Former archbishop Gervais knew of transgressions: court documents

[Zatzat]

In Canadian news the last number of days…

‘It ruined my life,’ victim of pedophile priest says

" It would be more than 25 years before Prince would be defrocked and convicted on 13 counts of sexual and indecent assault. In 2008, he began a four-year jail term in British Columbia."…

In 1993, the Vatican awarded Prince a high-ranking post in Rome, thereby “removing him from the Canadian scene,” according to J. R. Windle, then bishop in Pembroke.

In a letter to Rome’s representative in Ottawa, Windle warned that outraged victims of Prince’s “untoward behaviour” might go to the police demanding justice, should they hear the priest had been given any honours or promotions…"

 

[anode]

Two more links below:

A complicated case.

The priest, Bernard Prince, was a friend of JPII, and had molested Polish boys in a Canadian town full of Polish immigrants, who, being loyal Catholics, were reluctant to come forward. Prince was then promoted to second in command for the Cong. of the Propagation of the Faith. His bishop, knowing of some of the abuse cases, wrote Rome to prevent the promotion, saying that if it became known, it would give grave offense in the Polish community. The promotion went through and the bishop later died.

More allegations surface, Prince was extradited back to Canada, stood trial, was convicted, and served or is serving 4 years.

cbc.ca/canada/ottawa/story/2010/04/09/bernard-prince-abuse.html

newyorkcrimestatistics.com/article/Church%20tried%20to%20keep%20sex%20abuse%20secret%3A%20bishop%20letter/?k=j83s12y12h94s27k02

 

[Zatzat]

Oh, my goodness, it’s even worse than I thought, as I hadn’t been aware of some of contents in the Bishop’s letter to the Vatican’s rep. in 1993;

news.guelphmercury.com/Life/faith/article/619203

In an extraordinary letter to the Vatican’s representative in Ottawa, sent in 1993, former Pembroke bishop Joseph Windle warned that five victims — most of them former altar boys — had reported being sexually abused by Prince.

“Were he to be honoured in any way it could easily trigger a reaction among the victim(s), or others who are aware of his previous conduct, and this would prove extremely embarrassing both to the Holy See and to the Diocese of Pembroke, not to mention the possibility of criminal charges being laid and a civil suit ensuing,” Windle wrote.

At the time, Prince was serving in Rome and potentially in line to be promoted or honoured.

“One redeeming factor,” Windle noted, “is that it would appear that the victims involved are of Polish descent and their respect for the priesthood and the Church has made them refrain from making these allegations public or laying a criminal charge against a priest.”

What an awful letter. This scandal is growing…

 

[anode]

Oh, my goodness, it’s even worse than I thought, as I hadn’t been aware of some of contents in the Bishop’s letter to the Vatican’s rep. in 1993;

news.guelphmercury.com/Life/faith/article/619203

What an awful letter. This scandal is growing…

Yes it’s pretty bad.

How fortunate that the boys were Poles–they’re so respectful, so accommodating…

…and how “extremely embarrassing to the Holy See and the Diocese of Pembroke…”