By Kathy Kane
The lucky streak continues. It was revealed today that Bishop Michael Bransfield has been living in Philadelphia since last fall after leaving his diocese in Wheeling, West Virginia. Just the news we needed on the heels of a Philadelphia priest being arrested for rape last week.
Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore has banned Bransfeld from ministry in two dioceses after completing the preliminary investigation into sexual harassment and misconduct allegations, as well as looking into possible financial improprieties.
Don’t count Bransfield out yet as he has been able to keep his head above water in the past amid allegations. His comments to a reporter today seem to be plotting his next move. He sounds quite confident given his circumstances. Hopefully we won’t see him doing the Rocky run up the Art Museum steps while he’s here.
“After Bransfield stepped aside, a person familiar with the matter told The Inquirer that at least three priests had come forward with claims that Bransfield had subjected them to unwanted sexual advances and physical contact. A hotline set up subsequently drew more than 75 calls alleging misconduct in West Virginia, Washington, and Philadelphia that stretched back decades.”
I suppose it will not be too long before he is out on the Confirmation circuit (unless the Vatican acts first).
Where are the “good priests”? Why aren’t they appalled, united and vocal in demanding an end to the clerical culture that keeps shoving down their throats and ours this kind of sick, permissive, lenient, and “forgiving” Brotherhood-style episodic commotion and turmoil? Haven’t the “good priests” had it with fellow clerics whose sins and crimes have them stealthily appearing and reappearing, in Philly, across the country, and the world, keeping the Church utterly destabilized and in chaos? Get rid of the bad actors who create this constant and ongoing foul drama, and the clerics who permit and facilitate it. Good priests, do something about the clerical culture! You’ve got one priesthood. Use it to save it.
Maybe there are no “good” priests. They are all afraid of the big bad bishop; they don’t have enough guts to ever speak up. They have all looked the other way for decades, and continue to do so. Nope, not a good one anywhere. They may not have molested others, but that does not mean they are “good”.
I haven’t seen one in 20 years whose first response to the pedophile crisis has not been the standard lecture on the sanctity of the penis. Pedophiles, oh, that’s ok. They aren’t FEMALE! Especially the previous entity in possession of the vatican. women priests are WORSE than pedophiles – gleefully repeated down the line. –
The mantra in the Catholic Church is that the priest represents Christ – so the vatican vision of Christ is a depraved predator of children holy ONLY because he was MALE!
vatican SOP – PROMOTE the pedophile – EXCOMMUNICATE the woman.
It is now up to the bishops to step up and take action. No amount of prayers or rosaries by the laity can revive the Catholic Church. Too bad that most of the offenders are dead. Again, we Catholics in the US need to sever all ties with the corrupt and complacent Vatican.
So has Slap You volunteered to host every deviate cleric in the country or did the USCCB designate the job to him?