Father Brennan said allowing teen to watch porn and climb in bed with him was “borderline inappropriate.”
Click here to read: “Priest admitted to letting teen watch porn, sharing bed with him,” by John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian, The Philadelphia Inquirer, April 30, 2012
It reminds me of Bishop Peter Connors of the Ballarat Diocese stating “unsure of what was adequate and what wasn’t” in relation to abuse related suicides, pornography was rampant there not that long ago as far as timelines go.
The Ballarat Courier or Brokenrites will validate my comment.
Given the testimony today…who knows if Brennan will walk, but one thing is for sure…he was a messed up man to allow a young boy to use HIS computer to watch porn and then sleep in the same bed with him. At what point would any grown male role model lay in the same bed with a young boy?
“I’ll go to calvary.” What a tool.
Wait… if Brennan walks, then the jury believes his testimony!! Really??! Viewing porn (and threatening to destroy the laptop if he was not permitted to do so) and climbing into bed with a priest was all the young boy’s idea??! These statements from Brennan are credible? Really??! I BELIEVE THE VICTIM(S).
I believe the victim(s).
I also know it’s a possibility that Brennan could walk. He’s charged with attempted rape. The prosecution has to prove, beyond a shadow of a doubt, that Brennan attempted rape.
They may have a more solid case for the endangerment charge.
If Brennan walks…it won’t be because he’s innocent…it will be because the prosecution couldn’t prove the case beyond a shadow of a doubt. There’s a difference.
Just so everyone is clear…I believe the victim and I believe there are more victims too. Time will tell.
SW,
Don’t think for a minute that the people in the jury box don’t think exactly as you do. Not a one of them isn’t thinking that only a sick man would permit a child to view porn and then sleep in the same bed with him. Yesterday, at the trial, Ralph reported that two, MALE jurors were seen dabbing their tears during the testimony of a victim. I’ve read numerous reports from jurors over the years, once they’ve finished sitting for a priestly sex abuse trial. They were hands-down, utterly horrified. The jurors “get” Brennan. Whether they can convict him remains to be seen.
Hadit,
What struck me about the summary yesterday from the priest abuse trial blog were the transcripts that were read into the record.
http://www.priestabusetrial.com/
The transcripts read something like a weird relationship. I hope the jurors could pick up on the dynamics of a priest sharing how a teen boy threatened to throw the laptop out the window if Brennan wouldn’t let him view porn. What??? IF (and that’s a big IF), that story is even true…then, Brennan clearly saw the teen as more of an adult than a child. Otherwise, he wouldn’t have caved to a teen boy’s demands. RED FLAG!
i agree hadit… This is 2012 and jurists recognize a child molester when they see one. It isn’t rocket science.
The Inquirer piece and I post it here:
From the victim
“That accuser had previously testified that Brennan showed him pornography, wanted to compare their private parts, encouraged him to masturbate and forced him to sleep in the same bed. There, he said, Brennan allegedly pulled him close and pressed his genitals against the boy.”
From the Church inquiry:
“In the transcript read to jurors, Brennan said they slept clothed on opposite sides of the king-size mattress, the only bed in his townhouse. He said it was the boy, not he, who asked about penis sizes and erection. He repeatedly denied any physical contact and said the teen never objected”
TWO very different descriptions of Brennan’s behaviour.
And while apparently we do not know the Churc’h’s conclusion resulting from their proceeding…Brennan, is I think on ‘limited ministry’
“
haditCatholic –
I pray to God you are right regarding the jurors… and that Brennan is convicted. I hope and pray that this trial will not be “the end”. It should be the beginning of “cleansing” the RCC in Philadelphia. Let’s not forget the roles played by Rigali, Cistone and Cullen!
I also hope and pray this leads to major changes in the RCC worldwide. The church I grew up in, the church I once believed in. The heirarchy has all but destroyed the institution. It has been stolen from us.
I ask myself everyday how “men of faith”, “shepherds of the flock” could commit such heinous crimes against innocent children,, or reassign an abusive priest to another parish giving him free reign to continue preying upon innocent children, or turn a blind eye It is still beyond my comprehension.
I will always have my faith… in God, our saviour Jesus Christ, and the Holy Spirit. However, my faith in OUR CHURCH will not be restored until the truth is known, cover-ups admitted, and all held accountable… from priests, to pastors, to bishops, cardinals, the Pope himself. I doubt I will live to see that day, and it breaks my heart.
I pray the thousands of victims of abuse will find peace.
I think of Jesus, in his anger, turning over tables in the Temple thousands of years ago. Can you imagine his rage over this atrocity?!
Once again, a grown man feigns stupidity, oblivious, then has the nerve to blame the child victim.
The comment by brennan was an oblique admission as is the case will all pedophiles / criminals they never immediately make an admission due to their nature they need to be coaxed. It is outrageous for anyone to believe that a grown man would cave into the demands of a child and then sleep in the same bed, I do not for one second believe brennan.
I know from experience they only admit to what you already know…………
Here are the “borders” ….OBEY – PRAY – PAY…This past weekend, at a party “that trial” came up and the consensus was this is nothing more than a few bad priests and the media crucifying “us” Catholics. Others thought the stories were made up… These are the Pew Sheep who can not think for themselves who came from strict Catholic homes and were taught to Obey, Pray and Pay by their parents… When I challenged the Pew Sheep not one of them had taken the time to read the grand jury reports nor had they followed any of the sites, such as this one however they were all well versed in Khloe & Lamar, Big Texas and Dancing with the Stars, etc…..Pew Sheep……………..
Sounds like they don’t want to know the truth.
Yes, Beth. So many of them with their heads in the sand.
“Father Brennan said allowing teen to watch porn and climb in bed with him was “borderline inappropriate.””
Pew Sheep will continue seeking moral and ethical advice from such priests regardless of how asinine the response is.
I’ve given up on them; you can’t fix stupid!
WR, that must have been a practice in patience and tolerance for you. The ignorance about this issue is so upsetting. In addition to all of the things you mentioned, there is a huge lack of education regarding the effects of sexual abuse and the statistics of “real” versus “made up” allegations. For some, I do not believe that being educated would make a difference because they are, as you described, so indoctrinated they are unable to see right from wrong anymore, but, for others, some factual information might actually open their eyes. I wish this issue would be exposed more so that the general public would gain a greater awareness.
I don’t agree with your question, asking a priest about boundaries. The real question is: Why will the bishops and Supreme Pontiff not allow priests to marry? Married men don’t bring boys into their bed, as priests in every city have been doing, and probably still are. There is no theological reason for priests not to marry. Jesus picked married men, and they should follow Jesus. But of course the church doesn’t mind not following Jesus whenever it chooses. In fact, it is contrary to the natural law, which they love to ram down our throats when it suits some contrary purpose of theirs. And nature is not to be trifled with. In view of 1,000+ child rapes by Roman Church priests in recent years, they stubbornly give the finger to the entire church in refusing to allow priests to marry. This, combined with their co-equal ploy of maintaining an exclusively male priesthood, creates a toxic homo-erotic environment with secret lines of communication among men around the globe in high positions of church authority who have had sexual relations with one another. What other organization would be allowed to continue with the track record they have? “Call no man father.” Jesus.
There once was a Bishop Morlino
Who ate lots of pasta with vino
Dissenters, he said
Are better off dead
It just goes to show, what does he know
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/bishop-morlino-warns-dissenters-to-stop-or-else/article_7b4c5820-9187-11e1-bd38-001a4bcf887a.html
There once was a pope back in Rome
Made the mafia feel quite at home
And the Vatican thrillers
Say he hid the true killers
Of two Swiss Guards under the dome
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/vatican-accepted-one-billion-lire-to-bury-crime-boss-in-basilica-next-to-former-popes-7689047.html
http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2011/11/14/vatican-murder-mystery-was-it-a-gay-love-triangle.html
Unfortunately I know a few pedophiles that were married men. I do though agree that we had married priests before and therefore we could have them again.
Sure, there are married men that are also pedophiles. I don’t have the stats; but I’d bet it’s much less frequent, and when it does happen, it would be more difficult to conceal.
There are very few women who would tolerate a husband who has sex with children, but, yes, there may be a few of those freaks as well. And they belong in prison if they cooperate in covering up those crimes. A married priesthood would TERMINATE the massive sexual agenda that Rome has had for centuries, and still has.
Mark,
The majority of men who sexually abuse are married, educated, religious men.
http://www.childmolestationprevention.org/pages/tell_others_the_facts.html
Clericalism and the culture of the priesthood (which includes celibacy) factor into who gravitates to the vocation…but, we can’t blame pedophilia in the priesthood on celibacy.
And contrary to what you shared…many women do tolerate their husbands as abusers for many of the same reasons that pew catholics tolerate the abuses and lies from the priests and bishops.
There is a unique dynamic in the Catholic Church…but, we can’t blame it on celibacy and the fact that the priesthood is male.
There can be no denying that the catholic priesthood’s celibacy, secrecy and “no girls allowed” rules provide an open invitation, safe haven and camouflage for many decent men who cannot come to terms with their homosexuality —and certainly the life also provides a great cover for pedophiles– along with a boat load of other morons with all sorts of psychological maladies.
If a priest is unable to categorize those actions as “inappropriate” for him to be engaging in with a child, I think the problem is painfully obvious. These are countless twisted minds we have been dealing with and who have been running our Church. The people who have been deciding about the legitimacy of allegations have no concept of appropriate behavior thmeselves. Gee, could that be why the Grand Jury recommended that an OUTSIDE expert review the allegations rather than those inside the Archdiocese?
So let me understand, he let a child bully him into showing him porn because he said he would throw his laptop out the window? I remember this man as a Priest at my kids school who screamed at the 8th graders like a wild man for not singing loudly during a school mass.Really nice try! Blame on the victim he made me do it. He pretty much admitted to everything but what wouldn’t give him prison time. You know I really wanted to believe he didn’t do it, but now he makes me sick!
Wow. “Boarderline inappropriate”.
If a parent was suspected of showing thier child porn, serving them alchohol, etc. Child Services would be called. But if your a priest, nothing? I think the backgrounds on all of them should be looked into. Possibly psychological evaluations prior to entering the priesthood. There is definitely a major problem here with critical thinking skills. Not being able to determine what is normal behavior, and what is definitely not (and obvious to most), is a major disconnect, and not one that can be allowed around children.
It shocks me a they down play this like whoops I made a bad judgement, all I did was give him liquor, showed him porn,( because he made me do it) and slept with him in my bed. agreed we would have are kids taken by child services!
They do do psych. evals now before they go in………..
And who reviews the psychological evaluations?
Part of the reason we have the squirrels gravitating to the seminary and not being “caught” is because the people who would “catch” the squirrels are also squirrel-ly themselves. How do you spot problems with self-absorption and narcissism when you have the same problems? Healthy systems repel the dysfunctional. As far as the priesthood, it seems to be the opposite.
You’re right, Beth. I know someone who was declined after his psych eval.
Survivors wife: Your four foolish statements— 1. “The majority of men who sexually abuse are married”; 2. “we can’t blame pedophilia in the priesthood on celibacy”; 3. “many women do tolerate their husbands as abusers”; and 4. “we can’t blame it on celibacy and the fact that the priesthood is male”—sound like textbook PR for the bishops, contribute nothing of value to the effort to end ROMAN CATHOLIC PRIESTLY PEDOPHILIA, mislead the naïve, help to sustain bad public policy, and support a corrupt hierarchy in its obstinacy.
I never made the statement that priests commit most pedophilia, so you’ve twisted the argument to suit your purpose. I argued that pedophilia by priests should be terminated, and that it WOULD BE TERMINATED by allowing priests to marry. Apparently, you do not agree; and maybe you think that only fake celibate men have some secret spiritual powers, and there is some mysterious mystical reason why only celibate men should be priests when Jesus himself selected married men. Like the almighty bishops, you know better than Jesus.
Even if it is true that most pedophilia is committed by married men and not by celibate priests, it is only because something on the order of 99.99 per cent of men eventually marry; it is the 0.01 per cent–the fake celibate priests–who have a high and exalted position within the community, have all kinds of legal protections not extended to other mere mortals, and who are supported in their crimes by an equally criminal hierarchy–that is committing the minority of pedophilia. It still could be something like 49 per cent, and that would still be the minority, so while you would be technically correct, you will have misled the many in their pursuit of reform, and supported an entirely corrupt system. As they say, figures do lie, and liars do figure. Either you are lying for someone else, or your logic is misguided.
You write, “we can’t blame pedophilia in the priesthood on celibacy;” and, “we can’t blame it on celibacy and the fact that the priesthood is male.” Neither statement is correct. The fact is that comparing the Roman priesthood to the Lutheran, Episcopalian, Anglican, Presbyterian, Methodist, Jewish, Pagan, Satanic, Buddhist, Hindu, Muslim, and every other clergy on face of the earth—the percent of ROMAN CATHOLIC priests who have sex with kids is ORDERS OF MAGNITUDE GREATER. Yes, pedophilia happens in other religions by their clergy, but it is PROVABLY on a much smaller scale.
You made the statement that, “many women do tolerate their husbands as abusers”. Perhaps you can show ONE or TWO examples of MARRIED WIVES OF CHRISTIAN PASTORS who have tolerated pedophilia by their actively pastoral husbands, but I am not sure you could even come up with one example. I dare you. Show us JUST ONE married Christian Pastor whose wife KNOWINGLY tolerated a pedophile Pastor Husband. And if you can show such, it would only be one or two. There are how many THOUSANDS and THOUSANDS of ROMAN PRIEST PEDOPHILES having boys for sleep overs, and far worse?
Mark,
My intent was not to defend the priesthood or justify their actions.
I wasn’t comparing the rcc to other religious clergy.
There is no argument from me, Mark.
The clerical culture is greatly flawed. The priesthood is corrupt. The laity is complicit in the abuse because of their silence.
Without erupting world war III ,just a few thoughts. Married heterosexual men abuse kids..everyday . Fathers, uncles,coaches teachers,neighbors…you name it ,and in my work with justice4pakids..I have seen and heard a lot over the past year. And do mothers,aunts,grandmothers,female caretakers always do the right thing? No they do not. It is sad reality. One of the most dangerous situations for children is actually when a mother brings a male paramour into the home. Many women look the other way..not that they have a secret archive or shredding machine…but they do look the other way for many reasons….denial,guilt ,fear,helplessness,selfishness.
None of this is an excuse at all for what happened in the RCC with rampant abuse of children.My opinion is the all male fraternity,brotherhood allowed the abuse to go on unchecked to preserve the “church” at the expense of children. We are all entitled to opinions on this forum.
And in the Jerry Sandusky trial, his wife shows up to court with him. He had sleepovers with children in the basement of his home for years and look what happened.
Women in families don’t always do the right thing,and when they don’t it is soul crushing to the abused and leaves many families completely broken.
http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20120501_Story_of__lsquo_ladies_man_rsquo__priest_turned_molestor_unfolds_in_court.html
I am constantly trying to understand why I am so angry at the RCC. Possibly it is the attitude of the clergy that they have the key to MY salvation. UGH!! But it is also the hold they still have on so many who refuse to see what a bunch of bad people many of the members of the clergy are…How could they be otherwise; the life they lead is abnormal…
It is time for the RCC to allow a married clergy; it is time for the RCC to allow a female clergy. Enough said. If those are the only two changes that come from this terrible scandal, then the RCC will come into the 20th Century. It will take many more changes–in the way parishes are run for one–to bring the RCC into the 21st Century…
Good points, Elizabeth, and if they don’t start allowing married and female priests, I don’t know how they think they will continue to have the number of priests needed to “manage” their Churches.
Why shouldn’t you be angry? It’s a hideious thing that we have all gone through, let alone what our innocents are still going though. Get out! That’s the best i can say and support the abused into a new life in Christ Jesus. Blogg every day as I have for ten yrs. and see that it will happen, the people will start to belive it is not a Christian Church but a church of man.
The Natural Logic of the Celibate Priesthood
There was a young priest named Fred
Who slept all alone is his bed
His sermons inspired
But soon, Fred was fired
When Fred took a woman to wed
There was a young priest named Buck
Who had some incredible luck
His visions at night
Brought him endless delight
Twas all Buck could do not to watch television
I feel these men were pedophiles that became priests, not priests who became pedophiles, because they were not married.It was in them to be this way and if they were not priest, they would have been coaches, or scout leaders or anything that would place them in contact with children. If they allowed priests to marry we would open the door to hopefully many true Christian men who love our Lord and Savior.
GSC3, last night in NSW, a priest who was secretly married claims the same thing. Sex abuse is related to celibacy.
He also states that there are many clergy in relationships with women, living double lives and he’s going to lift the lid on who they are. What infuriates me, is that one involved in my family, was refused a rescript, but offered a brother sister relationship to privately live a ‘family life’ to preserve the priesthood.
He went to his grave never rescinding his what became his dying wish, to publicly claim and validate his child.
The rationalization or the behavior as “borderline” just seems rather familiar. It’s how these guys let themselves get away with it. I saw it in a retreat director in the 70’s-90’s. He would
continually maneuver himself into inappropriate behavior with young men in the guise of
“personal growth.” There is something seriously amiss, still, in both the formation and
supervision of these men. This is not something which religious orders and seminaries really
want to look at; above all, they do NOT want any of the laity looking at it.
One of our commenters awhile back did a great job on language like ‘borderline’..euphemisms used by the church to soften the abuse issue…I hope he will do it again….HINT…
Mystery question of the Catholic Church as it relates to marriage……………. Pre-Cana is a course or consultation Catholic couples must undergo before they can be married in a Catholic church. The name is derived from John 2:1-12, the wedding feast at Cana in Galilee, where Jesus performed the miracle of turning water into wine… First, anyone who is married knows that turning water into wine is easier than marriage (sorry for the editorial) however how does a priest know what marriage is all about???? Yes you have your “token” married couple sharing their thoughts during the sessions however it is the priest who leads these classes… In your heart of hearts the only reason you attended the classes was because this is what their parents did and you want to appease the parent’s i.e. married in the eyes of the church…Once again, what does a priest know about marriage? How can he relate to it? What makes him a subject matter expert? If I need to have heat surgery do I go to orthopedic surgeon??? In the end the reason why priests are not married is MONEY as the church would have to support priest and his FAMILY… One more thought, what happens if the priest gets a divorce one day??? From experience, I can tell you one is not welcome in the church to take communion…. Please attend and give us your dollars but no communion unless you have an annulment. I will save the “annulment” discussion for a later date however is goes hand in hand with MONEY i.e. buy your way back in… Obey, Pray, Pay
WR, I don’t know of anybody who was refused an annulment.–Anyone can buy one. The AD gets to collect all sorts of sensitive information on your private life. What a clever racket.
Mandatory pre cana class ..I looked forward to this class but learned nothing useful…A middle-aged couple going on about their sexuality made us uneasy. …my husband acted up and got in trouble… imo, marriage is an entirely individual thing –a couple has to want to figure it out for themselves along the way…the church can’t really help..
My husband and I actually were part of our Church’s Pre-Cana team years ago and, actually, in our case, the priest had minimal involvement in it. He gave his talks, but was not the one in charge. We had a “lead” couple who arranged and led the group and the rest of us shared our experiences on a variety of topics, not so much in a preachy way, but in a way that would encourage thought and discussion between the engaged couples. I agree that if the priest is the one leading the classes, it would be ridiculous. The way in which the Pre-Cana is presented is important. It should not be sermon-like….it should be “couple-centered.” I do believe that it is beneficial for engaged couples to go through some sort of pre-marriage prep. It doesn’t have to be a Pre-Cana course, but perhaps something in which they have a chance to talk about the important issues that most married couples face throughout their lives together. I found it a bit surprising, while a Pre-Cana presenter, how many couples really don’t discuss some vital issues (including children) during engagement . I think that taking the time before getting married to talk about things and really understand one another, may help strengthen the marriage and, in some cases, prevent a marriage that would not be successful and may, ultimately, cause alot of pain for a couple.I agree, though, WR, that it should not be led by a priest who, obviously, has no understanding of married life.
Thank you for your service, Jackie, my husband and I enjoyed pre-cana and many of the exercises led to great discussions for us.
That is a hoot WR.
I know of a religious order priest promotng ‘the Billings method’
that didn’t work for him.
He wasn’t too fussed about the married woman he used to test the theory.
The blog post “From the Blogs (Proving You Can’t Shut Catholics Up)” lists a number of exceptionally well written and insightful blog-articles pertaining to various issues in the Church, today. If you’d like to be nourished by new insights, ideas and points of view, go there and read one or two or all of the articles. Check out the spot-on comic listed last!
By the way, C4C has proved for over a year now that “you can’t shut Catholics up.”
http://bilgrimage.blogspot.com
All the discussions here about what the Catholics should do or not do is amazing to me. The bunch of people who are in it and who run it are not Chritians!!. They know nothing about what real Christianity is all about. It is a “faux church” , trying to keep it’s members in tow and they have advanced their ideas to the point of the people being “absolute dumb sheep” Get a Grip people !
Defend the abused and believe them and support them in this trial and in all ways possible to you but stop thinking you can change the “devil’ . You can’t. They are being lead by and don’t mind at all, what the devil tells them to do or not to do.
The rcc is a futile cause! It’s a man made church….. Not the Church that Jesus Christ started. It was taken over by the powers of the Pharasees etc who hated Christ.
All that you love about the mass is not in Scripture. It’s not! So see it for what it is, ” a deciever” to keep you spell bound. No such thing did Christ do at the last supper. Do this in “Rememberance of Me”! If HE”S there to you , it’s you who consecrate His being. No person can transfer this consecration to an other. Use the good brain God has give you.
…”There is a unique dynamic in the Catholic Church…but, we can’t blame it on celibacy and the fact that the priesthood is male.” …
…”and certainly the life also provides a great cover for pedophiles– along with a boat load of other morons with all sorts of psychological maladies.”…
“It will take many more changes–in the way parishes are run for one–to bring the RCC into the 21st Century…”
“If they allowed priests to marry we would open the door to hopefully many true Christian men who love our Lord and Savior.”…
Slowly, laboriously and painfully, the truth emerges. A parent does untold
harm to his/her child by submitting them to indoctrination by the cult of “Roman Catholicism.” And the other “daughters of Rome” [Protestants] do not escape the charge of apostasy either in the main. The “positive note?”—turn to what God says in His Word and pray for guidance, and learn to trust in Jesus Christ alone.
Amen to that!
This site is an opportunity to keep everyone apprised of what the Catholic hierarchy are trying to do to dodge responsitility, to provide a place for victims and their families to tell their stories, and to provide healing. Also to discuss actions to take to retrieve the real church. It
is not helpful to call one correspondent’s response “foolishness” Many women who are married and who are in relationships, including dating teens, do tolerate the men in those relationships abusing them. In addition is is a known fact that heterosexual men, invariably clsoe family members to the victim, are heterosexual – not homosexual. We’re all in this together folks to support one another – not verbally abuse another.
I say that and I’m not even a believer.
Reid
SRW,
It’s ok if someone doesn’t agree with me. When I am mistaken or have misspoken about something, I welcome the feedback.
It’s the internet, so we don’t know everyone’s background or profession or personal life experiences. I don’t openly share it with others because this is the world wide web and catholics are involved. I don’t feel “safe” sharing details about any of the above with either…not to mention I’m raising children as well.
It’s all good. I know my stats. I know what I do for a living in regard to advocacy work for all children through my personal life, my profession, in my region and in my state.
Mark may see my ideas as foolish…I prefer to see them as reality.
I just went back and reread the GJ report about Brennan’s canonl trial and in one place it says the review board believed the alleagtions but then for the church trial says showing porngraphy and sleeping in the bed were what Brennan admitted to..anyone shed any light on this? ”
“A canonical expert consulted by the Archdiocese recommended that the Cardinal
seek approval from Rome to proceed with the administrative penal process. The reason
106
the expert gave was that Father Brennan had admitted to acts – showing a 14-year-old
pornography and sleeping in the same bed with him – that justified his removal as a
priest. A full trial was, therefore, unnecessary. Yet, without any valid justification that we
can find, the Cardinal ignored the expert’s advice and instead asked the Vatican’s
permission to conduct a canonical trial. The trial has gone on for nearly three years.”
Also in the current trial Brennan’s attorney referred to the victim as maybe receiving a pelvic bump or being savagely spooned but Brennan claims he slept on the opposite side of the bed?
Kathy, could we have the link that you are quoting from?
Did the prosecution ask Quirk what the outcome was of the canonical trial?
This whole issue would have been different, I think, if the ‘accuser’ had gone to law enforcement FIRST!!!!
Joan,
4th paragraph refers to one of Kathy’s points
http://articles.philly.com/2012-03-27/news/31245389_1_abusive-priests-grand-jury-report-william-brennan
JR, thanks..I took the following off the Pandora’s Project website:
What is Sexual Abuse?
Child Sexual Abuse. Medem defines child sexual abuse as “any sexual act with a child performed by an adult or an older child.” Child sexual abuse could include a number of acts, including but not limited to:
Sexual touching of any part of the body, clothed or unclothed;
Penetrative sex, including penetration of the mouth;
Encouraging a child to engage in sexual activity, including masturbation;
Intentionally engaging in sexual activity in front of a child;
Showing children pornography, or using children to createpornography;
Encouraging a child to engage in prostitution.
Kathy, would it be possible for you to unearth the exact language of the charges against Msgr Lynn…I am quoting from the Philly.com citation that JR just cited:
“Whom to believe?
Father Brennan, formerly of Cardinal O’Hara High School, wascharged with rape, involuntary deviate sexual intercourse, indecent assault, and a host of related offenses stemming from the alleged 1996 incident in a West Chester apartment during a leave of absence the priest sought from the ministry.”
Might help to clarify these issues.
Kathy…correction…I’d like to see the specific language of the charges against BOTH Msgr Lynn AND Father Brennan…particularly interested in Father Brennan’s criminal charge!!!!!!!!
If I may go off topic, I would like to share how last Sunday went.
This past Sunday afternoon, 5 of us from Pennsauken, NJ Area met with Rich right across the street from ex-priest David Sicoli’s apartment in Sea Isle City. Rich had created a dynamite flyer which included Sicoli’s picture, a list of his assignments and a poignant message about his history and our mission. While Rich stayed at his post across from Sicoli’s apartment the rest of us went to the local Acme and CVS and handed out flyers. Hoping to get more people we went down to the boardwalk where Sunday afternoon foot traffic was light. .Yet at the end of our 2 hours of handing out flyers Rich met with us and we estimated we had handed out about 200 flyers.
The day’s highlight was a man who came up to Rich and acknowledged that he had been abused by a priest. He told Rich that he kept it to himself and that it was now “driving him crazy”. Rich exchanged his name and phone number and assured him he could get help. Later on the boardwalk the mother of a priest victim shared her son’s story with Rich. As we all said in our wildest dreams we never thought passing out flyers would help 2 people impacted by clergy sexual abuse as it did Sunday afternoon.
One memo 2 people impacted by clergy sexual abuse as it did
Because of your presence ……….they broke their silence and shared their stories…………all part of the healing process……………they were not alone anymore because you, Rich and others where there and showed you care………….
Vicky,you just never know do you? Two people sharing their own stories because of your presence that day.
Sorry, for some reason my laptop is acting nuts. So, to continue. One memorable scene was when several of us went into a playground and we handed out flyers to about a dozen adults who were there with children and as we drove away we looked in and saw a group of 7 mothers all intently reading the flyer. Most every one was grateful for the information and many were shocked.
We all felt our effort were successful and we all agreed that we could engage more people over the memorial day weekend when the summer season begins.
Our thought is to return to Sea Isle City on Saturday 26th for another 2 or 3 hours to hand out flyers. Anyone who is interested please let me know. We can use the help!
Wow you guys are amazing! I have been following this trial and it makes me sick, but you standing across the street handing out flyers, that’s just great! I hope he was in his house scared to death!
Ralph Cipriano’s excellent blog piece on the trial, today (Tues., May 1).
http://www.priestabusetrial.com
Warning! You’re going to have a hard time keeping a straight face through this one. Then, you’re going to feel guilty because you laughed about something that wreaks of inefficiency, ineptitude, and conspiracy.
Put me in conflict…
“You can’t make this stuff up.”
… wreaks, too, of crimes against a 13 year old.
How hard would it be to track down a Pat Smith from a certain parish the priest was assigned to find out if she had a 13 year old daughter at the time?
It could be done. And if the anonymous person is out there…I pray they do the right thing and come forward to the prosecution, so the truth can be documented.
Susan was interviewed by CBS ,NBC and Fox local affiliates and CBS National news today…tune in…
Susan’s fox interview http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/Priest_Meeting_050212
Susan’s NBC interview
http://www.nbcphiladelphia.com/news/local/In-Midst-of-Trial-Philly-Priests-Gather–149880725.html
Thank you! ; )