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Sunday, August 26, 2018

The Impact of the Sexual Scandals

First came the sexual scandal by the clergy in the Catholic Church, which was taking down priests and then later bishops who covered up the scandals.  These sexual allegations goes back decades that even dead priests were accused.  Then came the #MeToo Movement, which was taking down powerful men in business, Hollywood, and politics.  However, as a result of the #MeToo movement, women are now being locked out in the world of business, government, and elsewhere.  According to the New York Post:
Men are scared, and feminists are delighted. But the urge to call out and punish male sexual transgression is bound to clash with an inescapable truth: We’re all in this together, men and women. 
Consider what’s happening in the capital of Florida. Female staffers and lobbyists have found “many male legislators will no longer meet with them privately,” reported the Miami Herald. “I had a senator say, ‘I need my aide here in the room because I need a chaperone,’ ” lobbyist Jennifer Green told the paper. “I said, ‘Senator, why do you need a chaperone? . . . Do you feel uncomfortable around me?’ ‘Well,’ he said, ‘anyone can say anything with the door shut.’ ”......... 
This kind of thinking is catching on in aggressively P.C. Silicon Valley, where men are taking to message boards like Reddit to express interest in sex segregation — sometimes labeled “Men Going Their Own Way,” or the “Man-o-Sphere.” How will that work out for women in the tech industry, where they already face substantial challenges? 
Across industries, “Several major companies have told us they are now limiting travel between the genders,” Johnny Taylor, president of the Society for Human Resource Management, told the Chicago Tribune, citing execs who tell men not to go on business trips or share rental cars with women co-workers. UCLA psychologist Kim Elsesser, the author of “Sex and the Office,” sees a nascent “sex partition.” If men start to back away from women, at least in professional settings, it’s difficult to see how that will aid the feminist cause. 
Women are now seeing a decrease in business travel, mentoring, and even invitations to business holiday parties.  The aftermath of the #MeToo Movement has turned men and women into two contentious and opposing sides, which is not good for either of them.

So, now we see the impact of the #MeToo Movement.  Now, what is the impact of the sexual scandal on the Catholic Church?  

First of all, we already know that more Catholics left the Church.  There is a rapid decline of Catholicism in the United States and Europe as these decades old sex scandal were published in the media.

Secondly, there will be less priests and bishops as more of them are being accused.  It does not even matter whether the accusation is true or not.  The Church had already abandoned the Truth and chose to believe all allegations.   

In the third place, the Catholic Church will lose much of its assets and services (parishes, Catholic schools, etc.).  In the U.S., the impact may not be so noticeable.  In Guam, which is a very small island with limited amount of land, it may be a different story as more and more lawsuits come out.    

Finally, as we are now seeing, bishops are turning against each other.  According to one news report (the bold is mine):
In his testimony, dated August 22, Archbishop Viganò, who served as apostolic nuncio in Washington D.C. from 2011-2016, states that in the late 2000s, Benedict had “imposed on Cardinal McCarrick sanctions similar to those now imposed on him by Pope Francis,” and that Viganò personally spoke with Francis about the gravity of McCarrick’s abuse soon after his election in 2013.
But he says that Francis “continued to cover him” and not only did he “not take into account the sanctions that Pope Benedict had imposed on him” but also made McCarrick “his trusted counselor” who helped him to appoint a number of bishops in the United States, including Cardinals Blase Cupich of Chicago and Joseph Tobin of Newark.
Archbishop Viganò also implicates Cardinals Sodano, Bertone and Parolin in the cover-up and insists various other cardinals and bishops were well aware, including Cardinal Donald Wuerl, McCarrick’s successor as Archbishop of Washington D.C.
So, now even the Pope is being accused of covering up the sexual misconduct of Cardinal McCarrick with ADULT seminarians and priests.  Bishops are now pointing fingers at others. This is the impact of the sexual scandal in the Catholic Church.  Just as the #MeTwo movement brought men and women against each other, the sex scandal is also bringing bishops against each other.
   

23 comments:

  1. I strongly believe this is a good thing that is happening in the church. The call of Vatican II of 'aggiornamento' continues. This is spring cleaning as the Spirit continues to take hold this not so divine institution. The NCW has made of disgraced Cardinal McCarrick its leading RMS champion through the years. They adored him and willing to do anything for him.

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    Replies
    1. NCW has nothing to do with McCarrick!

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    2. Dear Anonymous at 7:26 pm,

      I agree. Many news report I read say that organizations and movements in small communities such as the Neocatechumenal Way will be the future Catholic Church. After the purging, these small communities will be the remnant of the Catholic Church.

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    3. Our catechists always said that fighting in the communities is a good thing. It means they’re walking. No fighting means they still have their masks on.

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  2. Wow, that hurts!

    Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò 77, was a hard-line conservative pillar at the Vatican before retiring in 2016. He said Francis dropped the sanctions against McCarrick, a well-known liberal by church standards, and "continued to cover for him." McCarrick resigned last month amid claims of sexual abuse of an altar boy and seminarians.

    Viganò states that too many people have been "deeply scandalized by the abominable and sacrilegious behavior of the former Archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick; by the grave, disconcerting and sinful conduct of Pope Francis" and by many pastors who remained silent.

    "Pope Francis must be the first to set a good example to cardinals and bishops who covered up McCarrick's abuses and resign along with all of them," Viganò demands.

    https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/world/2018/08/26/pope-francis-ex-vatican-ambassador-sinful-pope-should-resugn/1103407002/

    I don't know what to think. Nevertheless, I'll be praying for both Archbishop Vigano and Pope Francis.

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    Replies
    1. Dear Faithfully yours,

      Yes. However, Cardinal Wuerl denied everything that Archbishop Vigano said in his testimony. Cardinal said that he never received any document restricting McCarrick.

      https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/wuerl-denies-he-was-informed-of-vatican-restrictions-on-mccarrick-83657

      Personally, I think all these bishops should have a convivience together.

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    2. Brother tony also denied the allegations against him yet he was found guilty and although he's appealing the verdict, he still continues to be hidden. The NCW too can continue to rally the protection of brother tony but it's been very clear how the Catholic Church has covered up sexual abuses not just here in guam but all over the world. Just take a look at brother Luis camacho. He was swiftly hidden elsewhere till someone spotted him at another diocese working with youth again. Right or wrong, only our Lord will judge us when our time arrives.

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    3. Dear Anonymous at 11:34 am,

      First of all, Archbishop Apuron was not and never was hiding. Before he left Guam on May 2016, he did say in a press release that he will be seeking a canonical trial. The first person who claimed that he was hiding was a man who is now being accused by his wife and daughters of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and wife beating. His name is Tim Rohr.

      Furthermore, Father Luis Camacho was never charged with child sexual abuse. He was charged with Custodial interference, and the charges were later dropped. The first person who claimed that Father Luis was charged with child sexual abuse was a man who is now being accused by his wife and daughters of child sexual abuse, child physical abuse, and wife beating. His name is Tim Rohr. Also, his wife accused him of watching too much pornography on the Internet. There is no evidence or documentation showing that Father Luis is involved in a child sexual abuse. It was all in Rohr's mind.

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    4. So when the pope says "the evidence is very clear" in response to a reporters question about the apuron's case, you still continue to defend brother tony? Does that mean that the church should continue to protect its priests and bishops from prosecution or even hidden somewhere?

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    5. Dear Anonymous at 5:25 pm,

      When the Pope said, "the evidence is very clear," it is neither referring to guilt or innocent as the Appeals trial is not yet over. While it is true that Archbishop Apuron was found guilty of something in the first trial, the Vatican never revealed what exactly he was guilty of. Nevertheless, many canon lawyers concluded that whatever he was found guilty of, it was most likely not child sexual abuse. According to the National Catholic Reporter:

      "A Vatican tribunal's guilty verdict last month against a Guam archbishop, hailed by some as the first instance of the Catholic Church successfully prosecuting a bishop accused of abusing minors, appears likely not to have been made in direct relation to allegations of sexual abuse by the prelate.

      A number of prominent canon lawyers say the punishment announced for Agana Archbishop Anthony Apuron — removal from office and a prohibition from living on the U.S. island territory — simply seems too lax to indicate the bishop was found guilty of abuse."

      https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/vatican-verdict-against-guam-archbishop-likely-not-sexual-abuse-say-canon

      You ask: "Should the Church continue to protect its priests and bishops?"

      The Church should have done an investigation. If they had done that since the beginning, rather than transferring priests around, we would not be where we are now. The Church has not changed one bit. Allegations of abuse decades old are being brought up, and the Church is still NOT investigating.

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    6. Diana, the evidence could be pro or con. It could verify some charges or show them fabricated. We cannot know. Pope Francis said the tribunal made its decision based on that evidence that is given. It could be about financial dealings or the seminary donation. Who knows? If the evidence would be about sexual guilt then a life of prayer would have been imposed and the adversaries would be much louder.

      Pope Francis mentioned Archbishop Apuron on the airplane interview because he must have a plan. He might use the leverage of this local case to defuse a volatile situation of the universal church. Nevertheless, he did not speak about new evidence. The appeal process would not include any new charges. We need to pray that our Pope lets himself guided by the Holy Spirit in making a wise final verdict about the Archbishop of Guam.

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  3. I see a situation of bishops pointing fingers at each other.It's a hot mess and sometimes it's hard to tell who is telling the truth.Nevertheless,we gotta pray for all of them.

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  4. Dear Diana, in this big picture the bad guy is unquestionably Cardinal McCarrick. He acted on behalf of the gay community of Catholic priests. This community looks to have a lot of influence and power in Vatican. McCarrick was one of their power players whose transgressions now caught upon him. His political and ecclesiastical power is fading, but his influence is living on in the community of gay priests. These people do not follow a chaste life! They are practicing what they believe in and this is not the teaching of Jesus Christ! It is the teaching of the devil.

    The great painter Hieronymus Bosch painted the Hell based on Dante's poem. His visions demonstrate the depravity of these kinds of sinners who go from empowering themselves through a gay mafia of clergy into a free ride in the dirty waters of pedophilia. This causes the calamity of the Catholic Church! We have to pray for Pope Francis that he has the courage and power to to do what is right and purge the church of our Lord from transgressors.

    http://50epiumagazine.com/hieronymus-bosch-genio-anticipatore/

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  5. Diana, when will you be commenting on what the pope has said about the archbishop?

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    Replies
    1. Dear Anonymous at 4:00 am,

      What is there to comment on? We should just wait for the verdict. According to the pope, the verdict should be out within a month.

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    2. Ummm maybe you should comment on the popes remark about the "evidence is clear".

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    3. Dear Anonymous at 6:54 am,

      The Pope did not say guilty or not guilty. All he said is, "The evidence is clear." And this is supposed to mean what?

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    4. If brother tony was innocent then the pope would not have commented that "the evidence is clear". At least the long awaited answers will soon be revealed within a month.

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    5. Dear Anonymous at 7:25 am,

      Therein lies the problem. The pope did not say guilty or not guilty, but you made up your mind to interpret it to mean guilty anyway.

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    6. Just as you have made up your mind that he's innocent and that there is a conspiracy when it's been happening at various dioceses. The church shouldn't be immune from any criminal offenses just because the priests wear a cloth. Remember that priests are human and have human tendencies. They are not immune or divine even though all of us would love for them to be true to our Lord.

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    7. Dear Anonymous at 1:54 pm,

      I never said he was innocent. I always said that I follow the rule of law. The rule of law is that the accused is innocent until proven guilty in a court of law. This is principle found in countries who follow democracy.

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    8. The case, he says, is both complicated yet not difficult because the evidence is clear, citing that there was sufficient evidence that led the first tribunal to Apuron’s condemnation.

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    9. Dear Anonymous at 7:04 pm,

      So? He is still not judging guilty or not guilty. Why not just wait until the verdict comes out?

      Delete