I digress

Yesterday was a bit of a day off.  Time to smell the flowers 🙂 We went walking through the woods with one of our little grand-daughters.  The weather was beautiful, our little grand-daughter was a sheer delight – just a lovely reprieve and, for me, in hindsight, a reminder of the beauty and innocence of childhood and my unending quest to try to comprehend how anyone, let alone a priest, can see fit to violate such innocence,  betray such absolute trust, and use and abuse a child of nay age for their own selfish and perverted sexual gratification.

Still, yesterday was a welcome change in pace.  Time to enjoy the beauty of nature, and the wonder of a child.

Now it’s back to business.

I have just posted Debbi Christnick’s  coverage of days 1 & 2 of the Monsignor Robert Borne trial which ran in Wednesday’s edition of the Eganville Leader.  At my request Debbi kindly sent me copies of the following two articles:

25 November 2011: Pembroke Diocese Press Release re conviction of Monsignor Robert Borne

23 November 2011: Second alleged victim recalls Borne advances at Griffith rectory (Day Two of trial)

Debbi also write the previously posted article which ran in the Ottawa Citizen:

 25 November 2011: Pembroke priest found guilty of indecent assault and gross indecency

All are good informative articles which give yet another look at what happened in Pembroke court room last week.  The Eganville Leader publishes weekly so I am sure  that next Wednesday there will be further articles recapping the testimony from Wednesday, the closing submissions on Thursday, and the judge’s ruling on Friday last.

I have also posted the Press Release from the Diocese of Pembroke, issued Friday after Borne’s conviction.  I made comment at the bottom.

23 November 2011: Borne trial hears of sexual assaults in Pembroke rectory (Day One of trial)

My intent Friday evening had been to blog on what I saw and heard in the courtroom on Friday.  It didn’t happen.  I arrived home to find, as those who follow the site know, an onslaught of commentary both pro and con regarding the verdict.  And then of course there were the issues regarding a relentless blogger.  That kept me on my toes till the wee hours of the morning 🙂  Thankfully, I think -hope? pray? – that things have settled down.

I have never ever seen such a response to a conviction.  I don’t quite understand what prompted it, and why specifically for the Borne conviction.

For those who contacted me personally to express concern regarding attacks on me, I am fine.  I truly do not take the attacks personally.  I understand that emotions run high, and I know that I am a convenient target.  I can live with that.  If it means that people have an opportunity to vent their frustration, I can live with it.  What bothers me deeply however is to see people strike out at the victims to try to minimize the damage done and/or the offence itself.

There is such an abysmal and total lack of understanding on the horrendous impact of clerical sexual abuse on a child.  After all of these years, people just do not understand why it takes victims so long to speak up.  Why?

I have come to the conclusion that it is the adults – not the children – who need the educating.  Adults need to know how to recognize grooming.  They need to know how to protect children from sexual predators.  They need to know the long-term impact of sexual abuse.  They need to know that victims need their support, not their condemnation.

For those who pick me up on the business of educating the children, perhaps I go a little too far, but, truth be told, what child can adequately guard himself/herself from the grooming wiles of a manipulative, deceptive – and often ever so charming – clerical molester?If adults fail time and time again to recognize the wolf in sheep’s clothing, how in the name of goodness can the child, particularly when the wolf is disguised as a beloved priest?

I digress.

Supper time.

Later this evening I will do what I planned to do on Friday evening: provide a brief recap of Friday’s events.

Enough for now,

Sylvia