Suspended Priests Still In Holding Pattern

Here’s the latest on the suspended priests. Seems they’ll be in a holding pattern until our new Archbishop takes the helm.

“Archdiocese issues update to 500 priests on its plans for sex-abuse cases,” by John P. Martin, The Philadelphia Inquirer, August 19, 2011

12 thoughts on “Suspended Priests Still In Holding Pattern

  1. I have had the chance to meet Father MacNamee who is quoted in the article. I have met him through the advocacy work we are involved with on behalf of the victims and children. So my question is ” Where are the other 499 Archdiocesan priests?” I do not want any priest thrown under the bus or falsely accused. But where is the concern for the victims and the many children who up until a few months ago were still at risk with abusive priests in ministry?
    Where is the concern,compassion? Do I believe there could be innocent priests who have been wronged by the Archdiocese? It is possible and that is a terrible consequence. But what I KNOW is there have been innocent children abused within our Church.

    1. Yes in circumstances like this you are either part of the solution or part of the problem.If you can pickett an abortion mill (which many catholics and priests do.)you can pickett the Archdiocese. We are protecting innocent children from abuse which is just as important.(This is Strictly an example. I don’t want to get people off subject)

  2. Once again I am repeating that I do not believe each and every one of the suspended priests is guilty of sexual abuse. But certainly something happened for them to be suspended. However, I am not one bit surprised that this will be finishing up rather quickly once the new Bishop takes command. Maybe one of the suspended will be let go, the “sacrificial lamb” so to speak, to keep the public quiet. Well my guess is that they got a paid summer vacation and will be back in time for 40 hours devotion in the Fall to plan a nice catered affair for the new Shepherd and his “reinstated” servants of god 😦 Not even a slap on the writsts.) Hmmmm do I sound jaded?

  3. Maybe the one or two of the new priest group can be invited in here for a Q/A… that would be enlightening 🙂

  4. I believe Fr. Chris Walsh, mentioned in the article, is a member of the Q&A panel Susan assembled. 🙂

  5. Father Chris is a member of the Q&A panel. I submitted a question of my own to Father Chris that I think reflects the feelings of so many who follow the site. We should be posting that Q&A in the next few days.

  6. Please, would someone here on this site explain to me why the Archdiocese of Philadelphia still retains the services of Stradley and Ronon as their primary legal counsel? If any individual, company or organization were represented by any law firm for the extended period of time that Stradley has represented the archdiocese and the organization has deteriorated to such a state of disarray, confusion, disillusion, financial hardship, animosity and mistrust, would anyone here still retain the same legal advice, resources and counsel?

    Will someone please pose this question to Bishop Chaput on the day of his installation in September?

    1. I guess it would be due to ‘political connections’ , there is no doubt that ‘stradley ronon’ along with the arch’d of phila have very deep and strong political connections that continue to deny JUSTICE and TRUTH to the VICTIMS !

  7. I used to wonder where all the “good” priests were, speaking up and out about the supposedly “few” bad apples. Now I just don’t care, because no one can possibly convince me that anyone within the Church is innocent. Even when allegations are found to be credible, the offending priest is still protected and paid. If the Catholic Church had stepped up to the plate in the beginning and did the right thing, why would it matter how much attorneys are being paid? The Church wouldn’t have any need for overpriced, overachieving, high-profile attorneys had they just admitted fault in the beginning and done what was necessary to purge the Church of clergy who had abused children. They would have had my respect. It’s simple and in the long run, the Roman Catholic Church could have saved itself, what is now approaching $3 billion in settlements to victims and attorney fees.

    And some people don’t believe that every suspended priest is guilty? Well I happen to believe that every suspended and non-suspended priest is guilty of something. It’s not as if I have a wealth of experience to prove that abuse does not happen in the Catholic Church. My “experience” has proven otherwise, as I was the victim of a sexually abusive priest. We victims are constantly re-victimized over and over, because the hierarchy of the church has the great ability to find a way to continue putting us through hell. As if the initial abuse wasn’t bad enough on our lives, when we finally find our voices and speak up, in most scenarios, the Church has done nothing to substantiate our claims, but only to refute them. Why am I disbelieved before I am believed? Isn’t this similar to, “Why do people disbelieve in God before they believe in Him?” It’s as if some people, including many in my own family, think I must’ve picked this guy out of a hat and then it was a shock to everybody when the guy actually had a prior history of abusing boys, and there were numerous complaints lodged against him 25 years before I even met the man. The priest who abused me, I would find out over the passed couple of years, said exactly the same things to me that he said to many other boys. He did some of the same things to me that he did to other boys. In short, he groomed us all alike. He was a guilty man, and I have a lifetime of memories to prove it. Then again, why should I be believed over men of God? I’ll guess I’ll have to prove it… again.

    That’s just another issue I have with Catholics who disbelieve the hell we went through as kids. Believe your kids! Support your kids! Because the truth is, if you don’t, they may wind up just like me! Is that necessarily a bad thing? I think I’m a good person. I’ve always tried to do right by my friends, my family, and my fellow man. But I’m also a very f#cked up individual. I didn’t realize just how much and why my life had become so screwed up until I started dealing with the abuse. I’m on a good path now, but there is no reason for there to be more of me. Do you people get that? There is something you can do about it. One voice can become many if you are willing to do whatever it takes to protect the children. At some point you’re going to have to figure out if you’re hanging on the cross or driving home the nails!


    1. Rich,
      Every time you post…I learn.

      You share the individual (and collective) story of the effects. You are telling my husband’s story…what a sickening realization when we learned the perp groomed others in exactly the same way…and yet, my huband has to prove it again?!

      I resent the laity…as wrong as that may be…but I see them as participants in this mess. And at the same time…I see them as a collective group being used by their hierarchy.

      I don’t always understand where the feelings come from…and then you post, Rich and I go, “Aha” because it resonates truth.

      As far as people more concerned about suspended priests over victims…well, their denial will come back to bite them at some point…and some child will pay the price for their denial…we know, we live it.

  8. Somehow I get the feeling that when the new bishop puts on his mitre, takes his staff in hand and adorns himself with the coveted kissable ring on September 7th, I will feel so much more dissappointment and sadness than I did when Gerald Ford pardoned Richard Nixon. I hope I am wrong and I hope the investigations continue. I am anxiously awaiting a Q/A with some of the clergy in here. Hopefully even some of the accused may care to join in and explain what “boundary issues” are, etc. Of course, I am not holding my breath waiting for them.

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