Is it purely by chance?

I received a call back this morning from Monsignor Franic Puddister, the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of St. John’s.

Here is what I learned about Father Patrick Slaney and what the archdiocese knows about him and is or is not doing regarding his status:

(1) Father Slaney is still a priest;

(2) Father Slaney is living in Toronto;

(3) Father Slaney is working in Toronto, but not as a priest;

(4) According to Monsignor Puddister, the Archdiocese of St. John’s is not sending Father Slaney any stipend, he’s on his own financially;

(5) Father Slaney’s ‘faculties” to say Mass and hear confessions were revoked after his conviction. That means he can not hear confessions or say public Masses;

(6) Father Slaney’s faculties to say Mass were not “suspended.” That means he can say Mass privately “for his own devotion.” Asked if that means Father Slaney could say Mass in my living room Msgr. Puddister was uncertain, but thought probably not. Asked if it means others could attend a Mass which Father Slaney offers in his own home, Msgr Puddister thought it might be alright for his, Father Slaney’s, family members to attend;

(7) There has been no attempt by the Archdiocese of St. John’s to have Father Slaney laicized. Monsignor Puddister believes that Rome would not grant such a request because his, Slaney’s, crimes are not as serious as some others;

(8) Monsignor Puddister thought there was ‘only’ one Slaney victim. He said he had not looked at the file for some time.  When I told him that, according to media reports there were two, he accepted my word;

(9) Monsignor Puddister was aware that Father Slaney was solicting for Mass stipends and intentions in the States;

(10) Monsignor Puddister did not know that Father Slaney was over in England in 2008 conducting a retreat for the Benedictine nuns at the Colwich Novitiate, hearing their confessions, and without doubt saying Mass;

(11) Monsignor Puddister did not know that Father Slaney has been working as a Chaplain on cruise ships;

(12) There have been no further sex abuse allegations against Father Slaney;

Monsignor Puddister agreed that Father Slaney has been misrepresenting himself to both the Benedcitine nuns and the cruise lines. He speculated on the need to send an alert to England. He will contact the Benedictine nuns to learn more and alert them, as well as to find out if Father Slaney has been there in more recent years. He will update me by email..

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I had BIG problems with the site today – finally removed the fancy little comment button.  I think that may be the root of my problems over the past few weeks.  We shall see, but as soon as I deactivated it the black screen which had popped up out of nowhere disappeared.  We shall see…

Enough for now,

Sylvia