I have been brewing about the bankruptcy debacle in Gallup for the past few days. And I keep coming up with the same fable: Mortimer Snerd gets a speeding ticket. Instead of paying the ticket or going to traffic school (that is, being accountable for what he has done), our pal Snerd goes to the…Continue reading Gallup, Budgets, Insurance, and Game-Playing
*The article is not available online, hence the repost here.* My opinion: What a mess. If James Wall were a CEO, he would be fired. But he’s a smart man who has a lot of bishops helping him out. I can’t help but think that Wall’s “bumbling fool” tack is simply an act. Bishop goes…Continue reading Bishop goes before bankruptcy trustee – Published in the Gallup Independent, Gallup, NM, Dec. 27, 2013
The Red Herring Award of the month is a doozey: Earlier this week, this op-ed appeared in the Port Huron MI Times Herald. The author, Mike Stechschulte, says that the media and the public need “perspective” about the clergy abuse crisis. He cites “huge improvements in policies,” low numbers of recent clergy sex abuse cases, and…Continue reading No red herrings, please. Let’s talk about the REAL scandal in St. Paul
One brother is Obama’s chief of staff. The other is an embattled former top deputy to St. Paul’s Archbishop, charged with covering up sex abuse and refusing to cooperate with the police. Put together, the McDonough brothers show how bad timing and bad moral decisions may push two former “superstars” into very public and very…Continue reading The Politician and the Priest: Two brothers and a fall from grace
I try to steer clear of commenting on the actions of William Donohue, the president of the Catholic League. I would tell you why, but that’s another post in itself. But I can’t stay silent on this: Today, Donohue issued a press release called St. Paul & Minneapolis Archbishop Nienstedt Deserves Justice. I have no disagreement…Continue reading Donohue goes too far … and he’s DEAD WRONG
St. Paul & Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt has been accused of abuse. According to a statement by the Archdiocese An allegation has been brought by a mandated reporter within the Church to the St. Paul Police of inappropriate touching of a minor male on the buttocks by Archbishop John Nienstedt. The single incident is alleged…Continue reading St. Paul & Minneapolis Archbishop accused of abuse, steps down
I was in an airport last week and struck up a conversation with the woman sitting next to me. After we discussed what we each did for a living, she pursed her lips and looked at me seriously. Then, she said, “What really disgusts me is that now women are becoming sex abusers.” She was…Continue reading Women abuse, too
For tomorrow’s event in Honolulu … Fmr top Catholic official accused of abuse Victim speaks publicly for the first time He says he was 7 when ex-Honolulu bishop molested him New lawsuit is one of more than two dozen filed since 2012 WHAT: Holding signs and childhood photos at a news conference, a third alleged…Continue reading Former top Catholic official accused of abuse
Everybody has a crush on Pope Francis. He drives a car! He eats with the priests! He cold calls Catholics who write him letters! But wait, there’s more! He used to be a bouncer at a bar! He reportedly sneaks out at night to feed the poor! He speaks out against those nasty capitalists (whose…Continue reading Francis is a man of ACTION! (Well, not really)
All of the cool cats are doin’ it this season! The Milwaukee Archdiocese bankruptcy is sloggin’ through the courts, complete with mysterious monetary maneuvers, secret payouts and cardinal denials that would make St. Peter blush. And that’s just the beginning. In the Diocese of Gallup, the 341 meeting with creditors is scheduled for December 19.…Continue reading Bankruptcy Chronicles
The Los Angeles Archdiocese released more clergy sex abuse and cover-up documents today. Priests hail from Orange County, San Bernardino, and Phoenix. Files include: John Lenihan Richard Coughlin Richard Loomis Jesse Dominguez Henry Perez John Santillian And others ….
On October 5, the Archdiocese of St. Paul & Minneapolis, which has been mired in a sex abuse and cover-up crisis, announced that an “independent” task force will convene to investigate how archdiocese officials handled abuse allegations, as well as review policies and procedures in place. The official announcement stated that “The Vicar [Fr. Reginald…Continue reading Nienstedt throws “PR ploy” task force under the bus
Months after the Diocese of Gallup announced intentions to seek bankruptcy protection, Gallup Bishop James Wall FINALLY filed a declaration with the federal bankruptcy court to officially begin the process. Why the delay? Why were James Wall and church officials stalling? Perhaps it was this astonishing revelation: Bishop Wall says in his declaration that there are…Continue reading Gallup’s victim tally rivals dioceses ten times larger
I could tell exactly what kind of person she was when she started wagging her finger at me. She was mean. I hate finger-waggers. My dearly departed cat had the perfect reaction: If I ever wagged a finger at him, he’d attack (playfully, of course. But it was still an attack). Even my sister, as…Continue reading Finger-waggers and life lessons, Tucson style.
I have never had any kind of tolerance for institutional malfeasance. Shocker, I know. But what really intrigues me is this: Why are the vast majority of America’s Catholic priests silent when it comes to child sex abuse and cover-up in the church? In Los Angeles, a document release in January showed that high-ranking church officials…Continue reading A challenge for the good priests
First, let’s talk about compliance. Since 2002, Catholics and the public have been “assured” time and time again that dioceses across the United States are “in compliance” with the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, a set of rules created by the US Conference of Catholic Bishops after the scandals in Boston…Continue reading Compliance, public nuisance, and some angry priests in MN
Why would a vowed celibate man have pictures of naked or semi-naked children on his computer? Why, when given the evidence of these photos, would this man’s supervisors do little or nothing, even when the crime is federal and one of the easiest to report? Since, in this case, the supervisor is a Catholic bishop and…Continue reading Child porn is a window into the soul of the church
In honor of Halloween, let’s ask some scary questions. — How many California Bishops personally met with California Governor Jerry Brown (or spoke to him on the phone uninterrupted) to discuss the now-defeated Child Victims’ Act? — How many victims were able to personally meet with Jerry Brown? Considering Brown’s SB 131 veto letter, the…Continue reading Haunting Questions Wednesday
Governor Jerry Brown denies justice for those sexually abused as children Mark Crawford Last week Catholic officials were jubilant when Governor Jerry Brown chose to kill bill SB 131, which would have temporarily lifted the statute of limitations for some child victims of sexual abuse. The governor made several excuses as to why he struck…Continue reading Brown Denies Justice to Victims – Guest Blog Post – Mark Crawford
Survivors to Bishop: Stand with victims! Three more victims file child sex abuse and cover-up lawsuits Former bishop and two known predators named Victims pass out postcards to neighbors, citizens Group urges people to “pledge to stop donating” and “talk to family about abuse” What: Holding pictures of themselves at the age they were abused,…Continue reading Do you stand with abusers, or with victims?