The unpublished post of mine referred to previously was prompted by this story.
Now there’s this story.
Before that there was this story and …………….
You get my point. Andrew Sullivan who has been ripping on the ….. his Catholic Church for some months gave perhaps the most cogent defense of the current Pope as the too slavish bad cop for his predecessor. Yup, John Paul II will always be remembered for helping bring Communism to its knees. Apparently he did it by ignoring a lot of priests who were already too familiar with that position.
If you are outraged by this perhaps a little incivility in the form of black humor will help bring some balance back to your psyche. Here’s one aspirin. What ever Catholic parent needs and here’s a second from SouthPark. The latter was part of that unpublished post which was prompted by the letter to the DNT’s editor from Father Partika who pretty regularly lets it be known that people like me are baby killers. If you want to read the unfinished post I referred to you can do so now.
This never finished post was entitled: “Six of her cousins, she later said, committed suicide because of Brother Smario.”
I’ve got no horse in this race since I’m not Catholic but I’ve read with interest the goings on in the Church for years. Religious authority is one of many cloaks for sexual predators. I watched a 2007 Frontline/American Experience program that referred to Mormonism’s heretical polygamous leaders abuses. I recall Malcom X’s disenchantement with the founder of the Black Muslims when he kept impregnating young women. Protestant preachers are often in the news. I recall a horrific story told me about a never exposed suicide of a young husband when the John Birch pastor of his church accused the man’s wif,e during a church service, of trying to seduce him. According to the story it was the wife who turned down the pastor’s attentions and the public accusation was likely made as insurance that she wouldn’t rat him out to the congregation. This all took place in Duluth as have a couple other stories over the years that did make the news including at least one repressed gay protestant pastor who left when the Trib exposed him.
Now, it turns out that one of the bishops who helped cover up the story of the Wisconsin priest who abused deaf children was stationed right here in the Twin Ports.
So, read with interesttoday, Father Partika’s latest call for civility from critics of the Catholic Church at this time of its travail.
I’m not sure civility is quite the right frame of mind to approach the subject of a criminal conspiracy to protect serial child rapists.
Father Partika is not perhaps the best Catholic priest to call for civility as he writes angry letters to the editor close to every thirty days to the DNT. Many accuse folks like me of being child killers because we are pro choice. Apparently support of the use of the “day after pill” is far worse than child rape and excludes Father Partika from any need for thoughtful and rational analysis.
As an antidote to Father Partika’s call for civility I link to this story about where the Catholic Church hierarchy chose to send its villains (the quote above comes from this story). Its rather like that rapist priest who was sent back to India where he is beyond the power of extradition. Out of sight. Out of mind.
I have Catholic friends and family so I can only sympathize with them as they read these stories of crimes long swept under the rug. They must feel like Southpark’s Father Maxi. Don’t send the link to this episode to Father Partika. He would find it offensive.
For my part I think scorn can help cauterize a wound.
