![](https://bishoppatbuckley.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/screenshot_20220921_182421_chrome.jpg?w=1024)
FROM
CALDEY ISLAND SURVIVOR OF MONKS
The powerful account below is by Kevin, a survivor of abuse by Cistercian monks on Caldey Island and by Catholic priests. It is the most defining and important example of organised Catholic sexual abuse of children.
It is damning evidence that Catholic paedophile rings exist, hitherto denied or ignored. These priests and monks are not one-off individuals, one rotten apple, but a whole rotten orchard. It shows how Catholic predators focus their criminal attention on vulnerable families.
Although it has been exposed in Kevin’s local media, nothing has been done. Catholics just ignore these crimes which are hardly unique and are replicated in other Catholic communities, certainly amongst the De La Salles in Ipswich and in my Ipswich Catholic diocese when I was growing up.
But this is surely amongst the worst.
Kevin’s contact details are at the end of his account. Anything anyone can do to help – such as getting this account in the national media – do let Kevin know. Or passing this story on in your own social media. It is really important and needs to be known nationally.
EXTRACTS FROM KEVIN
At some time during the night, I got woken up by someone getting into my bed, I soon realized it was Father C, he started to touch me in my groin area and then he started to rape me even though I did not know at the time what he was doing.
I screamed and cried for my dad and mam, but no one came to rescue me.
After breakfast Father C wanted us to do confession with him.
The following morning, I woke up alone in my bed, I got dressed and went downstairs, everyone was acting normal morning except my dad took me to another room, pulling down my pants and put some sort of cream on my private bits, he did not say a single word to me.
When it got to my turn he just spoke sexually and upset me.
Father C went back to his parish on the Sussex/Surry boarders.
He did bath the three of us. Father C ,over the holiday, took me to see other priests and Bishops in different parishes.
I knew then that he was showing them his prize, me.
Father C took us back home and again he raped me in my own bed.
For the next 4-5 years Father C would abuse me at my home and now was taking me back to his Parish where priests and Bishops gang raped me. It was a terrifying time and the only escape I had was to go into fantasy world where my mind mode would protect me from the horrors. It lasted for hours or days.
When the evening got darker, I would be taken into a living room were there’d be up to a dozen priests and bishops waiting for me. I’d be given another tablet and some sweet drink ( Mead ) then a bishop or priest would go to the back of me and take my underwear off and then I would just go into safe mode.
Father Tadd came down to see me on the beach next day, waving chocolates and taken up to the sand dunes.
![](https://bishoppatbuckley.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/screenshot_20220921_182346_bbcnews.jpg?w=1024)
Eating the chocolates sitting on Father Thadd’s knees he started to grope me between my legs and kissing me wildly on the lips, I was so scared and upset that he was no different than Father C.
Eating the chocolates sitting on Father Thadd’s knees he started to grope me between my legs and kissing me wildly on the lips, I was so scared and upset that he was no different than Father C.
![](https://bishoppatbuckley.blog/wp-content/uploads/2022/09/screenshot_20220921_180431_chrome.jpg?w=1024)
PAT SAYS
Reading the above words should fill anyone with disgust and a very righteous anger.
This child was gang raped by RC bishops and priests.
He was an innocent lamb slain on their altar.
105 replies on “CALDEY ISLAND SURVIVOR OF MONKS”
‘Catholics just ignore these crimes which are hardly unique and are replicated in other Catholic communities’
Exactly. You’re either a criminal or a cover up merchant in a criminal organization.
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The more they try to hide from us, the harder we shall seek.
The more they try to bury the truth, the deeper we will dig.
The more they try to blind us, the truth we will see.
The more they try to bully us, the stronger we will become.
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Disgusting Pat. Truly disgraceful. A very close family member was left with a mark on his genitals after a priest from Armagh Archdiocese tried to bite him during an assault. Where did that piece of filth go? That story is far from resolved.
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10:49 where is that priest now? My family are being treated most disgracefully to put it mildly to deter us from calling wrong doing to account. It’s their lay volunteers and underground supporters who are not named formally as “volunteers” that are most treacherous and most useful to clerical hierarchy in attempting to completely destroy anyone who speaks up against any category of crimes committed by their inner circles.
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Church goers are some of the worst humans you can meet. They are brain washed fools.
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@10.49 seminaries are dangerous places for young men and few brave enough to report or it’s all hushed up and they pay them off to protect the reputation of the seminary and its ability to attract new recruits.
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Which seminary turned you down?
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7.15 what did you have to do to get ordained! Spill!
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There is no denying that what is described is a paedophile ring, and the actions of his own father cannot be overlooked either. May God let Kevin taste peace and justice. The poor man.
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It’s like the words paedophile ring and abbey are the same. Cf Fort Augustus Abbey and Ealing Abbey.
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Reply to;Anonymoussays:
Sep 22, 2022 at 8:43 am
Add to the other Roman Catholic cleric’s sex rings,
Benedictine Abbey schools with sex abuse,
Downside Benedictine Abbey School Somerset.
Ampleforth Benedictine Abbey school Yorkshire.
Douai Benedictine Abbey Reading, (former school.) etc. etc .
See; Sexual abuse scandal in the English Benedictine Congregation
From Wikipedia.
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Ealing Abbey was at one point with Soper and Pearce as head of the junior school was almost more than just a paedo ring. It wouldn’t be unfair to say it was basically like a Musgraves / wholesaler for Benedictine (and probably other) paedos. Fort Augustus the same but is closed at least. Posh Scottish Caths at least aren’t as oblivious as their English counterparts. That Ealing Abbey is still open (now co-ed and supposedly completely changed) as a school is frankly sad.
I hope Kevin gets justice. Money might help, but often it doesn’t, nothing can make that stuff right (tho it at least is a punishment certain religious orders understand, for public shaming barely impacted the English Benedictines, and the Trappists certainly provide plenty of material for this blog, and yet don’t care about being shamed, except how it might weaken the bottom line).
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11.59 Let us pray for peace and justice for Kevin and his siblings and family. We don’t need any church to do that. These wolves in sheep’s clothing and their vultures must be avoided at all costs.
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you mean what’s claimed?
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Aren’t the Caldey monks ex-Anglicans?
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The real history is widely available. AltaVista is your friend, 12:10.
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So sad, the lowest level of depravity, priests taking advantage of the children of a jobless alcoholic. And Kevin mentioned the nuns covering up for it. Heartbreaking cruelty.
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Now, listen: I have bought milk, dark, and white chocolate slabs from these men.
With cups of steaming coffee?
DELICIOUS!
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12:55. You are being very disrespectful to Kevin O’Connell, his family & all other victims and survivors of church related abuse. Shame on you. Time you woke up and smelt the coffee, you horrid person. You should be made to sleep in a stable with no straw and an empty trough and see how you like it. 🐝
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Their chocolates was used to trick children into been taken to the caves.the dunes. The Abbey ruins to be abused and raped. Their chocolate is the food of the devil
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10:52 if the Church is not going to apologise and compensate you and your family for exploiting your family circumstances in such a deprived and heinous manner, then you need to expose this to the international media and hopefully at the very least, it will empower others to come forward and help to prevent this and other forms of church supported abuse happening in the future. Church and State have a long historical record in supporting abuses where there is a conflict to their own interests in bringing individuals inside and outside of the Church to justice. Abusers buy strenuous support from the Church via charitable donations, gifts, benefits in kind etc. At the end of the day, the Roman Catholic Church is a business, their only God is money and they wear the cloak of Satan to protect their wealth and truth about the gross depravity of themselves and their “friends”.
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I can’t believe you are making light of very seriously disgusting crimes.
Your silly comment is in the wrong place, at the wrong time.
Caldey Island: Historical child sex abuse claims re-investigated
By Gwyn Loader
Chief correspondent, Newyddion S4C Published 1 December 2021
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12.04
Nonsense! I didn’t make light of child rape at 12.55; I just complimented Caldey Island chocolate.
How the hell is complimenting confectionery tantamout to condoning child rape?
You’re a fool.
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12.55 Disgusting inappropriate comment. you are sick and twisted.
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The RCC stands for the Rotten Corrupt Cabal. How the hell do they get away with it?
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7:41 friends in high places, that’s how 😒
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9:34 Mafia is what those sickos are, all cover up for each other.
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@ 7:41am
Don’t believe everything you read, especially on this blog whose agenda is well known. Your comment tells us you’re anti-Catholic and it suits you to agree with any negative comment.
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Translation: Poor us being persecuted by having our cult’s prolific criminality progressively revealed.
The only question is when they’re going to canonise Jimmy Savile.
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He is in the queue behind the new King’s friend, Bishop Ball.
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10.04 you don’t give a damn about what those disgusting and depraved priests and nuns and their paedophiie ring pals did to Kevin O’Connell, his brother and sister.
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Reply to; Annonymoussays:
Sep 22, 2022 at 10:04 am
Your reaction of disbelief is not uncommon when heinous sexual crimes against children are reported and, committed by Roman Catholic clergy, many sexual abuser priests have in fact used that very tactic, by telling the children, if they tell, it won’t be believed, after all, who would think a man of the cloth would stoop so low, we are fortunately wiser now, but there are always a few diehards like yourself, who continue to be in denial. If I, or, my loved ones, or, those in my immediate circle have not been violated, it has not happened.
Revealed: monk who abused children on ‘crime free’ Caldey Island for decades Amanda Gearing @AmandaGearingFri 17 Nov 2017 18.00 GMT
Exclusive: Abuse by a monk who preyed on girls on a tiny island off the coast of Wales was covered up in the 70s and 80s
Caldey Island sexual abuse independent inquiry call
Published 21 November 2017
Three more women allege abuse by Caldey Island monk | Waleshttps://www.theguardian.com › 2017 ›
Caldey Island abbot apologises over failure to report abuse claims
This article is more than 4 years old
Daniel van Santvoort acknowledges that allegations against Father Thaddeus Kotik should have been passed on to police.
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10.04 the Roman Catholic Church agenda lies in its devotion to covering up all manner of crime and corruption worldwide as headlined in international media.
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9:07 Jimmy Saville was very generous to some with church connections,
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7:41 Church and State make it pay.
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The cathbots are remarkably quiet today: only one comment moaning about anti-Catholicism. Perhaps even they are reaching the end of ways to justify abuse to themselves.
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There are no words… name these horrid people.
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Awful reading this first thing in the morning having my coffee, that poor child. Jesus Christ. I can’t understand how any one could hurt a child or an animal.
Sad reality is you could be sitting beside the nicest person in the world and have no idea what is really going on in their heads. Paedophiles, murderers.
It’s frightening ….
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9:41 it’s very frightening and you open your newspaper and there they are photographed in carefully arranged publicity stunts engaging in charity events and the like deliberately orchestrated by media savvy clergy & their inner circles to intimidate their victims & to shut them up about ongoing scams & wrong doing against vulnerable. Murderous, evil thieving types thrive in Catholic communities.
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9:41
It’s not always the case that you wouldn’t know. Sipe wrote a handy guide for spotting a possible abuser:
http://www.awrsipe.com/Comments/2006-01-30-Spot_an_Abuser.html
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Now that is the definition of someone that was ‘ABUSED’ by the church. A real victim.
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9:47 it is very questionable that church and state have chosen to intimidate Kevin O’Connell and his family. Not very Christian nor indeed legal from several viewpoints.
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Reply to; Anonymoussays:
Sep 22, 2022 at 10:10 am
You don’t think so? Inform yourself.
Child abuse royal commission: Victoria Police admits ‘Catholic …https://www.abc.net.au › news › victoria-police-covered…
7 Dec 2015
Catholic cops involved in cover-up of child abuse by priestshttps://www.theage.com.au › National › Victoria
4 Jun 2015 —
Ireland report into abuse by Catholic priests finds police coveruphttps://www.csmonitor.com › World › Europe
2 Dec 2009
Catholic cops involved in cover-up of child abuse by priests
John Silvester
By John Silvester
June 4, 2015 — 1.52pm
Ex-detective Denis Ryan wins compensation decades after being pushed out of Victoria Police
By Danny Tran
Posted Mon 7 May 2018
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2:22pm Thank you. It’s no wonder they get away with so much when the law on their side, church using donations to buy their way out of accountability. Dreadful two faced people.
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What I don’t understand was, why didn’t he report it to the police?
What’s stopping him?
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10.10 he was a child and teenager, he was deliberately targeted by the priests because the family was vulnerable, who is going to help or believe them. Look at all the paedophiie rings with judges and police in membership. Power is a very dangerous commodity in the hands of committed perverts in high places.
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I did report all this to the police but they did not do a proper investigation.
But were keen to harrash me and my wife. They don’t want to know. They have strong ties with the Abbey
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9:24 they have no interest in helping ordinary people, they have too many links and pressure is piled from management above to quash individual cases because they know there are much bigger cans of worms still unopened. Church and State collude to harrass and intimidate & keep pushing against the floodgate doors to keep them tightly shut against the truth & avoid any risk to their wealth being siphoned off in rightful compensation claims. I am terribly sorry for what you and your family have suffered. We will help you on here as much as we can and help you get your need for justice out there.
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I’m not surprised at all Kevin, I know so many people who were molested back in those days , not just by priest but by relatives and none of them were listened too and got justice, it’s just awful. The guards are useless. Remember 20 years ago got no help from a situation I was in, not molested completely different issue of abuse. Physical by a man. Guards didn’t help so my uncle’s picked him up in the car and took him into the forest and thought him a lesson he would never forget. There’s always more then one way of dealing with people 🙂
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How do you know that some of your abusers were bishops? It would be unusual for several bishops to turn up at Caldey simultaneously and go unnoticed.
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https://ocso.org/monastery/caldey/
https://caldeyislandwales.com/
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This story is only the tip of the iceberg.
Paedophile protectors and those “outwardly respectable” types are the most useful to corrupt clerical cabal.
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Kevin, do Keep naming and shaming these perverts until someone in power is forced to listen and do something about them. Big money, power and privilege at stake for them and their cohorts so they’ve gotten away with various levels of abuse and deliberate victimisation for decades and more if truth be known.
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Human beings particularly vulnerable persons and families are simply clerical fodder to be abused however possible whether it be sexual, financial, emotional, breach of any category of human rights that can inflict because enforcing pain is what they & their sick and twisted lay pals get off on. Thieving Scum stealing dignity, peace of mind wherever they can. Poison.
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On the March !!!! Onwards and Upwards.
Catholics now out number Protestants in Northern Ireland.
Census figures published today show that show that 45.7 per cent of the population said they were either Catholic or brought up as a Catholic.
The figures for Protestants (and other Christian faiths) was 43.5%, while 1.5% were from other non-Christian religions.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L_5m4wiU4cE
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10:46 I had that on my bingo card but you got there before me!
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There are more people in NI describing themselves as having no religion, than there are Presbyterians in NI.
In my lifetime, the number of Anglicans in NI has fallen by a third but the number of Catholics has doubled. As the Easter Vigil liturgy says, “the Church is constantly blessed with new members”.
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How terrible for the children. 😭
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11.38 Clergy don’t like children.
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How can so many supposedly ‘good’ people in Church and State
not do anything to end the aiding, abetting and covering up of crime?
Bishops or religious superiors covering up crime must be prosecuted.
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11:54 Always wonderful to have an ‘expert in humanity’ share their ‘wisdom’.
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I did report all this to the police but they did not do a proper investigation.
But were keen to harass me and my wife. They don’t want to know. They have strong ties with the Abbey
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Reply to; Anonymoussays:
Sep 22, 2022 at 12:10 am
Not now. It’s been inhabited by Roman Catholic Cistercian monks since 1929
Caldey Island – Cistercian Wayhttp://www.cistercianway.wales › st-clears-tenby › calde…
It was founded by Aelred Carlyle, an Anglo-Catholic who was determined to restore Benedictine monasticism in the Anglican church.
Revealed: monk who abused children on ‘crime free’ Caldey Island for decades
Exclusive: Abuse by a monk who preyed on girls on a tiny island off the coast of Wales was covered up in the 70s and 80s
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Over the years I spent time on retreat at Caldey Island and had lovely moments of peace. I had a great spiritual confessor from among the monks, a wise, learned and very spiritual man. He inspired my prayer and ministry. Having had beautiful times in retreat and savouring every moment, I am shocked to read the story from Kevin today. It is an horrendous story. Hoping to find peace, safety and comfort from his father and the local priest, his Caldey haven turned into a hell. I hope Kevin is able to find justice which may eventually give him a peace that eluded him for too long. The obvious collusion of church and state is disgusting, as it always has been.
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Kevin O’Connell and his family deserve long awaited and overdue justice and support from all responsible authorities in Church & State. Anything less is entirely criminal and unacceptable.
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Correspondence from Petition Coordinator
P-05-954 Petition for a public inquiry by the Welsh Government into the historic child abuse on Caldey Island.
Correspondence – Petition Coordinator to Committee, 22.10.21
Update from the Caldey Island Survivors Campaign (Caldey Island Victims Campaign) 20 October 2021.
Recent concerns and issues are as follows:
1. Lack of accountability of the Roman Catholic Cistercian Order of Caldey Abbey.
Caldey Abbey, like other monasteries in the Cistercian Order in the UK and internationally, has autonomy in how they run their affairs. Although Caldey Abbey is identified as being within the remit of Roman Catholic structures –
the Pembroke Deanery and the Diocese of Menevia – Caldey Abbey in its constitution and practice is independent of the Roman Catholic Church.
The hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Cistercian Order hold only light touch guidance, rather than authority, over the concerns and administration of the Abbeys, other houses and establishments, and over the behaviour of monks, nuns and lay members.
Caldey Abbey did not respond to a request by Catholic Organisations for Renewal (COR) to submit a form to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse England & Wale (IICSA). Caldey Abbey and other Cistercian establishments in the UK have not participated in IICSA, and the findings of the IICSA report into the Roman Catholic Church show that they
did not inquire into any Cistercian establishments in the UK. It may be the autonomy of the Cistercian Order that influenced their lack of inclusion in IICSA.
Since the sexual abuse on Caldey Island came to light the Abbey has entered into a safeguarding arrangement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Menevia, however this relationship is a voluntary one and, as stated in earlier submissions to the Petitions Committee, the Roman Catholic Abbey have insisted on retaining oversight of past, present and future safeguarding.
Caldey Abbey have appointed a parish safeguarding representative, Reverend Kevin Simpson, who is an ex-South Wales police officer. He is also a Director of Caldey Island Estate Company Limited. We feel that there is a conflict of interest here in terms of Rev. Simpson’s relationship with a Welsh police force, and in his company directorship of Caldey Island.
Good safeguarding practice requires independence from any direct interest in the organisation, as does any police investigation of wrongdoing.
2. Police investigation – victims have lost faith, local police have a conflict of interest, police have failed to conduct a full investigation.
There are further concerns over a conflict of interest in the role of Father Liam Bradley, the Roman Catholic Dean of Pembroke whose parish contains Caldey Island, as he is also the Lead Chaplain for Dyfed-Powys Police.
Fr Bradley’s connection to Caldey, via his Roman Catholic parish and his role of Dean, is strong and ongoing and is enthusiastically promoted on social media. He regularly takes children and young people of his parish to visit and to stay on Caldey Island as guests of the Abbey.
Again, we feel that connections between the local police and the island represent a conflict of interest, and that if investigations into sexual abuse on Caldey were ever to be reopened then an external police force, without connections to the Roman Catholic Abbey and with experience of investigating large scale historic child sex abuse, should carry out
any such investigation.
Victims have lost trust in Dyfed-Powys Police. Dyfed-Powys Police have carried out minimal investigations into the historic child sex abuse on the Island, citing Fr. Thaddeus Kotik’s death as a reason for their lack of interest inpursuing any deeper level of investigations.
Kevin O’Connell’s sexual abuse was verbally minimised by the Dyfed-Powys officer responsible for investigating the abuse that Kevin experienced.
Kevin’s sister Rebecca O’Connell, who is deceased, was also abused by Fr Thaddeus Kotik. Dyfed-Powys Police said they would investigate the abuse Rebecca experienced but failed to provide any action in this regard.
We are not aware of any attempt by Dyfed-Powys Police to look into Kotik’s career of sexual abuse prior to the abuse documented on Caldey in the 1970s and 1980s. There cannot be any doubt that Kotik was a serial abuser, and potential abuses prior to this date should also be considered.
3. Savile/Kotik
Operation Yewtree, the police inquiry into the abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, was initiated after Savile’s death following 8 of his victims coming forward to report his abuse of them. The inquiry then extended into an inquiry into the responses of statutory agencies. We would like this pathway to be followed for the a police or public inquiry into
abuse experienced on Caldey Island.
26 victims of sex abuse on Caldey Island have now come forward and reported abuse from Fr Thaddeus Kotik. Rebecca O’Connell is a further victim. Yet despite the number of victims Dyfed-Powys Police have consistently failed to take any investigation beyond a superficial point, citing that as the abuser/abusers are dead, they cannot pursue a police
inquiry. We need a public inquiry to ascertain not just the scale of the abuse, but also why Dyfed-Powys Police have delayed or failed to investigate some of allegations of abuse, and consistently refused to commit to a fuller and wider investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police have not put out a call for victims, witnesses or those with information about abuse on Caldey Island to come forward, although this was requested by Kevin O’Connell in 2018.
As a result of Operation Yewtree, investigations into historic child sexual abuse will now inform potential victims if others have also complained. Dyfed-Powys Police have not done this.
3
Also as a result of Operation Yewtree, it is now standard practice for investigations of historic child sexual abuse to consider the reports as a one whole, rather than treating them as a series of individual complaints. As far as we are aware Dyfed-Powys Police have not done this.
As the victims have lost faith in Dyfed-Powys Police as a result of the failings outlined here and the conflict of interest that we believe exists, we consider that if a full police investigation is to happen it must be enacted by an outside force with experience of investigating historic child sexual abuse on a large scale.
4. Was Caldey Island a paedophile hub?
Solicitors Michael Imperato and David Greenwood, acting on behalf of Caldey Island victims, both consider that from the scale of abuse reported by victims that it was perpetrated on an industrial scale, and that it is likely that Caldey was a hub for paedophiles.
As well as sending their victims postcards and letters, home visits appear to have been a feature of both Kotik and Roman Catholic Society of Jesus Jesuit priest aka Jesuit priest, Fr Charles Jeffries’ pattern of sex abuse.
Fr Thaddeus Kotik and Fr Charles Jeffries knew each other, and Fr
Charles met Kevin O’Connell on Caldey Island. Both Kotik and Jeffries were regular visitors to the O’Connell family home, staying overnight and abusing Kevin and possibly his sister Rebecca in the home. Kevin’s younger brother confirms the abuse in the family home in connection with Kevin, in a letter which we have attached. Another victim
has previously stated that Kotik abused her in her own home.
Fr Charles Jeffries took Kevin to Sussex for a period of time, and with others abused him in Sussex. Kevin states that in this house there was another young boy, who he thinks was also being abused.
We know that from the 1970s onwards 5 perpetrators of child sexual abuse were living as social media. He regularly takes children and young people of his parish to visit and to stay on Caldey Island as guests
of the Abbey. Again, we feel that connections between the local police and the island represent a conflict of interest, and that if investigations into abuse on Caldey were ever to be reopened then an external police force, without connections to the Abbey and with experience of investigating large scale historic child sex abuse, should carry out
any such investigation.
Victims have lost trust in Dyfed-Powys Police. Dyfed-Powys Police have carried out minimal investigations into the
historic child sex abuse on the Island, citing Fr. Thaddeus Kotik’s death as a reason for their lack of interest in pursuing any deeper level of investigations.
Kevin O’Connell’s abuse was verbally minimised by the Dyfed-Powys officer responsible for investigating the abuse that Kevin experienced.
Kevin’s sister Rebecca O’Connell, who is deceased, was also abused by Fr Thaddeus Kotik. Dyfed-Powys Police said they would investigate the abuse Rebecca experienced but failed to provide any action in this regard.
We are not aware of any attempt by Dyfed-Powys Police to look into Kotik’s career of sexual abuse prior to the abuse documented on Caldey in the 1970s and 1980s. There cannot be any doubt that Kotik was a serial abuser, and potential abuses prior to this date should also be considered.
3. Savile/Kotik
Operation Yewtree, the police inquiry into the abuse perpetrated by Jimmy Savile, was initiated after Savile’s death
following 8 of his victims coming forward to report his abuse of them. The inquiry then extended into an inquiry into the responses of statutory agencies. We would like this pathway to be followed for the a police or public inquiry into
abuse experienced on Caldey Island.
26 victims of abuse on Caldey Island have now come forward and reported abuse from Fr Thaddeus Kotik. Rebecca O’Connell is a further victim. Yet despite the number of victims Dyfed-Powys Police have consistently failed to take any investigation beyond a superficial point, citing that as the abuser/abusers are dead, they cannot pursue a police
inquiry. We need a public inquiry to ascertain not just the scale of the abuse, but also why Dyfed-Powys Police have delayed or failed to investigate some of allegations of abuse, and consistently refused to commit to a fuller and wider investigation.
Dyfed-Powys Police have not put out a call for victims, witnesses or those with information about abuse on Caldey
Island to come forward, although this was requested by Kevin O’Connell in 2018.
As a result of Operation Yewtree, investigations into historic child sexual abuse will now inform potential victims if
others have also complained. Dyfed-Powys Police have not done this.
3
Also as a result of Operation Yewtree, it is now standard practice for investigations of historic child sexual abuse to
consider the reports as a one whole, rather than treating them as a series of individual complaints. As far as we are
aware Dyfed-Powys Police have not done this.
As the victims have lost faith in Dyfed-Powys Police as a result of the failings outlined here and the conflict of
interest that we believe exists, we consider that if a full police investigation is to happen it must be enacted by an
outside force with experience of investigating historic child sexual abuse on a large scale.
4. Was Caldey Island a paedophile hub?
Solicitors Michael Imperato and David Greenwood, acting on behalf of Caldey Island victims, both consider that from
the scale of abuse reported by victims that it was perpetrated on an industrial scale, and that it is likely that Caldey
was a hub for paedophiles.
As well as sending their victims postcards and letters, home visits appear to have been a feature of both Kotik and
Jesuit priest Fr Charles Jeffries’ pattern of abuse. Fr Thaddeus Kotik and Fr Charles Jeffries knew each other, and Fr
Charles met Kevin O’Connell on Caldey Island. Both Kotik and Jeffries were regular visitors to the O’Connell family
home, staying overnight and abusing Kevin and possibly his sister Rebecca in the home. Kevin’s younger brother
confirms the abuse in the family home in connection with Kevin, in a letter which we have attached. Another victim
has previously stated that Kotik abused her in her own home.
Fr Charles Jeffries took Kevin to Sussex for a period of time, and with others abused him in Sussex. Kevin states that
in this house there was another young boy, who he thinks was also being abused.
We know that from the 1970s onwards 5 perpetrators of child sexual abuse were living as monks or as guests of the
Cistercian Order on Caldey Island – convicted paedophiles Fr John Shannon from 2008 to 2009, John Cronin in 2009,
Paul Ashton from 2004 to 2011 as well as the Fr Charles Jeffries, and of course Fr Thaddeus Kotik. We have very
recently been provided with information, by an ex-neighbour of recently convicted historic child sex offender
Anthony Preece, that Preece had stayed on Caldey Island. We are in the process of verifying this information.
Kevin O’Connell has very recently started cross-referencing the electoral roll for Caldey Island with names of priests
convicted for child sexual abuse. This painstaking and time-consuming search has only just started but has so far 3 names have emerged. However, it is work that should be carried out through the means of a public inquiry, or by a police investigation, rather than by campaigners and volunteers.
It is our opinion that it is likely that Caldey Island is known within paedophile networks as a safe place to be shielded,
with the opportunity to perpetrate active or online abuse whilst on the island.
The scale of abuse on Caldey could potentially be on a very significant scale. Over the decades there have been:
children who came on holiday with their families; referrals from RC churches in Wales and across the UK who came without their parents; a primary school on the island and a reform school on the island.
4
Two schools in South Wales contacted Kevin after the TV documentaries and said that as a result they would stop their children going to Caldey. Evidently children were still being sent up to that time, and visits to the island for school and parish children continue. The visits, holidays and retreats are encouraged by Caldey Abbey and by local Roman Catholic structures and churches.
In summary, the key messages from the campaign to the Petitions Committee are:
That we are currently occupied with attempting to discover, on a voluntary and part-time basis, the scale of abuse by known and by other potential perpetrators. This is a huge job, it exceeds our capacity, and properly falls within the remit of the police or a public inquiry.
We would urge the Senedd to hold a public inquiry into the abuse, and institutional facilitation/cover up of abuse by
the Abbey, on Caldey Island. This inquiry, in our opinion, would need to consider any failings by statutory authorities to protect children who stayed on or visited the island, and any failings in investigations into the abuse. It would also need to consider the structural issues of the autonomy and lack of accountability of the Cistercian Order as it operates within Wales.
If a public inquiry is unlikely to fall within Senedd powers or remit, or the Senedd considers that there is not enough
evidence for a public inquiry to be warranted, then we would like to request that Welsh Government recommend a full and thorough investigation, by an external police force with expertise in large scale historic child sexual abuse,takes place. That may reveal the new information that would be required for a public inquiry.
Dinah Mulholland 20/10/21
Coordinator, Caldey Island Survivors Campaignmonks or as guests of the
Cistercian Order on Caldey Island –
convicted paedophiles Fr John Shannon from 2008 to 2009,
John Cronin in 2009,
Paul Ashton from 2004 to 2011
as well as the Fr Charles Jeffries,
and of course Fr Thaddeus Kotik.
We have very recently been provided with information, by an ex-neighbour of recently convicted historic child sex offender,
Anthony Preece, that Preece had stayed on Caldey Island. We are in the process of verifying this information.
Kevin O’Connell has very recently started cross-referencing the electoral roll for Caldey Island with names of priests convicted for child sexual abuse. This painstaking and time-consuming search has only just started but has so far 3 names have emerged. However, it is work that should be carried out through the means of a public inquiry, or by a police investigation, rather than by campaigners and volunteers.
It is our opinion that it is likely that Caldey Island is known within paedophile networks as a safe place to be shielded, with the opportunity to perpetrate active or online abuse whilst on the island.
The scale of abuse on Caldey could potentially be on a very significant scale. Over the decades there have been: children who came on holiday with their families; referrals from RC churches in Wales and across the UK who came without their parents;
a primary school on the island,
and a reform school on the island.
4
Two schools in South Wales contacted Kevin after the TV documentaries and said that as a result they would stop their children going to Caldey. Evidently children were still being sent up to that time, and visits to the island for school and parish children continue. The visits, holidays and retreats are encouraged by Caldey Abbey and by local Roman Catholic structures and churches.
In summary, the key messages from the campaign to the Petitions Committee are:
That we are currently occupied with attempting to discover, on a voluntary and part-time basis, the scale of abuse by known and by other potential sexual perpetrators. This is a huge job, it exceeds our capacity, and properly falls within the remit of the police or a public inquiry.
We would urge the Senedd to hold a public inquiry into the abuse, and institutional facilitation/cover up of abuse by the Abbey, on Caldey Island. This inquiry, in our opinion, would need to consider any failings by statutory authorities to protect children who stayed on or visited the island, and any failings in investigations into the abuse. It would also need to consider the structural issues of the autonomy and lack of accountability of the Cistercian Order as it operates within Wales.
If a public inquiry is unlikely to fall within Senedd powers or remit, or the Senedd considers that there is not enough evidence for a public inquiry to be warranted, then we would like to request that Welsh Government recommend a full and thorough investigation, by an external police force with expertise in large scale historic child sexual abuse, takes place. That may reveal the new information that would be required for a public inquiry.
Dinah Mulholland 20/10/21
Coordinator, Caldey Island Survivors Campaign
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You will never ever win against the Cistercians, their worldwide network is tight as a drum. The clues lie in Alma Mater.
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A narcissists worst nightmare is an educated empath. Fiddle, fiddle, fiddle.
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It’s never ending. They never will learn. Keep fighting them Kevin, you will get there.
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Jesus, I’m actually disturbed after reading this story. Weldone for going public with it, I know it can’t be easy for you but it’s the only way to get to the church because they can’t cover it up, the more you name and Shame and keep telling your story loudly, the more it gets to them. So pump up the volume ✌️
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God bless social media, blogs and camera phones 😊 and the right to free speech.
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10:04. It’s not about hating catholics. It’s about detesting everything that the anti Christian organisation,which styles itself as the RCC, stands for . All the abuse, corruption, cover ups ad infinitum. Sure maybe we should all be like stupid sheep and just ignore it all ! Aye right
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What the faithful have missed is when someone critcises the church’s prolific crime and they describe that as anti-Catholic, they’re admitting that Catholicism is all about crime.
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The police, the State and social services are as bad as the Churches in covering up. Kincora coincidence: the latest Kincora sex abuse report was released during the Queen’s funeral; the last one appeared during Trump’s inauguration. The disinterest in taking any step to resolve the Kincora scandal is the only issue which now unifies the British and Irish governments.
The latest Kincora report was released on 19 September 2022 – the same day as the funeral of Queen Elizabeth II. The Hart Report was released during Donald Trump’s inauguration. While the latest report is critical of the RUC, it is far from the last word on what is the worst scandal of the Troubles. Many of the victims are still alive and suffering horribly on account of the vilification they have suffered at the hands of MI5, MI6, the RUC and the British government. Some have committed suicide.
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More details here:
https://villagemagazine.ie/kincora-coincidence-latest-report-released-on-the-day-of-royal-funeral/
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Kincora does drags in too many notables, not just Louie Mountbatten (though his incompetence as last Indian Govt Gen was maybe as ignoble sin as his paedophilia for it resulted in mass slaughter). Keeping it below the radar is probably agreed by the relevant people. At least it is a detailed investigation:
https://www.hiainquiry.org/kincora-material
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Also Knox Cunningham and Sir Peter Morrison (Thatcher’s friend).
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Pat, I am sorry I contributed a few more comments than I perhaps should have, this is a subject close to my heart. I will be accused by some to be hogging the blog, as was W.M yesterday I will stop now, as it will begin to cause annoyance and lose it’s impact.
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What happened to father c is he still alive ?
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No Father c die 3 days after I traced him through social media.
If the police had done a proper investigation in 2017 I would have gone to give my story. They ignore me so I went to the BBC to make a program about it. That made them slightly interested but to late to get justice
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8:33pm that’s what they do, deliberate feet dragging to protect their networks.
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Typical of the Cistercians! They have no class or conscience
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3:05 Cistercians extremely well connected worldwide
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Cistercians whether OCist or OCSO are in many places doing poorly with vocations (Our Lady of Getsemani, Kentucky, isn’t, but Thomas Merton still has a following and certainly isn’t unworthy of interest, but maybe it was and is all a bit guru like), but appear to be well off financially. Now it is the Vatican (the relevant dicastry) has been suppressing women’s religious houses under Cor Orans with small numbers but notable wealthy, but the new use of the houses fatally exposes the limited business expertise in the Roman Curia. Boutique hotels are not an easy thing. It would be interesting if this was tried with male religious, but the various confederations are not naked if the Vatican decides to be lawless, yet there were places which were nothing more than providing a safe haven for pederasts, and need the smack of some sort of law, even canon law.
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And some people still maintain that Christ founded RC priesthood?
Incredible.
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Abusers are the tares in the vineyard and they will be gathered up.
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This horror story reminds me of the Netflix documentary, The Keepers.
Where there is such psychopathic abuse of young children, there will likely be murder of them, too. I have no doubt of this.
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7:18 lured by the “Golden Hello” – watch this space.
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More entrants to Maynooth this year, the Irish Catholic has revealed.
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Speaking of revelations, wouldn’t a blog on Michael Kelly from that august publication be fun?
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7:18 lured by the “Golden Hello” – watch this space.
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More spongers on the way. More hypocrites willing to give allegiance, not to Christ, but to an institution they all know is systemically and incorrigibly corrupt.
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That Fr C needs to be nailed to the cross upside down hanging by he’s bollix , dirty prick!
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I was genuinely affected by reading this story this morning. Doesn’t usually happen. I can’t wrap my brain around it.
Kevin I wish there was something I could do, my heart goes out to you, it really does. If your in contact with pat , he would be your best option to spread awareness via this blog and to help accelerate your agenda and support network. he has connections and good knowledge regarding the church from within those god forsaken walls ,if only they could talk. which will be very useful to you going forward. no doubt he will try and help in any way he can as much as he can. keep up the good work , your a very brave man and if there is anything I/we can do in the meantime , i.e social media or other platforms, I would be happy to help. Keep us updated and best of luck with it, I hope you find the peace you clearly deserve. Stay strong buddy 💪
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Hi if everyone wrote to their MP to put pressure on the Welsh assembly for a public enquiry and also write to Dyfed Powys Police asking why are they not doing a full on investigation on historic child abuse on Caldey Island
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Bill Mulvihill, if you are reading this, I hope you are in good form. Mind yourself.
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Bills biggest and only supporter on here, I wonder who that could be. surprised he came to ennis the other day and didn’t hit you up he does keep mentioning how he hopes to meet you one day. Strange.
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He’s a big boy, I’m sure he’s fine 😆
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Don’t stir that hornet’s nest.
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9.42: Are you mad? That narcissistic bastardo doesn’t give a shit about anyone but himself. He is, by his own doing, an ugly person within and without. A nasty, insidious piece. Let Pat keep him in Larne..in a dog house!!!
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Hi everyone. I like to ask for all your help. If you could write to your MP it does not matter where you live.
Ask them to write to me Welsh assembly and pressure them to have a public inquiry into the historical child abuse on Caldey Island.
Also ask them to also write to Dyfed Powys Police asking why they also refuse to undertake proper investigation on Caldey Island. Also why are they failing to safeguard children staying and visiting Caldey Island.
Children come under the human rights to safeguarding.
The Abbot of Caldey island publicly stated that they retain the rights to oversee past present and future child abuse
This is what we are up against.
Kind regards kevin
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Please read the link from the BBC
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-59479131
The Father C is Father Charles Jeffries a priest of the Arundel and Brighton diocese. This diocese is no stranger to the sexual abuse of cxhildren by its clergy. Yet another was convicted and jailed recently- Father Anthony White
BBC Link
https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-sussex-61763435
Perhaps one of the blog community can offer an insight into this diocese- remember its previous bishops were none other than Murphy O Connor and Kieran Conry
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Hi. Many thanks for your blog. Your quite right. Father Charles Jeffries was the priest from hell the bishops always began the abuse.
Sussex and Surrey said to me last year that Father Charles had no links with known pidophile child abuses.
I don’t believe that.
I know he was on the board of a Catholic school.
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Kevin
Jeffries was ordained around 1967- you will need to get hold of The Catholic Directory for England and Wales from 1967 to around 2020. Look at the entry for the Catholic diocese of Arundel and Brighton and you can track Jeffries assignments- from parish to parish. There is an alphabetical index of clergy in this publication.
Once you have obtained a list of his parish assignments then you may want to contact local media outlets that exist in those parish areas he was assigned to. They may take up your case
https://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/libraries/3884-catholic-central-library
The Catholic Central Library in London may have those directories- I think you will find that Moth and Wright the Bishop and Safety Co-ordinator will not help you with that information.
Success in your endeavour for justice
https://www.imagebam.com/view/MEDYXJN
This might get you started- his obituary
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Cistercians whether OCist or OCSO are in many places doing poorly with vocations (Our Lady of Getsemani, Kentucky, isn’t, but Thomas Merton still has a following and certainly isn’t unworthy of interest, but maybe he was a bit too guru like), but appear to be well off financially. Now it is the Vatican (the relevant dicastry) has been suppressing women’s religious houses under Cor Orans with small numbers but notable wealthy, but the new use of the houses fatally exposes the limited business expertise in the Roman Curia. Boutique hotels are not an easy thing. It would be interesting if this was tried with male religious, but the various confederations are not naked if the Vatican decides to be lawless, yet there were places which were nothing more than providing a safe haven for pederasts, and need the smack of some sort of law, even canon law.
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