I really fell in with the scandal mongers this past weekend - I'm so sorry.
I'm a pig.
So are the other sites I linked to.
Why'd I fall for that crap? Again?
Vain rejoicing in moral goods... vain rejoicing in stats.
Mea culpa.
Sites to watch out for... I'm working on the list.
Be assured, this blog is at the top ...
Ok, I know I'm really obtuse. but why are you beating yourself up?
ReplyDeleteAh, I see the post that you deleted. Got it.
ReplyDeleteI pray that I can always be as honest with myself as you are. It's not how often we fall, it's often we get up that counts.
Um, make that how often we get up.
ReplyDeleteI understand what you mean. OTOH, shining a light in dark corners is not altogether bad.
ReplyDeleteThanks. Upon closer examination of conscience, I believe the post to be detraction and calumny - I'm so angry with myself that I fell for the deception. The priest may have issues but he remains in good standing with his bishop and abbot and none of the allegations have been proven. I was posting on gut feelings and hearsay. He has a right to his good name.
ReplyDeleteDifficult situation, I would say. Many of the priests who have indeed been guilty of serial child abuse were also in good standing with their bishops, and those bishops let everyone down, for multiple reasons. What I mean to say is that I don't think being in good standing is necessarily a criterion we should use for not publicizing immoral activity. What if everyone had remained silent about these abusive priests because they were in good standing?
ReplyDeleteYou should isten to your conscience, but I just think this is a murky area.
Actually, I think Terry was right to take back this post. It is not up to us, as the laity, to be pointing fingers at a member of the clergy when the allegations are murky, as you say. We don't know what, if anything, this particular priest may have done other than get himself in a very embarassing situation. It is up to the bishops to discipline priests, not the laity. If we think something is seriously wrong, we should go to the bishop, not to the internet.
DeleteI'm talking to myself as much as anyone. I know that I have been very hard on the clergy as well, and I add my mea cupla to Terry's.
Well, CIB, the problem is that too many lay people did go to bishops and complain, to no effect other than to be stonwalled or simply see the abusive priest transferred to another parish. Going to the bishop does not always seem to be effective.
ReplyDeleteThis unfortunately is true. However, my point is that we need to go to bishop first before going to the Internet or any other public forum. When we make a public accusation against anyone, that should be a last resort, and it should be done only when 1) the accusation has been proven true, 2) the person has refused to repent, and 3) the bishop has done nothing about it.
DeleteAgreed.
ReplyDelete