The Worthy Adversary

Category: Child safety

  • 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.

     

  • It’s time for the Bishop Quiz!

    Time to put on your Thinking Zucchetto!
    Time to put on your Thinking Zucchetto!

     

    Did you just see Spotlight and get all fired up?

    Or maybe you have noticed that your bishop’s actions don’t reflect transparency, humility … or anything remotely resembling Christianity. But you can’t quite determine the root of the problem.

    And no matter how hard to try to believe that “things are different now,” your bishop’s words just ring false. What do you do?

    I’m here to help.

    Here is a handy-dandy quiz you can print and give your local bishop.

     

    Your name: Bishop ______________

    1) Do you live in a house that is worth more than $1 million or—for the sake of argument—worth $42 million? If so, why?

    The only good follow-up to a yes answer is: “I wear a court-ordered ankle bracelet that requires me to stay in the confines of this home.”

    Everything else is bunk—period.

    If you live in California, it gets even better. The Diocese of Orange … er, I mean the parishes (see #5) … own MULTIPLE homes worth more than $1 million. This article is more than 10 years old, so we can just assume that prices have doubled from what is listed here.

    2) If you found out that one of your priests sexually abused a 6-year-old boy when the soon-to-be priest was 16 or 17 years old, would you allow that priest to remain in ministry? Would you let him to lie to parishioners about what the allegations are? Would you let him travel with children? (stay tuned if you live in Chicago or LA)

    3) Are there any pending civil or criminal complaints against any of your religious, volunteers, or employees? Are there any cases that you and your review boards are secretly handling? Have you made anyone sign confidentiality agreements since 2002?

    4) Do you publicly post and announce USCCB “Warnings”—especially if they apply to your diocese? Why not? Aren’t you required to be transparent?

    5) Are there Catholics with whom you refuse to meet? People like parents of survivors, concerned Catholics who may have dealt with an abusive cleric? Catholics who feel bullied by their local pastor?

    6) Have you transferred land to parishes? Why? Do you still exercise all oversight on those properties—choose pastors, approve spending, take a percentage of collections, pay the salaries of priests? Can you cite the exact canon law where it says that parishes should own their own land? Why does your lawyer contradict you—saying that transferring the land “reduces your legal exposure” in sex abuse cases?

    7) Are you familiar with the recent scandal in St. Paul and Minneapolis that came about as a result of the Minnesota Child Victims Act? If lawmakers pass a similar Child Victims Act in the state(s) where you have been a bishop and priest, what will we learn about your role in child sex abuse and cover-up?

    8) Have Catholics in your diocese ever protested outside of your birthday gala? Do they continually press for your removal?

    And the final question:

    9) How much money have you paid to lobby against anti-crime legislation that would eliminate the criminal and civil statute of limitations for victims of child sex abuse?

    There you have it! Have fun and get to work!

     

     

  • 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.

  • 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.

     

  • Parenting.com: Ten Myths about Sexual Abuse

    This is no myth: Being a parent is hard.

    Click here for my October 10 article on Parenting.com.