Failure to report sex abuse in Chicago archdiocese described

[dixieagle]

You may also want to go to the following site and discover the real reason for the start of the Servants of the Paraclete. It had nothing to do with “problem priests”.

theservants.org/servants.htm

Fr. Gerald Fitzgerald, founder of the Servants, was a dear friend of a saintly great-aunt of mine who was a longtime educator in the Boston area.

As far back as the 1930s, as she related to my father, Fr. Fitzgerald was greatly concerned about the issue of pedophile and ephebophile priests. He was frustrated that little was being done, and predicted that, unless the problem was recognized, it would cause the biggest scandal the Church had faced in centuries; he was certainly right.

The Servants were founded because Fr. Fitzgerald was troubled by the number of priests suffering from alcoholism and other problems. He was actively trying to convince bishops and at least one Pope of the seriousness of the abuse issue decades before any of the rest of us were awakened to the scope of the problem.

 

[dixieagle]

Yes, any adult could and can report this abuse and is obligated to…Now. People also need to remember that laws and practices were different when most of these cases were committed. Children were considered property until the 1970-80s. and there was little that law enforcement could do according to the law. Where were the parents while this was happening? Why didn’t they go to the police? For the same reason the Bishops didn’t go to the police, they didn’t want the victims exposed. It’s the same reason families who know this is going on within a family don’t want to go to the police, which happens significantly more often that cases involving a priest. It is just those cases don’t make the front page.

The first Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Children was formed in 1875, so society had been well aware for quite a while that children were not “property”. And if you really believe that the Bishops who covered up abuse did it because “they didn’t want the victims exposed”, you apparently have blinders on.

 

[puppypatrol]

I am simply tired of people blaming the “Bishops” and the “Church”. People made mistakes, not the Church. Some of the Bishops acted less than ideally, not all of them. There are too many people placing blame on entire groups for the actions of a few. Anyone at any time could have reported any of these instances; parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, institution workers, employers… If they were so appalled by the actions, where were they at the time.

And what about the many accusations that have been made against good priests that were later proven to be false. Their reputations were already ruined and their lives made a living hell by someone out to make a fortune. What about those who spread these rumors without any proof and ruin the lives of others. Who is blaming them. Why don’t we all try placing responsibility where it belongs, with the perpetrator and with a society that felt it was better sweeping it under the rug. Even today, many families will not report a family member because they are, well, family. They say “we will take care of it ourselves” and then nothing gets fixed. People don’t want to get “involved” or they say “it’s none of my business”. What about your own communities? Do you know what really happens in your neighbor’s house? Do you report it whatever “It” is. What do you want the police to do without proof? Do you report speeders on the highway or do you get angry because someone reports you for driving carelessly? The problem with society today is it is always someone elses fault and no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

Unless you are all perfect, you are not in a position to point fingers.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

Anyone at any time could have reported any of these instances; parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, institution workers, employers… If they were so appalled by the actions, where were they at the time.

That shows an incredibly poor understanding of abuse and abusers.

In relation to the children put into care, I agree they were in effect abandoned by society and society has indeed a role to play in what happened.

But in a catholic country, how much more safe and secure could you imagine a child to be than in the care of the shepherds of Holy Mother Church.

And how wrong society was.

 

[puppypatrol]

That shows an incredibly poor understanding of abuse and abusers.

In relation to the children put into care, I agree they were in effect abandoned by society and society has indeed a role to play in what happened.

But in a catholic country, how much more safe and secure could you imagine a child to be than in the care of the shepherds of Holy Mother Church.

And how wrong society was.

Being an abuse survivor, I understand more than you will ever even begin to know. I also know that, if I wanted to place blame, there is more than enough to go around.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

Some of the Bishops acted less than ideally, not all of them. There are too many people placing blame on entire groups for the actions of a few.

This presents another problem for me. Don’t the Bishops meet? And don’t they discuss issues?

What’s comming to light is that all the Bishops knew there was a deep fundamental problem in the church.

And they acted as ONE to ignore it, not report abusers they had dossiers 6 inches thick on, keep it all covered up.

Why didn’t just one Bishop, on hearing the evidence of an abuser, simply go to the authorities. Just one.

No other reason but they decided to act as a unified group, so noone could break ranks and do the right thing by law and God. They wanted the church protected from scandal and where prepared to do whatever it took to make sure that happened, even if it mean more and more victims of these abusers.

If the Bishops cared about the abused victims, why didn’t just ONE Bishop, on hearing or seeing the evidence, even if it wasn’t in his diocese, call the cops and social services in.

If ONE Bishop had done that, then there would have been hope to have faith in their judgement.

Now, if they can be so wrong on that, it does make an outsider like me question what else they could be wrong on.

Im taking it as a given these men do actually believe in the truth of the church, and they pray, and given they direct the church and in council direct matters of faith and moraliy for catholics, they seek the guideance of the Holy Spirit.

Can anyone really think that it was the wish of the Holy Spirit that an 8 year old boy, in an industrial school in Dublin, should have his rectum and anus destroyed by a Christian Brother in order that the church founded by Christ and managed by the Bishops should not fall into scandal.

The Popes knew - they had the dossiers - yet they did nothing either.

All churchs have abusers I don’t doubt. Some will always slip through the net, or develop problems while in the priesthood. I watched a video expose a baptist minister who had gone around to a 15 year old years house to have sex with her. When caught all he could think about was himself and the fact his ministry was over and he was going to jail. Not a thought for the girl.

But Im not aware of the other churchs going to the herculean efforts of the catholic church to keep the abusers in ministry and cover up their abuse.

Could it be that the entire church has gone off the rails, and this is now God’s way of showing that to the world.

I dont know. Im trying to work through it - because I am seriously looking at the catholic faith.

I read some excellent posts by SSTeacher and others and think yes, makes sense, wheat and weeds together, and then I think no, this wasnt a field of wheat and weeds, this is a whole field of weeds.

 

[dixieagle]

I am simply tired of people blaming the “Bishops” and the “Church”. People made mistakes, not the Church. Some of the Bishops acted less than ideally, not all of them. There are too many people placing blame on entire groups for the actions of a few. Anyone at any time could have reported any of these instances; parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, institution workers, employers… If they were so appalled by the actions, where were they at the time.

And what about the many accusations that have been made against good priests that were later proven to be false. Their reputations were already ruined and their lives made a living hell by someone out to make a fortune. What about those who spread these rumors without any proof and ruin the lives of others. Who is blaming them. Why don’t we all try placing responsibility where it belongs, with the perpetrator and with a society that felt it was better sweeping it under the rug. Even today, many families will not report a family member because they are, well, family. They say “we will take care of it ourselves” and then nothing gets fixed. People don’t want to get “involved” or they say “it’s none of my business”. What about your own communities? Do you know what really happens in your neighbor’s house? Do you report it whatever “It” is. What do you want the police to do without proof? Do you report speeders on the highway or do you get angry because someone reports you for driving carelessly? The problem with society today is it is always someone elses fault and no one wants to take responsibility for their own actions.

Unless you are all perfect, you are not in a position to point fingers.

You mention in a later post that you are an abuse survivor. I have no reason to doubt you. (I would think you would have mentioned that from the beginning…)

In light of this, and reading through your posts, it seems that you have unresolved issues because your parents and others didn’t realize or report the abuse and protect you.

Predators are very wily and adept at choosing their victims carefully. They prey upon the vulnerable, and often worm their way into the trust of the family; faithful Catholics didn’t want to believe that their priests could do something so monstrous. To compound the problem, many bishops were more interested in “circling the wagons” to protect their own reputations and power than in helping victims. To me, as bad as the molestation of children was, the complicity of bishops compounded the problem. Had they moved swiftly to deal with credible allegations, removing, rather than simply moving, perpetrators, and treated victims with compassion, we would not be in the situation we are in.

Priests and bishops are “in persona Christi”; we can and must expect better of them. When they become perpetrators and conspirators, it leaves the door wide open for those who hate the Church to capitalize upon the tragedy. And this, I believe, is what allowed some priests who were falsely accused to be convicted in wake of the outrage felt by many who were appalled at supposed “shepherds” betraying their flocks in this manner.

It wasn’t “society” who swept the molestation under a rug, but individual bishops; shame on them.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

Being an abuse survivor, I understand more than you will ever even begin to know. I also know that, if I wanted to place blame, there is more than enough to go around.

You know next to nothing about me. In my late teenage years I went to europe to be as far away from my abusers as possible because I knew what I would do to them now I had the skill, strength and wit as a young adult. To this day, there is one man who if I ever met on the street, I would be doing time. The others are I believe, due to their age at the time, and the years that have passed, dead. So dont presume you understand more than I will ever begin to know.

While abuse takes many forms for you to say you don’t know where the parents were, where the aunts were, where the grandparents were does indeed show a profound lack of understanding of abuse and abusers and the whole psychology of abuse.

 

[puppypatrol]

No other reason but they decided to act as a unified group, so noone could break ranks and do the right thing by law and God. They wanted the church protected from scandal and where prepared to do whatever it took to make sure that happened, even if it mean more and more victims of these abusers.
If the Bishops cared about the abused victims, why didn’t just ONE Bishop, on hearing or seeing the evidence, even if it wasn’t in his diocese, call the cops and social services in.
If ONE Bishop had done that, then there would have been hope to have faith in their judgement.

Unfortunately, we do not have the ability to look into someone elses heart so we don’t really know the whys or hows these things happened.

Now, if they can be so wrong on that, it does make an outsider like me question what else they could be wrong on.
Im taking it as a given these men do actually believe in the truth of the church, and they pray, and given they direct the church and in council direct matters of faith and moraliy for catholics, they seek the guideance of the Holy Spirit.

As people they make mistakes and deserve to be prayed for and forgiven as we would want for ourselves. Just because some of them did not act as we think they should have does not make all their other decisions faulty. It definately doesn’t make the teachings of the Church Faulty. Christ only promised that the Holy Spirit would lead them and never permit them to teach heracy. He never promised that they would be perfect in all they did and said.

Can anyone really think that it was the wish of the Holy Spirit that an 8 year old boy, in an industrial school in Dublin, should have his rectum and anus destroyed by a Christian Brother in order that the church founded by Christ and managed by the Bishops should not fall into scandal.

The Popes knew - they had the dossiers - yet they did nothing either.

Do you know EVERYTHING that goes on in your extended family? It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to thing that the Popes knew everything about everything going on in every corner of the world.

All churchs have abusers I don’t doubt. Some will always slip through the net, or develop problems while in the priesthood. I watched a video expose a baptist minister who had gone around to a 15 year old years house to have sex with her. When caught all he could think about was himself and the fact his ministry was over and he was going to jail. Not a thought for the girl.
But Im not aware of the other churchs going to the herculean efforts of the catholic church to keep the abusers in ministry and cover up their abuse.

If a priest has been accused and there is evidence he is guilty, he is not only turned over to the authorities but he is not returned to active ministry involving children without a guardian. It has been this way for almost 15 years. There are also a ton of other precautions being taken eliminate opportunity.

Could it be that the entire church has gone off the rails, and this is now God’s way of showing that to the world. I dont know. Im trying to work through it - because I am seriously looking at the catholic faith.

First of all, God doesn’t really work that way. Second, then look at the Catholic Faith and what the Church teaches, not the misdeeds of human beings acting as human beings. Don’t leave Peter because of Paul. Don’t confuse earthly actions with Christ’s Church. This crisis in no way defines the Roman Catholic Church.

 

[puppypatrol]

You know next to nothing about me. In my late teenage years I went to europe to be as far away from my abusers as possible because I knew what I would do to them now I had the skill, strength and wit as a young adult. To this day, there is one man who if I ever met on the street, I would be doing time. The others are I believe, due to their age at the time, and the years that have passed, dead. So dont presume you understand more than I will ever begin to know.

It appears you misunderstood what I said. When I made the initial statement, I was referring to the fact that, since you knew nothing about me, you don’t have any way of knowing what I do or do not understand. I would never presume to know or understand how someone else feels or understands. (from my psychology training)

While abuse takes many forms for you to say you don’t know where the parents were, where the aunts were, where the grandparents were does indeed show a profound lack of understanding of abuse and abusers and the whole psychology of abuse.

It appears you are understanding through anger, I am not. I got over the anger a long time ago with lots of therapy and the help of the Catholic Church. Someday you will know what what I am saying.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

As people they make mistakes and deserve to be prayed for and forgiven as we would want for ourselves. Just because some of them did not act as we think they should have does not make all their other decisions faulty.

It wasn’t some of them, it was all of them. That’s the whole point. It was all of them acting in concert.

It definately doesn’t make the teachings of the Church Faulty. Christ only promised that the Holy Spirit would lead them and never permit them to teach heracy.

This is the part Im trying to work through. They, the Bishops decide what is doctrine, heresy, moral, and so on. They set the rule book. Now, if they can be so wrong on the abuse issue, what would make me think they could not be wrong elsewhere. Im aware of the claim the Holy Spirit will not allow the church to fail. But it did fail. It failed all those victims of abuse. It’s Bishops chose to put themselves and the church above the child, the child of whom, incidently, Christ said it would be better a milestone was put around their neck and cast into a well rather than hurt one of his children.

It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to thing that the Popes knew everything about everything going on in every corner of the world.

We know form several commissions that John Paul 2 and Benedict had definitive proof in dossiers on their desks. They did nothing until the public forced them to. That shows appalling leadership.

If a priest has been accused and there is evidence he is guilty, he is not only turned over to the authorities but he is not returned to active ministry involving children without a guardian.

Now, maybe, but only because they are under the spotlight and have no choice. Their preferred method was to avoid scandal and allow the abuse to continue.

This crisis in no way defines the Roman Catholic Church.

I think it does. That’s why Im struggling so much with this.

It appears you are understanding through anger, I am not. I got over the anger a long time ago with lots of therapy and the help of the Catholic Church. Someday you will know what what I am saying.

I got over my abuse by self discipline, the military, and affirming my own worth through hard work, dedication, committment and testified by promotion through the ranks.

I’m not in the least angry. I had anger disciplined out of me. You cant be effective when you’re angry. If I met my one surviving abuser I would not be angry. I would not be emotional. He would be punished. That’s all. Clinical.

To end Im pleased to hear you have come to terms with your abuse, and felt suppord by the church.

 

[WillieWonka]

I am simply tired of people blaming the “Bishops” and the “Church”. People made mistakes, not the Church. Some of the Bishops acted less than ideally, not all of them. There are too many people placing blame on entire groups for the actions of a few. Anyone at any time could have reported any of these instances; parents, aunts and uncles, grandparents, institution workers, employers… If they were so appalled by the actions, where were they at the time.

And what about the many accusations that have been made against good priests that were later proven to be false. Their reputations were already ruined and their lives made a living hell by someone out to make a fortune. What about those who spread these rumors without any proof and ruin the lives of others. Who is blaming them. Why don’t we all try placing responsibility where it belongs, with the perpetrator and with a society that felt it was better sweeping it under the rug. Even today, many families will not report a family member because they are, well, family. They say “we will take care of it ourselves” and then nothing gets fixed. People don’t want to get “involved” or they say “it’s none of my business”. What about your own communities? Do you know what really happens in your neighbor’s house? Do you report it whatever “It” is. What do you want the police to do without proof? Do you report speeders on the highway or do you get angry because someone reports you for driving carelessly?

Unless you are all perfect, you are not in a position to point fingers.

The bishops are the successors of the apostles. It seems reasonable to attribute their behavior to the Church.

The behavior of the bishops who sheltered and protected abusers is similar from one discese to another, and one country to another. That is sufficient to conclude these successors of the apostles have acted according to Church policy.

Society is now responsible for the abusive priests and the bishops who protected them? Societies all over the world?

Without proof, the police investigate. When they get reasonable proof, they refer to the prosecutor.

We are all in a position to point fingers at adults who molest kids.
We are all in a position to point fingers at the supervisors who enable them.

 

[WillieWonka]

“Do you know EVERYTHING that goes on in your extended family? It would be unrealistic and unreasonable to thing that the Popes knew everything about everything going on in every corner of the world.”

It is indeed unreasonable for popes to know about everything.

It is their responsibility to know kids are being molested by their clerics all over the world. It is their responsibility to know their bishops are covering up and enabling this all over the world.
It is their failing if they do not.

We wouldn’t accept that from any other head of a major world organization.
We wouldn’t accept that from any regional manager of a major world organization.

 

[Guyonthestreet]

[IWe wouldn’t accept that from any other head of a major world organization.
We wouldn’t accept that from any regional manager of a major world organization.

At the very least they’d be forced out of office. And almost certainly face trial for at the very least perversn of justice. With the odd exception, no Bishop resigned. En masse they are not facing charges of corruption and perveron of justice in the courts.

The Vatican has used all its diplomatic power to protect the Pope.

Thats why I asked - the catholic church may be the true church, but has its stewarts lost the truth. Is the Holy Spirit telling us its time for a clearout from the top down, in order that the truth be preserved.
[/quote]

 

[MariaTheresa]

I definitely think this is a major housecleaning of the Catholic Church. Not the fact that the abuse took place, but that it is all coming to light. It is a purge of a great evil in the Church. It may indeed be a sign of God’s prescence that the Church will be reformed whether she likes it or not. God disciplines those He loves. Maybe the Church having to give up some of its money 9elaborate bishop’s palaces, etc) willmake it pay attention.
I have been a child abuse investigator for 8 years. I have handled many sex abuse cases. When this started erupting , I was horrified to hear the lies coming from our local bishops office and then the stonewalling of our prosecutors office. The spin about child sex abuse coming from the Church was disgusting.

 

[St_Francis]

This is the part Im trying to work through. They, the Bishops decide what is doctrine, heresy, moral, and so on. They set the rule book. Now, if they can be so wrong on the abuse issue, what would make me think they could not be wrong elsewhere. Im aware of the claim the Holy Spirit will not allow the church to fail. But it did fail. It failed all those victims of abuse. It’s Bishops chose to put themselves and the church above the child, the child of whom, incidently, Christ said it would be better a milestone was put around their neck and cast into a well rather than hurt one of his children.

I am horrified by the sex abuse scandal in the Church. I believe that there were many bishops who acted irresponsibly, and I do believe that they should have been seriously disciplined by the Church. If I lived in Boston or one of the other dioceses where they mishandled a huge problem, they would not be receiving one red cent from me.

*However!!! *it is not the bishops who decide what is doctrine, etc., per se. There is truth, and it is revealed or discovered. The Holy Spirit is in place to insure that the Church as a whole does not *teach *error, but God does not remove the free will of men when they become priests, so many will sin as the rest of us do

Look at the teachings of the Church separate from the bad things which some people in the Church do. Those people are acting *against *what the Church teaches, even when they are bishops (and we’ve even had a couple of bad popes). The institution is divine, but those who man it are human…

 

[lilies]

number one is to remeber who we are following JESUS CHRIST and he cared about children and well being of all. so priests m ostly are very good but for those that abuse children need to go back to basics of who am i living for? why am i a priest? then get help but their are wounded victims who need help and healiong too and never should we sweep it under the carpet but must do right by them or all there livr=es they will be messed up. we are following jesus let us take step one there. lilies:thumbsup:

 

[rep140]

Oh, good. Another Anti-Catholic Church article. I don’t think so.

Try these sources for a change.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cbishops/documents/rc_con_cbishops_doc_20021018_re-usa_en.html

virtus.org/virtus/

usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-056.shtml

As far as Bishop Robinson, sorry, another Call to Action Supporter who is not welcome in many diocese in the United States because he seems to have forgotten his vow of obediance and wrote the book for shock value and fame only, not because it is all true.

Try another source, maybe a reliable one for a change. How about one from a source who is in keeping with the Magisterium and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

 

[rep140]

Oh, good. Another Anti-Catholic Church article. I don’t think so.

Try these sources for a change.

vatican.va/roman_curia/congregations/cbishops/documents/rc_con_cbishops_doc_20021018_re-usa_en.html

virtus.org/virtus/

usccb.org/comm/archives/2007/07-056.shtml

As far as Bishop Robinson, sorry, another Call to Action Supporter who is not welcome in many diocese in the United States because he seems to have forgotten his vow of obediance and wrote the book for shock value and fame only, not because it is all true.

Try another source, maybe a reliable one for a change. How about one from a source who is in keeping with the Magisterium and the teachings of the Catholic Church.

The 2nd and 3rd sources show that the U.S. bishops are serious about preventing abuse. The Vatican letter is chilling and shows a bunker mentality. Their first concern is certainly for the institution. In Catholic Matters Richard Neuhaus regrets that Rome does not appreciate how hurtful this scandal has been to the Church in America.

BTW, the 3rd source shows that the Diocese of Lincoln did not participate in the survey. Their bishop is a real hardliner.

 

[puppypatrol]

BTW, the 3rd source shows that the Diocese of Lincoln did not participate in the survey. Their bishop is a real hardliner.

Yes he is and he’s one of my heros. He excommunicates anyone who is active in “Call to Action”.