Former Nova Scotia bishop charged with possession of child porn

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The priest who was originally told of the porn was not told that it was child porn so he could not pass on this particular detail.

The recordings of the Inquiry show that Mr. Earle was not allowed to say what he had seen in the priest’s (he had not yet been ordained bishop) house that upset him so much. In fact, when he tried to say what he had seen he was told “Let’s leave it at you saw something that upset you in Fr. Lahey’s house.”
 
Phemie said:
The priest who was originally told of the porn was not told that it was child porn so he could not pass on this particular detail.

The recordings of the Inquiry show that Mr. Earle was not allowed to say what he had seen in the priest’s (he had not yet been ordained bishop) house that upset him so much. In fact, when he tried to say what he had seen he was told “Let’s leave it at you saw something that upset you in Fr. Lahey’s house.”
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You’re right, the priest said he understood is was typical pornography, that’s why I referred to it as such in my update-Mr. Earle current testimony is the only instance where it is referred to as child pornography.

Let me say again that I’m so very impressed with the current archbishop of St. John’s-he really went above and beyond what would be expected to bring transparency and clarity to the whole situation. Hopefully his people will appreciate his effort.
 
Apparently the problem is bigger than expected. Does the CBC know about this:

*Child porn has grown so pervasive on the Internet, they say, that police agencies all over the country, using the latest file-tracking technology, could easily spend every day finding and arresting offenders.

…]

Those arrested included a 50-year-old car salesman, a 62-year-old retired teacher, a 34-year-old pilot, a 43-year-old truck driver and a 22-year-old Sea World employee. Some had long criminal records. Others had none. Three were high school students.

“We have looked at the enemy, and he is us,” said Ernie Allen, president and CEO of the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Computer analysts at the center investigate about 2,000 reports a week of suspected child pornography that come in from the public and online service providers. Tips to the center rose from 3,160 in 1998 to 101,748 in 2008, mirroring the spread of everyday Internet use, and analysts there have documented millions of images online.*
msnbc.msn.com/id/33181170/ns/us_news-crime_and_courts/page/2/

I’m not surprised to see the public school system included as it is well known to harbour pedophiles. Hopefully the car sales and trucking industries will take immediate action to filter out perverts from its ranks. I’m not sure I’m willing to get on a plane again knowing the pilot might be downloading child porn in the cockpit. There are policies these industries and organizations could implement to produce the results we demand.
 
CBC has been covering this story night and day, but they’re probably not the most objective bunch of people when it comes to covering the Catholic Church. The worst part of the CBC site is the comments section. We’ve had almost a week of constant coverage on this story, and there are now hundreds of pages (I’m not exaggerating) of mostly vicious comments about the Church, priests, the Pope etc. It’s interesting that in at least half the comments I’ve read are calls to let priests marry and end mandatory celibacy. Most of the people posting can’t believe that someone, like a priest, could voluntarily give up sex and not suffer extreme, crippling emotional turmoil. They point to this Bishop and say “See, celibacy isn’t possible.”
I think sex is a wonderful thing, in the proper context. But why is it that the thought of a person giving up sex fills people, like the CBC posters, with absolute horror? I have known people, like elderly relatives in my family, who never married and presumably never had sex, or at least very little of it, and they were some of the most easygoing, sane, non repressed people I’ve ever met.
 
PadraigPearce said:
CBC has been covering this story night and day, but they’re probably not the most objective bunch of people when it comes to covering the Catholic Church. The worst part of the CBC site is the comments section. We’ve had almost a week of constant coverage on this story, and there are now hundreds of pages (I’m not exaggerating) of mostly vicious comments about the Church, priests, the Pope etc. It’s interesting that in at least half the comments I’ve read are calls to let priests marry and end mandatory celibacy. Most of the people posting can’t believe that someone, like a priest, could voluntarily give up sex and not suffer extreme, crippling emotional turmoil. They point to this Bishop and say “See, celibacy isn’t possible.”
I think sex is a wonderful thing, in the proper context. But why is it that the thought of a person giving up sex fills people, like the CBC posters, with absolute horror? I have known people, like elderly relatives in my family, who never married and presumably never had sex, or at least very little of it, and they were some of the most easygoing, sane, non repressed people I’ve ever met.
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I just got fed up of reading “Sex is a need.” I had to say, “NO, food and water are NEEDS. Sex is not necessary for survival (survival of the species, yes, but not personal survival).”
 
Phemie said:
I just got fed up of reading “Sex is a need.” I had to say, “NO, food and water are NEEDS. Sex is not necessary for survival (survival of the species, yes, but not personal survival).”
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As my parish priest says “no one has ever died from not having sex”.As a divorced Catholic I have been obediently celibate for 12 years as befits my station in life.Not easy but A daily rosary and requests for prayers and intercession from St Maria Goretti have done wonders.It is NOT a matter of willpower but of grace and knowledge that freewill entails tremendous responsibility.

Pray for our clergy.
 
UPDATE-A little hazy today, different news services are saying the bishop’s whereabouts are unknown, while others say he is somewhere in New Brunswick, but not at the monastery as ordered by the court.

He has apparently made a request to be permitted to move to Ottawa for the duration of his pre-trial period. cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/10/06/ottawa-bishop-lahey-child-pornography.html

I hope for the bishop’s sake that he’s not wandeirng the town. If people in Rogersville think he’s a risk to their children, they won’t bother with niceties like the law to deal with it.

(And for Ockham’s peace of mind they would also do the same thing to a truck driver or car seller).
 
PadraigPearce said:
But why is it that the thought of a person giving up sex fills people, like the CBC posters, with absolute horror?
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Because most people who gorge themselves with the CBC are moral relativist, left wing iconoclasts who take highest delight in news stories like these. The don’t engage their God given minds to look deep into the issue, only what media-sensationalized propaganda outlets like the CBC spew. The most bitter part of it is that the taxpayers fund this marginalized viewpoint. The sad part is the leftwing institutions such as public schools and daycares have a higher incident rate but that’s hardly ever reported and certainly never with such delight as when a case occurs in our church.
 
UPDATE-Bishop’s laptop contained images of boys approximately 8 years old. cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/091008/t100827A.html

Additional information on the laptop cbc.ca/canada/new-brunswick/story/2009/10/08/ns-lahey-documents.html

Recent video interview with the individual who accused him of possessing porn 20 years ago cbc.ca/video/popup.html?http://www.cbc.ca/mrl3/8752/news/features/invu-shane-4-3-091007.wmv

There is a link to the search warrant with the first two stories, but it is rather graphic so I’ll not link to it directly and leave it to people here as to whether they wish to inform themselves as to the level of depravity that is involved here.

Security set up at bishops unoccupied home after sign is placed there cbc.ca/canada/nova-scotia/story/2009/10/07/ns-lahey-house.html

Finally, an individual in the diocese has launched a civil suit against a priest he claims molested him and nothing was done about it. cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/091008/t100833A.html
 
Gee…nearly a whole day without a CBC update.

NEWSFLASH: For those so interested in daily updates on this story, go to www.cbc.ca

This is getting to the point of advertising. Isn’t there a forum rule against that?
 
I guess what is shocking to me is that I wonder just how much of a sense of sin the bishop had? Many of us consider that a huge problem with our culture in general of course. There seems a lack of a sense of sin everywhere. But how does a bishop who is doing things like this live with himself and his conscience? One has to hope and pray he comes to his senses now and seeks forgiveness. Is it possible that clergy like this have just totally lost their faith and that is why they do things like this?

c.
 
UPDATE: Diocesan lawyer wishes to meet with those entitled to a class-action abuse settlement that was negotiatied by the now-accused bishop. Some plaintiffs are now suggesting they won[t accept the settlement and will instead diocesan officials into court where they can be questioned directly and publicly about any abuse-related activity in the diocese. http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/091009/t100915A.html”]http://www.cbc.ca/cp/Atlantic/091009/t100915A.html

So much for the “it’s all about money” argument given by some.
 
UPDATE: This article appeared a few days ago, but I’m really impressed with the attitude expressed by the current archbishop of St. John’s especially when contrasted with the inaction of the prior archbishop. Archbishop Currie acknowledged that there was more the church could have done and it appears he is doing his best to make information available to the authorities and to make his archdiocese an unpleasant location for abusers.

canadaeast.com/front/article/815207

Note for all those who dislike the idea of outside bodies reviewing diocesan practice, that it was just such an outside commission that made archbishop Penney’s lack of action clear to all, leading him to act on their recommendation and resign his office. Opening the curtains always makes for quicker housecleaning.
 
UPDATE: *Those who suggested this was a lesser crime because it was only photos rather than actual children can now retract that statement.
*

Former bishop Lahey accused of abuse
Former Mount Cashel resident claims Raymond Lahey abused him in 1980s

A former Catholic bishop already facing child pornography charges is being accused in a civil lawsuit of sexual abuse by a former resident of the infamous Mount Cashel Orphanage in St. John’s, CBC News has learned.

In a statement of claim filed in the Supreme Court of Newfoundland and Labrador, Todd Boland alleges he was abused by Raymond Lahey, the former bishop of the diocese of Antigonish in Nova Scotia who resigned last September.

Continued at: cbc.ca/canada/newfoundland-labrador/story/2010/04/08/nl-lahey-allegations-408.html
 
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