New Hampshire GOP leader calls Catholic bishop a ‘pedophile pimp’

[poker10]

By Associated Press, Friday, April 1

CONCORD, N.H. — New Hampshire’s House Republican leader says Roman Catholic Bishop John McCormack is a “pedophile pimp” who should’ve been led from the Statehouse in handcuffs after speaking at a rally criticizing the budget.

Rep. D.J. Bettencourt of Salem posted the comment Friday on Facebook in an apparent reference to McCormack’s tenure as head of the Manchester diocese during the clergy sex abuse scandal.

In 2002, McCormack averted unprecedented criminal charges against the diocese by agreeing that it had harmed children by moving abusive priests from parish to parish.

Bettencourt later said that while his language was colorful, he stands by the sentiment.
A spokesman for the diocese says Bettencourt’s comments are false and detract from the real issue — the state’s obligation to care for the poor.

washingtonpost.com/national/nh-house-gop-leader-calls-catholic-bishop-a-pedophile-pimp-on-facebook-page/2011/04/01/AFvWQwIC_story.html

 

[Rascalking]

This brings up a deeper problem.WE find this statement offensive, but that is how most catholics (I like in NH) view this man. He has lost his moral authority in the eyes of the people. Then, we don’t take him seriously when he preaches on abortion.

 

[gam197]

I agree.

Every now and then Cardinal Law’s name is thrown out again and there is still a great deal of anger that he is in the Vatican.

Bishop McCormack was under Cardinal Law at the time and many New England Catholics have felt that full justice was never done.

I don’t take his comment to heart.

 

[aicirt]

I agree.

Every now and then Cardinal Law’s name is thrown out again and there is still a great deal of anger that he is in the Vatican.

Bishop McCormack was under Cardinal Law at the time and many New England Catholics have felt that full justice was never done.

I don’t take his comment to heart.

If the Bishop knew that what Cardinal Law was doing was wrong,(moving the pedophiles around) he had a moral obligation to the victims to report it to the authorities. The Bishop cannot use the excuse that he worked under the Cardinal.

 

[gam197]

originally posted by aicirt
If the Bishop knew that what Cardinal Law was doing was wrong,(moving the pedophiles around) he had a moral obligation to the victims to report it to the authorities. The Bishop cannot use the excuse that he worked under the Cardinal

.

I understand but this was at a time when no one discussed these things. Remember the first major case to come out in the newspapers, in the Northeast, was Porter around 1990 - there have been many, many threads on these tragic events -

I’d say many Cardinals and Bishops were accountable to these families.

I liked Cardinal Law mainly because he was the only Cardinal that I knew of who was active in Pro life. He actually had buses that he paid for so that people would picket the abortion clinics until John Salvi killed some workers.

As the poster before me said, McCormack has lost trust. I was just agreeing.

NH is like Wisconsin right now because budget cuts have been pretty dramatic - feelings are hot.

 

[rmartensjr]

I would suppose that this has been discussed before but I think it’s pertinent.

It is my understanding that when these pedophiles were active, say prior to 1970, it was the majority opinion of the psychiatric profession that these offenders could be rehabbed. (Please correct me if I’m wrong.) We now know that this is not possible.

This then is the question… how can we judge church leaders by using what we know TODAY, when that knowledge was not available to them DECADES ago??? ___

 

[cyberwolf001]

Glad to see someone is calling the Cardinal out on this finally. Not surprised to see the usual circle the wagons is not being done as the someone is a GOP leader…