SILVERSTREAM UPDATE.

I remember in the Nineties how new religious foundations such as this one were meant to revitalise consecrated life in the RCC, when it became obvious that the established religious orders had ducked the issue of reform -and had opted to make their lifestyles more secular and comfortable instead. Of course, a lot of these new attempts at religious life subsequently proved to have their founders addicted to psychological and sexual abuse, so the optimism has faded. However, one thing that the opponents of the RCC hate it for, that is the monolithic authoritarianism, has meant that the RCC can be effective in doing something about these poisonous new growths when it finally decides to do so. I’ve accumulated a lot of knowledge about “new age”, “new world” and “new religion” attempts at communal living since the Sixties, and the scale and types of abuse perpetrated in them are absolutely amazing. The point I’m making, is that those suffering abuse in “liberal”, “free-spirit” communes have nobody in higher authority to turn to apart from secular law enforcement. Thank God that the RCC has an authoritarian structure.

LikeLike

+ Pat, I admire the way that you are able to bring to the light so many irregularities, oddities, misdoings, and even alleged criminal behaviour that appears to go on amongst our bishops, priests and monks and in our churches, parishes and monasteries. It is important that there is a voice like yours that will fearlessly call these things out. One of the things I notice is that you never seem to get sued, which is a real indication to me that you are telling the truth and the facts, and they know it and know that if they did take you on they would find themselves being shown to be guilty of what you allege, and probably having to perjure themselves in order to deny it. The usual response from these people in the spotlight is to go to ground and to hope that the whole thing will eventually go away. I guess that many of them will be checking this blog each day just to see if they are still being mentioned, and breath a sigh of relief when they appear to have fallen off the stage. I think it’s important, as you are doing today, to refresh the memory and to keep them in the spotlight every now and again, just to keep them on their toes ! Life should not be too comfortable for those who lie, deceive, coverup, abuse, misbehave, live parallel and duplicitous lives, and who think that they are exempt from any norms of behaviour because they are clerics. So, please do keep an eye for us on the likes of Silverstream, Roreeee, Puck, Gaynooth, Rawhide Purcell and the myriad of other characters who deserve to be brought to our attention. It is one of the only ways of bursting their clerically entitled and privileged bubble in which, up until now, they have been able to act with impunity.
Of course, I would be the first to encourage you to desist in any case where the individual is honest and open and recognises his misbehaviour and does something about it, which in my book really means moving away from the clerical state and ministry and having the balls to go out in to the world and to find a new way of being. I say this because, from what I have seen, so many of these misbehaviours have to do with sexuality and sexual activity, and I am of the view that once they have shown that they are disinclined to keep to their vow of celibacy and chastity, it is well night impossible for them to do so in the future. Yes, they may do so for a while, but gradually they edge back to that kind of behaviour, only just trying to be more careful and not get caught. Until they get caught out again ! So, best to recognise this and move on. That would be more honest and I would be the first to admire their integrity if they did that. Sorry, tough, I know, but sometimes the tough approach is the best and most loving approach for all.

LikeLike