The Worthy Adversary

Author: Joelle Casteix

MORTAL SINS West Coast Book Tour

Michael D’Antonio, winner of the Pulitzer Prize and author of the new blockbuster Mortal Sins: Sex, Crime, and the Era of Catholic Scandal will be visiting the west coast for book signings and lecture events.

He and a panel of experts, including Patrick Wall, Jeff Anderson*, Richard Sipe*, Irwin Zalkin*,and local survivors will discuss the history of the crisis in the United States, what is happening right now, and pivotal next steps for the movement to prevent and expose sex abuse and cover-up in the church.

Two dates have been announced:

June 27 – Fullerton, California as a part of Gustavo’s Awesome Lecture Series

June 30 – Seattle, Washington at Town Hall Seattle

We are working on dates and locations in San Diego, Santa Barbara, and the Bay Area.

Be sure to check back here for more dates and information!

*Note: Except for Michael D’Antonio and Patrick Wall, not all speakers will be at all events.

May 13, 2013
Second retired Honolulu priest sued for abuse: Bishop does … NOTHING

Larry Silva – No Talk, No Action

From yesterday’s Honolulu Star Advertiser:

Catholic Church, priest named in lawsuit alleging molestation

A New Jersey man filed a lawsuit Wednesday alleging that he was sexually molested when he attended St. Anthony’s parish and school in Kailua from 1978 to 1981 when he was about 10 to 13 years old.

The suit filed by the man under the fictitious name of John Roe No. 11 is against the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii and the Rev. Anthony Bolger, one of the priests at the school during that period.

The lawsuit also alleges that the man was sexually molested by the late Rev. Joseph Ferrario, a priest at St. Anthony’s at the time who later was installed as bishop of Honolulu.

Patrick Downes, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Church here, said the Diocese of Honolulu has no comment at this time. Bolger could not be reached for comment.

The suit is at least the ninth filed under a state law that permits the filing of sex abuse lawsuits no matter how long ago the alleged abuse occurred. The law allows such lawsuits until April of next year.

What is important to note is that this is the SECOND priest CURRENTLY living in the diocese to be accused in court documents. The other, George DeCosta, who lives on the Big Island, has been accused of abuse by three men. Both of these men can wear clerical collars, say Mass, hear confessions, hang out with kids and do anything else that a priest can. Both are retired, which means that they do not work in a parish, school, or hospital full time. (More than a dozen other predators have been named in Hawaii sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits who are no longer priests, brothers or teachers; or who are deceased.)

Has Bishop Clarence Silva issued an announcement to the communities where these men live? Has he put these two men on any kind of restriction? Has he adhered to the Bishops’ own policy of temporarily removing the faculties of any any priest credibly accused of abuse?

No. He has done nothing.

But he did give this charming little interview to the Star-Advertiser. So, now we know where he stands on emergency contraception. But once a child is born, it looks like he doesn’t care about the risks his own priests pose … or the healing of victims those priests abused.

May 10, 2013
You read it here first …

The Los Angeles Times just published this great story about Cardinal Mahony. Despite promises from Archbishop Gomez that Mahony would be removed from public ministry, the disgraced Cardinal is performing confirmations across Los Angeles.

Fortunately, the commenters and Catholics are just as disgusted as I was last week when I first reported the problem.

May 10, 2013
Newark’s name-changing predator priest makes headlines again …

Within the past few weeks, the Archdiocese of Newark has settled sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits with five men who charge that they were abused by convicted Newark priest Fr. Carmine Sita.

Call me Carmine. Call me Gerald. Whatever you do, don’t call the cops.

Sita, who was convicted of child sex abuse in New Jersey in 1983, was later allowed to change his name to Fr. Jerry Howard and move to Missouri, where he continued to work as a priest with the blessing of church officials.

Howard continued to abuse in Missouri. He is currently in Missouri’s Cooper County Jail awaiting trial for sex crimes there.

I wonder if the Archdiocese of Newark would have settled were it not for recent embarrassing revelations that Newark Archbishop Myers had allowed an admitted predator to keep working with children.

The oppressive silence I hear must be Archbishop Myers’ apology to the victims.

May 9, 2013
Buh-BYE Boner Jesus!

Too small to see the Johnson, but it’s there. Believe me, it’s there.

After more than 30 years of upsetting, insulting and disgusting Catholics, passers-by and anyone with eyes, Boner Jesus—a mural on the wall of St. Joseph’s Church in Santa Ana—has finally been covered up.

Put this one in the “tentative win” column for new Orange Bishop Kevin Vann.

They left the boner for last

Let’s just hope that Vann doesn’t think he can cover up other ugliness in the diocese with a simple coat of paint.

May 9, 2013