Former Nova Scotia bishop charged with possession of child porn

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Can you start listing some other sources than the leftwing CBC news department? It would contribute to credibility.

The Church has been deeply hurt by such incidences. However, the incident rate in the Catholic Church is lower than other institutions such as public schools and Protestant churches. Can you update us on the changes under way there?
 
Non_Serviam said:
UPDATE-Archbishops speak to the situation on Sunday, providing explanations such as “Priests will sin” and “We’ll try harder.” cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/10/04/ns-roman-catholics.html

Additional coverage of Sunday discussions: cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/091004/t100417A.html

It’s only my opinion, but these answers seem to lack sufficient rigour for them to convince people that real, effective change is on the way.
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I think he’s just being realistic.

Even with all the investigation required before someone becomes a Scout Leader, Big Brother, etc., the only people who are weeded out are those with a previous record. We know some of these abusers have been at it for years before they were caught or reported so what can we, the public, or the Church possibly do that is not being done now? Nobody else has been able to prevent it, why would we think the Church has a magical answer.
 
Phemie said:
I think he’s just being realistic.

Even with all the investigation required before someone becomes a Scout Leader, Big Brother, etc., the only people who are weeded out are those with a previous record. We know some of these abusers have been at it for years before they were caught or reported so what can we, the public, or the Church possibly do that is not being done now? Nobody else has been able to prevent it, why would we think the Church has a magical answer.
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You are correct you won’t get 100% of the issue resolved, but more rigourous steps could be taken, such as:

-bringing in an independent auditor to review all personnel files to ensure that no one else is being hidden from punishment. Subsequent annual reviews could also be put in place.

-there could be a procedure developed and communicated to the laity that clearly indicates how they will be safeguarded in their church relationship if they go to authorities with an abuse allegation.

-there could be policy put in place that bishops who continue to have repeated personnel issue related to this will be required to step down

These are just quick adaptations of policies related to child care facilities that I’m offering as examples of what a more rigourous, concrete approach would look like-it would send a message to clergy that there is a standard to be met and they would know what was expected of them and be able to begin regaining some of the trust and respect that has been lost.

Without concrete changes to how things are done, there is no reason for anyone to believe things will improve-the archbishop’s comments become platitudes rather than promises.
 
Non_Serviam said:
These are just quick adaptations of policies related to child care facilities that I’m offering as examples of what a more rigourous, concrete approach would look like-it would send a message to clergy that there is a standard to be met and they would know what was expected of them and be able to begin regaining some of the trust and respect that has been lost.

Without concrete changes to how things are done, there is no reason for anyone to believe things will improve-the archbishop’s comments become platitudes rather than promises.
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How are these policies working the public school system?
 
Ockham said:
How are these policies working the public school system?
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Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge they aren’t being used their-in jurisdictions where they are the norm for childcare providers they are very effective. Similar provisions also exist for those involved with providing care to the elderly, although in those cases it is generally to deter physical abuse, rather than sexual.

Any reason why the church couldn’t implement something similar to protect its children and youth?
 
Really? So child care centres are immune or much less incidents rates?

thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2668373/Paedo-worked-with-children.html

"A VILE paedophile who carried out a string of sick sex acts on three young children worked at TWO kids centres, police said today.
Aaron Collis, 24, whose victims were aged between two and seven, was snared when he lent his camera to a neighbour who discovered shocking images of child abuse.

Collis was employed at the Funky Fun House play centre and Snap! nursery in Cambridge."
 
Non_Serviam said:
Any reason why the church couldn’t implement something similar to protect its children and youth?
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The Church is protecting its children. All you are doing here is making a larger controversy than exists. Cite some numbers and facts to support your allegation that the Catholic Church needs to do more. The numbers I’ve seen suggest the incident rates are already below Protestant churches and much lower than the public school system. The highest rate of child abuse occurs in the home. How about launching a crusade to rememdy that fact?
 
Non_Serviam said:
Unfortunately, to the best of my knowledge they aren’t being used their-in jurisdictions where they are the norm for childcare providers they are very effective. Similar provisions also exist for those involved with providing care to the elderly, although in those cases it is generally to deter physical abuse, rather than sexual.

Any reason why the church couldn’t implement something similar to protect its children and youth?
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It is incredibly more difficult today to become a Youth worker or childcare provider in the Catholic Church than it was a few years ago. It’s also a lot harder to pass the psychological evaluation to become a priest. Police checks, psychological evaluations, and mandatory safety training are all in place.
 
Ockham said:
Really? So child care centres are immune or much less incidents rates?

thesun.co.uk/sol/homepage/news/2668373/Paedo-worked-with-children.html

"A VILE paedophile who carried out a string of sick sex acts on three young children worked at TWO kids centres, police said today.
Aaron Collis, 24, whose victims were aged between two and seven, was snared when he lent his camera to a neighbour who discovered shocking images of child abuse.

Collis was employed at the Funky Fun House play centre and Snap! nursery in Cambridge."
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I’m unable to determine from the story whether practices such as those I outlined are followed in this jurisdiction-I didn’t claim all childcare is free from abuse, but rather that abuse has been greatly reduced in those jurisdictions with policies and practices such as I described.
Ockham said:
The Church is protecting its children. All you are doing here is making a larger controversy than exists. Cite some numbers and facts to support your allegation that the Catholic Church needs to do more. The numbers I’ve seen suggest the incident rates are already below Protestant churches and much lower than the public school system. The highest rate of child abuse occurs in the home. How about launching a crusade to rememdy that fact?
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This man, Lehay spoke about protecting children in the church and condemned abuse while allegedly committing this offense. He was especially chosen by JPII to resolve the abuse issues in the diocese-it would seem there is some room for improvement in the church’s actions, to put it mildly.
jmcrae said:
It is incredibly more difficult today to become a Youth worker or childcare provider in the Catholic Church than it was a few years ago. It’s also a lot harder to pass the psychological evaluation to become a priest. Police checks, psychological evaluations, and mandatory safety training are all in place.
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I agree that all of these actions will help reduce future incidents of abuse, but tightening the entry requirements doesn’t address those who are already functioning in the church.

Actions such as an independent personnel review and similar items would deal with any offenders still active in the church-in fact, knowledge that such a sweep was to be implemented might give them a “nudge” to resign.
 
phil8888 said:
He who is without sin cast the first stone I would say. What annoys me about all of this stuff is the attitude that our sins are “normal” but the bishop committed sins that are “abnormal and really evil”. But all sins are evil, none are good. I think there’s a strange double standard in society. It seems to me, society at large wants to accept many things and not call them sins anymore, but those things which society deems “sinful” are condemned as unforgivable. Would we have such contempt for a woman who killed her own child in her womb? No, our society would say this was a free choice and she’s still a good person. But when a bishop has pictures of child pornography, suddenly he’s the spawn of Satan. This is ridiculous. Why would child porn be worse than child murder? I was listening to the radio this morning and a woman killed her 3 children and helped her husband commit suicide. They say people are not condemning her because she was in a really bad financial situation so they feel bad for her. So she kills her 3 kids and husband and people feel bad for her, but a man looks at child pornography and it’s the worst thing in the universe. Don’t get me wrong, I don’t think what the bishop did was good, but I think to consider it worse than anything imaginable and to be unforgivable goes against Christianity big time.
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He is a bishop and he has been given special graces & santification by the Holy Spirit to lead & tend to the flock. So his sin is worse–it seems to me to be like blasphemy against the Holy Spirit because he has been sealed by the Holy Spirit to be a man of God. He is supposed to be bringing people to God & building up the Church. And the Bible does say God expects more out of his clergy & religious than out of lay people.
 
Keep in mind we have a principle of innocent until proven guilty in this country.

Also, what’s the Church suppose to do? An investigation of potential pedphiles? How would that work exactly?

Again I point out that the Catholic Church has a lower incident rate than other religions and most certainly secular institutions such as public schools and day care centres. If protecting children is the true motivation then directing one’s energy to the bigger culprits would be the proper thing to do.
 
unafraid said:
Each of these incidents is like a dagger thrust into the heart of the faithful…as well as the Church. The sorrow is great and the soul begins to tire because of this draining, seemingly endless infestation of pedophilia within the Church. Satan is a master saboteur. He chooses as his weapon the one sin for which even our Lord’s merciful heart was loathe to forgive. My prayers are for the good priests, who again must be stained by this broad, ugly brush…which defiles the collar itself. Very, very sad.
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I have two priest friends and they go through a personal agony every time this happens.Will it NEVER stop?I am SO sick of defending the indefensible.I am ANGRY!
 
SIZE=“4”]http://www.cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/10/05/nl-molloy-lahey-105.html

So it was known as far back as the 80’s. I hope that leaders and priests stop the silence and realize that the church needs them to stand up and do the right thing. This sin needs to be removed and the Holy Church cleansed of this blight. I feel like an Old Testament Jew wandering around the desert in this constant state of sin.

"And the Lord said to Moses, “I have seen this people, and behold, it is a stiff-necked people; now therefore let me alone, that my wrath may burn hot against them and I may consume them” [Exod. 32: 9-10].

Or as Saint Stephen said just before he was martyred

“You stiff-necked people, uncircumcised in heart and ears, you always oppose the Holy Spirit; you are just like your ancestors.
Which of the prophets did your ancestors not persecute? They put to death those who foretold the coming of the righteous one, whose betrayers and murderers you have now become.
You received the law as transmitted by angels, but you did not observe it.” [Acts 7 51-53]

So people of God, Holy Deacons, Priests, and Bishops let us come together and rid the church of this evil.
 
UPDATE-the archbishop of St. John’s confirms that the archdiocese had been informed about bishop (then father) Lahey possessing pornography in 1989. cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/10/05/nl-molloy-lahey-105.html

The current archbishop of St. John’s is to be congratulated for going above and beyond in making contact with the priest at the time who was informed of this. The priest had moved in the interim. The archbishop at the time appears to have done nothing when informed.

Bishop Lahey’s diocese will not be paying his legal bills for this trial. cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/10/05/ns-lahey-legal.html

The abuse survivor who originally found pornography in then father Lahey’s house has broken his current silence cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2009/10/05/nl-earle-bishop-105.html
 
He’s one of the few that finally got caught. How many are out there that will never be caught and they are still not brought to justice really. There by the grace of God go they. They need to kneel down confess to God and finally after a lifetime of illness, finally cast off the devil. Many can accept homosexulality between two consenting adults, but kiddie porn and child molestation is something worthy of burning in the fires of hell. JMO.
 
What part of innocent until proven guilty eludes you?

How many more ‘like him’ do you think there are? Relative to other groups in society?
 
Ockham said:
What part of innocent until proven guilty eludes you?

How many more ‘like him’ do you think there are? Relative to other groups in society?
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Well, impress me, bring it to trial? Do you think it WILL GO TO TRIAL?? I’m all for his day in court! Keep us apprised will you?
 
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