Two court dates tomorrow, one in New Brunswick and the other in Newfoundland:
(1) Father George Smith
For arraignment on 62 charges related to sex abuse of young boys: 10 am. Corner Brook, Newfoundland court house.
I encourage those within driving distance to attend: It is important for the complainants; it is important that the judge, Crown attorney and defense lawyer know that people are interested; it is always good to see with our own eyes and gear with our own ears, and, finally; it is important to attend to understand the legal process which is so foreign to most of us.
(2) Father Yvon Doiron
Sentencing hearing: 1:30 pm, Campbellton courthouse, Campbellton, New Brunswick
Again, I encourage people to attend. In this case there aren’t complainants in the same sense, but there are parishioners who were betrayed by their parish priest. I am sure this saga has not been easy on them
Please, as always, keep the complainants in your prayers. And, as always, pass on word of the outcome either by posting a comment, or link or sending me an email at: cornwall@theinquiry.ca
*****
The 60 Minutes interview with Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin was short, but I think gave a good glimpse into the heart and soul of the archbishop. He does understand. And he does care. One of the few in the upper echelons of Church ‘officials’ I have seen or heard of who does.
Tears at the very thought of an 8-year-old being molested by a priest. Yes, that’s tears for you, the victims.
Would there were more like him who would shed a tear for the children whose souls have been and are so cruelly raped.
He has suffered for his stance. Say a prayer that he stays strong.
*****
I have several pictures to post which were scanned by a kind and committed soul in Sault Ste Marie, Ontario. These pictures hearken back to the days when Father William Hodgson Marshall and Leo Campbell were on staff at the Basilian-run St. Mary’s College in the Soo. They’re from the Excalibur yearbook.
Goodness, there’s a picture a Mr. T. Scott from back in 1983. Yes, that’s Father Tim Scott, now the spokesman for the Basilians.
I will sort out how to post these and then get them up on the site tomorrow.
Enough for now,
Sylvia
Sylvia,
What did you mean when you said in the above post about Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin:
Sylvia said: “He has suffered for his stance. Say a prayer that he stays strong.”
Did this Archbishop get in some kind of trouble with the Vatican Sylvia?
I did watch the interview over the internet.
This Archbishop Martin seems to be a sensitive and caring man.
There is this part in the interview I do not get.
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Archbishop Martin was reluctant to hold the pope responsible.
Archbishop Martin: “I don’t think that’s really– exactly the dynamic of what happened, yeah.”
(the interviewer) Simon: “I see. And examining the exact dynamic is something which you would prefer not to do right here, right now?”
Archbishop Martin: “Certainly not.”
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I agree with this person who said this statement at ANOTHER website:
“Archbishop Martin seems to be the ONLY one to actually get what this whole scandal is all about and what needs to be done to make things better.”
He called for the resignations of two Auxiliary bishops (Eamon Walsh and Ray Field) for their failures in dealing with clerical sex abuse. They both initially refused, then tendered their resignations. The Vatican refused to accept the resignations.
The Vatican had its big sex abuse symposium in February of this year. Despite the pivotal role he has played, Archbishop Martin was not invited to speak.
Sylvia thank you for that interesting information about Dublin’s Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.
He provided the Murphy Commission investigation into Dublin Diocese over 65,000 documents.
The documents revealed that one priest admitted abusing over a hundred children. Another said he abused children twice a month for 25 years. Archbishop Martin believes thousands of children suffered similar fates.
He is a brave Archbishop. He does need our support of prayers.
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This following post is from a doctor who spoke about the Archbishop.
By Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh. March 4, 2012 10:51 PM EST
Heartfelt thankyou to “60 Minutes” and to Mr Simon for the excellent interview of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin of Dublin. Archbishop Martin is a true follower of Jesus and a servant-leader, not a self-centered prince of the Church. Jesus was never a prince, even though Jesus was and is the Son of God.
I am a Catholic physician. I have met many who have been sexually abused by priests. I was sexually assaulted myself by a Carmelite priest when I was a young doctor in Dublin. In 2010, when I was visiting Ireland, I found that the priest who assaulted me was still in active ministry. I wrote to Archbishop Martin. The Archbishop fit me into his busy schedule. I told him my story. My case was referred to the police and to the sexual crimes unit and the Carmelite priest has been removed from active ministry.
We need more leaders like Archbishop Martin in the Roman Catholic Church. Dr Martin is an excellent listener.
Sadly, so many of the hierarchy, including the Pope, seem too proud to listen and they are teaching seminarians to be like them – know it alls – in spite of their limited experiences of life.
At Marquette Law School in Milwaukee in 2010, Archbishop Martin said that the truth will set us free. Facing the truth will be painful, but it must be done for the protection of innocent children and vulnerable adults, and for the future of a church that is faithful to the message of Jesus and to the guidance of the Holy Spirit, and not to power and control, clericalism and legalism!
Sincerely, Dr Rosemary Eileen McHugh, Chicago, Illinois
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What a refreshing and sincere change from the norm.With men like Martin perhaps there is hope for the church. I am quite sure he has a long and difficult battle ahead of him with his employers in Rome. Really too bad that O’brien, Smith, et al couldn’t take up Martin’s example. Mike
Sylvia, I saw your posting re: Archbishop Martin on 60 Minutes. I think he truly gets it and I will certainly pray that others in the church follow his example. So much of what he said rings true. Not only his tears but the fact that he would want to visit a class of 8 year olds. Part of the difficulty with abuse, I think, is that these children have to grow up, feel they are in a safe place, have support around them that they truly trust, before they can make their secrets known. At that point most of them are adults and their observable maturity interferes with the reality of what they are saying. Unless someone consciously makes the effort to see the child within that adult that this has happened to and not just the adult sitting before them, their understanding is skewed or limited at best. When an abused adult looks at a 5 year old and thinks for the first time to themselves, why was I not protected..why couldn’t I have had a life free of this…that is such a deeply sad and hurtful time. Archbishop Martin has taken the time to figure this out. I have little hope that the Vatican will ever follow suit because it is not just one or two responsible for these cover ups and they would have to put others before themselves to repair the damage. I just do not see that happening. I will continue to pray for this Archbishop. He is a wonderful servant or shepherd of the church.