by TweetieBird 22 Replies latest jw friends
No doubt this will be trumpeted throughout the wt world as a sign that finally babylon is really starting to crumble. Some of them will become giddy w excitement. Silly dubs.
This is just one diocese. Perhaps it will wake up the higher mangement into taking measures that would deter pedos. It would be sad to see the catholic church go, because they are so humanistic, and do do a lot of good for people even if they aren't catholic.
S
Cass,
Seems to me MUCH more would be accomplished by jailing the people responsible for moving this priest around...don't you think?
Yeru -
It would seem that is all it would take, however, I have a feeling it is not that easy. And the reason I say that is because letters come from the WT all the time directing elders to do certain things a certain way. But, from what I can tell, the decisions contained therein are rarely made by one individual, and the letters themselves are generally not signed by one particular person. This makes it difficult to determine exactly "who" to point the finger at.
My other thought is that "in the real world", generally an entire "management team" or "board of directors" is held responsible for the actions taken in the name of the company/corporation. There are times when there are scapegoats, but generally, at the very least - the highest ranking official takes the most heat - along with several members of the governing board. So, that leads us to ask: Who runs the place and makes these decisions? The Vatican themselves have admitted to moving pedophiles around. So, to me - I see the highest ranking people responsible - especially because they were the only ones who had the power to produce a different outcome - i.e. removing pedophilic priests from the priesthood altogether. (Same goes for the WT, I might add!)
As I've already said, Yeru, it is hard to weigh the very real grievances of those who have been wronged against the good the Catholic church does. And I acknowledge the good they do - especially when contrasted with the WT! But do we treat their transgressions differently because of something good they do that is unrelated to those transgressions? To put it another way - do we treat the leaders of Enron who financially screwed thousands of people differently because they produced energy that the world desperately needed? I say, "no". And I say the same applies to the Catholic church. I know - there is a difference between the charity of the Catholic church and the for-profit product Enron produced - but if we allow the Catholic church to get off easier than Ken Lay and associates, are we supplying an outlet (aka: loophole) for other entities or companies to get away with the same types of things? (i.e. Just give generously to charity and you can get away with anything if it ever makes it to the judicial system.)
Tough questions, Yeru. And I'm glad I'm not the one having to come up with the answers!
growedup
Cass,Seems to me MUCH more would be accomplished by jailing the people responsible for moving this priest around...don't you think?
I agree Yeru-- as accessories after the fact. The only reason I pointed to such was where you asked above why someone was suing a dead man and if there was something you may be missing. Cassi
| http://snapnetwork.org/snap_statements/0103_dissipation_assets.htm
The S urvivors N etwork of those A bused by P riests SNAP Press Statements SNAP Statements Regarding Dissipation of Assets by January 21, 2003 Statement by Bill Crane of Portland, Coordinator of Oregon SNAP: 503-781-5245 "How many times will the Catholic Church turn its back on those who suffered abuse at the hands of its priests? The Diocese of Baker, Oregon is engaged in the revictimization of dozens of children who not only suffered sexual abuse, but who were the victims of an obvious cover-up by the hierarchy that lead to even more abuse. Now, they have started an illegal shell game that is nothing more than another pursuit by a Catholic bishop to sidestep accountability for the sexual abuse of children by priests. SNAP Oregon has recently learned that the Diocese of Baker is in the process of dissipating assets and declaring each of it's parishes in effect its own corporation. It is our understanding that under Oregon law this could be considered a fraudulent transfer of assets while a lawsuit is pending. (sounds like a familiar legal technique) http://www.freeminds.org/history/listofgbmembers.htm In fact, the church already faces legal action from more than 20 victims of a single priest who served in southern and eastern Oregon, in addition to other pending cases. Baker Bishop Vasa's illegal actions appear to be an obvious attempt to avoid civil accountability and the potential of compensating clergy sexual abuse victims for the Church's involvement in covering up the abuse. Not only did they place a known pedophile priest in parishes throughout the Diocese, they compelled one young victim to swear an oath of secrecy. Bishop Vasa was recently elected to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops AD-HOC committee on sexual abuse. So it is particularly disturbing that he is clearly violating the spirit of the Dallas Charter to promote healing and well-being for victims and their families. In addition, the Baker Diocese would be slamming the courthouse doors shut on all the victims that have yet to come forward. We would expect a decision like this to come from the leaders of Enron and not from the spiritual leaders of the Catholic Church. Last year, US bishops repeatedly repented corporately and publicly for failing to keep children safe from serial child rapists. They vowed reform, pledging to promote healing, justice and outreach to victims and their families rather than continue in scandal. But again, a bishop is putting his diocese's finances before its victims. We still have not gotten to the bottom of the seriousness of these crimes. Decisions like Bishop Vasa's are further examples of embracing scandal rather than reform. As survivors of clergy sexual abuse we wish that Bishop Vasa put the same time, energy, and resources into reaching out to survivors as he has to dissipating the assets of his diocese and minimizing the seriousness of these crimes. Bishop Vasa's actions do not correspond with his commitment to the Dallas Charter. Bishop Vasa's role on the bishops' sexual abuse committee makes his underhanded and illegal actions that much more disappointing." Statement by David Clohessy of St. Louis, MO, National Director of SNAP: "Instead of concentrating on protecting kids, Bishop Vasa is concentrating on protecting money. The promises and assurances every bishop has made to handle the sexual abuse crisis better ring hollow in the face of this deceptive legal move. Our hearts ache for abuse victims in the Baker Diocese, whose courage in speaking out has been met with such an insensitive response. The manipulation and abuse of bankruptcy laws like this will, sadly, increase the disillusionment of Catholic parents. We desperately hope that these strategies will not deter hurting men and women, victimized as children by sex offenders masquerading as priests, from coming forward and getting the help and healing they need and deserve. This move, like premature talk of bankruptcy in Boston, will ultimately backfire, and further erode the trust devout Catholics once had in their bishops." | ||
Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests www.snapnetwork.org http://snapnetwork.org/tribute_pages/millstone_project.htm Summary of Cases Against RC in USA http://snapnetwork.org/news/otherstates/usa_apsurveys.htm http://snapnetwork.org/news/otherstates/usa_apsurveys_page2.htm | ||
All technical BS aside......you gotta wonder how much these slimmy wimpy sick bastards believe in their faith they supposedly have. God to them is as real as a JWD agnostic bastard..... or else the wimpy peckerheads wouldn't do what they do.
Gumby
To whom do you refer?
The is BIG news, yet no one has commented on what the WTS might say about it. The Catholics mostly irritate just the Protestants, but dubs irritate EVERYONE. Covering up child abuse is a topic that pisses off everyone but the abusers.
If the WTS makes a big deal about it, dubs who are aware of the various TV programs which have exposed them not only doing the same thing but worse: they require two witnesses to the abuse, which basically gets most abusers off the hook. They have put IN WRITING directives not to let congregations know about convicted child abusers in their midst. As more and more lawsuits against the WTS are made public, honest dubs will see right through the hypocrisy of the WTS making a big deal about how "wicked" the Catholic Church is for covering up abuse.
The WTS has made a BIG DEAL about just about every Catholic Church scandal in the past. When I was a dub they made many comments about how "false" the Catholic Church was when they changed their ban on eating meat on Fridays. Now that change in doctrine is almost nothing compared with the sex abuse scandal the Catholics are facing. I'm sure the WTS will face a big temptation to exploit it. Because of their own hypocrisy on the matter, though, it could backfire big time.
On the other hand, if they say nothing about the matter, their silence will speak volumes, and dubs with even half a brain will smell a rat.
The WTS is screwed either way.
Farkel
Seems to me MUCH more would be accomplished by jailing the people responsible for moving this priest around
I agree. Both the abuser and those that covered up for them are all guilty and they should all go to jail.
This thread title is a bit misleading.
It was only the archdiocese in Portland, Oregon that filed for bankruptcy - no the entire Catholic Church. Believe me, it would take much more to empty THOSE coffers!
