Solidarity for the Victims at St Patrick Cathedral New York

Outside the Good Friday service a group of the Voice of the Faithful issued a call for Archbishop Dolan to acknowledge the injustice done by the NY clergy to children and to hear their grievances and apologize. Dolan chose to highlight the pope's suffering without a word of recognition of the suffering of the victims at the hands of diocesan clergy.





Francis Piderot led a small group of Voice of the Faithful Catholics as they called attention to the plight of the victims which the New York Archdiocese still fails to acknowledge by opening its files and giving justice to the victims. Piderot compared the small group to the few who were at the cross with Jesus while they were treated with contempt by the guards.






A congenial policeman accosted by the Cathedral security neatly helped the group have adequate space to witness for the Victims.



http://www.best-quality-for-you.com/index.html

Commonweal Editors do not Get It

Commonweal takes the easy road in its April 29, 2009 "Seeking Justice" on the proposed law in New York advocating the extension of the Statute of Limitations so that justice can be attained by those abused by priests long ago. Never in the forefront in defending victim's rights, Commonweal has been part of exposing bishops and insisting on tranparency in this area as well as others. Who can forget Margaret O'Briens stirring rebuke to the bishops at the Dallas Conference!

Nevertheless, Commonweal many times fail when it is most crucial. For example this is the conclusion to the present editorial: "Eventually lawyers on both sides will have to get out of the way so that the hard work of reconciliation and healing can begin."

If that advice had been followed bishops would still be sending priest pedophiles out to harm more children. Unfortunately, Commonweal in trying to be fair cops out at a crucial time. Does Commonweal have a plan or suggestion of one for reconciliation?

The "Pedophile's Paradise"

The "Pedophile's Paradise"ALASKA

The Stranger by Brendan Kiley

One spring afternoon in 1977, 15-year-old Rachel Mike tried to kill herself for the third time. An Alaska Native, Rachel was living in a tiny town called Stebbins on a remote island called St. Michael. She lived in a house with three bedrooms and nine siblings. Rachel was a drinker, depressed, and starving. "When my parents were drinking, we didn't eat right," she says. "I just wanted to get away from the drinking."Rachel walked to the bathroom to fetch the family rifle, propped in the bathtub with the dirty laundry (the house didn't have running water). To make sure the gun worked, Rachel loaded a shell and blew a hole in her bedroom wall. Her father, passed out on his bed, didn't hear the shot. Rachel walked behind their small house. Her arms were too short to put the rifle to her head, so she shot herself in her right leg instead.Rachel was found screaming in a pool of blood by her Auntie Emily and flown 229 miles to a hospital in Nome. The doctor asked if she wanted to see a priest. She said yes. In walked Father James Poole—a popular priest, radio personality on KNOM, and, according to allegations in at least five lawsuits, serial child rapist. Father Poole has never been convicted of a crime, but the Jesuits have settled numerous sex-abuse claims against him since 2005, in excess of $5 million, according to an attorney involved in four of those five lawsuits. Exact figures aren't available because some of the settlements involve confidentiality agreements. The Jesuits have never let a single case against Father Poole go to trial.To read the full story click on this url:http://rs6.net/tn.jsp?et=1102445625705&e=001nmSmtPQ5OJSus7EnTVuDF4hruFSZFs7CJkjI2HeCRGyBfbw2VAVISb7nWg7icn4oADKzMQPiwr8TmG4e4-4ujqTF9CNHYjzCO8hRXBP7Rhn_lrCb2iR7XzKPVTxAR_xh18YmwBIPKSLjTgeD7n65j_wdXSpQcyISfE57Fugu2NfpuzA0k4-L232HQx8b_pBXlyGDF3u17qU=

Cardinal George must resign.

UNFIT TO LEAD
DEPOSITION PROVIDES CONCRETE EVIDENCE
VOTF TO CARDINAL: “Step down”

WHAT

The recently revealed deposition by Cardinal Francis George is a clear indictment of his pastoring skills and his inability to lead the people of Chicago. His repeated failures in both the Bennett and McCormack cases indicate a trend to disregard advice from outside clerical circles and continue to follow precedents of deceit, cover-ups and secrecy (imbedded in the clerical culture) in lieu of protecting innocent children from irreparable harm.

Voice of the Faithful, reviewing the concrete revelations in the deposition, has no choice but to ask the Cardinal to step down. We call for his resignation.


We also call for a criminal investigation of the actions within the Archdiocese revealed in this deposition. (325 IL. Comp. Stat. Ann.5/4 (West, WESTLAW through 2003 Reg. Sess.))


We ask, “Where is the criminal justice system in light of demonstrated criminal failings repeated across the country, diocese after diocese? When will Catholic citizens demand morality and justice in our own Church?”


We have seen bishops and other diocesan officials who aided cover-ups and enabled abusers rewarded with greater responsibilities and titles rather than being held accountable for their misdeeds. Does this system of rewards for failure encourage additional cover-ups?


Insincere apologies and large financial settlements are “street theater” whether the apologies come from Cardinal George, his brother bishops or the Pope himself. If no consequences accrue to those engaged in committing, perpetuating, or hiding crimes from Catholic congregations, the behavior continues.


We believe that as Catholics we must exercise our baptismal rights and responsibilities, which include calling for our bishops to be accountable to the people they serve.
With evidence of this latest transgression, and reports of the settlements made in Los Angeles, Boston, Chicago, and so many other dioceses, we have no trust in promises made by the hierarchy who created this breach of confidence. (We also note that Cardinal George was one of the authors of the bishops’ Charter to Protect Young Children, which his deposition indicates he then violated.)

Words of regret and apology, and promises of “unequivocal condemnation,” mean little if they are not supported by action.


http://www.votfbpt.org/VOICE_Sept_2008_FINAL.pdf

Another hundred million plus Cathedral

The people in the above photo need food not a $115 million monument to bishops. In the fourth century cathedrals appeared for the first time in Christianity. Christians who met in small dwellings and housed were invited to worship in formerly pagan temples. What did the first three centuries have? So we need these montrosities as a sign of unity. Remember at the big functions you will find only a token poor person in those front pews. I know cathedrals are beautiful and all that. But we are talking community not grandeur. And how 4th century is this? And I would like to know how much Catholic charities come from public funds? How accountable are those funds.
None of this happened until Constantine gave all the pagan temples to the bishops and they shamelessly made them Christian churches. I don’t think it is money well spent and to throw in that the church is helping the economy is fishing for straws.
In Rome we have empty Cathedrals. They really are not churches. Ditto for Spain and Montreal.
They are monuments to monarchs. In a terribly corrupt and incompetent church, there has to be greater justification for this kind of expense. All the bishops love this grandiosity.
Above all we have little financial accounting. The next big scandal.
Cathedrals are vestiges of pagan Rome. More Dives than Jesus. They make a mockery out of the Magnificat. A continuation of a Regal Church. They fit right there with the floor length gowns. And Cardinal Hats; another office that has no scriptural base.

Cozzens on the Church Today

Donald Cozzens gave a comprehensive lecture tonight in Pleasantville on the state of the Catholic church in America. He touched on many things. One of the points he made which is not that well known by Catholics is there are thousands of parishes in the US without priests. Because most of us are in Metropolitan areas where there are more priests per parish, we have no idea of how many parishers there are that have no priest or are sharing one priest for two, three or more parishes. In these cases there is usually a parish director who coordinates the apostolate of the church and many times it is a woman. In some ways this is good because it gives the church an opportunity to get rid of the awful clericalism which has plagued the church for so long whereby a priest feels all powerful and all holy just by virtue of ordination. In this experience we will realize that God comes to his people wherever they are and does not need magic to do it.

Another point, Cozzens made is on the feudalism in the church which persists today despite the fact that we have the most educated laity in the history of the church."Feudalism has a tough time thriving where the laity is educated", Cozzens declared.

Donald Cozzens to Speak at St. Theresa's in Briarcliff Manor on Monday May 5 at 7:30pm

Priesthood in Crisis, A Church in Trouble:
Is There Light in This Darkness
On Monday (May 5) at 7:30 p.m., Cozzens will speak at St. Theresa’s Catholic Church in Briarcliff Manor. Fr. Donald Cozzens wrote “The Changing Face of the Priesthood.”

The former seminary president who sparked a national debate on the impact of gays entering the Roman Catholic priesthood is now tackling another sensitive issue, adding his voice to those advocating an end to mandatory celibacy.

"Celibacy used to go with priesthood as fish went with Fridays," said the Rev. Donald Cozzens. "Over the past 40 to 50 years, I would argue that more and more Catholics are questioning the need to link celibacy with priesthood."

Cozzens has written many books on renewal in the church. His is a very thoughtful voice in a troubled church.