The Worthy Adversary

Category: armored child

  • Vatican: We can indict foreign journalists, but not our own priests

    ** Update: only two journalists were indicted. Note corrections belowhandcuffed_hands_line_drawing

    Events last week showed that the Vatican has the power to indict foreign journalists … but earlier this year needed to draft new rules in order to indict its own employees for sex abuse.

    Let’s take a look.

    Last week, the Vatican issued indictments against five journalists five people, including two journalists, who “leaked documents that informed two books alleging financial malfeasance in the Roman Catholic church bureaucracy.”

    The Vatican is seeking jail terms from four to eight years.

    But when it comes to sexual abuse, the Vatican has said it was “powerless” to police its own employees who are located outside of the Vatican.

    Case in point: The cancelled trial of Jozef Wesolowski was going to be a NEW kind of  Vatican Tribunal. According to the New York Times, just this year, the tribunal:

    drafted new rules giving prosecutors more leeway in the cases, allowing criminal charges to be applied to Vatican employees anywhere.

    Wesolowski died before the trial could be completed.

    No one else in the global Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis has been indicted by the Vatican.

    The Vatican’s view in a nutshell:

    Do your job as a journalist and we will indict you, try you in absentia, and violate your human rights.

    Abuse a kid? Meh. Our hands are tied. Let’s draft some new rules and then not use them.

     

  • Former Orange priest subject of US Bishops’ “Warning!” OC Bishop stays silent.

    OC Bishop Kevin Vann. If you want to learn about his bad priests, ask Cleveland
            OC Bishop Kevin Vann. If you want to learn about his bad priests, ask Cleveland

     

    A priest who worked for six years at Orange’s St. Joseph Hospital has been accused of “improper conduct” in numerous assignments. The conduct was so bad, in fact, that he was “dismissed” from his home diocese and the US Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a warning to dioceses nationwide.

    What did Orange Bishop Kevin Vann do with this warning? Not much.

    Same with San Bernardino’s Bishop Gerald Barnes.

    So here’s the scoop:

    Fr. Peter Balili worked at Orange’s St. Joseph’s hospital as a part of his studies in “pastoral ministry.” The priest also had assignments in the San Bernardino and San Francisco dioceses.

    But in 2014, the Diocese of Belleville, IL, DISMISSED him from his duties after they learned of (what they vaguely describe as) “improper conduct.” They also believe that he engaged in this conduct in his other assignments, including California.

    How did I find out about this? The Diocese of Cleveland actually does as they promise and is transparent about these warnings.

    If you know about Balili or his conduct while in California, let me know. If I am wrong about Vann’s reaction, let me know that, too.

    Here is the text of the USCCB’s warning. You can read the whole PDF here (it’s on page 5 of the pdf):

    WARNINGS: USCCB- RE: FR. PETER BALILI

    The Diocese of Belleville has advised the Conference of its concerns regarding Fr. Peter Balili a priest of the Diocese of Tagbilaran (Philippines) who had previously served as a fidei donum missionary in the Diocese of Belleville. The Diocese of Belleville informs the Conference that it has dismissed Fr. Balili from this position, and has requested his bishop to direct Fr. Balili to return to his home diocese, and that it took this action based on instances of what the Diocese of Belleville viewed as inappropriate conduct regarding certain of his parishioners. The Diocese of Belleville also indicates that it has learned of similar inappropriate conduct in Fr. Balili’s previous assignments. Those needing further information should contact Fr. Von C. Deeke, liaison for International Priests of the Diocese of Belleville at (618) 277-8181.

    There are other priests listed as well. You may want to take a gander and ask a few questions.

  • SPOTLIGHT: It’s not depressing. It’s not icky. Go see it.

    spotlight-one-sheet

     

    In September, I was listening to AirTalk on KPCC, one of LA’s NPR stations. On Fridays, they feature Film Week (one of my favorites), a show where reviewers talk about new film debuts, international film festivals, and DVD releases. On this particular show, the host and one of the reviewers were discussing the Venice Film Festival and the film Spotlight. (still looking for the interview link. sorry)

    The host, Larry Mantle, said something that struck me.

    “Who is going to want to see a movie about sexual abuse?”

    His guest answered it perfectly. He said – and I paraphrase – Spotlight isn’t a film about child sexual abuse. It is a film about journalists uncovering a story, layer by layer.

    And the guest was right.

    I will add: It’s a film about victims demanding accountability. It’s about justice through journalism. It’s a film with a winning message, a call to action, and the power of truth in reporting.

    I was invited to a sneak screening of Spotlight in early October. I was lucky to be able to see it with Barbara Blaine, the founder and president of SNAP. I also took my father, who had never met Barbara, and who loves a good movie.

    And what an amazing night it was.

    My 78-year-old dad (who is not a part of the “movement”) loved the film. He left with questions – good questions – about whether or not things have really changed, how bishops still react, and if reporters were still devoted to such meaty stories. He looked at Barbara was blown away by the organization she created. He couldn’t believe that I actually KNOW Phil Saviano, Mitch Garabedian, and Richard Sipe (and have spoken with Mike Rezendes on numerous occasions).

    The movie—because it’s a great movie about journalists uncovering a huge story for the right reasons—pushed him out the complacency where he had nested after the Los Angeles cases settled.

    Not once did he say, “It made me uncomfortable.” He didn’t wince or squirm. And as the father of a survivor, he does a lot of squirming.

    He left saying, “I love a good movie!”

    And if it takes a good movie to remind everyone that the problem isn’t over, I’m fine with that.

    When I tell people about the film they say, “But it’s such a depressing subject.” It’s not. It’s not icky. I promise.

    I’ve been a part of the clergy sex abuse survivors movement for 14 years. I have seen movies about our work that are disturbing, upsetting, and make me cringe. This is NOT one of them.

    So go see it.

    ********

    And no, I wasn’t invited to any of the swanky premieres. Boo. My dream photo of me with John Slattery will have to wait.

    Always a bridesmaid …

     

     

     

  • The importance of connecting to parents – in person

  • The Well-Armored Child is featured on San Diego Living

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    Click here to see my interview on San Diego Living (Channel 6 – the CW). I talk about protecting your child from abuse, the importance of statute of limitation reform, and … I say vagina (gasp!) on live television.