BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Smokey.
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 08:53 PM

If the current revelations are anything to go by, we won't be hearing about 5 - 10 year old incidents for a few years yet.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 08:42 PM

"Maybe we need more threads about Margaret Thatcher and about how horrible she was in 1990, eh?"

To me, sexual crimes against children, especially by those in positions of authority, should have no time limitations...nor comments that seem to try to bellttle their impact.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Joe Offer
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 08:37 PM

Not to discount the serious of these offenses, which took place from 1978 to the early 1990s, it's interesting to see the difference in the coverage of the story by The Guardian and The Irish Times. The Guardian makes it sound like all this happened just yesterday, while the Irish Times puts it more into its proper time frame.

The original offense was in 1978, and church officials apparently did not find the original complaint credible. After other complaints, the priest was sent to psychiatric treatment in 1985, and a psychiatrist said he was "cautiously optimistic" after treatment.

There were more complaints, and he was sent away for treatment in 1988. Then there was another molestation in 1989. He was removed from the ministry in 1990 and sent for further treatment. The process to dismiss Walsh from the clerical state began in January 1992, and he was dismissed from the priesthood in August, 1993. He appealed the dismissal to Rome, which upheld his appeal saying he should be reinstated provided he enter a monastery for a period of 10 years. No monastery would take him, so Pope John Paul II confirmed the dismissal in 1996. Mind you, he was removed from active ministry in 1990 - when Margaret Thatcher was still Prime Minister of Great Britain.

The Irish Times says, "In November 1995, Garda stations began collating all cases they had concerning Walsh. In 1996, Cardinal Ratzinger confirmed Pope John Paul II was dismissing Walsh from the priesthood. The DPP directed Walsh be tried in relation to six complainants and he was sentenced to six years in jail." It appears that other complaints have resulted in more criminal convictions in the last year.

So, this priest was removed from ministry in 1990, twenty years ago. His actions resulted in criminal convictions and time in jail. Now, I do not mean to make light of these offenses, but do you have any information about recent child molestation - say, in the last five or ten years?

Maybe we need more threads about Margaret Thatcher and about how horrible she was in 1990, eh?

-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: GUEST,mg
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 07:32 PM

Absolutely. I really do not care if they remain priests, as long as they are dealt with by civil authorities, as well as the enablers, and are kept away from vulnerable populations. It is the enablers who are at least equally sick, and it is an institution that has great sickness embedded within it, and the church creates these men and women, as well as some very fine ones. You have to look at the whole system, the whole ways the mothers and fathers, probably more the mothers, bought into it, the whole repression to the point that anything was less sinful than being with a woman. ANd it was done by terror, and that is why most people bought into it. Oh yes..some guilt, but mostly terror of hell and purgatory. mg

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: GUEST,999
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 06:28 PM

Hear, hear, Smokey.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Smokey.
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 06:16 PM

There should be charges of 'aiding and abetting' and 'failing to report a crime' brought wherever they can be proved. The facilitators, where known, should not be allowed to think they have got away with it and examples should be made wherever it is possible to do so. I include the police in that as well as the clergy.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Ed T
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 06:05 PM

Unfortunately, it's not likely the last of the lot.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 05:37 PM

He is now. But he was left at it for a decade and a half of horrible abuse. Even in 1991, when it was well understood the man was a serial abuser the college of Bishops thought it was 'unimaginable' that the matter would be referred to the Gardaí. The pope refused to remove him from the priesthood for a long time after the ongoing abuse and potential future dangers became known to the Vatican.

Again it's the hierarchy that's sitting there without being answerable to any authority for their knowingly allowing another one of their priest to continue his hideous abuse of young children.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Brian May
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 05:35 PM

Trouble is 'they' close ranks and protect these abusive scum.

I feel SO sorry for their victims, how many of those poor souls were disbelieved, because everyone takes the priest's word over theirs?

It destroys their self-esteem and that'll probably last a lifetime, long after this animal is released.

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Smokey.
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 05:22 PM

I hope he's locked up for a very long time..


http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0rpn_7OMV0c

Subject: RE: BS: And yet more abusing priests (Ireland)
From: Rapparee
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 05:13 PM

Clean 'em all out, forget the Synod of Whitby, and restart Celtic Christianity.

Subject: BS: And yet more clerical abuse (Ireland)
From: GUEST,Peter Laban
Date: 17 Dec 10 - 04:50 PM

With the latest revelations about yet another serial abusing priest and a new chapter of the Murphy rapport released there is yet another string of canons, monseignors, bishops, cardinals right up to and including the pope who kept the priest in question on the job. Only over fifteen years after the first (of many) complaints about the man were received and nearly a decade after fully admitting to allegations and even one case that was not known, Archbishop Connell had to beg the pope to have the man removed from the priesthood.

The priest in question is described in the Murphy report as the most notorious of all child abusers that has so far come to their attention.

With each and every case that comes in the public domain it is astonishing to see again and again how the Vatican and the hierarchy kept again and again exposing children to known abusers and protected them (the abusers) for indecent lengths of time in the full knowledge of what crimes they were perpetrating on the young members of their flock. All, seemingly, for the purpose of avoiding scandal.


It's disgusting beyond description.


The priest in question was the frontman, Elvis impersonator, of the 'All Priest Holy Show' and as such a wellknown face in Ireland.




Irish Times article


Guardian article