Pick up this newspaper this Thursday, when this reporter will have a more in-depth take on the Orange diocese's settling four more sex-abuse cases for about $7 million. In the meanwhile, allow your humble servant to rail about the latest foot-in-mouth case of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown.
Today, Associated Press reporter Gillian Flaccus filed a report from Newport Beach, where three of the four victims came forth to face the cameras. She also interviewed Brown, who's scheduled to appear in Orange County Superior Court tomorrow to face a contempt-of-court hearing. Flaccus asked His Excellency about the fact that about 15 percent of all the Orange diocese's settled sex abuse cases dealt with Mater Dei and Santa Margarita high schools. "I'm sorry it happened in those two schools, it should not have happened there," Brown responded. "But statistically they are not worse than anybody else."
Where have we read this before...oh, yes! The Orange County Register Letters to the Editor section today! We turn the mike over to John Richardson of Mission Viejo after the jump:
The Tuesday, Oct. 4, issue of the Register had an article on page 7 of the Local section titled: "Ex-athletic director gets jail for sex with girl, 14." He was a teacher at Mission Viejo Christian School.
The article, buried in the second section, is in sharp contrast to the front-page coverage given to any sexual abuse news about the Catholic Church. Even Steven Greenhut and Frank Mickadeit have taken their shots at the church and Bishop Brown in recent columns. I would be the first to say that those shots are probably well-deserved. But where is the level playing field?
Why do the Register and the media find it so necessary to down the Catholic Church, but relegate the sexual-abuse problems of other Christian denominations and schools to the back pages?
It's a tried-and-true defense by church apologists to point the finger at other abusers in society rather than take responsibility for the Church's sins. Again (and we'll spare you the links): it's the Catholic Church, not other churches, who claim to care for sex-abuse victims, then subject them to eight-day depositions. It's the Church who claims holiness and spends thousands of dollars on Covenants with the Faithful, only to change it at a whim. It's the Catholic Diocese of Orange that's the biggest bunch of hypocrites since Clarence Thomas. We can go on, but we'll stop here: tune in tomorrow for more!
October 8, 2007 17:33
As I watched today's press conference, the courage of the victims making a personal choice to seek justice and share their personal stories, is a gift to the protections of children in the years to come. God bless all of the ladies for believing in the power of speaking truths and seeking justice.
I was horrified to learn that Diocese of Orange supervisory employees and attorneys continued to badger these young ladies long after the Diocese settled approximately 87 clergy abuse lawsuits for $100 million in December 2004. This is a disgrace to Bishop Brown's management and personal choice to protect the Diocesan financial portfolio BEFORE respecting the rights of these ladies to seek justice and due process in a court of law, free from obstructions of justice, defamation, PR twisting and legal conflicts of interest.
** Bishop Brown and his supervisory employees are slowly destroying the communities of Catholic faith in Orange County, California. Actions speak much louder than any Covenant With the Faithful or words that Bishop Brown nails to a Church door or posts on the Diocesan website.
** Bishop Brown knows that NOTHING has changed in the Diocese of Orange since the clergy sex abuse crisis erupted in 2002, since his $100 million settlement and since he publicly released Covenant With the Faithful, because his employees still live in fear and must deal with terroristic management styles of those protecting the Diocese from public scandal and monetary damages. The protections of children are the last on Bishop Brown's list of priorities.
* Bishop Brown has a lot of work to do before children, vulernable adults and employees will be safe from any dangers or violations of the law. The life long employees who failed to protect children from sex crimes in the past are still GAINFULLY employed by Bishop Brown and as long as they remain faithful and protect the Diocesan dirty sex crime secrets, they will remain employed for life -- no questions asked!
TO BISHOP BROWN: If you are serious about protecting children, then issue a public statement IMMEDIATELY requesting that all of the employees in the Diocese of Orange who have knowledge of past sex crimes or past violations of the law, come forward and report what they know.
Then Bishop Brown, issue your personal guarantee to all employees that none of them will lose their jobs or be punished for speaking out to protect another human being.
Then Bishop Brown, FIRE YOUR ATTORNEYS! They are a disgrace!
October 8, 2007 19:05
If you think Bishop Brown is not doing too well in his support of the people who have been injured you should have Bishop Brom of San Diego. He's asking all his parishioners to make a big sacrifice [& get them out of the hole]and pay again for what they have already had to pay out to the victims. He's asking the priests to also donate one months salary[because you can't ask the laity to do it, if you won't] So what do the sheep do, pay or say"forget it"? I'm sure no one will check up on the priests to see if they have paid their mo's salary. What a crock the whole RCC is. Dumb or dumber ?
October 8, 2007 19:10
The greatest Pope Deceiver is Pope John Paul II because he was able to cover-up the most heinous crime against thousands of children abused by his own Papal Pedophile-Priests Army within the Vatican and the Catholic Church for more than 26 years of his papacy... that's a quarter of a Century!
Well versed in the Bible and writer of countless encyclicals, homilies and speeches against communism and sins of all sorts, John Paul II was the CEO of his Bishops and together they were cohorts in the cover-up of the greatest crime against children in the history of the Catholic Church in the modern world.
When will Catholics ever learn? When will those "Ghetto Catholics" ever learn that true sainthood is not and cannot be declared by Pope Deceivers like Benedict XVI, John Paul II's papal clone, and therefore should NEVER call John Paul II a "saint" --- not in American soil nor by American lips.
Like any great leader, John Paul II the Great could not have done it alone. He succeeded in -- this greatest Catholic Deception of clergy sexual abuse cover-up -- together with his Cardinals and Bishops. A classic Bishop Deceiver is Robert Brom of San Diego. He himself is accused of sexual misconduct with a young seminarian in recent years.
Below are eight articles that help us understand this web of Catholic Deception unfolding right before our eyes. For the complete article go to John Paul II Millstone
http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2007/08/john-paul-ii-and-bishop-brom-brewing.html
October 8, 2007 23:08
Mr. Arellano is wrong about Bishop Brown not getting it. Everyone of those anointed frauds of the Catholic Church, from the pope, to the bishops and cardinals, right on down to the lowliest parish priest, all get it. They simply do not wish to acknowledge it. And the Faithful In the Pews? They just want this nightmare to be over; to go away so as not to have to think about little children being raped in church sacristies, or choir lofts, or in the very pews where they (the laity) sit every Sunday. But the nightmare will never end for the victims because, when one has lived a nightmare, it is hard to forget. And, neither it seems will the nightmare end soon for the church. What with more new reports of abuse by catholic clergy and church workers coming in everyday, it seems the RCC, and its followers, are in for a long haul.
October 9, 2007 03:07
People who are outraged about the Diocese of Orange, California and its Bishop Tod Brown need to get active in the communities and, if they are Catholic, in their own local churches and organize and go somewhere with their outrage!
This goes doubly for dioceses across the country!
Catherine Mary Henry
catherinemaryhenry@yahoo.co
October 9, 2007 04:39
Flaccus asked His Excellency about the fact that about 15 percent of all the Orange diocese's settled sex abuse cases dealt with Mater Dei and Santa Margarita high schools. "I'm sorry it happened in those two schools, it should not have happened there," Brown responded. "But statistically they are not worse than anybody else." This is probably a true statement.
As an abuse victim at the hands of nuns I have to admit that the Bishop is right. So what? The RC Church claims to speak exclusively for Christ in the most authentic way.
This is speaking for Christ?