A statement by Regina’s Archbishop Donald Bolen regarding the pending (?) extradition of former Benedictine Scottish priest Father Robert MacKenzie is posted:
April 2019: Archbishop Bolen letter re Father Robert MacKenzie
Note the following:
Two years ago we were informed that criminal proceedings were underway in Scotland against Fr. MacKenzie, then 84 years of age. At that time, in the spirit of our archdiocesan policy, Fr. MacKenzie was moved from the rectory where he had retired, to a retirement home where his movement and activities were further restricted. One year ago, as more revelations regarding the outstanding criminal sexual allegations pending against Fr. MacKenzie in Scotland were brought to our attention, his faculties to minister as a priest were suspended.
Strange!
Very strange.
The reality here is that the archdiocese knew of allegations against Father MacKenzie back in 2013, and, as a result, MacKenzie, who by that date was presumably retired, was suspended. (A 2012 article indicates that MacKenzie was then completely retired but continued to ‘say’ Mass twice a week)
Good enough. A suspect clerical molester was suspended.
But then, according to media reports, in January 2015 , for reasons unknown, the suspension was lifted! What is particularly disturbing here is that, despite lifting the suspension, there were obviously still concerns that MacKenzie is, was or might be a molester. Note specifically that, according to Archbishop Bolen, at the time the suspension was lifted, “[Father MacKenzie] was asked never to be alone with children as a safeguard.”
Yes, a safeguard.
I wonder, did the children know? Were the children gently advised that it would not be a good idea to ever ever be alone with Father MacKenzie? What of parents and grandparents? Were they ever told by the archbishop or anyone else that the archbishop felt the need for such “a safeguard”?
No matter, whether the faithful knew about the safeguard or not, after the suspension was lifted Father continued to live at St. Patrick’s Roman Catholic Church rectory in Cupar, Sask.
The question here is: Why did the archbishop lift the suspension of a priest who was a suspect molester? What changed?
Now jump two years on to 2017. That’s when Father MacKenzie’s name was very publicly in the news in the news as a suspect molester:
04 April 2017: Scottish police trying to extradite Saskatchewan priest over abuse claims: report
Note that at that time, Bolen said that Father MacKenzie denied the allegations, and that the allegations came from one individual alleging two instance of abuse in the early 80s, and note particularly that he stated that as of November 2016 “the situation was unchanged in Scotland, that the Crown counsel was still contemplating moving towards criminal procedures.”
So, the situation in Scotland was unchanged.That must mean unchanged from 2013? No?
Anyway, witness the folloing, it was at this time, 2017, that the archbishop decided to relocate Father MacKenzie to a retirement home:
At that time, in the spirit of our archdiocesan policy, Fr. MacKenzie was moved from the rectory where he had retired, to a retirement home where his movement and activities were further restricted.
Ah yes, do you catch that? Asking MacKenzie not to be alone with children was perhaps no longer suffice? The archbishop mysteriously decided that Father MacKenzies “movements and activities” needed to be “further restricted.”
But, and this is important, as great as his concerns about MacKenzie’s “movement and activities” were, the archbishop was not concerned enough to ensure the priest could no longer function as a priest and, among other things, ‘say’ Mass and hear confessions.
In other words, Father MacKenzie was not suspended. He was relocated to restrict his “movements and activities.” There was no apparent desire to restrict him from functioning as a priest .
That was it, until last year:
One year ago, as more revelations regarding the outstanding criminal sexual allegations pending against Fr. MacKenzie in Scotland were brought to our attention, his faculties to minister as a priest were suspended.
What “more revelations”? There were revelations in 2013 which were deemed serious enough to revoke his faculties. Two years later (2015), that suspension was mysteriously lifted. Three years later (2018) he was quietly suspended: again!
What games is the archbishop playing?
Enough for now,
Sylvia
