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Hearings resume at 09:30 (9:30 am) Thursday, 30 August 2007.  Dominican canon lawyer Father Tom Doyle will take the stand.

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Well, it turned into a long long day.  The diocese’s battle to keep Father Tom Doyle off the witness stand began mid afternoon and subsequent testimony and arguments in that regard wrapped up at 19:20 (9:10 pm).  Justice Glaude ruled on the spot.  Father Doyle will testify.

A few brief comments on the day’s events:

(1) Rob Talach (Victims Group) conducted a masterful cross-examination of Father Frank Morrissey.  As I said earlier, the Oblate priest didn’t exactly cover himself in glory with his scarce veiled canonical sympathies for clerical molesters, both real and accused.  The transcripts will be well worth the read.  I will go through them in the coming days and post the highlights.

(2) David Sheriff-Scott unsuccessfully contested Father Tom Doyle’s ability to be qualified as an expert witness. As mentioned above, Father Doyle will testify.

(3) In defending against Sheriff-Scott’s attacks Doyle seemed to put Dick Nadeau at arm’s length.

Doyle testified he did not expect the emails he sent to Dick Nadeau to appear on the projectruth2 website.  The emails show, however, that Dick asked for and received Doyle’s permission to share the emails.

And, regarding his emailed comments about Father Bernard Cameron and masturbation Doyle said that looking back now he realizes that Cameron was simply concerned about the morality of young boys!

Doyle also testified he thought Dick’s projecttruth2 website was an “official” site operated by the police.  He implied but did not say that had he known what it was all about he wouldn’t have gone near it.

Dick must be rolling in his grave!

(4) I have absolutely no idea where Father Doyle is coming from or where he will go with his testimony.  He testified that since his dealings with Dick and his later public denunciations or critique of the hierarchy (tracked down and put into evidence by Sheriff-Scott), he has expanded his views – he no longer sees the “adversarial approach” as the answer and “had to admit” his views have “expanded.”

What does that mean?  Is it good or bad?  How will it help to frame the inquiry?

Who knows?

(5) Today will be another long day.  Justice Glaude told the gathered throng to be prepared for a late day The plan is to finish Father Doyle’s testimony.

(6) Ron Leroux and Carson Chisholm – who were scheduled for 14:00 hours (2 pm)  – will either have to hang around the Weave Shed until twilight time waiting until Doyle’s cross-examination is complete or be rescheduled.

There are no hearings next week, therefore rescheduling would mean they wait until 10 September.

(7) Victim testimony was supposed to be wrapped up this month.  That obviously will not happen.

Enough for now,

Sylvia

(cornwall@theinquiry.ca)

This entry was posted in Accused or charged, Alexandria-Cornwall Diocese, Clerical sexual predators, Cornwall, Cornwall Public Inquiry and tagged , . Bookmark the permalink.

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