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SAFEGUARDING AT SILVERSTREAM AND MEATH

SILVERSTREAM

Dear Teresa,

Belatedly, I acknowledge receipt of your e-mail of January 30, 2023 to which I now hasten to reply. It is appropriate to highlight that at the time of this writing, you are the only individual who has engaged with my ongoing concerns about safeguarding within Silverstream Priory.

As I have previously highlighted the homepage of Silverstream Priory, the “SAFEGUARDING” url links to the webpage: http://www.meathsafeguarding.ie. For the sake of completeness, I checked before the composition of this reply that this was still the case. Therefore, it is all the more astounding that nobody within the Diocese of Meath (who have stated responsibility on the website of Silverstream Priory for safeguarding) has responded to my correspondence. And it is not unreasonable to infer that safeguarding is not a concern for Bishop Deenihan when it comes to the priests at Silverstream Priory, which is a most extraordinary reality.

The catalyst for the present correspondence was reading on the RTÉ news website yesterday that the Carmelite Order has accepted that it was “a grave failure” that the “serial abuser” John McClean, a teacher and rugby coach at Terenure College was not stopped. I respectfully submit there is no material difference between the insouciance of the Carmelites and Bishop Thomas Deenihan with respect to their on-going indifference to responsibility for safeguarding at Silverstream Priory.

DEENIHAN

Therefore, I will ask you to IMMEDIATELY approach Bishop Deenihan to definitively establish who is responsible for the priests at Silverstream Priory from a safeguarding perspective. I further ask that this information be provided by Bishop Deenihan in the form of a signed letter, and that it appears on the website of Silverstream Priory, the safeguarding website of the Diocese of Meath, and any other publication/media outlet that you consider to be professionally appropriate.

KIRBY

This request for confirmation should be relatively straightforward, because we know that the founding superior, Fr Mark Kirby was incardinated into the Diocese of Meath by a decree of the emeritus bishop, Michael Smith. I am told and have confirmed with a number of priests in Meath that Kirby was incardinated from the Diocese of Tulsa. We further know that Fr Benedict Andersen was ordained a deacon and a priest before he made solemn monastic profession; he is therefore I am told a priest of the Diocese of Meath. And we have a deadly and ongoing silence about who is responsible for Fr Hildebrand Houser. Is he still a priest of the Archdiocese of St Louis or is he priest of the Diocese of Meath?

Because Silverstream Priory is a community of diocesan right it does not have the authority under canon law to incardinate its clerics. Therefore, the priests of Silverstream Priory are priests of the Diocese of Meath, and in the case of Fr Hildebrand Houser, he is either a priest of the Diocese of Meath; and if he is not, then he is a priest of the Archdiocese of St Louis. He cannot be incardinated in both dioceses; he must be dependent on one bishop to exercise priestly ministry. On which bishop is Fr Houser dependent upon for priestly faculties? It is a very simple question to answer.

In any event, I am told it is irrefutable from the perspective of canon law that every priest who exercises ministry in Silverstream Priory can only do so with the written permission of Bishop Thomas Deenihan — so, why is Bishop Deenihan utterly incapable of confirming this known reality? Why is Bishop Deenihan so afraid of answering this question? Is it because if he admits the canonical/legal reality he knows he will potentially face a number of lawsuits?

Quite simply I am asking: why are none of the priests of Silverstream Priory listed on the directory of priests functioning within the Diocese of Meath?

KIRBY HOSTED BOY SCOUTS AT SILVERSTREAM !!!

I again direct your attention to by blog posting about the presence of Boy Scouts at Silverstream Priory, because it adds considerable urgency to the pertinence of my questions.

The advice contained within your reply of 30 January 2023 is noted and appreciated. However (at this time) I am unaware of any allegation, suspicion or knowledge of child abuse that has taken place on the grounds of Silverstream Priory.

Nonetheless, I would be grateful for a prompt acknowledgement of the present. I would be further grateful for an undertaking from you to ensure that the requested information is available to the public by no later than Friday 5 p.m., 3 March 2023.

Best Wishes,

  • Pat Buckley

PS: I believe that transparency is good for the Church, so I will place a copy of this correspondence on my blog.

Cc:
His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor, Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland.
Bishop Thomas Deenihan, Bishop of the Diocese of Meath.
Fr Basil MacCabe, Superior, Silverstream Priory.

101 replies on “SAFEGUARDING AT SILVERSTREAM AND MEATH”

Absolutely howling that the cultists who are relieved that you have (no doubt temporarily) dropped Los Angeles are equally annoyed that you have immediately returned to Silverstream.
I still think Meath is hoping to get Silverstream made a foundation of -Flavigny, is it?

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10:49 Agreed, it would indeed be a laughing stock but in light of the plight of victims, many sick and elderly & so many have died waiting for truth and justice – it’s no joke at all, these pious faced bastardos & their cohorts have blood on their hands. Shame on all of them. A thundering disgrace.

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+Pat, by “Teresa”, I presume you have written to Teresa Devlin, the CEO of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Is that correct?

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Teresa Devlin should also interest herself in the broader issues of Safeguarding in schools sited on Roman Catholic Church owned properties. Conflicts of interest all over the place and unauthorised use of private data etc.

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10.49: You should howl at your own stupid comment. Rather pathetic and childish. Many of us who comment on Pat’s blog do not always share his approach to many issues but admire his persistence in search of truth. He may well need to be less harsh but in the most recent blogs re: Bishop O Connell, we all share an interest and want to know the full truth. So, well done to Pat. As regards Silverstream, likewise we need the truth and Pat asks legitimate questions. Again, his questions are of concern to many. It’s prigs like you who lower the nature of the blog when you post inane scripts like this one and are only interested in gossipy, tabloid reporting. Rise above this if you can. I’ve no doubt we’ll be returning to the L.A. story soon again and with good reason. Thank you Pat but you ought to weed out silly commenters like 10.48.

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11:16pm Your church cult have a shameful history in “weeding out” the vulnerable for all manner of abuse and exploitation so the victims and survivors on here that Bishop Pat Buckley set up this blog to support are not at all surprised at your arrogance in imagining that you can make demands to have him censor the disgusting truth about your Cult. 10:49 is by far not the only one howling, your victims and survivors are howling for truth and justice and it’s gonna get louder and louder so get used to it. No surrender. 💪😇 💪

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@9:37

Well said. What’s bad can only get worse as the Cult as you correctly identify them have shown time and time again that their business Church comes first, all the time and every time over the victims and survivors and all impacted by their abuse, corruption and criminality.

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9.37: You’ve gone way off on a tangent – way off. You missed my relevant observation. That “thing” at 10.49pm is forever howling. Everything is a “howl” for him. So I merely brought attention to his utter inanity and stupidity. I stand with all who are genuinely grieving their abuse. 100%. But you’re not really interested, are you??? NOPE.

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1:53 demonstrating that to members of the cult anyone not doing what they want is a thing instead of a person.
Pro-life is always, always a lie.

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9:44 Rent is gone through the roof. Removal of ban on evictions imminent. Watch this space….

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3.38: Another constructed lie. Simple as. It’s becoming quite normal on this blig by “things” like you who rarely, if ever, go beyond sound bytes.

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11.16
You are expressing what others thing and feel about knee-jerk reactions such as those of the commenter you called out. In his case, oddly, the reaction anticipated the views of others. Pat doesn’t need to be given reasons from a commenter with his own agenda for why he started the blog. So, well said and keep them coming.

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10.24
Comments are what keep a blog going. The issue is not expressing an opinion but rather the nature of yours.

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10:04 No one died and made you God, it is unnecessary for you to “claim” speak for others in pursuit of your own agenda! Tell us about your Church and where we can find and comment on your blog or publicly have our say?

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11:29 I love the clerical omnipotence that makes priests here think they can control the discussion but also know who has posted every comment.
You only think you know everything, ‘father’ and I’m not intimidated by you as you would wish.

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12.18
Neither is necessity the issue. Your calling card ‘absolutely howling’ in itself a literary infelicity, what others might call your droppings, on this posting and elsewhere on the blog has garnered enough opprobrium for a reader to conclude what you say doesn’t go down well.

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3:38 One of the ways one knows that one is on the right track is by who is trying to silence one. The opprobrium garnered by my using the phrase absolutely howling does not reflect well on the lack of opprobrium garnered by the rape victims of the ‘Catholic’ ‘church’.

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5.12
Your usual technique: “Argument weak. Mention child sexual abuse.” Not that you care about it. Scraping the bottom of the barrel.

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Jesus, Pat! From the ultra-sublime, O’Connell, to the ridiculous, Silverstream.

Have you NO sense of priority, or occasion?

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Anon at 11.47pm
This was what I thought, same as yours re no sense of priority or occasion. It was strange, what gives 🤷‍♀️.
Anyway in a different topic pertaining to LA, Jesse romero was known to Bishop o Connell as they have met each other few times via spiritual warfare conferences in LA. I don’t know that much about J Romero except he occasionally popped up in church militant website re his deliverance ministry. His claims serms to be too much of a sensationalist story which people like ourselves may find it bit too far fetched or without any proper credible evidence. I understood he was a ex police officer whose skills was in martial arts and also a Latino to boot as well.
Info is on the Web. Look it and search if you like. It’s all there with some fake ones out there cos it’s the Internet.
The problem with LA story is that it kept changing their stories and shifting it to a plausible story which isn’t settled yet.
That said, it might lend a credence that police investigation pertaining to Connell might be crooked. It’s a possibility that I have considered it.
The reasons are
1. Chief police is a Latino and a Catholic to boot as well.
2. That police chief met Late Bishop o Connell on fee ocaasions relating to gang crime, racism immigration issues as well.
3. That police chief should recuse himself or step down from investigations due to bias and also a conflict of interest as well.
4. Another poster few days ago on this blog, was correct that it has all the hallmarks of any hollywood story cos it’s quite close to hollywood with plenty of intrigue, story changing from one thing to another, who dunnit story etc bit similar to some Agatha Christie story. Have been to LA just once back then as its a huge, vast place which displayed a devoid of real historical place or interest. I found nothing of interest there cos I’m keen history buff.
5. LA diocese lied their story to the public re possible cover up or their intention to mislead their catholic flock. They stated firstly that he died from ‘natural causes’ which they were forced to change it once another story emerged.
By all accounts, o Connell was a very good Bishop, quite approachable and also lovely man as well.
The main question here was did he get involved with the wrong people or a crowd such as dangerous gangs or what?

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‘The main question here was did he get involved with the wrong people or a crowd such as dangerous gangs or what’
Deaf Guy, don’t say that, the cult don’t like the truth. The main question for them is how to spin it. 😢

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Well done +Pat. In reality Safeguarding continues to be almost non existent in the Roman Catholic Church despite the lip service and pious platitudes from the Holy ones and their self styled community pillars.

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LA diocese already tried to spin their story that he died from ‘Natural causes’. They were caught when another story emerged. LA diocese was like a rabbit caught in the headlights re their original version.
Quite simply they can’t be trusted. However they will in all probability join up with LA police to present their joint up version.
A collusion of the highest order.
You might expect a Hollywood movie coming out of this story cos it has all the hallmarks of a great story bit like Agatha Christie story.
LA diocese has a dismal record of cover ups, telling porkies as truth or fact etc
Illustration of this is here :
https://www.latimes.com/local/lanow/la-me-ln-bishop-resigns-sex-abuse-20181219-story.html
https://www.latimes.com/california/story/2023-02-23/roman-catholic-diocese-sued-assets ( a classic example – right out of Cardinal Dolan’s textbook re moving assets).
https://cleanthechurch.com/the-axis-of-evil-in-the-archdiocese-of-los-angeles/

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10:26 Good morning Deaf Guy & thank you for your very interesting links on The Roman Catholic Church of Crooks & Criminals International headed up locally by Diocesan Bishops and their cohorts in Roman Catholic communities across the world.

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Fr Mark Kirby is dangerously dysfunctional as are many of his colleagues throughout the RCC. A danger to society.

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It is strange Silverstream seems able to attract a lot of young… well, let’s just say, bottle-openers, whereas seminarians are reported few on the ground at Maynooth.

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This shouldn’t be strange at all when you think about the particular socio-religious forces involved.
For another one think about the way Silverstream hangers on are likely to vote and you’re there.

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Former Corned Beef Inspector: Hello, my dear. How old are you?
Young attractive prospective postulant: Twenty-one, sir.
Former Corned Beef Inspector: Okay, you’re in!

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8am the cash safe in the Priors office is a deciding factor. No cost of living crisis evident in Silverstream Priory.

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Oh dear, Silverstream again ! Dodgy Kirby, Porn Again Elijah, Gobb Eye Deenihan, and the cast of other strange characters around the place. It is tiresome, but I do accept that + Pat does have to be like a dog with a bone in order to get this cast of characters to clean up their act. Because they won’t do it themselves, and nobody else seems to be interested. The confused lines of accountability in respect of safeguarding are worrying, in particular. It was confusion and carelessness like this that caused so many problems in the Church in the past, not noticing things, not addressing things, not asking the right questions, ignoring and worse, covering up. So, right or wrong, + Pat is absolutely right to pursue this matter and hold these characters to account, until such time as it is clear that Silverstream is a safe place for all. Not just a place of refuge for those with something to hide, for the odd and the bad.

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“I very much welcome today’s news that Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor as Apostolic Nuncio to Ireland. I pray God’s blessings on Archbishop Mariano and look forward to meeting with him when he takes up his appointment in Ireland in the near future.” – ++Eamon.
His Excellency, Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor must send a clear message of courage and integrity. Fr. Tom Deenihan must be quaking in his boots and rightly so. His episcopal hypocrisy and deceit have gone on for long enough. It is very understandable that parents in the diocese of Meath are suffering from safeguarding anxiety. What sort of respectable and trustworthy bishop punishes a victim of harassment?
Dom Benedict Andersen, the true Prior of Silverstream, must receive his letter of good standing without delay. ++Eamon and ++Mariano must leave no stone unturned. Fr. Tom Deenihan must be sent packing back to Cork, with his tail between his legs.

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Can he not be stationed in Silverstream and live with the consequences of his actions?
Let us not forget, The Summer of Strange Goings On. Tom as Vocations Director offered zero support to the C&R seminarian who found the star struck lovers in bed. The rule in Tom’s book, “if you report then you become the problem”. Tom shoots messagengers in biblical proportions – which may be part of why he was promoted. Why did Smith put him in as one of three names to succeed him is also an important question? What did Meath have that needed hiding?

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“Vocations promotion is something we’re going to need to have to keep working at,”
“The reality is that population trends in Meath are such – with Dublin moving out – that the guys around Dublin, in Dunshaughlin, Ashbourne and Dunboyne are working hard, and there’s an ageing cohort of priests too who will need to retire – and we need more.”
How is Fr. Tom Deenihan’s persecution of Dom Benedict Andersen promoting vocations?

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“What sort of respectable and trustworthy Bishop punishes a victim of harassment”?
So what would you call what Bishop of Killaloe Fintan Monahan and Abbot of Glenstal Brendan Coffey did to the woman targeted by Fr Gerard Fitzgerald in the Diocese of Killaloe, Ireland? Her details were clearly circulated in a blatant attempt to punish her for going public about Fr Gerard Fitzgerald.

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I would say few if any bishops are trustworthy. They are all company men and operate in much the same way as HR does in commercial organizations these days.

The carry on of Fintan Monahan was a disgrace in this case. But not surprising. I am sure that Ger Fitz got a nice payout to keep quiet while the victims get nothing, even denied a weekend in Glenstal. Where Kitty Kirby may be hiding out. You couldn’t make these guys up.

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10:51. Fr Des Hillery has reappeared in Killaloe so we can take it that he has safely taken care of that latest “bit of business”. Fr Des is “reliable”.

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It would make a lot more sense if you swapped “company men” for “company girls”, as most of them are… well, let’s just say, fruitcakes.

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10:51 Canon Toddy, if you’re that bothered about Fr Fitzgerald’s personal business, you can speak directly to Bishop Fintan Monahan in the Ennis Parish Center, Station Road, Ennis between 7:30pm & 9:30pm on Tuesday 28th February where he will be available to speak to the public about plans for the future of the Diocese of Killaloe.

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8:56 perhaps the new Nuncio will do right at long last by Dom. Benedict Andersen. It certainly is long long overdue.

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EVERY Diocese and Religious Order on the island of Ireland needs to be investigated.
Safeguarding MUST be completely independent of the RCC.

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4.43: Here we go again….the coward Seamus telling all to stand up against Bishop Deenihan, yet all he has done us huff and puff.. etc…..but the house is still standing. Seamus, now that you’ve noticed the arrival of the New Nuncio, perhaps you might appraise him of your truly wonderful concern about Dom Benedict! Now, this of course will mean walking from behind the comfort of your laptop and actually doing something constructive. Go and meet the New Nuncio. Go. Biodh tu misneach. Corragio! Corragio!!

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6.41: Think you’re asking too much of Seamus. After all he is a priest and therefore, has no moral courage.

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@6:41
All you have done is huff and puff..telling all how you find Seamus comments highlighting injustice to whistle-blower Dom Benedict Andersen..as boring. I hope you are never appointed to Episcopal office. Then again, you might be suitable since you find injustice so boring. On second thoughts, are you a Bishop….is it yourself, Tom? Fear not, for the new Papal Nuncio will be fully informed on Silverstream Priory.

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8.00pm: Sorry to burst your bubble. I’m not a cleric. I abhor all abuse as much as I abhor the daily sham of Seamus who, after weeks of crying over his buddy, Benedict, has done nothing constructive except to huff and puff….🐺🐺🐺🐺….That he’s a priest explains his cowardice.

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8:39
Tom, Dick or Harry, I don’t believe you. But never mind, sham.
The Papal Nuncio will be fully informed on Silverstream Priory.
Now that ought to cheer you up since you abhor all abuse.

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8.08..Go on, go on, go on Seamus. Surely your Bishop is not such a monster that you can’t knock on his door to mediate for your beloved Benedict? Hope your homilies are more interesting…

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+ Pat, you write “the RTÉ news website yesterday that the Carmelite Order has accepted that it was “a grave failure” that the “serial abuser” John McClean”.

I recall that there was a Carmite Bishop in Raphoe who got an iffy safeguarding review. Appointing Designated Persons who had no training, no wish to read the guidelines and no desire for the appointment. The reviews at the time noted the quality of Safeguarding to be dependent on the Bishop’s approach.

Following the Carmelite failures with their members, it is not timely to review Raphoe?

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9.50
The Carmelite retired Raphoe bishop belongs to a different order (OCD) from the one involved in Terenure (OCarm).
Are you really an ecclesiastic?

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I am aware of that, but they are not as disconnected ss you would lead people yo believe.

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That’s why they shouldn’t turn monks, friars and other religious into diocesan bishops. They don’t have a clue.

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Where can a guy doing a spot of anatomical redecorating get a Brazilian wax in Meath or Westmeath…?

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Has a shameful history in covering up abuse in Los Angeles and elsewhere. His successor appears to be equally adept in this heinous modus operandi in the Roman Catholic Church.

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Do most men need or want sex? Even when they vow celibacy? How did you deal with it bishop when you made the vow?

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Sex involves roles – dominant, submissive and switching. When you live in mis-managed obedience the need for the other role becomes a psychological craving. Suddenly sex becomes a dominant role in a mismanaged life. When the psychology becomes mismanaged that dominant role has no regard for the other party’s consent (or even the ability to consent). The result in abuse, abuse and abuse. In some cases that dominant want resulted in beating of defenceless children by priests, sisters and brothers.
– essentially we are looking at people who want control only because they are deprived of control over their own lives.

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Well I want and need and crave that control. It’s not easy being celibate. Those who abide by it – I admire you

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10:52 is furious that the Holy Goat, in one of the most insightful comments here ever, has said so much that the cultists deny.
Excellent comment Goat, thank you.

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10.29 This parallels the church’s resistance to any analysis of its power (including the denigration of liberation theology) and maintenance of its power to the exclusion of all else. We see it in the way the church resists implementing sensible safeguarding with every last breath, although that would clearly be in its long term interests. If the church had itself thought of safeguarding they’d be busy saying it was infallible and campaigning for their approach to be law.
I am asking myself the question I have asked here before: what sort of man would become an RC priest after the revelations of the last few decades, and the answer becomes increasingly unpalatable.

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@11.03
Thank you. I find this blog has opened my thought and reflective practice over the past number of years. It challenges me to better understand how we live. I like to share my journey so others might share that journey.

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10.06: Pat didn’t deal with it initially He responded to the urge by finding a partner. I’m sure he had great needs but eventually found a partner. All men, irrespective of celibacy, have the normal human emotions and sexual feelings. What a gift!!

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I have found a partner and he is stringing me along, I know I’m ugly and fat and not his type but why doesn’t he just let me go then, if you love someone you should set them free. Tell me the truth that’s all I want, even if the truth is devastating, it will set me free

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12:45 Not only the Irish public obviously. Anyone with the internet knows they’re not what they pretend to be and never have been. Centuries ago John Cassian reported how the office of Prime was introduced in his monastery to stop the monks going back to bed for a wank after the night office.

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Considering former social workers are involved in RCC Safeguarding at various levels, how many of these former social workers were involved in scandals, or scandals necessitating public inquiries, or cover ups yet to be brought to public attention, during their employment in the Health Services? Did any of these scandals involve collusion between RCC and State? YOU BETCHA!!!

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You would think holy mother church would be able to show them the way. They are, after all, merely a human profession, but the church cannot err.
The only alternative is the church actually doesn’t err and is, in fact all about child abuse.

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Conjecture about the underlying pathology of celibacy is multi faceted and can’t be attributed to one thing – the desire to dominate.
Celibacy is without doubt a perversion and spawns sterile impotents who feel their impotency as a castration which results In practice in cruelty, deep seated anger and resentments and insecurity.
A portrait of a priest if ever there was one.

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@ 5.24
The desire for control may manifest in sex acts, beatings, autocratic parish management, controlling other people’s activities… but ultimately I attribute it to mismanaged obedience rather than celibacy per se. Celibacy is a symptom of mismanaged obedience – rather than a driving force in the dysfunction

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Hopefully, Bp Pat, you will – finally – receive confirmation that the Diocese of Meath is responsible for Silverstream Priory where safeguarding is concerned.
If I were Irish, I’d be on to my TD about it.

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7:54 Don’t let not being Irish stop you, our TDs are renowned for their international perspectives.

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Local disgraced TD is Damien English.But surprse surprise his brother Fr. Mark is a priest of Meath diocese..

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NEW ZEALAND CATHOLIC CHURCH LACKS TRANSPARENCY IN DENYING SURVIVOR COMPLAINTS
Wellington(New Zealand)
SNAP – Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [Chicago IL]
February 26, 2023
By Christopher Longhurst
“The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) in Aotearoa says the Catholic Church in New Zealand is still failing to properly respond to credible allegations of clerical and religious child sexual abuse.
SNAP says no explanation is given to survivors on how decisions are made when their complaint is not accepted, nor what the standard of proof is for complaints to be credible. They also claim the decision process lacks transparency.” “SNAP says this is a denial of justice and a malpractice for which church leaders will someday be held to account.”
https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/AK2302/S00712/new-zealand-catholic-church-lacks-transparency-in-denying-survivor-complaints.htm

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Safe guarding is a concept developed by government. Go to Spain no safe guarding whatsoever. I worked in Opus Dei school loads of priests around in long dresses, 900 pupil boys only secondary school. Priests were lovely. I was teaching English…

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9:39
Spanish Government investigation of RCC child sexual abuse is ongoing.
Investigation began last year. Priests in long dresses, short dresses or dressless an irrelevancy. No safeguarding seems gross recklessness.
Safeguarding needs to be separate independently run with no RCC involvement.

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