Police: Priest solicited murder of boy accusing him of sex abuse

[StrawberryJam]

cnn.com/2010/CRIME/11/23/texas.priest.arrested/index.html?hpt=T2

(CNN) – A Catholic priest, facing criminal charges and a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a teenage boy, is now charged with attempting to hire someone to kill the youth, authorities said Tuesday.

The Rev. John M. Fiala was in the Dallas County, Texas, jail on Tuesday, charged with one count of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the jail’s website. He also is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bail totals $700,000.

Fiala, 52, of Dallas, was out on bond on other sexual assault charges involving the youth, now 18, when he allegedly attempted to negotiate the boy’s murder, said Tom Rhodes, the teen’s attorney

There is an old thread regarding this priest from April. Here is your update on the Priest.

 

[Trishie]

As Jesus found, there are always Judases amongst the majority of the good priests.

If true, hopefully the boy receive all the healing help he needs to recover from this dual betrayal of him, as much as is possible.
And the man, if he committed either or both of these crimes, which is believed to be the case, will not be considered worthy of ordination and has no actual faith or commitment to God or to others’ souls. This man is a criminal if he has acted thus, as is anyone else who does.

In reporting this, what is your intention S J? It does not change the fact that there are innumerable faithful priests throughout the ages and in our present world, but again shows what Jesus knew amid His own twelve first priests, that sometimes priests fail to be priests and even good men. The continual emphasis on the bad ones, yet with no mention of all the good and holy and sincere priests, is very unfair to all the good ones. This is also the media’s behavior. They report only the bad and make sure everyone knows, with no mention of the long years of unselfish giving of their lives by innumerable other priests around the world, and through the ages. This too is a matter of justice.

The man will never be allowed to serve as a priest again. He will be punished both by law and by Church, and unless he has a radical conversion, by God. He will have a great deal of reparation to do even if he seeks God’s forgiveness, and that reparation of course doesn’t undo the harm to the boy.
.
I only hope and pray the boy can recover. I’m sure he will receive a great deal of help, which doesn’t change the fact that he has been seriously sinned against by a double crime of the most serious natures, with the usual proviso that anyone is considered innocent until proven guilty.

 

[StrawberryJam]

As Jesus found, there are always Judases amongst the majority of the good priests.

If true, hopefully the boy receive all the healing help he needs to recover from this dual betrayal of him, as much as is possible.
And the man, if he committed either or both of these crimes, which is believed to be the case, will not be considered worthy of ordination and has no actual faith or commitment to God or to others’ souls. This man is a criminal if he has acted thus, as is anyone else who does.

In reporting this, what is your intention S J? It does not change the fact that there are innumerable faithful priests throughout the ages and in our present world, but again shows what Jesus knew amid His own twelve first priests, that sometimes priests fail to be priests and even good men. The continual emphasis on the bad ones, yet with no mention of all the good and holy and sincere priests, is very unfair to all the good ones. This is also the media’s behavior. They report only the bad and make sure everyone knows, with no mention of the long years of unselfish giving of their lives by innumerable other priests around the world, and through the ages. This too is a matter of justice.

The man will never be allowed to serve as a priest again. He will be punished both by law and by Church, and unless he has a radical conversion, by God He will have a great deal of reparation to do even if he seeks God’s forgiveness, and that reparation of course doesn’t undo the harm to the boy.
.
I only hope and pray the boy can recover. I’m sure he will receive a great deal of help, which doesn’t change the fact that he has been seriously sinned against by a double crime of the most serious natures, with the usual proviso that anyone is considered innocent until proven guilty, and no doubt he is

Dear Trishie,

I do not believe that this priest is a product or result of catholic teaching, or is in any way a story that would cause anyone (that includes me) to believe that because of this, if he is found guilty, that there would be any reason to connect this priest’s actions with the catholic church.

My concern may seem trivial to some, but it is a practical one. This is going to cost money. Lots of it, guilty or not. The people who will pay for this are the good people who want their churches to stay open and schools to stay open. How can the churches and schools survive when this is happening?
There are many good catholics struggling themselves out there. They do their best to pay the tuition and to pay what they should to the church. But, when this happens- it seems they are ending up paying for his legal defense or settlement or both.
That money could go to the schools or the parish.
It is just sad.

 

[Trishie]

Thanks for explaining your intention, S.J. Of course your intentions were good though formerly unstated.

The harm such men do is incalculable. The injustice towards others is on so many levels, the financial burden being one. It can destroy people on several levels rather like an expanding mental, spiritual and emotional explosion.

It does remain a pity that the harm they do is placed under blazing lights, and thus does harm to an even wider range of people. Even we across the Atlantic are now also subjected to the harm to confidence and faith, of this man’s betrayal. The quiet lifetimes of goodness and kindness of so many other priests, in your country and mine, remain shrouded, and known quietly and thankfully to we who have experienced their many acts of kindness and support. And the spotlight on these priest-sinners rips away sheds of faith from some whose faith is fragile, yet who desperately need faith in this difficult and often desperate world. Sometimes that faith, flickering though it may be, is all many have to light their way in this world.

 

[StrawberryJam]

Thanks for explaining your intention, S.J. Of course your intentions were good though formerly unstated.

The harm such men do is incalculable. The injustice towards others is on so many levels, the financial burden being one. It can destroy people on several levels rather like an expanding mental, spiritual and emotional explosion.

It does remain a pity that the harm they do is placed under blazing lights, and thus does harm to an even wider range of people. Even we across the Atlantic are now also subjected to the harm to confidence and faith, of this man’s betrayal. The quiet lifetimes of goodness and kindness of so many other priests, in your country and mine, remain shrouded, and known quietly and thankfully to we who have experienced their many acts of kindness and support. And the spotlight on these priest-sinners rips away sheds of faith from some whose faith is fragile, yet who desperately need faith in this difficult and often desperate world. Sometimes that faith, flickering though it may be, is all many have to light their way in this world.

I agree that there will be those who will see something like this, and then make the very serious mistake of confusing causation with correlation.

I think it is best to bring this out in discussion to help those who may be making an illogical jump.

I think it is appropriate after reading your post, and with Thanksgiving being tomorrow here in the US, for us to shine more spotlight on the good priests.

I will start by telling everyone here that I am very grateful for the friendship and help that the priest I know has been to me. I will start a thread about thankfulness before I head off to work tomorrow.

 

[Trishie]

You are a good and generous person.
And you are right in saying that discussion may help some of those who might otherwise make the illogical jump…there are some who (understandably) can’t separate emotion from the decisions they make anyway.
However, for those others who may benefit from open discussion, this is a valuable thread. God bless you my favorite agnostic!

And have a wonderful Thanksgiving

 

[sidbrown]

cnn.com/2010/CRIME/11/23/texas.priest.arrested/index.html?hpt=T2

(CNN) – A Catholic priest, facing criminal charges and a lawsuit alleging that he sexually abused a teenage boy, is now charged with attempting to hire someone to kill the youth, authorities said Tuesday.

The Rev. John M. Fiala was in the Dallas County, Texas, jail on Tuesday, charged with one count of criminal solicitation to commit capital murder, according to the Texas Department of Public Safety and the jail’s website. He also is charged with two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bail totals $700,000.

Fiala, 52, of Dallas, was out on bond on other sexual assault charges involving the youth, now 18, when he allegedly attempted to negotiate the boy’s murder, said Tom Rhodes, the teen’s attorney

There is an old thread regarding this priest from April. Here is your update on the Priest.

Something has gone wrong. Very wrong.

 

[Holly3278]

If this priest is truly guilty of everything he is charged with then he did evil obviously. However, I have my doubts. I don’t believe that anyone but God knows the full truth when it comes to complicated matters such as these.

 

[cyberwolf001]

I love how the first responder went and gave a very sugar coated accusation that the OP was out to attack Catholics. This victim mentality is why the sex abuse problem is gone on this long.

 

[StrawberryJam]

I love how the first responder went and gave a very sugar coated accusation that the OP was out to attack Catholics. This victim mentality is why the sex abuse problem is gone on this long.

The first responder is a friend of mine. We talk about life, and things.
I don’t know why this problem has gone on for this long. I am sure no one here wants it to be happening.

 

[sojo]

There is nothing wrong or evil for the media to report what is newsworthy, and there is nothing wrong or evil for people to want to discuss these news items.

Nobody wants to hear that life went on peacefully in my little town today. Same as every day this week and this month. Nobody wants to hear that our three priests (all we have for our entire county) did their normal good job of shepherding their flocks, doing charitable deeds and so forth. That is NOT news. Should our county be rocked by a burst gas pipe destroying many homes, taking lives and possibly being caused by the negligence of a public utility (as has happened elsewhere in our State), then THAT is news. Should a member of the clergy (or as happened a year or so ago, a Public Defender who’s workload was primarily representing abused and neglected children reported to the local Child Protective Services) be accused and convicted of child abuse or child pornography, then THAT is news.

I get tired of folks blaming the media for reporting the news and for others wanting to discuss it. They aren’t evil, and they aren’t necessarily out to attack the Catholic church.

I read about this particular incident on CNN online, and I came here to see if it was being discussed so I could get some varied opinions. And to share a bit of my own grief over seeing yet another Church scandal unfold. It is healing to share communal grief over issues pertaining to fallen humanity, especially when they are connected to our beloved faith.

As the hiring of a hit man was set up as a sting, we know that at least THAT part of the story is true. The sexual abuse/rape part seems to be well corroborated, as well, but until we learn more, we can hold onto a thread of hope on that issue.