Where the Rubber Hits the Road

A sign of the times. Kind of gives new meaning to ambulance chasers, eh? When world wide, the Roman Catholic churches have paid almost 1 billion dollars in settlements, it's staggering to consider how much has flowed into the hands of lawyers. I know that most of these cases are not taken on 'pro-bono' or 'expense only' basis. Victims who have spoken with me say that in Canada, most lawyers charge 20% or more as their fees. UNDERSTAND THIS PLEASE: I fully support victims in seeking whatever remedy they would want. They have been harmed and are owed appropriate compensation. As confessors, we are taught to require that appropriate compensation be performed by penitents who confess a sin. Why would the Church not be obliged to do the same when they are found to have facilitated (even if unintentionally) the exploitation of innocents and materially cooperated with the crime? No Bishop I know denies this moral obligation. They desire nothing more than to bring peace t...

I absolutely agree that this is a major concern for priests. It is another example of our not being properly dealt with or respected by our Bishops! If they would actually have followed their own procedures instead of trying to cover up for actual predators, this would most likely not be an issue today. Alas they have historically been more concerned with protecting their own reputations and that of their diocese that they were about either the victims or their good priests. It has effected how we minister. I will never allow myself to be in a situation when I am alone with any children, even for an instant. I insist on the children being brought to the church for confessions so that I can use the confessional rather than using a room at the school as a means of protecting myself from false allegations. Parishes everywhere have dropped their youth and child ministries because we cannot take the chance. I used to raise funds every year from friends so that I could take a busload of k...

Written by an American, but it applies north of the border too! What’s A Bishop to Do? A Pondering of the Role of the Bishops in Questions of Public Policy | Archdiocese of Washington

Bishop Fred Henry has sent me the following text which he has issued in opposition to Bill C-384. THANK YOU Bishop Henry!! Now, let's hear from the other Bishops in our land. -------------------------------------------- Euthanasia bill should be killed Bishop Fred Henry Opposition to Bill C-384 has nothing to do with fear-mongering, nor special interest groups. The issue is one of wide-ranging medical, moral and societal concern but also widespread confusion evidenced in your own editorial. A major cause of the confusion is what George Orwell, in his essay, Politics and the English Language, calls the language of "euphemisms, question-begging and sheer cloudy vagueness." Some of the language being used in the euthanasia debate appears "designed to makes lies sound truthful and murder acceptable, and give an appearance of solidity to pure wind." The rhetoric of "choice," "aid-in-dying," "compassion," "a new medic...

The Diocese of Pembroke is one of those small semi-rural dioceses that comprise the majority of Catholic Diocese in Canada. Like most of these dioceses, there are one or two small local dailies that have traditionally been seen as being supportive of the activities of the Catholic churches within their community, focusing as they do on local events. The Pembroke Daily Observer is just such a paper. However, the days when such papers spoke only to local concerns seems to be coming to an end as more and more editors and publishers of these community based papers are publishing editorials and articles that present a challenge to Catholic morality and teaching. The Daily Observer, in an editorial published on Friday Nov. 13th, addresses the question of euthanasia, coming out strongly in favor of a proposed piece of legislation that is currently before the Canadian House of Commons. It has been the practice of most Canadian Bishops to not engage in debating such issues in the local pa...

The Western Catholic Reporter , which advertises itself as being Canada's largest Catholic weekly, has within its website an excellent series of articles written by western Canadian Bishops. Within this archive one can find many submissions from Bishop Fred Henry of the Diocese of Calgary. Not only is Bishop Henry among the most prolific of writers, but he addresses issues in a straight forward and articulate manner, usually foregoing many of the "ecclesiastical niceties" that so often marks the writings of modern Bishops. To use an expression from Fr. Jack O'Flaherty (RIP), my seminary spiritual director, he seems never afraid to "bell the cat" when needed. Fr. Fred Henry was the Rector at St. Peter's Seminary (London) for the majority of my years of study and formation for the priesthood as well as being a professor of Dogmatic Theology. That is, until he was elevated to become first the Auxiliary Bishop of London, then serving as Ordinary in the D...

Comments re the Arrest of Bishop Lahey My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ, On September 30th, at the Eucharist, we read from the Book of Nehemiah and I preached about the expression “sadness of the heart,” a deep profound pain that cannot be adequately expressed in simple language but only by way of an image. Little did I realize how apt that image would be for so many of us when it was announced that Bishop Lahey was charged with the possession and importation of child pornography. Our sadness, pain and anger seem boundless. I had hoped that we had finally rounded the corner on all the abuse situations within the church and on the part of its shepherds. In August, the Diocese of Antigonish reached a multi-million dollar settlement with known and alleged child victims of sexual abuse by priests. Bishop Lahey apologized and noted that they were entitled to protection. He said: “Sexual abuse, indeed, any abuse, is wrong. It is a crime and it is a serious sin in the eyes of God. ...