Falsely Accused Priest Acquiited

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I’m so glad! 🙂 It’s so terrible to be falsely accused, and especially as a member of the cloth and something of a nature like this.

Let’s face it, though. Our priests are under attack. Look at the media, and they like to portray priests in the most negative light. Our priests have suffered so terribly for us! They really need our prayers, everyday!

I remember one priest saying in his sermon, “Do you think it’s easy to wear this collar?”
 
I feel like singing…
I remember from my childhood, the going away potlucks that we had for our priests who were being transferred to another parish after serving their time. There was a beautiful, talented and funny lady who was the MC of the program. She introduced the skits mimicking the popular TV programs of that time, like “To Tell The Truth”. They kind of lovingly roasted our priests, remembering things about them during they time with us. And at the end of our program we always sang a song to the tune of the favorite hymn, "Mother Dearest, Mother Fairest". I only remember one verse but I still sing it to this day when doing my laundry! It goes like this:

Mary Help our zealous priests,
Guard them all we beg of thee.
Keep them ever close to Jesus,
And, Dear Mother, close to thee.

Mary help them, help we pray.
Guard our priests both night and day.
Help them in all care and sorrow,
Mary help them, help we pray.
 
This poor priest, I am so thankful that he has been cleared. Dear Lord we thank You for all priests, protect them we implore You. Amen
 
At the risk of sounding uncharitable, There have been several cases recently in which accusations against Priests have been proven false. I really wish our Clergymen would sue the heck out their accusers and their attorneys. A few large financial judgments against these evil people would deter many such false accusations.
 
George_Stegmeir said:
At the risk of sounding uncharitable, There have been several cases recently in which accusations against Priests have been proven false. I really wish our Clergymen would sue the heck out their accusers and their attorneys. A few large financial judgments against these evil people would deter many such false accusations.
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Good point ! 👍
 
George_Stegmeir said:
At the risk of sounding uncharitable, There have been several cases recently in which accusations against Priests have been proven false. I really wish our Clergymen would sue the heck out their accusers and their attorneys. A few large financial judgments against these evil people would deter many such false accusations.
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Well, in some cases, their dioceses have not helped, have in fact tossed accused priests into a huge settlement mix just to get the whole thing out of the way, even though some of the priests were innocent. Some priests were browbeat by prosecutors into signing a false confession to lesser charges, ‘just to make this go away.’ It made it worse, of course.
 
Thank God for this. This is one of my greatest fears, to be falsely accused.
 
zab said:
Even if one is falsely accused he/she can find comfort in knowing that no servant is greater than his/her master.
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True.

I personally would like to see that anyone found guilty of making false accusations (not just aquittals, but making provably false statements) be subject to the full penalty of the crime they accuse someone of, even if it is life in prison.
 
This may just be the tip of the iceberg with regards false accusations.
It may be long into the future, but I think many false accusers are now wrestling with their consciences, and may eventually want to get it off their chests, before they leave this life. But of course the damage to the individual priests has been done and can never be reversed.

I recall a priest locally who had been exonerated, but the only way I found out was by word of mouth, long afterward. To the media such good news apparently wasn’t worth printing.
 
pnewton said:
True.

I personally would like to see that anyone found guilty of making false accusations (not just aquittals, but making provably false statements) be subject to the full penalty of the crime they accuse someone of, even if it is life in prison.
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Unfortunately, I doubt that such a law would have any effect. It would be very difficult to prove even when true. And, I suspect that a good portion of false accusations are due to faulty memory. Eye witnesses are one of the least reliable forms of evidence even when they are truthful.

Any law that protects people from being falsely accused can also be used against those who rightly accuse.
 
What is concerning to me is that this case went to trial in the first place. If thete was video evidence that didn’t jive with the accused’s story, it shouldn’t have gone to trial in the first place.
 
tvknight415 said:
What is concerning to me is that this case went to trial in the first place. If thete was video evidence that didn’t jive with the accused’s story, it shouldn’t have gone to trial in the first place.
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I was wondering the same thing. It seems that the only people in this country who are guilty until proven innocent are Catholic priests. But sometimes good can come out of evil. If he had not been charged and proven innocent, he may have been like other innocent priests who had to live with an accusation the rest of their lives, never having been justified.
 
pnewton said:
True.

I personally would like to see that anyone found guilty of making false accusations (not just aquittals, but making provably false statements) be subject to the full penalty of the crime they accuse someone of, even if it is life in prison.
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There is a biblical basis for this – see Deut. 19:16-19.
 
This brings to mind an ongoing situation in our archdiocese. Within the past year, a local pastor was accused by a woman now in her 30s of sexual abuse that took place in her home decades ago. He was immediately removed from the parish and active ministry. He has recently been allowed to retire.

However, there have, to date, been no charges filed, and it is unclear whether the accuser has even contacted the police or D.A. Her family approached the bishop with the initial allegations.

I have absolutely no tolerance for shenanigans by priests, but cannot help but wonder how justice is being served if the accused never has his day in court, and the accusation continues to hang over his head, unresolved.
 
dixieagle said:
This brings to mind an ongoing situation in our archdiocese. Within the past year, a local pastor was accused by a woman now in her 30s of sexual abuse that took place in her home decades ago. He was immediately removed from the parish and active ministry. He has recently been allowed to retire.

However, there have, to date, been no charges filed, and it is unclear whether the accuser has even contacted the police or D.A. Her family approached the bishop with the initial allegations.

I have absolutely no tolerance for shenanigans by priests, but cannot help but wonder how justice is being served if the accused never has his day in court, and the accusation continues to hang over his head, unresolved.
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Bingo dixieagle!

Furthermore I think a more appropriate punishment for this accuser is jail time rather than being sued. It would send a clear message to not engage in a easy target to secular/atheistic society.
 
dixieagle said:
This brings to mind an ongoing situation in our archdiocese. Within the past year, a local pastor was accused by a woman now in her 30s of sexual abuse that took place in her home decades ago. He was immediately removed from the parish and active ministry. He has recently been allowed to retire.

However, there have, to date, been no charges filed, and it is unclear whether the accuser has even contacted the police or D.A. Her family approached the bishop with the initial allegations.

I have absolutely no tolerance for shenanigans by priests, but cannot help but wonder how justice is being served if the accused never has his day in court, and the accusation continues to hang over his head, unresolved.
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UPDATE: I have just heard that this case will be presented to the next grand jury. We will see what comes of it.
 
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