valid, even if expressed anonymously. I own my truth and my responsibilities. It’s your choice to believe me or try to rubbish them, the latter being your choice!

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@1.32
Hear!Hear! And I’m not a priest.
These pair are just a couple of Priest and Catholic haters with their own agendas. They will never be satisfied.

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That’s right, 1:32, resort to insults and personal comments because someone won’t take your self perception at your word. One of the real reasons I would perceive Bishop Buckley keeps this blog going, despite all the insults he gets, is that it provides one forum where people like me can call out people like you on your bullshit. It’s the only place people actually tell you what they think of your self-satisfied ion, isn’t it? And you come on this blog and moan that someone will not accept that your position is okay.
So let’s say it again for the cheap seats: the Catholic Church is an international criminal organization characterised from the end of the twentieth century by repeated scandals of sexual abuse and cover up. You serve that organization and are therefore involved in its corruption and cover up.
The difference between you and me is that I *can* publish my name here and will have a job to go back to, but I choose not to. In reality you *cannot* publish your name here because you would be hauled over the coals by your bishop or superior.
So don’t come your nonsense with me.
BTW what’s your name and diocese?

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Anon@1:32: l reply here in the belief it is you who answered my request above at 11:16.
Thank you for explaining how you speak out against abuse etc. Well done, and I wish more clerics did likewise.
Mindful that not every cleric is able, for a variety of reasons, to “speak out” in the sense of publically campaigning, I respect your position.
I do not regard your unwillingness to put forward your ID as an invalidation of your sincerity and stance vis a vis child protection or abuse. Ireland, particularly the North, is bedivelled by the small mindedness exemplified by those whose hostility to those of contrary views shows itself in vicious attacks, written, verbally, and even physical. It is a reflection of our fractured society that anonymity in a blog forum such as this is necessary for many of us. For example, as a Humanist I’m happy to discuss my beliefs with an honest enquirer. But I certainly have no wish to be harangued in the street by those of a mindset currently complaining against the Belfast marathon being run on a Sunday, or against the planned cross community inter faith walk in Castlewellan today.
So thank you again, and, in your own way, continue to speak out.
MMM

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@3.40
Lol!
It’s me again, the not-priest.
You could publish your name and have a job to go to tomorrow, well, lucky you.
Unfortunately, today’s fascism means that I and many others cannot say what we think on a HOST of topics because we wouldn’t have a job tomorrow.
And I would estimate that you are one of those fascists. Australian rugby players know all about that.
Why don’t you continue being told what to think and do by Soros and his Open Borders crowd while eating a vegan sausage roll glued to JeremyCorbyn’s gate of his very expensive house as he walks by and ignores you and Emma Thompson gets off her transatlantic flight to slip into her dungarees to join you? Or you could help Nancy Pelosi get the Irish vote by raiding a few dissidents houses and shouting about bad Brexit and the border -Oh, dear they did that and someone died in their disgusting game. May she rest in peace.
You just have a hatred of ALL tenets of the Catholic Faith, not just her abusing priests. You are transparent and I wouldn’t live in any state where you and your clique made and enforced the rules – and my God, would you enforce them. You and your thought-stormtroopers. So, go do one!

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Because I have never heard of Soros or Open Borders!
Veganism can only be bad for you in the long run, IMHO, red meat in particular provides several essential nutrients. Why do you have such a hatred of vegans and… well, pretty well everyone other than yourself?

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Thank you 12.40 for your comments. Pat, sadly, continues to allow bullies in his blog. There are some very thick plonkers who are simply mischief making, who couldn’t give a toss about victims/survivors but who get a thrill out of goading, sneering at and bullying others. Pat promised once recently that he’d stop the tyranny of bullies! Sadly, his promise fell through the quick sand of his spin and lies!

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2.46: Of course you don’t believe that bullying takes place on your blog. Why would you? We know which part of the crowd at Calvary you stand with. Certainly not that of CHRIST. You lead the tyranny of bullying. Let the Christ of Good Friday heal you of hatred, vengeance and bitterness.

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@3:17
You’re on very thin ice indeed when you start telling people they are not on Christ’s side!
One wonders why you and others of your ilk read this blog, when you cannot expect an easy, respectful ride or to be deferentially agreed with.

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4:29
Very thin ice for calling people out for not being on Christ’s side?
Do you read the New Testament? It’s full of pointers to enable each one of us to do just that. Matthew 25 for starters.

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Don’t get me started on the bullying child abusing plonkers
who the hierarchy allowed and allows in the priesthood.
What about years of sorry and spin from the church.
The bishops behave like executives in an insurance company in their part
of the church doing risk management and damage limitation following
their mistakes of relocation therapy of abuser priests to mainly poor parishes.
They continue to do so. Victims are seen as an enemy. Pastoral care to victims/survivors my a**e.

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Michael thank you for this valuable contribution. Some people here need a dose of reality orientation.

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@6.39
A hahahaha!
Someone who claims to never have heard of Soros and his Open Borders wants to be taken seriously as an informed commentator.
Why should I take your opinion seriously if you live with your head in a sandbox?

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4.29: You and your ILK need to look beyond this blog for truth other than what’s presented here. You and your “type” need to respect those priests who do their level best to be true to go priesthood and who are faithful in their ministry. You need to open your eyes beyond than the biased confines of this blog.

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That’s just not going to happen. If you reread my comment you will see that I and my ilk think it is impossible to be a cleric of the RC church and not be morally compromised. I get that this is difficult for your ilk to hear, and particularly if you have wasted your life serving the institution. But once the coming abuse scandal in the so-called developing world kicks off, this is going to be more and more the case, particularly if the US starts using Rico legislation against the church.
I would respectfully suggest that if clerics and others commenting here don’t like the increasingly hostile environment, rather than criticising people like me, you would be better reflecting on what a Christian response to the hostility created by your own church should actually be. After all, I’m not, but you are a Christian aren’t you? Aren’t you? Aren’t you?
And I ain’t seeing any turning of cheeks going on, just prissy whingeing.

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@4.31
Hahahahahahaha!
Non-Christians coming onto a Christian blog to beat up the Christians who they don’t expect to answer back.
Hahahahahahahahaha!
OoooooooHhh, we’re all going to be so cowed by the big, brave Christian haters! Oooooooooooh!
I’m so spooked!
Piss off!
Show us your balls, go and stand up to the mohammedans. Show us your balls, go and stand up for genuine women’s sport. Show us your balls, go and say something against Momentum. Show us your balls, go against TODAY’S consensus in any one way.
You’re such a soy-boy you can only pick on the wee croppies!
Whose mummy’s big brave boy, then, diddums?
You need to broaden your horizons, mate. There’s a whole, great, big world out there for you to beat up on. Why restrict yourself? Go on, share your skills around!
Ever seen a caricature of a prat? Look in the mirror. Streuth! Lol.

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5.18: More supercilious, arrant nonsense and lies. Buckley, you are a yob! A nutcase! You prove your fake spirituality more each day. Your hatred on Good Friday for all things Catholic is as deep as that of the enemies of Christ at Golgotha.You never have a kind word or any encouragement to express. Sad. Very sad. Spend some time at the foot of the cross.

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I took my head out of the confines of this blog and look what I found!
A class action suit has been launched against the Vatican and the American Catholic bishops, citing a federal anti-racketeering law known as RICO.
Six American survivors of child sexual assault filed a civil suit on November 13 against the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and the Holy See. The plaintiffs are Timothy B. Lennon; Mark S. Belenchia; Alfred L. Antonsen, Jr.; Joseph Piscitelli; Shaun A. Dougherty; and Mark Crawford. Suing for themselves and fellow victims, they have asked for a trial by jury.
The complainants are suing the Vatican both as a foreign state, as an “unincorporated organization,” and as the “head of an international religious organization.”
The preamble to the case includes an overview of the ongoing sex abuse crisis in the Roman Catholic Church, noting all classes of people who have been mentioned in connection with the scandal.
“This case is about the endemic, systemic, rampant, and pervasive rape and sexual abuse of Plaintiffs and Class Members perpetrated by Roman Catholic Church cardinals, bishops, monsignors, priests, sisters, lay leaders, members of Catholic religious orders, educators, and other of Defendants’ personnel, members, agents, and representatives … while serving in active ministry—with the knowledge of Defendants,” the complaint reads.
The plaintiffs’ first charge will be depressingly familiar to readers:
“Rather than safeguarding and protecting Plaintiffs and Class Members—who were minor children at the time—Defendants protected the abusive Clergy, took extraordinary measures to conceal their wrongful conduct, moved them from parish to parish, without warning church members or the general public, thereby further facilitating their predatory practices, failed and refused to report the abusive Clergy to law enforcement or other responsible authorities as required by law, and—incredibly—even promoted the abusive Clergy. Defendants’ wrongful acts are ongoing and continuous.”
The document then cites the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO).
“This also is a RICO case brought pursuant to 18 U.S.C. §§ 1961-68,” the complaint reads.
“Plaintiffs’ Complaint is grounded on multiple violations of the federal mail and wire fraud statutes embodied in the RICO statute prohibiting ‘schemes to defraud’ where the fraud is ‘representational’ or where the fraud amounts to ‘cheating and defrauding’ without representations. This Complaint alleges violations of the federal mail fraud and wire fraud statutes in both ways.”
In an attempt to make the Catholic Church fit the terms of the RICO Act, the complainants describe her as an “Enterprise.”
“The RICO enterprise alleged in this Complaint is the Roman Catholic Church in the United States, an unincorporated association-in-fact,” the documents says and goes on to enumerate every diocese, eparchy, and religious order in the United States, as well as a number of priests.”
The document continues, “Each diocese is headed by a bishop who, in turn, is a member of Defendant USCCB.”
“The RICO Defendants conducting and participating, directly and/or indirectly, in the affairs of the Church Enterprise to injure and harm Plaintiffs and Class Members via the mails and wires are Defendant USCCB and Defendant Holy See,” it claims.
The 84-page document claims that “wrongful conduct” by the Vatican and the USCCB “flagrantly violates…laws of the United States, the common law of the states, federal common law, Catholic Church canon law, and customary international law, including treaties and conventions adopted and signed by Defendant Holy See.”
The lawsuit was filed at U.S. District Court in Washington, D.C. by attorneys Mitchell Toups, Richard Coffman, Joe Whatley Jr., and Henry Quillen. According to the Catholic News Agency (CNA), these lawyers have been involved with similar lawsuits on behalf of sexual abuse victims.
As a result of their lawsuit, victims are hoping to win “compensatory damages, economic damages, punitive damages, RICO treble damages, medical monitoring, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and court costs.”
They are also hoping that their actions will force the Holy See and the USCCB to “comply with various state statutes requiring them to report the abusive Clergy to law enforcement or other responsible authorities, terminate the abusive Clergy, identify the abusive Clergy to the general public so that parents may protect their children going forward, release documents evidencing such Clergy abuse to achieve transparency, and such other relief the Court deems just and proper.”
Source: https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.lifesitenews.com/mobile/news/here-comes-rico-abuse-victims-launch-class-action-suit-against-vatican-us-b

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5:45
A serendipitous discovery.
I hope this action will be successful on all fronts, but, frankly, I doubt it. If it is, it will crush the head of the serpent, the Vatican. The rest of this toxic institution will then die a wriggling, writhing death.
Now wouldn’t that be karma?! Since IT killed so many other things: human life through suicide, innocence through rape or sodomy, trust through betrayal, hope through despair, faith through faithlessness.

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6.48: Mags, when you are going through a wriggling, painful, writhing and dark death, I hope you’ll cry out to your God for mercy. Your day of God’s judgment will come one day…..you are very far from being a decent, kind human being. Very far.

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@5.45
Thanks be to God!!!!!!
Now to get all the homo American cardinals and bishops booted right out!!! The whole dirty lot of them.
Next we need Francis and his homo Curia kicked into touch too. All the money making ‘charities’ which are really political agitators and their hangers on too. All out!
The Church needs renewal, and I DON’T mean a la the German Bishops/Heretics.
Small Church maybe, but one where people try to be Holy.
Francis’s church might as well be the Beatles and their maharishi – mercy, man. Everything’s cool.

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Thank you Anon@ 5:45 for your very informative comment, and the work in posting it.
My thoughts: Whaaay to go: bankrupt them, sequester their assets. Job done!

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Seems reasonable to me. I always thought that since the Church would not / could not police itself, then State authorities would take over and do it for them. And so it has come to pass. It seems entirely reasonable that they are trying to get the USCCB / dioceses/ Vatican etc to “comply with various state statutes requiring them to report the abusive Clergy to law enforcement or other responsible authorities, terminate the abusive Clergy, identify the abusive Clergy to the general public so that parents may protect their children going forward, release documents evidencing such Clergy abuse to achieve transparency, and such other relief the Court deems just and proper.” Entirely right and reasonable. Let’s hope that actions like this will put the wind up the Church and make it realise that it is sitting on an immense problem of its own making, and it now needs to be accountable, rather than trying to shift the blame -on to individual priests, to bad apples, to the Devil, to the Gays, and whoever else it can think of in order to minimise its own culpability, responsibility, liability, and blame.

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4.59: One word for you: thick. You are an uneducated fool. Get real. Get a life. Do something useful. Try to be grown up….

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@6.24
Your post is in the wrong place. Could you not post it properly?
In reply: highly intelligent, very well educated, extremely capable, very informed as to what’s going on, have a busy life, do very valuable work, am extremely mature.
Think I’ve covered all your quibbles.
Is St. Teresa of Avila not working for ye, today then? Ye sound a bit frazzled yourself. Maybe you could try some yoga if you’re not Christian. Did ye take offence at me saying I believed in standing up for others? Or was it the particular ‘other’ you didn’t like me standing up for?
All together now, “Ooohhmmm…….”

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Forget about boring blogs and sit back and admire some of those hottie seminarians in Maynooth. How are some of these cuties still attracted to it all. Prime time viewing on RTE! Beautiful xx

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Speaking as a Christian and a vegan I think you’re all horrible bullies and I will never darken this blog’s door again. You’re asking for a judgement.

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LOL I hope you can find one. Actually Pat, despite the amount of abuse thrown at me today I have a very important point which I know you agree with because you periodically comment in words to the effect of, a Catholic priest in the hierarchical church is complicit in the actions of that church. You are not because you are outside it. I am not because I am outside it.
But I’m afraid any cleric who prides himself on speaking out against abuse and is still in the peculiar position of indentured servant which clergy are, cannot expect to be taken seriously in the years to come.
This isn’t my opinion, it’s a prediction of what is going to happen. The RC church will lose any remaining credibility and this will be its own doing.
If clergy think I’m anti them they have seen nothing yet. I did actually express some sympathy for their predicament in a comment you either didn’t publish or which didn’t arrive.
Also shouting about anti Catholicism and bullying also won’t get them anywhere because you Christians are supposed to be blessed (or happy if you read some translations) when reviled and persecuted. It’s right there in their sacred scripture.

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At 10:21
If you are reading the beatitudes in Matthew 5 as giving you a licence to bully you could not have chosen a more perverted reading of the text.

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5:45 & 7:33 pm
Don’t say, Oooooohhmmmm
Instead, say, RiiiiiiiCccoooooooooo
All together; RiiiCccooooooooooo
Don’t t worry. It’ll catch on in time…..

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@9.20
No, yogis insist on “Ohhmm.”
Great about Rico, that’ll get rid of the fake Catholic homo Masonic nwo globalist clerics.
Can’t come soon enough. Give us our Church back.
Moral relativism, sayonara!

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9:02
Check out the latest video on YouTube from Gemma O Doherty on freemasons, Notre Dame and NWO.
Aired this evning.

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Pat, I occasionally look at your blog. Sometimes, I agree with your criticisms, other times I object but you are entitled to your opinions on your blog. What I find distasteful is the venom poured out against practically every priest, especially by Magna and a few other nasty, mean spirited, ugly contributors. I attended my local Church today for the 3.00pm solemn celebration and the Way of the Cross this evening. Very good crowds. The liturgies were reverently celebrated, with great preparation, music, reflections and imagination. We are fortunate that our Parish Priest, in his 50’s, is very creative in thought, preaching and presentation of liturgy. He has a good team of lay people, is welcoming to all and cares deeply. He is a great preacher and it’s evident that he prepares well. I suspect there are many like him right across the country. They deserve our support and affirmation. I hope that your celebrations will likewise be uplifting. This week, Holy Week, should surely be inspire to recognise goodness and dedicated service from our priests.

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@9.25
The whole point is that the vituperative anti-priests are not practising Catholics who are annoyed at priests but rather they are a cohort ( as today’s lot are) of professional anti -Catholic ethics ers.
They are against EVERYTHING Christianity and Catholicism stands for. They only use the priest thing as a tool. They don’t give a toss about victims. Their agenda is destruction of ALL Christian morality.
Don’t fall for it. Don’t try to sensibly engage. They are snakes.

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Wance Hupon a time there was a fella called Jesus. Then there was a church with signs symbols and fellas in skirts. Tik tok time and the symbols became God and Jesus got forgot. Now we got a frustrated band of brothers like a shell without a egg . Is it any wonder good priests and people’s are confused. The rest are trying to justify and survive in the order of the teapot with the twisted spout hi

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Good Nite fly hi.
Begorra fly an egg without a shell runns all over. Did ye kiss th cross hi.
Love is His word and way butt th tale is in a knott. If th spout is twisted th tea misses th mug.
Tick tock time will tell all.
Nite fly hi.

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Twitter is gone into meltdown with hottest priest/seminarian EVER – Niall McDonough – on Late Late Show
Ever woman on Twitter is on about him!

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Update: Niall has left formation and is no longer on Seminary. Pity. Not sure why he was on the Late Late at all.

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What and why call Eamon Martin ‘your or his grace’
What utter nonsense .
He is a servant of the church and of the laity.

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Pat why is Eamon Martin continuing to protect Stephen Wilson after Brendan Marshall was removed from formation.

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Michael Mullaney and Michael Byrne are the perfect couple. Mullaney like his kittens with sexy thin physique and unquestionable loyalty.

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It is time to abandon two titles: his lordship and his grace. These are borrowed from aristocratic societies, the first to refer to an earl and the second to a duke.
So, instead of the church’s acting as a levean in civil society, sometimes the influence went in the other direction: the church adopted structures of civil, imperial, aristocratic societies.

Another sordid example was the separation of nuns (all, by definition lay women) into choir sisters and lay sisters – a residue of a hierarchical society and vestige of a caste mentality.

The gospel speaks eloquently about first and last, servant and master. How did we get it so wrong? His lordship! His grace!

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