Defrocked!

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Fugitive from Canadian justice Father Godwin Scerri mssp has been defrocked:

18 October 2011:  Godwin Scerri dismissed from clerical state

Scerri is appealing his conviction in Malta – I truly was pleasantly surprised to see that he has been defrocked.

According to the Maltese media, although he is defrocked Scerri is still a member of the Missionary Society of St. Paul.  If that is correct then it will now be up to the Missionary Society of St. Paul to take the next step and given him the boot from the order. Until that happens I think he is probably Brother Godwin Secerri?  Does anyone know? I am really guessing here because it’s a  rather unusual situation.

Meanwhile Scerri (now Brother or Mr.?) is appealing his conviction in Malta.  Only when that is all taken care of will there be hope of seeing him extradited to face his accusers here in Canada.  If his conviction stands and he is incarcerated, that could be years downstream.  As I have said in the past, how terribly unfortunate for his Canadian complainants that Canadian authorities didn’t go after Scerri back in 1993 when he first fled.  Had the battle been waged to force his return right then and there he would have had ample time to stand trial, and, and, with a conviction, serve his time and still been ‘free’ to return to Malta to face his accusers there.

But, for now, time to rejoice and be thankful for small mercies.  Scerri is no longer a Roman Catholic priest.

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Has anyone heard anything at all on the preliminary hearing of Father Jean-Claude Lefebvre?  I haven’t seen a thing in the news.

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Note that the Father Charles Picot motion to release will be heard on Thursday, 20 October 2011 at 2 pm instead of tomorrow.  According to Derek, the hearing will be by teleconference.

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A number of people are concerned that the Father Philip Jacobs case is not proceeding.  I checked today.  All is well.  The preliminary hearing is still scheduled to start 07 November 2011:  09:30 am, court room #201, Victoria court house, Victoria, British Columbia.

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As promised, I added some info re convicted molester and former Catholic teacher Frank Russell.  Russell, brother of convicted molester Father William Russell, has, as you can see, has been dealing in antiques and collectibles.

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The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops are just outside of Cornwall, Ontario for their annual plenary.  They’re having a few financial woes:  they are having difficulty meeting their financial obligations to victims of residential schools:

18 October 2011: Church struggles to raise funds

After two years the bishops have raised a paltry $2.5M of the requisite $25M!!

What now?

According to Archbishop Smith:

“It would be wonderful to raise $25 million, but I think the understanding is just make your best effort given the current economic climate that we find ourselves in.”

I get the impression that a decision has been made not to fret too much, — ‘we’ve done our best’ sort of thing.  Does anyone else read it that way?

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For those who wonder where the money goes in lawsuits, here is an example:

30 August 2004:  2004:  Reasons for judgment as to Costs

Enough for now,

Sylvia

 

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