Clergy abuse victims criticize RI bishop
james g. keegan jr.
By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Michelle R. Smith,
Associated Press Writer 2 hrs 48 mins ago
PROVIDENCE, R.I. � Clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters said
Tuesday that Rhode Island's Roman Catholic bishop is not doing enough to
protect children from pedophile priests even as he's taken on Democratic
Rep. Patrick Kennedy for his stance on abortion rights.
A small group of protesters gathered outside Bishop Thomas Tobin's
office in Providence two days after news broke that the bishop had asked
Kennedy in 2007 not to take Holy Communion because he supports abortion
rights.
"He claims that it's important that we protect the unborn. But it's
equally as important to protect those who have been born and those young
children who have been raped and sodomized by clerics and priests. But
yet he seems to protect those clerics," said Ruth Moore, of Hull, Mass.
The group called on Tobin to publish the names of priests from the
diocese who have been convicted of or admitted molesting children, or if
a thorough investigation has turned up credible evidence of child
molestation, even if no conviction resulted.
The diocese has said in court papers that 125 of its priests have been
accused of molesting children. While many of their names are known from
lawsuits and news accounts, others have never been released.
Mike Guilfoyle, a spokesman for the diocese, said some of those
allegations were recanted, found to be false, or made after a priest has
died, so he cannot defend himself. He said the diocese has taken
extensive efforts to protect children, including taking out ads and
encouraging people to come forward, as well as responding immediately to
accusations of abuse and cooperating with law enforcement.
The protesters said they would like the names to be posted on the
diocesan Web site, a suggestion that Guilfoyle said the diocese is open
to considering.
Such a list could help parents keep their children away from molesters
and help employers screen potential hires, the protesters said. Skip
Shea, from Uxbridge, Mass., who was abused by a priest as a child, told
of seeing his abuser working next to the children's section in a
bookstore as he awaited trial for abusing children.
"There has to be some sort of safeguard to protect kids. I don't think
it ends with removing them from active ministry and I don't think it
ends with defrocking," he said.
Shea, who has left the Catholic church, says he doesn't understand why
Tobin is targeting Kennedy.
"Everybody, including these priests, deserve Communion. Because that's
the whole point of it. That's part of the point of the church. I don't
think anybody should be disqualified from it," he said. "It's politics.
I think the bishop's playing politics."
The Catholic Action League of Massachusetts called Tobin's action an
"act of courage, fidelity and charity, intended to prevent scandal and
sacrilege."
"Bishop Tobin is being a good pastor by urging Congressman Kennedy not
to commit the mortal sin of receiving Communion while in a state of
grave sin," said the league's executive director, C.J. Doyle.
Bill Nash of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests called on
Tobin to use his authority as a spiritual figurehead to protect children.
"There are a lot of moral issues that he has to take leadership in, and
the protection of children is a very important and critical area of
moral leadership that he should be taking a more proactive stand with,"
Nash said.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20091125/ap_on_re_us/us_ri_bishop_kennedy/prin
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W.T.S.
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Dark Ages that uses a non-existant "God" as a cover to cause untold
suffering and death.
Kennedy was elected. Kennedy represents the people of the United States.
The people have a basic, human right to abortion. If the Catholic Church
interfers with the absolute right to abortion, then it should be run out of
America. We can all start by renouncing and repudiating the Catholic Church
and its teachings. The Catholic Church has no place in the lives of normal,
decent human beings.
Bible, bad. Church, bad. Abortion, good.
william mosco
In 1973 I asked my dad if I could become an altar boy, he replied,
"not while I'm living". I didn't understand why. We were a church
going family, it seemed that the request would be a slam dunk.
There's not a week that goes by where I don't appreciate the wisdom of
my dad that day...
james g. keegan jr.
<9b3808b3-afad-410d...@j4g2000yqe.googlegroups.com>,
william mosco <wm5...@gmail.com> wrote:
> james g. keegan jr. wrote:
> > Clergy abuse victims criticize RI bishop
> > By MICHELLE R. SMITH, Associated Press Writer Michelle R. Smith,
> > Associated Press Writer 2 hrs 48 mins ago
> >
> > PROVIDENCE, R.I. ? Clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters said
you were a lucky guy.