Our future looks hopeless, says leader of Irish Christian Brothers

[Abyssinia]

The head of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers has said the order’s future is uncertain because of costly settlements in child abuse cases.

Brother Philip Pinto said that the congregation, which has 1,200 members, “just doesn’t have the money any longer”.

He said that the order’s decision to seek bankruptcy protection in New York was aimed at “trying to ensure that people who have been abused are the ones who get the money, not the lawyers”, he said during a break in a conference on religious life sponsored by the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

Forty per cent of the costs relating to abuse settlements were “going to the lawyers”, he said.

The North American province was especially vulnerable to disappearing, he said, explaining that it would take “something drastic” to save it.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2011/05/10/our-future-is-bleak-says-leader-of-irish-christian-brothers/

 

[Yellow_Belle]

The head of the Edmund Rice Christian Brothers has said the order’s future is uncertain because of costly settlements in child abuse cases.

Brother Philip Pinto said that the congregation, which has 1,200 members, “just doesn’t have the money any longer”.

He said that the order’s decision to seek bankruptcy protection in New York was aimed at “trying to ensure that people who have been abused are the ones who get the money, not the lawyers”, he said during a break in a conference on religious life sponsored by the Conference of Religious of Ireland.

Forty per cent of the costs relating to abuse settlements were “going to the lawyers”, he said.

The North American province was especially vulnerable to disappearing, he said, explaining that it would take “something drastic” to save it.

catholicherald.co.uk/news/2011/05/10/our-future-is-bleak-says-leader-of-irish-christian-brothers/

The Christian Brothers have only themselves to blame so this new-found concern for victims is disingenuous. And I should point out that the CBs and other religious orders cut a sweet deal with the Irish government on compensation for the abused former residents of religious-run institutions. The Irish taxpayer is picking up the tab for their (the religious) crimes. They haven’t even coughed up what they committed to coughing up.

 

[tu_verba_vitae]

The Christian Brothers have only themselves to blame so this new-found concern for victims is disingenuous. And I should point out that the CBs and other religious orders cut a sweet deal with the Irish government on compensation for the abused former residents of religious-run institutions. The Irish taxpayer is picking up the tab for their (the religious) crimes. They haven’t even coughed up what they committed to coughing up.

I have to agree with this. If you can’t do the time, don’t do the crime. Something similar has happened here with the Jesuits. And if anything this is why the Church should have reported the abusers to the authorities, because it would have protected the orders in the long run.

And it is right that the orders that were vigilant in keeping these child molesters out will survive. We should support the orders that are good and holy, and not the ones that we are simply nostalgic about.