On Oct. 9, Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod D. Brown issued a letter to the county's Catholics explaining his recent $6.685 million settlement with four sex-abuse victims of diocesan lay employees. He talked about apologizing to two of the victims (read a different account here), about how sex abuse is wrong, and all that jazz. Then His Excellency said the strangest thing about Mater Dei High School, where two of the settled cases occurred:
I want to say a few words to the Mater Dei High School community. You have been through a lot during the past few years over the handling of these painful matters. You are an excellent school, providing a well-rounded learning experience, with first-rate academic and athletic programs but most importantly exemplary faith formation. Your administrators, teachers and support staff are second to none.
I am proud of your strength and determination to ensure the high quality of the educational experience for your students.
Either Bishop Brown really is a nice guy, or he's an absolute idiot. Brown shouldn't be offering condolences to the Santa Ana Catholic high school; he should be revoking its charter and subjecting administrators to the stocks. Mater Dei has been Ground Zero in the Orange diocese sex-abuse scandal, with more settled cases originating originating from the athletic powerhouse than any other parish. President Patrick Murphy, the same man who wouldn't tell the Mater Dei community who are their latest statutory rapists (former assistant boys' basketball coach Jeff Andrade and choir director Larry Stukenholtz), was principal at the time Andrade and Stukenholtz did their evil deeds and Mater Dei teachers and administrators ignored blatant warning signs. Legendary boys' basketball coach Gary McKnight was the man who invited Andrade back to campus. And it's been the poor, tortured Mater Dei community that's been calling Andrade victim Christina Ruiz a slut and worse for years. Mater Dei has been "through a lot," Bishop Brown? What did Christ say about children and millstones?
Brown's letter also talks about embattled Monsignor John Urell, but we'll deal with that claptrap on Monday...
October 12, 2007 13:28
When will Bishop Brown notify OC Catholic communities that:
1. The Diocesan General Counsel, the HR Director and the defense attorneys/firms that have violated every teaching and rule concerning Christianity and core values of human decency?
2. OC law enforcement agencies that the attorneys hired to represent the Diocese of Orange and the OC Sheriff's Department pose a serious THREAT TO THE PROTECTIONS OF CHILDREN.
Bishop Brown is truly a good guy!
October 12, 2007 14:14
We salivate at the delicious obscenities that may be revealed.
October 12, 2007 16:52
Will Tod Brown ever accept real responsiblity?
In his letter to the Diocese, Brown claims Urell has "suffered terribly" by "attacks and innuendo." If Urell is any kind of real person, his suffering developed because he participated in covering up for perpetrators of horrendous sexual crimes against children. His actions (or incations)concerning perpetrators known to the diocese over the years, created dozens of victims over his tenure as vicar for clergy. And he did all of this because he was following diocesan policy. Brown describes Urell's service to the diocese as "professional." What kind of "professional" behavior covers up for criminals and exposes children to horrible abuse?
If anyone shares in the responsiblity for Urell's breakdown, other than Urell himself, it is the hierarchy of the church. Tod Brown and Norman McFarland are responsible.
And now that we Catholics know what the policies were for decades, if we accept anything other than full transparency and accountablity from the diocese, we are also responsible.
October 13, 2007 12:34
By FRANCES D'EMILIO – 51 minutes ago
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican said Saturday it has suspended a monsignor from a senior post at the Holy See after an Italian TV program using a hidden camera recorded him making advances to a young man and asserting that gay sex was not sinful.
The Vatican did not identify the monsignor by name. But Monsignor Tommaso Stenico confirmed in a telephone interview with The Associated Press that he had been suspended from his post at the Vatican's Congregation for Clergy, an office which aims to ensure proper conduct by priests.
"Don't condemn me," Stenico said, adding that the program "was done fraudulently" because it used a hidden camera.
In the program on private Italian network La7, a man identified as a priest is heard saying that he "didn't feel he was sinning" by having sex with gay men.
Rome daily La Repubblica reported Saturday that Vatican officials recognized the monsignor's office in the background of the program, which aired Oct. 1.
The Rev. Federico Lombardi, a Vatican spokesman, said the Italian monsignor was suspended while the case was under investigation.
"Higher-ups are evaluating the situation with the necessary reserve and with the obligatory respect for the person involved, even if this person has erred," Lombardi said.
Vatican officials "had to intervene decisively and with the severity required by conduct not compatible with priestly service and with the mission of the Holy See," he added.
While the Vatican rarely comments on individual sex scandals, this case directly touched the Holy See, apparently prompting the confirmation of the report.
Vatican teaching holds that homosexual activity is a sin.
Stenico said to call back later in the day when he would have more to say, but later attempts to reach him were not successful.
The Italian news agency ANSA quoted him as saying he had sent his superiors "a dutiful memo" about the case.
Milan daily Corriere della Sera had previously reported that a young man had contacted La7 and said he had been in contact with several priests on chat lines popular with gay men. Corriere said La7 then filmed encounters between the man and priests with a hidden camera.
A woman identifying herself as a producer for La7's "Exit" program declined to comment about the case, saying only that the program could be viewed on the network's Web site.
In the program, the faces of those speaking with the young man are obscured and their voices altered so they would not be recognized.
The man La Repubblica identified as the Vatican official can be heard saying that "he didn't feel he was sinning" by having sex with gay men and asking his visitor if he liked him.
October 13, 2007 16:57
WHAT WILL GUSTAVO DO NOW THAT THIS MATER DEI THING IS OVER? NO MORE CHANCES TO SLAM THE CATHOLIC RELIGION, HOPE YOUR ASK A MEXICAN COLUMN KEEPS YOU EMPLOYED.
October 13, 2007 20:08
How do I slam the faith, UNtruth? And when the scandal is finally over, I'll just do what I've done for the past five years: go after bad guys. Go ask Nativo Lopez how that worked out for him.
October 14, 2007 08:16
Hey Truth,
Gustavo could start working on the Vatican.
Or have you not read the papers about the gay priest working in the Vatican. Oh I’m sorry!
So many to pick from.
Monsignor Tommaso Stenico who say's that being gay is not a sin. This man is an over seeier of priestly activity world wide. He gives guidance to the Urells, Lennihans, Ramos and the Harris’s.
If being gay is not a sin why did god not make butt babies?
For you truth try defending the victim who was 100% fucked from the start. "We were Fucked" you piece of s_it.
What happened to us is not only a crime but it's a reflection of society as a hole. You justify what happened to us with acts like she was asking for it or as Dick Dale King of The Surf Guitar said she looked 23. No excuses for raping children. It's predatory and a known wrong.
But when a child is 7 or 8 as I was try justifying butt rape and having a 58 year old man piss in YOUR mouth. Kind of fucks you up a little asshole.
I think Callahan and Truth the defenders of evil should be celli’s on death row or off each other with a shot gun.
Theirs no God. It’s always meant “Good Orderly Direction” you fuck. The wholesale cost of religion is child rape and gay butt sex. It’s the fags that have been pushing the Catholic Church from the top as a way to make money. What did Stallion Say Religion was the opiate of the masses. BINGO truth.
The Catholics have been selling religion now for years.
It’s over truth the truth is coming out!
Truth you’re not human.
October 14, 2007 14:30
Vatican Official Insists He's Not Gay
VATICAN CITY
Washington Post
The Associated Press
Sunday, October 14, 2007; 9:13 AM
VATICAN CITY -- A Vatican official suspended after being caught on hidden camera making advances to a young man said in an interview published Sunday that he is not gay and was only pretending to be gay as part of his work.
In an interview with La Repubblica newspaper, Monsignor Tommaso Stenico said he frequented online gay chat rooms and met with gay men as part of his work as a psychoanalyst. He said that he pretended to be gay in order to gather information about "those who damage the image of the Church with homosexual activity."
Vatican teaching holds that homosexual activity is a sin.
October 14, 2007 19:53
Anyone who can read the daily vetted coverage at: www.bishop-accountability.org/abusetracker will immediately KNOW that "Truth" as not a clue about the FACTS, and that there are at least 20 global cases per day revealed in ongoing massive criminal fraud, embezzlement, and continued sexual deviancy, costing all laity many BILLIONS of DOLLARS, in the Roman Catholic Church, that could easily keep this, and several dozen other blogs, busy for centuries to come.
No Bishop Accountability? Bo Laity Monies!
Russ Bianchi
Lay Member, Diocese of Monterey, CA