Archbishop: Helping With Lynn's Bail 'Reasonable'

[Baloo]

Brother, the Rule aside, how do you think it will look? Do you really think people will be mollified by that explanation in Philly, or just write it off as another excuse to cover things up? I suspect a lot of people would prefer the Archbishop damn himself if the alternative meant someone who did these morally reprehensible acts getting a break. Sad to say in America many people, Catholics included (not me) could give a pig’s hind foot about the rule of St. Francis. I mean, this is a country that still mandates castration as an actual punishment for sex offenses, they won’t care if the reason for this is justified by God or man.

This is not meant to disparage any prelate or priest, merely to point out the fact that your average man in the street, reading the paper, won’t buy your explanation.

With this kind of reasoning, the Church may as well start promoting abortion and contraceptives, because they look good in the court of popular opinion

 

[pnewton]

With this kind of reasoning, the Church may as well start promoting abortion and contraceptives, because they look good in the court of popular opinion

That was my thought. The AB must do what he sees as just regardless of the politics.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Sorry, I’m just not sympathetic to Monsignor Lynn. I will not fault the Archbishop for posting bail, but whether or not Lynn broke the law…from what I know of the case Lynn was morally wrong. The reason for the conviction being overturned is not that the facts presented were wrong…but that the law as written at the time did not apply to people not in direct supervision of Children. It appears Lynn DID know at least one priest he was dealing with was an abuser and he did NOT protect children.

 

[Lormar]

I think what Archbishop Chaput did was a wonderful example of real Catholic charity and fortitude. And none of us that I know of are privy to what went on in the Archdiocese. I’m not going to judge what Monsignor Lynn did or didn’t do, should’ve or could’ve, and anything else. Who of us knows what we would have done had we been in his shoes?

 

[pnewton]

Sorry, I’m just not sympathetic to Monsignor Lynn. I will not fault the Archbishop for posting bail, but whether or not Lynn broke the law…from what I know of the case Lynn was morally wrong.

Fortunately for Monsignor Lynn, when it comes to what is* morally* wrong, only God can judge him. While we can agree that failing to take actions to protect children is wrong, it is only morally wrong if one is aware that action needs to be taken. The problem with retrospective analysis is that one often uses knowledge that at the time was unavailable, like the understanding we have now on the difficulty of curing pedophilia.

 

[Yerusalyim]

Fortunately for Monsignor Lynn, when it comes to what is* morally* wrong, only God can judge him. While we can agree that failing to take actions to protect children is wrong, it is only morally wrong if one is aware that action needs to be taken. The problem with retrospective analysis is that one often uses knowledge that at the time was unavailable, like the understanding we have now on the difficulty of curing pedophilia.

Pedophilia has no cure…
Monsignor Lynn was dealing with Brenan and others in the mid 90’s…by then the FACT that pedophilia had no cure was well known. I’m sure the Monsignor is now “sorry” but sorry isn’t fixing the damage done to kids, nor the church that he had the ability to intervene in…and didn’t.

 

[pnewton]

Pedophilia has no cure…
Monsignor Lynn was dealing with Brenan and others in the mid 90’s…by then the FACT that pedophilia had no cure was well known. I’m sure the Monsignor is now “sorry” but sorry isn’t fixing the damage done to kids, nor the church that he had the ability to intervene in…and didn’t.

Cure? No. Treatment? Yes. I still say that neither you or any other mortal has any business judging someone’s moral guilt, that is, if I take the word of Jesus to heart. You can not read his mind. You do not know what he thought as far as how effective any cure or treatment can be. This country still releases and grants probation to child abuses. As a nation, we are willing to accept the possibility of treatment.

As far as the damage done kids, I do not think the re-hash of history is in their best interest, but then I believe the best interest of child victims should come first.

 

[saintjohnxxiii]

You have to remember that the Archbishop is a Friar Minor above all things. He must obey the Holy Rule. The rule commands that he do what justice allows. In this case, justice allows for bail. He cannot disobey Francis. He would forfeit his soul.
**
Do you want him to disobey his spiritual father and forfeit his soul?**

Are you suggesting that if the Archbishop doesn’t grant bail he is damned to hell?