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gam197
Guest
Saw it and thought it was good. Sad that the investigation never turned up an answer.
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7_Sorrows
Guest
I understand where you are coming from. The abuse happened across the globe and we definitely need to pray for the healing for the victims of this abuse. It is also important to note that this type of abuse has also happened in schools, synagogues, protestant churches,
sports organizations and boy scouts.
Thankfully, in the 1980’s and 1990’s, investigations into the accusations slowly began
taking place and slowly the lid was lifted to reveal how prevalent sexual abuse was and how the predators sought out how to have access to children or victims.
Granted, early on, when accusations were made in the Catholic Church, money was paid, priests were shuffled around or sent to treatment somewhere. At the beginning, they probably had no idea how many victims there were or how many priests eventually
would eventually be accused.
The good thing to come out of the past 50-60 years, if you can look at it this way, are the safeguards that have been put into place to weed out these types of predators in the priesthood and in the schools.
I know the victims still have their painful memories to deal with and I can understand where some have felt so betrayed, they have lost their faith or left the Church. We need to pray for all victims of sexual abuse whether they suffered their abuse in a church or
synagogue, or school, or playing sports or participating in other organizations.
The predators are out there, unfortunately. I have 2 grandchildren I worry about
constantly.
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Dorothy
Guest
When I feel anxiety trying to get to me I recall what St. Padre Pio said “Pray, hope, and don’t worry.”
It takes practice…but God is good!
Our Lady of Fatima…pray for us!
It takes practice…but God is good!
Our Lady of Fatima…pray for us!
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Shining_star86
Guest
Telling the truth about the abuse of children within the Church is not “bashing.” Besides, considering what these women and men endured, I can’t blame them for being upset with the Church over the massive coverup.Same. It seems like Catholicism is now the only religion that everyone thinks it’s okay to bash
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Nothumbleenough
Guest
Many people try to point out these abuses took place fifty years ago and have been well covered in the media. What is ground breaking and most painful is how the diocese specifically asked for corroboration from the victim in the 90’s when the current Bishop in Wilmington knew of specific corroboration considering his meeting at that time with the former altar server whose mother complained in the 60’s. In addition, Archbishop Keeler was in line to get the Cardinal hat and most definitely should not have considering his actions in the 90’s.
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Rosarydevotion
Guest
In the middle of watching the series and I cannot get it out of my mind. In fact I’ve been crying myself to sleep after I watch it.
I just cannot fathom how Father Maskell could do what he did. I mean, its not like you can say he was just a weak sinner. This man seems to have spent his days calculating how he could abuse more kids and also networked with other professions in order to allow them to further molest, and rape these children. He actually used the office of Jesus Christ Himself as well as His sacraments that are holy and sacred and used them in order to manipulate, molest, and prey upon these innocent children. Its the worst case of abuse I have ever heard in my life and it has left me shaken to my core. Father Maskell was Lucifer incarnate.
What gets me is, do these priests not believe in God to begin with? Do they not know the eternal consequences of their actions? Its hard to understand this. They have to read scripture as part of their daily lives, doesn’t it occur to them the very nature of hell? How could you serve under the holy alter and then turn around and do such atrocities. He used our Lord as his means to do the most vile evil to innocent kids and it seemed he wasn’t ever intending to stop. I never heard of a more vile man that this.
I just cannot fathom how Father Maskell could do what he did. I mean, its not like you can say he was just a weak sinner. This man seems to have spent his days calculating how he could abuse more kids and also networked with other professions in order to allow them to further molest, and rape these children. He actually used the office of Jesus Christ Himself as well as His sacraments that are holy and sacred and used them in order to manipulate, molest, and prey upon these innocent children. Its the worst case of abuse I have ever heard in my life and it has left me shaken to my core. Father Maskell was Lucifer incarnate.
What gets me is, do these priests not believe in God to begin with? Do they not know the eternal consequences of their actions? Its hard to understand this. They have to read scripture as part of their daily lives, doesn’t it occur to them the very nature of hell? How could you serve under the holy alter and then turn around and do such atrocities. He used our Lord as his means to do the most vile evil to innocent kids and it seemed he wasn’t ever intending to stop. I never heard of a more vile man that this.
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Irishmom2
Guest
I agree. I had the same feelings and thoughts as you do, rosarydevotion!
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Dorothy
Guest
And our Lord Jesus asks us to pray for our enemies…they have allowed themselves to be deceived.
May His grace bring them to repentance, and full healing for the victims.
May His grace bring them to repentance, and full healing for the victims.
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Rosarydevotion
Guest
I wonder if father Maskell was involved in a satanic cult. This would explain his lack of reverence for the sacred.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
There are many reasons why he could have done this.
- He may have been basically just very evil, taken over by the devil.
- He may have suffered from mental illness.
- He may have been severely abused himself as a child. Many sexually abused children grow up to do the same thing to other children.
It is important to pray for those who do these heinous crimes as well as for their victims.
I realize that isn’t a popular statement with a lot of people but it is what God wants us to do.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
A side note: while the documentary obviously does not get at this, there are probably people to whom Fr. Maskell was a “good priest” and performed the priestly functions of a priest.
Think of all the parishioners who received Communion from him, went to confession to him, or were married by him over the years.
I’m pretty sure he officiated at the wedding of one of my co-workers who was in his parish.
Fr. Maskell did good things during his life as well as terribly evil things.
He was not 100 percent evil.
Think of all the parishioners who received Communion from him, went to confession to him, or were married by him over the years.
I’m pretty sure he officiated at the wedding of one of my co-workers who was in his parish.
Fr. Maskell did good things during his life as well as terribly evil things.
He was not 100 percent evil.
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Rosarydevotion
Guest
I think it is precisely because he isn’t pure evil that makes the story more jaw dropping. That he could be soft spoken and kind and yet still drop to the depths of depravity.
Tis_Bearself
Patron
Humans in general have difficulty understanding how a person can do some good things and also some terribly evil, vile things.
There is a tendency to characterize those who commit heinous murders or child sexual abuse or even animal abuse as inhuman monsters because we cannot wrap our minds around the fact that a human who had some good qualities was also capable of doing such terrible things.
This is something I think about a lot because I used to be involved in capital punishment cases. We need to have a lot of compassion for victims. But we also need to see the humanity in the criminals. That doesn’t mean we let them out of prison and expect their victim to hold their hand and sing Kumbaya. That doesn’t mean we excuse what they did. It just means we see them as humans too and realize that God made them and loves them and loves whatever good things they did in their lives.
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7_Sorrows
Guest
I wondered if the other men who came into his office to abuse the young teens, paid him. Was money exchanged? I would think he would have had to pay the gynecologist
to keep him quiet. You would think a receptionist or secretary in the gynecologist’s office would have become suspicious. Why would a high school chaplain accompany
teen girls to their appointment and remain in the room during the exam?!
So many red flags should have been raised at the high school and the doctor’s office.
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Padres1969
Guest
Just because he did some nice things as a cover for his depravity doesn’t mean he wasn’t evil to the core IMO. And frankly I’d be curious how your co-worker feels knowing their wedding was officiated by a monster. I’d imagine not too good.
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Dorothy
Guest
The weddings he performed were valid, due to the GRACE OF OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST, not to the sanctity or lack of sanctity of the priest who was the witness to the vows.
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Padres1969
Guest
Oh no doubt his marriage is valid or anything like that, even a completely screwed up priest like Maskell is still validly ordained and confects valid sacraments. Nor is it a comment on his marriage itself. Still if it were me, I’d feel terrible that the day itself was officiated by someone who had no business being in the clergy and who avoided hard jail time only due to statues of limitation and death. His marriage is a good thing despite Maskell not because of him, through Christ’s grace.
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Rosarydevotion
Guest
Did anyone else find the theme song of the series hauntingly beautiful? That violin brings tears to my eyes.
youtu.be/Pw238jNysao
youtu.be/Pw238jNysao
Tis_Bearself
Patron
The point is not how the person feels who was married by (or received other sacraments from) Maskell. The point is that the grace of Our Lord Jesus Christ was transmitted to many people using as a channel this man, and many other priests who committed abuse or other great crimes.
It does not excuse the evil that the priests did. It does not magically make them “good people” or mitigate their sins in any way. It does make one think about good and evil and how they can simultaneously exist in one human being. At least it makes me think. YMMV.
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Padres1969
Guest
True, but think of the people whose relationships with Christ were forever destroyed or at least damaged due to this man who stood “In Persona Christi”. Christ’s Grace did come through him in some instances, but the other lack of grace guy’s came through too abusing Christ and his name.
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