Lavender Mafia update

[Mornac]

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Former N.S. bishop Lahey to begin child porn sentencing

Charles Lewis
Aug 2, 2011

On Aug. 7, 2009, Raymond Lahey, bishop of the Diocese of Antigonish, concluded an historic settlement with victims of sexual abuse. It was hailed as a model of how the Roman Catholic Church should deal with all those betrayed by its priests; the victims’ Halifax lawyer, John McKiggan, called the deal “extraordinary and unprecedented,” not just for Canada but for the worldwide Church.
 
“It was the first time I know of that a bishop of that authority had apologized and had acknowledged the responsibility of the institutional church to survivors,” said Mr. McKiggan. “So that was a tremendously different approach than what had typically been seen in the past.”
 
Then, seemingly out of the blue, on Sept. 26, Lahey resigned without explanation. What he did not reveal was that 11 days before, was found with child pornography on his laptop while going through Ottawa’s main airport. He was charged on Sept. 25 with possession and importation of child pornography.
On Thursday, in an Ottawa courtroom, the 69-year-old Lahey is to appear at the first day of a two-day sentencing hearing. The second date will not be till later in the fall. Lahey was caught with the graphic material on his laptop after returning on a flight from the United States. A forensic audit found close to 600 images and 60 videos of boys as young as eight to 10 years old having sex with each other and with adults.
 
As reported the Canadian Catholic News, an Ottawa police detective described other material found on Lahey’s computer: “pornographic stories on the bishop’s hard drives — one running to 300 pages in length — that he categorized under five themes: mastery and slavery involving adults and young boys; humiliation of young boys; torture of young boys; sex acts between young boys; and degradation of young boys or forcing sex acts on them.”
 
In May he pleaded guilty and asked to be jailed immediately. The Crown withdrew a more serious charge of importation.
 
“People are remarkably complex. So you can have a bishop who is compassionate to victims of clergy abuse and somehow in his own little world engage in child porn use,” said Thomas Plante, a professor of psychology at Santa Clara University in California, who also screens potential clergy members and works with troubled priests, many of whom are addicted to pornography.
 
“It seems so contradictory but we see it all the time, especially in people who are always under scrutiny. Narcissism comes along with high positions,” he added. “These cases are a reminder that bishops are not immune from sin and brokenness.”
 
Prof. Plante noted all people, not just clergy, have a remarkable ability to compartmentalize the dark part of their lives. But priests and bishops carry an extra burden that makes their personal feelings all the more severe.
 
“Their standards for behaviour, and even for thought, are much, much higher and so when they fall they really fall big,” he said.
 
He said when priests turn up at his office they feel humiliated, embarrassed and even suicidal. But some, he said, have so lost their moral compass that they come in “kicking and screaming” even after they are found out and have no choice but to find help.
 
“No one wakes up one morning and says, ‘I think I’ll start looking at child porn.’ It’s a gradual slide and with these guys they simply forget how to ask for help.”
 
Lahey’s settlement with the abuse victims in his diocese had been considered particularly compassionate. It allowed for victims to receive restitution without the second indignity of a public trial. It meant those who were abused would not have to be subjected to humiliating cross-examinations by defence lawyers.
 
The bishop acknowledged the $15-million settlement would be crushing for a relatively poor diocese like Antigonish and it would take years for the member parishes to pay off the bill.
 
“I think parishioners would want us to do the right thing,” he told the Cape Breton Post. “I think that’s the overriding consideration.”
 
Even after Lahey’s precipitous fall, Mr. McKiggan, the Halifax lawyer, said it does not diminish what he did for victims of clergy abuse.
 
“I don’t need to reconcile the two things,” he said. “We don’t if the same result would have been achieved if Lahey was not on the other side of the negotiating table. We’ll never know. Except it was the right thing to do and it was very unusual.
 
“But cases like his just go to show you can never know what’s really going on with someone.”

http://life.nationalpost.com/2011/08/02/former-bishop-lahey-faces-child-porn-sentencing/

[Mornac]

Tue, Aug. 09, 2011

Catholic priest faces federal charges of making, possessing child porn

By MARK MORRIS and GLENN E. RICE


A Catholic priest charged with possessing child pornography in Clay County now faces similar, but much more serious, counts in federal court.

A federal grand jury today indicted the Rev. Shawn Francis Ratigan, 45, with 13 counts of possessing, producing and attempting to produce child pornography — including producing of child porn in a church choir loft.

Ratigan could face at least 15 years, and up to 30 years, in prison if convicted on all counts.

U.S. Attorney Beth Phillips is expected to discuss the new charges at a press conference late this afternoon in Kansas City.

State authorities charged Ratigan in May after church officials of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph turned over images of children they had discovered on the priest’s computer.

According to state court records, the pictures allegedly included so-called “up-skirt” photos of girls under the age of 12 and a nude photo of a girl that focused on her genitals.

After searching CDs and an external hard drive belonging to Ratigan, police found what they alleged were “14 different images of child pornography of a 3-4 year old female” and four other images of child porn.

Investigators also seized a computer that Ratigan used while working in St. Joseph.

The furor surrounding Ratigan’s arrest has wounded both local Catholics and the diocese, which three years ago paid $10 million to settle lawsuits filed by more than 40 victims of clergy sexual abuse.

Bishop Robert Finn acknowledged that in 2010 a diocesan school principal complained about Ratigan’s conduct around children and that church officials knew about the computer images months before they handed them over to authorities.

Finn has said he did not read the principal’s complaints about Ratigan until after the priest had been charged in May. And when the diocese learned about the computer images in December 2010, its lawyers advised that they did not “constitute child pornography, as they did not depict sexual conduct or contact,” Finn said in a statement in May.

In June the diocese announced that it was removing Msgr. Robert Murphy from his role in overseeing sexual-abuse allegations against priests after he came under fire for his handling of questions about Ratigan.

Finn hired former U.S. Attorney Todd Graves to investigate how the diocese handled the issue. Graves’ report is expected soon.

And earlier this month, the National Catholic Reporter quoted the diocese as saying it was delaying a capital campaign "in light of the current challenge."

According to the newspaper, which is based in Kansas City, the diocese had asked priests whether the fundraising campaign should continue since the Ratigan case "came to the forefront of our attention." Of the priests that responded, 75 percent recommended a delay, the paper reported.

Following his ordination in 2004, Ratigan served as associate pastor at St. Thomas More Catholic Church in Kansas City from June 2004 to June 2005. He then worked as parochial administrator with a dual assignment to St. Mary Catholic Church in St. Joseph and at St. Joseph Mission in Easton, Mo., from July 2005 to June 2009. He was pastor of St. Patrick Catholic Church in Kansas City from July 2009 to December 2010.

http://www.kansascity.com/2011/08/09/3066739/catholic-priest-faces-federal.html

[ivanm]

Is it unlawful to possess pornographic material in America?  Granted, it may be a sick thing to do, but isn't prosecuting someone for that a slippery slope to thought control? 

Yes, I know these incidents were based in Canada, but the though came to mind. 

[Sassy]

Is it unlawful to possess pornographic material in America?  Granted, it may be a sick thing to do, but isn't prosecuting someone for that a slippery slope to thought control? 

Yes, I know these incidents were based in Canada, but the though came to mind. 

That's "CHILD Porn".   And, yes...It IS illegal.

[Mornac]

Vatican to examine Mexican bishop's gay ministry

Lima, Peru, Aug 11, 2011 / 05:54 pm (CNA).- Bishop Raul Vera Lopez of Saltillo, Mexico has confirmed that he will meet with the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, Cardinal Marc Ouellet, at the end of August or early September.
 
The two will discuss Bishop Vera's support for the San Elredo Community, an organization that embraces homosexuality.
 
In statements to the Mexican daily Zocalo at the end of July, Bishop Vera said, “There has been a call from the Vatican and I am ready to clear things up … I have to respond to a series of questions that Vatican City has sent me about my work with homosexuals.”
 
Bishop Vera told the newspaper El Diario de Coahuila that his meeting with Cardinal Ouellet has to do with reports published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister website of CNA. “This agency has published a bunch of nonsense, and I have been asked to talk about this and I have the right to, I am a bishop of the Church, I work for the Church and I am in communion with the Church.”
 
He also said it was not the first, nor would it be the last time he has been called by the Vatican.

Bishop Vera said the Vatican inquiry is not “a reprimand but rather a clarification, especially with regards to what this agency has published.”
 
On two occasions the bishop has refused to grant statements to ACI Prensa, but nonetheless he has accused the agency of distorting his words. CNA and ACI Prensa believe they have merely stated the facts.
 
The Diario de Coahuila also reported that the San Elredo Community is no longer a part of the Diocese of Saltillo and will now be a separate organization. However, it will continue to promote its usual activities.
 
The interim coordinator of the group is Fernando Hernandez, who said San Elredo would continue following the diocesan pastoral plan but that it would now begin “a new phase outside the diocese.”

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/vatican-to-examine-mexican-bishops-gay-ministry/

[Mornac]

New report on Irish Catholic Church reveals further untold horrors
Donegal diocese reports hundreds of children were sexually abused by 20 pedophiles

By CATHY HAYES
IrishCentral.com Staff Writer

August 12, 2011

A new report on the Donegal diocese of Raphoe will reveal that 20 pedophile priests sexually abused hundreds of children over a 40 years period. This report will detail another massive cover-up scandal within the Irish Catholic Church.

The report, carried out for the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church, will be published by the Bishop of Raphoe, Dr Philip Boyce, during the next two weeks.

The report will outline the horrors of the allegations against the priests and how senior colleagues failed the victims.

A source told the Irish Independent “There were hundreds and hundreds of victims…and they were abused again and again while the church actively prevented investigations by the civil authorities.

"The Raphoe diocese, like others, was only interested in protecting the church and not the victims"

One of the victims, who was raped by a priest, said "I cannot begin to tell you how much I am looking forward to seeing this audit being published. It will be like a dark cloud lifting off me.

"The cover-up by the church in Rome and here in Ireland is finally being exposed. I have no doubt Dr Boyce will apologize to people like me, but what we want is the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth."

Another victim said that all involved in the cover up should be punished. They said “In every walk of life, someone who covers up a crime or who prevents a criminal from being brought to justice is arrested and charged with helping an offender or perverting the course of justice.”

In one case, in 1977, an offending priest was sent away from  his parish for just one month after a young boy’s parents had made a complaint to the Church. The family were distraught when he returned as they had been told by the Church that the issue had been “dealt with”.

Over 30 years this priest was shuffled from parish to parish and he continued to target young boys. The Church never informed the police of these complaints.

According to this source when the police were involved in investigations about the treatment of these children the Church was uncooperative. Although some internal investigations within the diocese did take place the investigators found no records of the abuse whatsoever.
In another case the parents of a victim, who had complained, were asked by a senior cleric, if the family were “all right” financially.

The audit was led by Ian Elliott chief executive of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church. A spokesperson from his office said the reports examined the full extent of all complaints or allegations, knowledge, suspicions or concerns of child sexual abuse, made to the Raphoe diocese by individuals or by the civil authorities in the period 1 January 1975 to the present day, against Catholic clergy.”

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/New-report-on-Irish-Catholic-Church-reveals-further-untold-horrors-127574198.html

[Mornac]

 "The greatest culprits in sexual abuse are, unfortunately, married men."

[johnhp]

A man you cited as an authority on this site

[Mornac]

Archdiocese of Boston publishes list of accused priests

Thu, Aug 25 2011

BOSTON (Reuters) - The Catholic Archdiocese of Boston published for the first time on Thursday a comprehensive list of 159 names of its clergy accused of sexually abusing children.

The names of clergy were released on the diocese website and compiled into lists including priests who have been found guilty of abuse, those with pending allegations, those accused and then defrocked and others now deceased.

"Having met with hundreds of survivors, I know firsthand the scars you carry. And I carry with me every day the pain of the church's failures," Cardinal Sean O'Malley said in a statement.

The priest sex abuse scandal, which has rocked the Roman Catholic church worldwide, first erupted in Boston nearly a decade ago.

The newly published names also include priests acquitted of charges and clergy publicly accused of abuse in complaints later found to be unsubstantiated. In many cases, those priests have returned to active ministry, the church said.

Boston Archdiocese spokesperson Ann Carter said there were 2,324 priests on active duty from 1950-2003, the time period during which the allegations surfaced.

To date, a total of 250 clerics, including two deacons and 157 priests whose names were published on Thursday, have been accused of sexually abusing a minor, according to the website.

The remaining 91 unpublished names include clergy not publicly identified who were either defrocked before being accused or whose allegations were not substantiated or who are now deceased, the website said.

The church said it would continue to supplement and update the list as new information becomes available.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/08/25/us-priest-abuse-idUSTRE77O6WN20110825

[Mornac]

Cloyne Diocese orders parishes to consider property sales to fund abuse pay-outs
Huge compensation claims force drastic measures

By CATHAL DERVAN
August 30, 2011

The crisis-torn Diocese of Cloyne has instructed priests to draw up a list of parish property that can be easily sold.
 
The Cork diocese, at the centre of recent child abuse allegations, is desperate to raise funds to pay compensation.
 
The legal bills and pay-outs from cases involving abuse victims have left the Diocese on the brink of bankruptcy.
 
Parishes will also be hit with a six per cent diocesan levy on all future sales of property.

The Irish Independent reports that parish priests throughout the ‘scandal-hit’ Diocese have been ordered to compile a list of properties suitable for sale.
 
The Diocese itself owns little in the way of saleable property according to the paper and will lean on parishes to sell assets.
 
In normal circumstances a parish is entitled to keep all proceeds from such sales but the Diocese is now demanding a six per cent levy to fund compensation payments and legal costs.
 
The spiraling cost of the cases outlined in the Cloyne Report is expected to cost the diocese millions of Euros.
 
Current Archbishop of Cloyne Dr Dermot Clifford has admitted it could be years before his diocese’s finances eventually recover from the costs of the scandal.
 
“There will be a lot of compensation to be paid, some has already been paid. The resources of the diocese financially will be very low and it will be a big job to rebuild the Diocese of Cloyne,” said Dr Clifford.
 
There are 46 parishes in the diocese where 133 priests serve the needs of some 250,000 people.
 Diocesan spokesman Fr Jim Killeen told the Independent that the six per cent levy would be ‘aimed at supporting diocesan finances’.
 
He added: “The diocese actually owns very little property suitable for sale. That is what we will be asking parishes to contribute.
 
“Parishes have been reluctant to sell property since the market collapsed. It is perfectly understandable, after all, the market is pretty difficult at the moment.”
 
Sources have also confirmed to the paper that the Cloyne Diocese has settled five abuse cases but many more are underway.

http://www.irishcentral.com/news/Cloyne-Diocese-orders-parishes-to-consider-property-sales-to-fund-abuse-pay-outs-128664538.html