A Critique of a Critique Criticizing My Bishop Brown Critique

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Posted by Gustavo Arellano in Ex Cathedra, Main, Naranja News

October 5, 2007 12:55 PM

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Google is great, really: a couple of random searches, and voila! You have a media critique. At least that's how Dave Pierre, author of The Media Report and a contributor to NewsBusters, operates with my recent LA Times opinion piece bashing Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown. Under the headline, "Facts, Fairness Out the Window In LAT Op-Ed Attack On Calif. Bishop," Pierre proclaims that my article's premise that Bishop Brown's handling of the Orange diocese sex-abuse scandal is horrible and almost worse than the actions of Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony "falls flat on its face in light of a flagrant disregard for honest facts and fairness." Pierre then proceeds to try and deconstruct my arguments--and fails spectacularly due to his own ignorance of an ordeal that's continued for the better part of 20 years.

Pierre begins by trying to excuse Brown's role in the Jeff Andrade matter by pointing out Brown didn't assume Orange's bishopric until almost two years after Mater Dei High School officials let Andrade go. He keys in on my passage describing the current lawsuit against the Orange diocese as one where a former student "alleges that church officials ignored her abuse."

"In other words," Pierre excitedly writes, "Arellano implies that Bishop Brown 'ignored [the] abuse' of a high school student in Southern California when, in fact, he was serving as a bishop several hundred miles away in another state (his emphasis)!"

I wasn't implying anything, Dave, just reporting the facts. The current lawsuit filed by Newport Beach-based attorney John Manly is against Andrade, Mater Dei, and the Orange diocese--last I checked, Brown was still bishop. Whether Manly should be deposing Brown regarding a case that didn't happen under His Excellency's watch is another matter, but the fact is Manly says Brown is part of the conspiracy--read the legal briefs (not found on Google). And let's not pretend Brown is innocent in this matter, either: after all, it was His Excellency who signed off on a secret $100,000 payoff to admitted statutory rapist Andrade.

Pierre continues by stating I "clearly impl[y] that Bishop Brown wanted his deposition sealed in order to hide something about himself from the public." He cites my discussion of Brown's not-so-new disclosure that he was accused of molesting a child years ago in his deposition. But Pierre conveniently chops off the next passage in my Times' opinion piece: Brown's discussion of Monsignor John Urell's acute anxiety brought about by a half-finished deposition for the Andrade case, the main reason Brown and his lawyers say they wanted to seal the deposition. Why, Dave?

A quick aside: Pierre tries to bolster his argument against me by referencing the Orange diocese PR flack's already-notorious "Clarification of Current Media Reports." Read mine and Mickadeit's debunking of that nonsense, por favor.

More: Pierre then complains that I say Urell "was the Orange diocese's point man on sex abuse for more than a decade and was personally involved in the cover-up."

"Cover-up of what?," Pierre whines. "Up to this point of the article, Arellano does not elaborate about a 'cover-up' of anything."

Interesting. I opened the Times piece with Brown's nailing of his Covenant with the Faithful in 2004. The Covenant was written specifically regarding the Orange diocese's sex-abuse scandal response and promised blah blah blah. When I start like that, mention that Urell was the Orange diocese's lead figure on investigating sex abuse allegations and mention "cover-up," even a grade schooler should be able to get to which cover-up I refer. Not Pierre, though.

Next up for Pierre is my critique of Brown for not disclosing his molestation allegation. He brings up the fact that the alleged victim, Scott Hicks, only remembered the alleged abuse due to recovered-memory therapy, a controversial procedure. "Arellano, in the OC Weekly, first broke the story of this allegation back in April. His original article made no mention of the 'recovered memory' element of the case." He also doesn't like that I think Brown should've disclosed his allegation.

"Arellano's article illustrates that the mere accusation of abuse, even if it's totally 'baseless,' can still be reported years later, maybe even still after you've died, if you're a Catholic priest," Pierre writes. "Does Arellano doubt that something like that would be 'very painful' and 'difficult to deal with'?"

Here's the thing, Dave: the story for me has never been about whether Brown's accuser is telling the truth or not, nor is it the focus of my op/ed piece. What I do care is that here in Orange County, we have a bishop who claims to be "open, honest and forthright" will all molestation allegations lodged against Orange diocese employees, then isn't, then pretends he is but really isn't. If the allegation was found to be baseless, it really would wither in the public memory--how many people think of Cardinal Mahony as an abuser? Instead, because Brown tried to hide the allegation, people will remember him for that, and not the validity of the accusations.

Pierre concludes on a bizarre note: he accuses me of "a record of taking cheap slaps at Christians" and cites a long-ago response by me to two letter writers. Predictably, Pierre takes the article that provoked that exchange out of context, describing it as me "bristl[ing] at Bible study groups in Orange County." Uh, no: that article criticized a group of Santa Ana Unified School District officials who ran a Bible study group during school hours that a lawsuit claimed school employees had to attend for promotions and favored status.

Pierre only got one thing right: it's Matthew 6:6-9, not Matthew 5 that describes when Jesus taught the disciples to "not be as the hypocrites are" and "when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly." I wrote otherwise--my apologies, Jesus. But why criticize my use of the King's James Bible, Dave? We all know it sounds purtier than the Vulgate of St. Jerome.

And as for Pierre's ridiculous, pointless admonition that "If Arellano is genuine about shining the light on child abuse in this country, he might want to consider directing his energies toward the public school system": what the hell does that have to do with my coverage of the Catholic sex-abuse scandal? Are you implying I'm piling on the Church at the expense of other child molestations? So what's this, then? Idiot.

(Full disclosure: Pierre and I have gone at it before. And the beat goes on)

Comments (3)

Russ Bianchi says:
October 5, 2007 14:44

October 5th, 2007, First Friday

News Busters is a created blog site for more "Teflon" Rog "Mahal" Mahony PR spin, like his ongoing phony, insincere, cold, calculated, propaganda 'guest' editorials (dozens over many months) in the LA Archdiocese 'Tidings' newspaper, trying to justify over thirty (30)years of HIS personal criminal cover up of the rape, sexual assault, sodomy, kidnapping, mental torture, physical maiming, extortion, oral copulation, deliquency, bribery, obstruction of justice, and aid/abetting fugitives from justice, to this very day, in Ireland, Active LA Ministries, Mexico, and elsewhere in Asia, Australia, the South Pacific, South America (to name a few places) of thousands of California Children in Fresno, Stockton, and now LA.

The number of assaults on children, in the entire USA, is in the hundreds of thousands, and over 13,000 known and credible reported ones, in the NCCB's own comissioned JJ Report(independent experts on such atrocities say at least 5 to 6 such assaults go unreported for everyone reported).

To date, the sexual abuse & ongoing criminal cover up, and ENABLING, of Roger M. Mahony, and the NCCB, and Roman Curia, (there are less than 3,500 red hats and miters globally) has cost 1.1 billion Roman Catholic laity many Billions Of Dollars and is still ongoing unabated.

Any representation that the settlements announced are 'wrapping this up' are also a Flat Out LIE.

Any representation that the US Charter of Protection is helping protect kids now, is a full crock of ripe canonical excrement.

For daily vetted coverage of the ongoing embezzlements and criminal proceedings being covered up by Mahony and his unpunished clerics, we recommend:

www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker

For FREE, at www.youtube.com, we also recommend the 2006 US Academy Award Best Documentary nominated DELIVER US FROM EVIL, about Fr. O'Grady, serial child rapist and sodomist, who Roger M. Mahony personally got an annuity (at laity expense) to leave the country, from deposition jurisdiction (and testifying against Mahony) to Ireland. Yesterday, it was reported O'Grady has been run-out of the Irish rural town he was living in, and is in hiding, again.

Like many things in my Church, I half expect O'Grady will be 'suicided' or find his demise soon in a Roman style car accident, or like Albino Lucani (Pope John Paul the 1st) in a "Roman Prescription".

Former Govenor (Oklahoma) Frank Keating, and fellow Roman Catholic, was 100% correct when he described Mahony and the NCCB as acting "like La Cos Nostra".

However, Gov. Keating was being a bit harsh on the mob, in my opinion, who do not systematically, and premeditately, rape and sodomize children or enable such monsters, over decades.

I am a Roman Catholic of 50 years; I am NOT a sexual abuse victim. I have never met or spoken with (knowingly) a sexual abuse victim of the Roman Catholic Church. I am not a member of any sexual abuse advocacy organization, nor contribute to them. I am a businessman who travels the globe annually for his job, and sees, with my own eyes, the overt onging criminal cover up of my Church Bishops, Archbishops and Cardinals. I am a daily Mass penitent, a Mass lector, a communion service lay presider and family man. I also have family, relatives, and close friends, that are vocationed, ordained, cloistered, ordered, secular, academic scholars, monastic, and yes, even Curial, in The Holy See.

Justice will NOT be served until the likes of Mahony, Rivera of Mexico City, Brown of Orange, Brom of San Diego, Curry of Santa Barbara, Steinbock of Fresno, Weigland of Sacramento, Walsh of Santa Rosa, Barnes of San Bernadino, George of Chicago, Law & O'Malley of Boston, Egan of New York, to name but only a few, are ALL canonically censored, removed from office (or had the moral guts - unlikely- to resign en-masse), and should be placed under house arrest, like pedophile founder of the Legionnaires of Christ, Marciel; preferrably in a remote, hard labor, dark, cold, bad food, monastery (ies) for LIFE. And if they refuse, swiftly and irrevocably EXCOMMUNICATED.

What can my fellow laity do about this? Rome pretends to understand little, but they DO GET lack of revenue.

Remember, Bernie Law (sitting in the lap of luxury in one of only 4 Papally designated Basilica in Rome)of Boston, was not removed until revenue in the Boston Archdiocese fell by over 75%, two years in a row, and has never recovered, besides all types of ploys, lies, and spins, from O'Malley and others, since.

If you want Mahony (and the others)GONE, stop donating to any offetories, wills, trusts, building funds, contigency funds, tuitions, schools, hospitals, charities, convents, universities, monasteries, seminaries, shrines, missions, pences, appeals, second collections, pension funds, soup kitchens, volunteer organizations, or your contributed ministries and unpaif volunteer time, etc., that these EVIL men can lay their hands on.

It is said "They who have the Gold, make the Rules"; in the mortal & institutional Roman Catholic Church, and that Ladies and Gentlemen, is the LAITY who pay ALL the bills!

St. Peter Dameon, almost a thousand years ago, wrote extensively about the sexual excesses and abuse of the Church's clergy at that time, and St. Daemon told the laity, the only way to reign in these "CROOKS", is to cut off their revenue. St. Peter Dameon was, and remains, correct!

No Bishop Accountability? No Laity Monies!

May God have mercy on these miters and red hats souls, because there is NONE among the vast majority of the mainstream laity of the global Holy Roman Catholic Church!

Respectfully submitted,

Russ Bianchi
Lay Member of the Diocese of Monterey, CA, under the LA Archdiocese

Another Spin By Spin says:
October 5, 2007 15:29

I read that blog Dave or Pierre wrote this morning and thought; I've always thought Gustavo was a good honest writer. Why would he say this stuff and do the things Dave has pointed out? Then this rebuttal comes and I understand what the real deal is with this Dave or Pierre. He is a lay catholic who can't face the truth about what is happening in the church and has his belief in god tied to this issue. He is trying to spin the whole thing to outer space were by not having to confront his own belief system within the church. If Gustavo is right this guy is wrong and no one likes to be wrong.
Thanks for taking the time to reply to this guy's misleading statement Gustavo. I would have been fooled by his misleading half information misinformation or attempt to discredit your statements.

The sick thing is I’m a survivor still trying to believe that the church would not go to any measures to hide factual information. It’s a sad day. I think this Russ B is so on target it scares me to think he is right. I think he is right. Were do we go from here?

Stop Giving Money To The Church!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Let’s see what washes out of this empire we have built with our money. I’m done giving my money to Rome.

Stop

Debby Bodkin says:
October 5, 2007 17:50

Rus is absolutely 200% correct. How long will it take for the faithful in the pews to get the message about ENABLERS that continue to collect hundreds of thousands of dollars in fees and salaries, while placing the protections of children at their lowest priority?

It is time for the laity to stop DONATING for the self-serving prophecies. For those not familiar with the true ENABLERS in the clergy sex abuse crisis and specifically in the Diocese of Orange... they are the Bishops, attorneys, Judges, legislators, government officials, teachers, administrators and law enforcement officials who knew better, played the ostrich, used freedom of religion as a free pass to sexually abuse children and vulnerable adults, while placing their hopes for political support and contributions BEFORE protecting children.

Today, the ENABLERS in the Diocese of Orange continue to twist truths and lie to the faithful. The Diocese of Orange is the worst of all the ENABLERS. Bishop Brown led the nation in the $100 million settlement of sex abuse lawsuits in 2004; however, the evil attorneys, General Counsel and HR Directors, still have knowledge of years of sex abuse crimes and other violations of the law, and are STILL EMPLOYED BY BISHOP BROWN. Obviously, Bishop Brown thought writing his check for $100 million would silence the survivors from speaking out -- WRONG AGAIN. It was never about the money but protecting those who cannot protect themselves and Bishop Brown, you could care less about children in your Diocese.

If Bishop Brown and the Diocese of Orange have changed their ways in efforts to protect children, then they would have fired the employees who ENABLED sex crimes committed against children -- those crimes that the OC District Attorney and the OC Sheriff's Department REFUSED to investigate or prosecute.

As evidenced by the actions of the Diocese of Orange legal team and General Counsel, five years after the sex abuse crisis erupted in 2002, they are still blaming a victim of sex abuse seeking justice in a court of law, even when the former employee ADMITTED the sexual abuse. Bishop Brown DOES NOT care about kids. If the Diocese of Orange had learned any lessons from the sex abuse crisis that cost OC Catholics $100 million, then Bishop Brown would have fired the Diocesan General, HR Director and legal team of corrupt defense attorneys.

St. Peter Callahan, St. Maria Rullo Schinderle and Bishop Brown apparently are looking forward to publicly badgering Jane Doe in a court of law to convince the world Jane Doe is the abuser, not the ADULT employee supervised by the Diocese of Orange. Looking forward to watching more violations of the law at the public trial, perjury, obstructions of justice and legal conflicts of interest! Should be quite interesting.

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