I was in court today and the following link thoroughly sums it up. I was looking for the air sickness bag. The facts, without the prosecution underlining them, are awful enough.
I was in court today and the following link thoroughly sums it up. I was looking for the air sickness bag. The facts, without the prosecution underlining them, are awful enough.
This post will attract the wrath of some bloggers.
I find the presence of rosary beads, in the possession of Lynn supporters, to be bazaar, shameful and sacrilegious. I have no problem with people supporting Lynn. All human beings, regardless of their crimes and sins, deserve compassion. Rosary beads, however, take it to another level. Presumably, Lynn supporters are using the rosary beads to pray for an innocent verdict. If this is the case, the rosary beads represent an utter denial of, and disregard for, the REAL plight of victims. The cross is used to expel or “keep at bay” the devil. In 304, rosary beads are used to expel or “keep at bay” the plight of victims from the hearts and minds of “Catholics” aligned with, and praying for, the victims’ enabler.
No. None of it is right.
I am wondering about the ‘fatigue level’ of the jury….
I think they must be profoundly exhausted, and their emotions have been strung out on a continuum to the snapping point. And they just have to sit there and ‘take it’ …no emotional release like Blessington blasting away ( he needs to cool it ), AND all sorts of responsibility for the ultimate decisionmaking….
And the ‘Provence’ is so disgusting, dehumanizing and destabilizing.
This is definitely ‘hard duty’….
You know Hadit…what the rosary issue says to me is that this trial epitomizes the mother of all cultural clashes…in ever so many ways.
Traditional devout Catholics who really like their pastor, feel badly about the situation and value the rosary…are there, with rosaries, saying them.
Very savvy lawyers …both sides….are doing their level best to either prosecute or defend in a case riddled with rape, sodomy, subterfuge, institutional corruption on a scale so substantive…that decisions made here will literally affect innocent children worldwide. Make no mistake, if Lynn is convicted that will do a huge amount for the protection of children in the catholic world, worldwide…..
Victims and their supporter….folks whose lives have been forever changed because as an innocent little kid ….Father….did horrible things to them..
The whole scene is reminiscent of the rings of hell….
Joan, what the rosary beads say to me is that, while the prayer people pray for Lynn’s acquittal, they are compartmentalizing the victims, completely removing them from their minds, hearts, and the prayer equation because to include them would necessarily entail one, huge, earth shattering conflict of interest.
I am wondering if there can be a dinner in a few weeks for any interested.
As always the catholic customers pray for the enablers and abusers and forget about the VICTIMS.
In case some people didn’t know;The ladies in Mexico. (..that get paid to satisfy men…) have the statue of the Blessed virgin and rosaries hanging over her in their stalls.They pray to her for good business…such is life. God gets it!
That’s where Catholicism is at its superstitions level.They do it kinda for “good luck” like a lot of other folk do as well.
The “cross” with a corpus still on it, is Rome’s effort to keep Christ on the cross, and those who think they follow Him, struggling without the gift of grace Christ actually offers in the gospel of grace, not understood and rejected by Romish hierarchy.
Hadit,
I understand what you are saying but let them pray they are not “magic rosary beads nor just symbols and Lynn’s souls needs prayer. Many times I have thought to myself “be careful what you pray for” Because God’s answers are bigger and different from what we expect in many ways. He is after our soul not wordly comforts let getting out of jail free. I prayed for Jesus to make me closer to him and he sent me alot of sorrow but guess what I am closer to him now. Mary and Jesus’s ways are not our ways but most important they want to lead our soul back to God.
“like”
Thanks Beth!….Joan
A perfect example of PEW SHEEP….Support you monsignor blindly, pull out the rosary beads and pray….What a circus yesterday in that court room… Personally, I put my rosary beads away for this one and I pray for an outcome fitting for Lynn and Brennan…The two of them can join Avery at Laurel Highlands……As for ADA, did he really go over the top?? Had Lynn been dressed in a suit rather than a collar would our view of yesterday’s events in the court room be different??? Do not let that collar fool you…Satan was staring at all of us……….
“…an amiable and smiling Monsignor William J. Lynn…” It was time for the prosecution to wipe that smile off his his face.
If anyone thinks Lynn received a “beat-down” in that courtroom, you’ve seen nothing yet. Wait until he goes to prison! After he experiences what the children did (and were he’s going he will), he may come to understand what the word “empathy” means.
He’s a disgrace to the collar. Nice job Mr. Blessington.
I think Blessington played it foolishly. He needed to be controlled, professional…and save his theatrics for closing statements. Lynn needed to be the focus, not Blessington’s rantings.
As far as the rosaries, they were praying…let them do so however they wish. There’s nothing wrong with Lynn’s supporters praying for him. I’m praying for the man too…that he sees the error of his ways, repent, and willingly accept the consequences of his mistakes.
The prayer of the rosary ought to instill some humility. If I can start out with a particular intention, but then repeatedly hear myself pray that God’s will “be done on earth as it is in heaven”, and ask Mary to “pray for us sinners” it should serve to remind me that God’s will may very likely be different from what my imperfect and divided heart is asking, and that my intention ought to be tossed out if it doesn’t fit with my prayer that “Glory be” to God “as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be”.
Very wise Brian
Can we leave the hysteria aside for a moment, and be respectful of all human beings, victims foremost but also bumbling priests and ranting prosecutors. Regardless of the outcome the worst perpetrators are still”out there” because of the SOL.
What does the rosary thing matter when God is in charge!?
The “rosary” is a distraction. What is on my mind is whether others in the courtroom 304 saw and heard anything resembling what Ralph Cipriano says he saw and heard? If so, the prosecution must be handing an “innocent verdict” to Lynn. IMO.
Another “amazing” comment like this, Amazed, and I will be expecting you next to tell me to vote for Obama to protect children! Well?
JERRY, I know how perspicacious (sp?) you are, as well as intelligent; so please, explain to me your reply to my post. Do you know or believe the jury and audience saw things like Cipriano ? What are you saying to me?
Seriously, Amazed, you may be on to something. I agree with many that the Cipriani blog has had some informative analysis. But I wonder who is paying for the blog and bloggers time and expenses and why are they paying for it?
The Philly AD is one of the major local sources of legal business. Why in a slow legal economy would apparently still working local lawyers gratuitously go after the Philly AD ? And how hard have they gone after Rigali and Chaput? Is Blessington being set up to take Seth Williams’ fall if and when Lynn walks?
Unike some at C4C, after seeing a half century mainly of apparent collusion between the Philly AD and the Philly DA, I remain sceptical that full justice will be done here.
Interestingly, Seth was campaigning yesterday with the Philly Mayor, instead of following Blessington’s significant attack on Lynn.
Has anything really changed?
Amazed, thanks for the compliment.
My first reply was just teasing you for fairly pointing out several times my comments often, but not always, tend to help Obama. My second comment was serious. I am still extremely distrustful of the collusion between the Philly AD and the Philly criminal justice system.
I can’t access individual Assistant DA’s roles and am happy to rely on Kathy’s insights. But the Assistant DA’s don’t set policy.
Incidentally, I have a similar view of NY’s criminal justice system.
The Beasley firm is the sponsor of Ralph’s blog,there is a long,long long history between Cipriani, Beasley firm and the AD…I believe the Beasley firm represented Cipriani when he sued his employer the Philadelphia Inquirer back in the 90’s..the lawsuit stemmed from his editor making statements that did not portray Cipriani in a good light in relation to an article he wrote on Bevilaqua..I hope I am getting this right…my brain is fried this Friday afternoon. Cipriani was probably the first reporter to go out on a limb in reporting anything negative about the AD..he seemed to be “on to”
Bevilaqua a decade before the rest of us. hadit posted a link a few weeks back that spoke of the past relations of Cipriani,the AD and the lawsuit against the inquirer…hadit can you repost?
Here is the link Kathy referred to. The piece is called “Out of Control”. It’s about how Cipriano, The Philadelphia Inquirer, and the Beasley law firm “collided.”
http://www.ajr.org/article.asp?id=798
Thanks, Kathy, but I still don’t get the Beasley firm’s objective here.
From my experience, law firm partners don’t lightly use the firms’ name and resources unless it can generate present or future fee revenues. I contacted the firm much earlier and asked to write an article for free. I never heard back.
C4C has shown me my views are not always well received, but it seemed strange to get no reply, even a “no thanks”. It made me ask whether the firm was trying to “control the message”
Perhaps, I am too suspicious of the Philly AD’s deviousness, although it seems hard to overestimate their cunning. I knew about Cipriani, who may have personal reasons for writing, which is fine and understandable. But good lawyers rarely have time to do their work for paying clients, let alone volunteering.
As with some others point I have raised, I just want C4C bloggers to be on guard.
There is a lot of money being spent by the Philly AD and people do some strange things for a buck, in my experience any ways.
My hunch is that they will generate revenue from the book which Cipriani will most likely write..no local journalist has more experience or info on the AD than Cipriani. I will be first in line to purchase his book..”hadit” will be right behind me
Thanks Hadit and Kathy for the Ralph Cipriani article. I now understand. This is mainly about getting justice for harm done by Bevil the Devil’s bullying.
I was wrong.
The Philly AD will likely never hire the Beasley firm.The behind the scenes example of the pressure by Bevil’s hired guns on the Philly Inquirer tends to confirm why there has been so little national TV attention so far on the Lynn trial, although Susan’s tenacious efforts are changing that.
The Philly Inquirer’s excellent current reporting on the Philly AD suggests Ralph’s courageous stand finally won the day at the Inquirer.
Recent pressure has been brought on another journalist I am aware of for a tough article about the Lynn story–little has changed in media intimidation tactics by the Catholic hierarchy.
Cipriano is Beasley law firm’s “golden boy,” and Beasley law firm is Cipriano’s “golden father.” Certainly, the law firm, representing Cipriano, made some bucks and further solidified its reputation when it settled the suit brought by Cipriano against The Philadelphia Inquirer. Then, Cipriano went on to write Courtroom Cowboy, the biography of the life of Beasley, Sr. (now deceased). Beasley, Sr., himself, represented Cipriano in the law suit. Apparently, they were tight. Then, the AD trial loomed. The Beasley law firm knew (as Kathy does) Cipriano’s solid familiarity with the AD, indeed, a story on the AD, by Cipriano, triggered his suit against the Inquirer when it refused to print it and maligned his work in a discussion with an editor at the Washington Post. Cipriano had written about Bevil.’s extravagant spending. And who knows what other relationships have been nurtured between Cipriano and Beasley over the years. It seems they are tight. They have history. Cipriano writes books. The Beasley law firm is influential. The trial will make a good story. The story has to sell. Cipriano and the Beasley law firm = a match made in heaven. If you ask me, it’s all “golden.”
Thanks, Hadit for the thorough analysis of the Beasley/Ciprani connections. It makes a lot of sense.
Jerry,
I believe I am correct on this…
RE: the Cipriano, The Philadelphia Inquirer, the Beasley law firm and the AD saga…
Of course, an interesting twist in the saga is that Cipriano finally gets to see and write about (via the trial) much of what he was “onto” and silenced over back in the ’90’s. It must be cathartic for him. But another interesting twist is the fact that Brian Tierney, the public relations exec who strong-armed Cipriano in the ’90’s in an effort to protect the AD, is now the publisher of The Philadelphia Inquirer, the very paper that is giving us excellent reportage on the trial. Seems like there has been quite an evolution of thought on the part of Tierney… not that the AD hasn’t served up enough bombshells to reconfigure any person’s mind.
hadit, the Inquirer has changed hands a few times in the past decade,most recently sold I believe 2 months ago. As for any evolution taking place by some of the PR people involved in the past….Susan will have some commentary on that soon.The AD remains a tightly controlled ship..with some names from the past now once again steering that ship.
Interesting, Kathy.
I look forward to being updated.
Kathy and Hadit: Apparently, former PA governor, Ed Rendell, a partner at Gina Smith’s law firm that represents the Philly AD, recently organized, and may well still have ties to, the small group that just took over the Philadelphia Inquirer.
Rendell recently on MSNBC complimented (signaled?) Seth Williams on his favorable potential PA political future.
Rendell has apparent conflicts here, so we may have to keep a closer eye on future Philadelphia Inquirer coverage of the Philly AD.
Thankfully, independent AP is also following the story closely, as is Ralph Cipriano.
Interestingly, Ed, who is a big fan of Hilary Clinton, a potential 2016 Dem presidential candidate, was rebuked on Hardball by Philly’s Chris Matthews for apparent disloyalty to Obama.
For more info on this, please click on at:
http://www.niemanlab.org/2012/05/buzz-bissinger-newspaper-editors-are-very-cautious-too-cautious/
I think what Ralph Cipriano is saying has credibility. We want the jurors to clearly see the countless incidences of Lynn endangering children and protecting the Archdiocese, but we don’t want there to be any chance of them seeing him as a “victim.” If Blessington goes too far with his attack, could it create sympathy from some of the jurors “on the fence?” That is the line he has to be careful not to cross. That could be just what the defense is looking for…….a jury looking at a pathetic man being blasted by a smart, strong, passionate man. Depending on the make-up of the jury, it could sway them either way.We just don’t know what is going through their minds.
Jackie, these jurors have had 8 weeks plus, with a huge amount of data thrown their way that establishes, I would guess, the behaviour of the AD (and Lynn) .
They have heard from victims over and over, from folks like Tom Doyle, whose memorable statement relative to personal responsibility when discussing Lynn’s behaviour, directed by Bev….Doyle said ‘the Cardinal is not a puppetmaster’….From that nun, who said you can just quit.
If my memory serves PA is not a state where the Nurenburg defense is allowable….a point, I assume both Blessington and the judge will make.
I have wondered if the trial has gone on too long, with too much data….
And if ever there was an intersection between civil/criminal law and canon law….this is it.
Yes, Joan, the jury will really need to understand that believing in canon law does not preclude one from following the laws of the state/country in which one resides. Furthermore, shouldn’t a Christian eventually come to the realization that, even if canon law says you must obey your bishop/cardinal, you don’t habitually break civil/criminal laws and harm innocent people in order to obey. Yes, as the nun said, you just quit.
Jerry Slevin,
“Amazed, thanks for the compliment.
My first reply was just teasing you for fairly pointing out several times my comments often, but not always, tend to help Obama
”
Please explain for an old guy the connection with Obama. I don’t get it.
I’m slow, but I may be getting it now— did you mean that my suggestion about what the ADA was doing was tossing the case to the defense [a walk] was in line with your thinking? Like your thinking in politics?
This I know- at 80 years I have learned that the devil will be on both sides of some fights. Obama against the hierarchy could be one of these times ;however, usually the bishops are on Obama’s side.
Amazed. I am sceptical here and your wisdom got me thinking. But
Kathy and Hadit, two women I respect and don’t mess with lightly, have convinced me my suspicions were misplaced.
As to Obama, I don’t want to get into trouble with Susan, but I am betting, if he gets re-elected, the bishops are toast.
His opponent seems to be a good family man as well, but his party has already cut their deal with the pope as best I can tell.
amazed,I for one don’t think the ADA is throwing the case, even slightly. They have worked on this since 2003 and this is years of work,time and energy coming to a head in room 304 .Blessington is the most demonstrative of the prosecutors,regardless of profession,personalities come through. If he had been too soft on Lynn people would yell that he threw the case, too hard then he threw the case. I realize politics come into play everyday in every situation in every corner of the world and I am sure this case also in some ways,but I firmly believe the best interest of the victims are being served by the prosecutors in room 304.
Susan and I have both said that on occasion in the courtroom we have felt like yelling out..that is how frustrating it is to hear of the horror inflicted on children and then have to listen to the defense..the same I assume true of Blessington ,only he has the chance to question Lynn. I don’t know that I could keep my emotion in check if given the same opportunity..so I am not faulting him or questioning his intent..I understand it..I just don’t want evidence and facts lost in the emotion.
As for Cipriani I find his blogs to be a brilliant wrap up of the days events,he is not presenting his blog to be pro prosecution or pro defense ,but rather a report of everything…good,bad or indifferent that goes down in room 304
Thanks, Kathy, Blessington is clearly my kind of lawyer and guy.
I am less thrilled about his boss, Seth, who calls the major shots.
I am not usually so suspicious of lawyers, but the failures of the Philly criminal justice system over half a century in investigating Philly AD criminals still leaves me breathtakingly sceptical.
Now we know. Now we must fix it for our kids and their kids sake.
And we will!
Look what two honest women have done in a year at C4C.
Very impressive.
Kathy,
Thanks for that insightful picture of what’s going on.
amazed…what do you think distraction means ? If God is truly in charge and Lynn had no part in this terrible sexual abuse of our minors, then HE will see that, what ever it was that ALLOWED LYNN TO COMPLETELY NEGLECT TO DO (THROUGH HIS NOT CARING ABOUT ANYTHING BUT PLEASING OR FEARING THE rcc. LYNN WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF BY THE AMERICAN COURT SYSTEM.
The court is very smart in what they are doing. The court will not allow evil men to get away with harming innocent children and marginalized adults
.
The popes own brother , a monsignor I beieve, ran a school for the blind and deaf in a city in Germany and was accused of pedophillia along with the people who ran the school..He got off of course. Not here in America, we’re smarter than that.
The rcc thinks we’re all dumb sheep including the court system.
These millenium( s) of sexual abuse , THIS REIGN OF TERROR by the Roman Catholic Church MUST BE STOPPED IN AN AGE WHERE WE HAVE INSTANT COMMUNICATION AND SURVELIENCE of every kind to place where and when needed. It will get stopped. BELIEVE ME!
I agree, the technology is helping to unseat the Roman power. Rome
controlled by keeping people in the dark.
Breaking news story today is that a defrocked pedophile priest from Hammonton NJ is now working for TSA in the Philadelphia airport.
This is what happens when these priests are not held accountible. They belong in jail and on the sex offender list, not screening children at the airport.
That’s horrible, jk. These guys are everywhere. The general public needs to understand that this affects them, too, not just Catholics. Then there would be more awareness of and support for the legislation.
Yeah I saw that. I guess you cant tell your kids to go to security guards if they get lost. I have a lways heard tell your kids to go to a mom that have little kids with her she is the safest person besides a policeman if they get lost.
Yes, Beth…that is what to tell children now.
It used to be store employees, a police officer, any adult…but, statistically speaking, you want your child to go up to a woman with children. That woman will usually stay with the child, tend to the child’s needs, and assure them they will find their family together. The woman is probably a mother who knows what the other mother is going through when she realizes her child is lost.
So the Pope had his butler arrested today, and threw him in the Vatican prison after some sort of sham Star Chamber proceeding. Does the accused have any rights? A right to a lawyer? Is he being tortured? Does the Pope plan to keep him in long term incarceration? Is this retribution for the trial in Phillie?
Mark, If that is the kind of disloyalty and desperation the pope generates in an employee who is part of the pope’s “family”, what does it say about what the pope must be really like?
Mark I love your sarcasm ………..article?
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304840904577427274197715062.html?mod=googlenews_wsj I can see a personal asistant but a butler? Did Jesus have a butler and I missed it somewhere in the BIble…….just hits me as ridiculous.
Beth, get the picture. Go back to the first century. Rome wanted to control the power evidenced by the growing number of converts to the way of the Lord Jesus Christ that was preached throughout the world by Paul; so they came in and began to CONTROL IT. They are still doing it today. Most have it backwards and upside down—
The gospel doesn’t come from the Roman hierarchy, they only
suppress it and substitute “another gospel.” See the letter to theGalatians.
Does the Vatican have a jail..? Is there anyone in it..?
Welcome to Wonderland, where every day miracles are a common occurence. The Vatican has a prison. It has not been used for many years. That is, until Joseph Ratzinger came along. Here is the first report on the man arrested: “The Vatican police have arrested an individual in possession of private Vatican documents in connection to the so-called “VatiLeaks” scandal that began in January. This person now is being questioned by the Vatican magistrates for further information,” said Jesuit Fr. Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, who declined to name the person.” The man is the Pope’s butler, he is married and the father of 3 children. This is a loud hint of the Spanish Inquisition all over again. This week the Pope also fired his top banker. I sure suspected Ratzinger was infallible right from about 10 years ago when I saw him smack the arm of ABC News Chief Investigative Correspondent Brian Ross.
No, the Vatican does not have a jail. I read, today, that the butler is being held in a “secured room” off of the Vatican’s security area.
If anyone wants to read a lot of good stuff about Vatileaks and the Vatican bank fiascos, check out bilgrimage.
Or for that matter page 1 and 3 of the NYTimes….
I just read the article re: Cipriano. He ‘s my kind of reporter. I can’t wait for his book. I.ll send it to all the sheeple I know.
Joan,this is a first, I copied and pasted a comment from Kopride on the Cipriani blog because it speaks to the question you have about Avery testifying/not testifying.
“If Avery has been brought up in Lynn testimony why can’t he be subpoenaed to testify?? kopride?”
The defense could subpoena Avery to testify but he has already pleaded guilty to conspiring with Lynn so the Prosecution could then use the plea if the defense opened the door. If Lynn testifies that he investigated the Avery allegations and concluded that they were false, then the Prosecution could put him on for rebuttal.
But it sounds like Lynn, on direct, is simply saying that he was just following orders. Unless the prosecution calls Avery to testify that Lynn advised him that Lynn was making the decisions rather than Bevilacqua, its probably not true rebuttal. And remember the prosecution cannot cross examine Lynn about Avery and then call a rebuttal witness to impeach him on what would be a collateral or credibility witness.
Subpoena is merely the tool that allows a party to compel a witness to appear at trial. The trial judge still has to rule on whether it is relevant and admissible in rebuttal. Rebuttal witness have to rebut a contention advanced by the defendant during their case in chief. If the defense contends that Avery did not abuse anyone, or that the accusers were lying, then it is rebuttal. If it is offered for a new contention by the prosecution, or a contention that could have been advanced during the prosecution case, then it is not true rebuttal and should have been offered during the prosecution’s case. Also the 403 standard still applies to rebuttal and that is the probative value of the evidence has to outweigh the danger of undue prejudice. So at this stage, there are multiple hurdles: it has to be truly rebuttal evidence, it has to be relevant and admissible on a rebuttal issue; and it must be more probative than prejudicial.Listen, I was flabbergasted that they put Lynn on the stand to testify so nothing will surprise me now, but I would be shocked if Lynn opened the door to an appearance by Avery.”
Karhy…didn’t the defense drop a line of questioning, relative to Brennan, because they didn’t want to give the prosecution the opportunity to bring in Avery?
I think part of Avery’s plea bargain included ‘conspiracy’….am confused…Joan
Joan, the defense chose to opt out of cross examining “Billy” the victim who Avery plead guilty to abusing. Had the defense cross examined Billy it opened the door to the possibility of Avery being called. Yes ,Avery’s plea included a guilty plea to conspiracy .
Thanks Kathy!
Also, I am still a fuss budget about that ‘shredded list’ that was ostensibly developed out of the 323 archival files to somehow protect children.
When you and Susan first posted that list on C4C I remember wondering about the ‘5 year notations’ on, I think, 10 of the priests noted as guilty.
When I reread segments of the 2005 Grand Jury report, it dawned on me that the 5 year notations might well be a message to the AD….that didn’t relate to the protection of children!
Maybe the prosecution has discussed this matter with Lynn and I just missed it…..but am still wondering.
Joan,
The 5 year notation I believe referred to the existing SOL which in 1994 was 5 years after the victims 18th birthday. http://www.pcar.org/policy/statute-of-limitations-child-abuse
I came forward like many others primarily out of a desire to prevent what happened to me from happening to others. Lynn had concluded in 1994 by categorizing him on the shredded list as guilty of sexual abuse that avery was in fact a danger. He never shared this conclusion with me when that validation would have made a difference. What he and the other culpable parties did was to place someone they had concluded was a sex abuser in the path of his next victim.
Thank James…..those 5 year notations were NOT a deep desire to protect innocent children…it would appear!
Just a thought I was going to put on today’s site….it’s Pentacost Sunday….the Spirit of Truth’s day!!!!! Hope that Truth operates seriously in the Philly courtroom !!!!!!
I can’t leave a comment on the earlier blog so I will just comment here. I was thinking of Fathers……mine died of cancer two years ago. He was a fierce protector of his kids which amazed me because he was an academic kinda guy also. I remember when we were kids he put an out of control drunk guy in a headlock and I was shocked he could do something like that …….but the guy calmed down and I was like wow my dad is cool. He had rules about sleepovers and many other things but I realize now these were to keep us safe. He surprised me a few times with his comments basically if anyone messed with his kids he would take care of them:) Again is makes me laugh but he was serious and I know he loved us. I was never abuse by my dad or anyone else and I have a hard time understanding how anyone could abuse their own child or student etc. But I count my blessings ……..I guess in mind when I hear of the stories of the victims I l think how can someone do this to a child……my question now is……..why aren’t our priests protectors like my dad was???? why do they remain silent? Why don’t they cause a scene?………..if they say they are suppose to love us like their own?????Because I know what a real Father is …….I had one …….so you can’t fool me or give me a counterfit.
Beth, your comments remind me of something I wrote a few months ago. I had a father who would have laid down his life for me, and these “fathers ” can not even speak on behalf of children and victims. I no longer refer to priests as “father” sometimes it slips out because of habit..but mostly I use their first name,they are not my father,they call me by first name,I do the same.
Kathy and Beth, As a father of four and grandfather of six, I assure you both your fathers would beam with pride at what you two have done this year. Kathy, at first, I didn’t see the Kopride quote marks and said to myself, “Wow, this is great legal analysis. Is Kathy going to law school at night ? And I lecture her?” LOL Then I realized it was a quote. Even so, your legal instincts are exceptional.
Well my Dad and I are going to take a ride over to Sea Isle this afternoon and hand out some more flyers at Play By the Bay playground where former priest and current pedophile David C. Sicoli lives. We’ll probably make the rounds at all the businesses in SIC that my Dad deals with and see if they’ll take some flyers to leave on their counters for customers to stay aware of their children at this playground and around Sicoli’s house.
I can’t walk very much yet, since it’s just 2 & 1/2 weeks since my back surgery, so I think we’ll be doing more driving around to businesses than much walking and handing out flyers. This will be the first time my Dad has ever been involved in anything like this before, and I was real happy when he called me yesterday afternoon and asked if I wanted to go over to SIC to do what Vicky, Sharon, and I did a few weeks back.
Wish me luck! 🙂
Thank you for protecting our children Rich. Tell your Dad thank you too.
Take care of yourself.
Peace, Rich.
Sounds like a good and important day, Rich, in two ways. You and your dad will be protecting children and, for the first time, you and your dad will be doing it together.
Feel better, thank you, and have a great day!
What you and your Dad is doing is great. Thank you. I hope the day proves to be a significant one for you in both your quest for protection of children and in the quality time spent with your father.
Rich,
That is awesome you are doing goodwork and I am so glad your dad is joining you in being a good protector of our children.Peace.
I know you all love me on here…
here’s a link that many of you will no doubt enjoy listening to, it’s very informative…
Ha, ha, ha! John, if you have a woman in your life, I feel sorry for her. Happy, archaic trails to you!
Thanks, JV, for the Saturday morning cartoon approach to American Sisters. It is a shame you couldn’t have gotten Howdy Dowdy to make the case. He would have been more authentic then Michael Voris.
You might find of interest the call for rallies in 133 US cities on June 8 to “Support Our Sisters to Save Our Bishops”
{S.O.S.-2-S.O.B.s Rallies] described in the crosslink to the
NCR comment, “How High Up Does It Go”, accessible by clicking
on at:
http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/all-hell-breaks-loose-holy-see
I have not viewed it yet, but I recognize it as coming from EWTN.
No credibility whatsoever in my book.
John,
I loved my nuns St.Joe, IHM and Mercy nuns in grade school and high school and most even wore habits but to tell the truth it was not what they wore but the fact they taught and lived what they taught. Most of these nuns really cared about their students and went the extra mile and I never remember them teaching anything against the churches teaching. Why are the priests and other religious not speaking out for our victims like Sister Maureen? I like some things voris says in other vortexs but does he really know what is going on in Philly? Are you local John? So you can meet our victims ? go to court etc and see for yourself?
John,
Will you attend the trial with me one day this week? I’ll be there on Tues., Wed., and Thurs. I’d like to meet you, sit with you at the trial, and have lunch during the break. Is there a day that would work for you? I’ll be nice.
Hadit
Beth, the nuns you are describing were heros! They were beautiful brides of Christ who suffered and labored to build up the Church. The nuns in the LCWR are very far from that, they have perverted their mission and left their charisms behind. They have destroyed everything that those previous generous of saintly religious built up. The USA is the only country in the world with two competing groups of women religious…. Notice that the vatican is only seeking to reform the LCWR and NOT the CMSWR… what does that tell you?
Compare for yourself:
the bad ones— https://lcwr.org/
the good ones— http://www.cmswr.org/
John.
Thanks for sharing although it is a bit off topic for this blog which is here to address the issue of clergy abuse. But if you want to talk about fashion, I don’t recall Christ wearing red Prada shoes on the way to Calvary. There’s certainly nothing wrong with the church and all of it’s religious trying to become more Christlike. The same could be said for all of us.
I would encourage you to study the issues at play in this trial more carefully. Crimes were committed and covered up by people representing Christ , I realize that it scandalizes and takes some of your innocence away to know these facts. That is a miniscule taste of what it is like to be an abuse survivor. None of us chose to be scandalized and have our innocence taken away by our abusers. But you have the opportunity to deepen your level of understanding it’s your choice.
As for myself I am an abuse survivor and testified earlier this month.
I am also a practicing catholic with a deep faith in Jesus Christ. I have 5 children 2 of whom are in parochial school (in which I’m very involved) I’m married to the same woman for the past 25 years. You see, I’ve kept the faith but that doesn’t mean that I have to carry the water for the institution when it fails. This is not anticatholicism, it is discipleship.
Many of you are giving “John” more respect than anything I have seen from him desrves IMO. FV is a creep and Hadit is taking a chance inviting him to lunch IMO. [half sarcastic]
James15, many thank,again, especially for ‘You see, I’ve kept the faith but that doesn’t mean that I have to carry the water for the institution when it fails. This is not antcatholocism, it is disciplship’.!!!!!!!
A tidbit of information.—-
Years ago, I was on a jury. This was when I lived in Phoenix, Az.. In fact, Sandra Day O’Conner was the judge, before she went to the Supreme Court.
It was a murder trial. A couple stole a car, stole a gun, and killed the manager of the farm workers in an onion field just outside of Phoenix.
This trial happened to be charging just the girl ( who was not the one who fired the shot ) The guy had already been found guilty of killing the manager.
She was charged with being an accomplice of steeling a car, stealing a gun, and killing the manager. ( they shot him to rob the cash that he was paying his workers..)
After the prosecutor and defense was done, we were ordered to go to this room and decide if this girl was guilty. BUT… before we went, judge O”Conner gave us lots of directions and several documents which described the laws, and we were instructed that we had to follow the law.
When I got out of the jury box, and went into our closed door room, I had been convinced that the girl was guilty of being an accomplice to stealing the car, and of stealing the gun. but NOT of murder.
BUT, after hours of deliberating and constantly having to follow the law…. We came up with, “She was not guilty of stealing the gun, she was not guilty of stealing the car, BUT she WAS guilty of murder.
It was all very interesting, and I will never forget it.
btw. about a week after the trial was over, I got a letter ( each one of us jurors got a letter ) from Judge Sandra Day O’Conner, saying that she thanked us for our verdict, and that we made the correct decision, because there was a whole lot of information which was not allowed in the court which this girl had done before..
I can’t wait to see what this Philly jury is going to decide… !!! But just the ugly truth being exposed has validated victims so much..!
Tks, for listening. Judy
ps. Susan, I want to throw up every time I hear that another holy priest or bishop has treated kids so horrific.
Thanks, Judy. You have made an extremely important point.
Legal proceedings are “iffy” and turn on quirky things, so sometime jurors decide rightly for the wrong reasons or wrongly for apparently right reasons.
In this case, the survivors have already been proven right irrefutably. We don’t have to rely on belief any longer. The Philly trial has given us facts and knowledge to supplant our belief.
The world now know in spades the Catholic hierarchy has been lying and covering up for over a half century for predatory priests. Whatever the jurors decide about Lynn, that fundamental truth will not change.
Now legislators and prosecutors throughout the US must act on this truth to protect children and provide some justice for survivors.
Right on Jerry, yet the fact that I know this information is a little scary… In fact more than one high ranking person needs to go to jail for covering up sex crimes in Philly.. They need to have their pedestals kicked out from under them.
Just got this email—-
Dear SNAP members & supporters,
SNAP will be leafleting this Sunday in Philadelphia at 11:30am.
Location:
Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter & Paul
18th Street & Benjamin Franklin Parkway
If you can come – or even MIGHT be able to come – please contact Karen Polesir at 267-992-9463, karenpolesir@yahoo.com
Thanks!
-Barb
Just out… by Tom Dolye— http://www.richardsipe.com/Doyle/2012/Machiavelli%20back%20in%20Rome.pdf
In fairness to Tom Doyle, this Machiavelli piece is mine, not Tom’s, lifted from my NCR comment, which Tom graciously posted on Richard Sipe’s website. I am not sure why the attribution to me was dropped when Judy lifted the article. Anyways, Tom gets enough unfair criticism for his own articles and doesn’t need to take any for my work.
I knew it was ours when I saw the “click on”.
Yours.
Actually, I knew it before that point. When I read the clever “jesuitical” inference that RCC hierarchy means “Republican.”
“Casuistry” is a better word perhaps. I note that the “moderation thing” is active again.
Jerry, if you go to the Abuse Tracker, you will notice that Sipe and Kathy Shaw corrected the author… it’s yours….. tks for being you.!!
Interesting piece by Father Tom Doyle. One of the good ones.
http://www.richardsipe.com/Doyle/2012/Santa%20Clara%20-%20May%2015,%202012c%5B5%5D.pdf
Actually, I knew it before that point. When I read the clever “jesuitical” inference that RCC hierarchy means “Republican.”
“Casuistry” is a better word perhaps. I note that the “moderation thing” is active again.
http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2012/05/26/opinion/doc4fc0356eb3176329912900.txt