Here is the March 30, 2011 FOX 29 10 p.m. segment on what has become a very personal cause.
Take away – Guidelines are useless if they aren’t followed and there is no accountability.
Here is the March 30, 2011 FOX 29 10 p.m. segment on what has become a very personal cause.
Take away – Guidelines are useless if they aren’t followed and there is no accountability.
In the strangest case of 6 degrees of separation,Father Givey was the chaplain of the high school I attended back in the 80’s. I saw in a comment on another post that someone thought maybe Susan was quick to assume that Father Givey is guilty.I don’t think that is the case at all.
If we take religion out of the mix,let’s try to relate to it in other terms. If you lived in a neighborhood and 29 men were suddenly removed because of allegations of child sex abuse,inappropriate behavior,boundary violations with children,wouldn’t you demand answers? How would you be able to defend or condemn your neighbor without even knowing the allegations? How comfortable would you feel with some of the men being returned to the neighborhood and you were never even told what they were accused of or how they were found innocent? It just makes no sense.
If all of these cases were handled appropriately over the years,then we would not find ourselves in this current climate. If the cases had been handed over to law enforcement immediately,there would be no mass suspensions. If someone had weak allegations they would be exonerated,if someone had credible allegations they would be in jail. Period,end of story. But that didn’t happen.Now people like Susan and many others are feeling betrayed by lack of information and the sense that maybe someone they knew was capable of terrible actions against a child or maybe there are just some allegations that need further exploration. That is the betrayal,that is the problem. That we are all left hanging in the wind with no honesty,no answers.
KK,
Well said. The ignorant Catholics that defend the church in this matter neglect to remember that the Church hid the truth instead of reporting it. The reason – they cared more about their reputation than they did about raped children.
If this were a Wal-mart, and employees were raping children, and management covered it up, no one would ever buy from them again, and they’d all be in jail.
The solution – start your own Catholic church, worshiping in garages and gymnasiums, where two of the most important guidelines are
– don’t rape children
– don’t lie
and you’ll be way ahead of this Catholic church.
Susan:
I saw the segment last night and your disillusionment, disappointment, and concern was genuinely evident in your manner. I am sorry for your difficulty but as you know, such a revelation just validates your efforts for Church accountability and public disclosure.
What is troubling for me are the last two items in Fr. Givey’s list of assignments revealed in today’s Philadelphia Inquirer:
From 2001 to 2005, he had no listed residence; his mailing address was Secretary for Clergy Office.
From 2006 to 2008, he lived in a private residence in West Chester before moving to Somers Point.
Ms. Matthews, keep up your fine work and remember that advocacy cannot be measured by success or victories, but rather by persistence, tenacity, and, yes at times, unpredictability.
You sounded great, and are a great representative for the cause, but the Catholic church leaders have been lying and covering up for at least 50 years. This is their real skill.
Why would anyone follow a church leadership that doesn’t follow a few basic Catholic and human laws:
– don’t rape children
– don’t lie
– don’t cover it up
– protect children
– take care of the afflicted, or as God would say “the least of My brothers”
This entire leadership (from Monsignors up) is all very unified in their approach to this, and they are a reprehensible, evil group.
The leaders of the church SHOULD be the most honest, trustworthy people in the community. They should be the most protective of God’s children. Instead, they only give you truth when law enforcement officials rip the truth out of their hands.
They are an embarrassment to God and Catholicism.
Catholics should start worshiping elsewhere, and follow leaders who don’t have to be forced into basic honesty and decency. They make me physically sick. We’re talking about raping children here.
Patrick, sad to say the pew huggers want you and me and this blog to go away. They will continue to contribute $$$ when they go to church. They do not want to face the truth of the priest sex abuse in their church. Pew huggers simply want to continue to drink the kool aid and kiss the rings of any high ranking cleric who comes their way.