In the editorial section of Cornwall’s Standard Freeholder the following Letter to the editor was written by Bishop Paul-André Durocher on October 2, 2009. In the letter he expresses his shock and shame, bewilderment, and sorrow. “My heart goes out to all those who have been deeply shaken by this revelation. My prayers are offered for all of us.” Here is his full letter:
Shocked By Charges Against Fellow Bishop:
I imagine most readers of this newspaper have been shocked and scandalized at the news that a Canadian bishop has been charged with possession of child pornography. I share their shock, I also feel a great sense of shame that a fellow bishop could have been involved in such a horrible activity. The seriousness of the charge and the immediate resignation of the accused shakes our confidence in his presumed innocence. It also undermines our trust in all persons in positions of authority, including those who, like Bishop Lahey, have used their authority positively to heal breaches with past victims of clergy sexual abuse. In the face of such paradoxical behaviour, I can only shake my head in bewilderment and sorrow.
I cannot understand what would lead a person to to be interested in pornography involving children.
All pornography is demeaning, but that involving children is even more so, since it requires that children be abused in its production. Unfortunately, anyone with an internet connection can easily access this material. It has become a scourge in our society, one which needs to be combated as courageously as possible.
My heart goes out to all those who have been deeply shaken by this revelation. My prayers are offered for all of us.
May we respond with an even greater awareness of our weakness, a greater commitment to care for our children, a greater engagement in building a society where such horrors do not happen.
Paul-André Durocher
Bishop of Alexandria-Cornwall
(Standard Freeholder – Oct 2, 2009, Letter to the Editor)
Good will to all men? Not from the grumpy atheists! (Thank God not all atheists are grumpy but there sure seems to be a lot of them)
Why is it that so many in the atheist community cannot bring themselves to get past their anger whenever they engage in discussions? The language of many of their contributions in public debate is laced with invective and dripping with sarcasm and bile. There are exceptions of course, but they tend to fall more into the category of being the 'exception that proves the rule' when compared to the hostility of many of today's atheist posters. Comment offered by the theists in the public square is often depicted as being 'malicious' or 'venomous' and intended to enslave the 'feeble minded and weak' by those who post. Nothing could be further from the truth. Venom is something that is oriented to death. Christians are oriented in a 180 degree different direction. We speak not to the culture of death that grips our world but rather for the culture of life and light which ends with the gift of eternal life. For example, the Catholic Church in its hum...
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