Commentary

Prophets in the Wilderness

John the Baptist was called a prophet in the wilderness for his calls for repentence before the coming of Jesus. John knew what was ahead and tried to warn others to prepare and repent. Unfortunately, many ignored his calls or didn't take him seriously.

In 1985, Thomas Doyle, O. P., J.C.D., Ray Mouton, Esq., and Rev. Michael Peterson, M.D. wrote a report commonly known as "The Manual", formerly known as "The Problem of Sexual Molestation by Roman Catholic Clergy: Meeting the Problem in a Comprehensive and Responsible Manner. The Manual was a thoroughly researched report written by men who were in a position to write about it - a priest/canon lawyer who had worked in the Vatican, a civil lawyer who had worked on a clergy abuse case, and priest/medical doctor who was the president of St. Luke's, a medical facility specifically for the treatment of Catholic priests.

Again unfortunately, this report was presented to the United States bishops and met with deaf ears. They were warned. They ignored those warnings and the report turned out to be prophetic and on the mark. If the bishops laughed off the prediction that the scandal could cost the Church a billion dollars, they aren't laughing now. In the United States alone, the Church has paid out more than $2 Billion in settlements and legal fees related to child sexual abuse by clergy. That is $2 Billion of parishioners' donations and this might be just the tip of the iceberg as there are more survivors that have yet to come forward and new lawsuits are being filed all of the time. Recently, an appeals court handed down a ruling that has paved the way for the Vatican itself to be named as a defendant in one abuse case and that case will now move forward.

Read commentary by Sipe, Doyle, and others below.

The Wise Men - and Women

A Short History of 'The Manual' by Thomas Doyle, O.P., J.C.D.

An Executive Summary of The Problem of Sexual Molestation by Roman Catholic Clergy; Meeting the Problem in a Comprehensive and Responsible Manner by Michael R. Peterson, M.D.

Loss of Faith and Clergy Sexual Abuse by Richard Sipe

From the Blogosphere: Tracking comments made on the web.

More Must-Reads........

Spiritually Bankrupt by Dan Rather (posted on July 16, 2010)

The Pope, the Church, and Sexual Abuse: A Perspective by Thomas P. Doyle, J.C.D., C.A.D.C. (posted on April 3 2010)

Should There Be an Inquisition for the Pope? by Maureen Dowd (posted on April 3 2010)

I Don't Go to Church Anymore by a Friend of Bill W. (posted on February 22 2010)

Das Schweigen der Hirten...... Silence of the Bishops by Von Jorg Schindler, Frankfurter Rundschau (posted on February 22 2010)

The Catholic Church's religious blackmail of secular government by Susan Jacoby, Washington Post (posted on December 10 2009)

Related Articles: Catholic Church gives D.C. ultimatum by Tim Craig and Michelle Boorstein, Washington Post (posted on December 10 2009) ; Foul Ball by Timothy Dolan, op-ed New York Times (posted on December 10 2009) ; Catholic Church -- Same-Sex Marriage: A threat to social service contracts in D.C.? by Patrick J. Deneen, associate professor of government at Georgetown University, Washinton Post (posted on December 10, 2009) ; Flaps Over Holy Communion Highlight 'Minefield' Facing Catholics, Post Opinion Piece Says National Partnership for Women & Families (posted December 10 2009) : Is the Church Militant Back? by Patrick J. Buchanan (posted on December 10 2009)

Whose Team Is It, Anyway? by Kathy Pollitt, The Nation (posted on December 10 2009)

Is Liberal Catholicism Dead? by David Van Diema TIME Magazine (posted December 10 2009)

At the Root of Clerical Sexual Abuse are Celibacy, Power, Silence and Dehumanization Caused by Cultural Inbreeding by Vinnie Nauheimer (posted on December 2 2009)

The Influence Game: Bishops shape health care bill by Julie Hirschfield Davis, AP (posted on November 16 2009)

The Bishops are Back, For Now, Thanks to the Party and President They Opposed by David Gibson, Politics Daily (posted on November 16 2009)

A letter to the New York Times by James A. Jenkins, Ph.D. (posted on November 12 2009)

The 'anti-Catholic!' cry is a cheap, easy accusation by Tom Roberts, National Catholic Reporter (posted on November 10 2009)

A letter from Thomas Doyle, O.P. to Archbishop Silvano Tomasi, Permanent Observer to the United Nations (posted on November 2 2009)

Chicago priest's suspicious suicide: Yet another bizarre case in the Windy City by Matt Abbott Read related article here. (posted on October 22 2009)

A Private Catholic in the Public Square by Ann Burke (posted on October 2 2009)

Irish Survivor Uninvited to Healing Mass: So What Was I Going to Say That Was So Inappropriate? by Colm Gorman (posted on September 28 2009)

Response to the Concerns of the NY State Catholic Bishops About S-5893 by Fr. Thomas Doyle, J.C.D., C.A.D.C. (posted on September 26 2009)

An Open Letter to Sean Hannity by (priest) Jonathan Morris. Dated March 14 2007 in response to an interview with (priest) Thomas Euteneuer on 'Hannity and Colmes' program. (posted on August 7 2009)

No Free Pass by the New York State Assembly by Sister Maureen Paul Turlish (posted June 19 2009)

Food for Thought: From a Former Friend of Mark Campobello by Craig Wassel (posted June 4 2009)

Papal Embargo Against Victims of Clergy Sexual Abuse by Tom Economus - Originally published in 1998 Missing Link (posted June 1 2009)

War tactics should be applied to abusers and to those who offered protection by Mike Ference (posted May 27 2009)

How much 'truth' is too much? by Rod Dreher (posted May 26 2009)

The Institution needs to be fearlessly examined - and dismantled by Thomas Doyle (posted May 24 2009)

Bitter Divorce by Kristen Lombardi (posted May 11 2009)

What is the Bystander Effect? (posted May 11 2009)

More to Come

Companions in Hope posts these commentaries for our visitors to read and draw their own conclusions. We do not necessarily agree or disagree with all that is written on these pages but feel they may be of interest of those who visit our site.

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Thoughts and Commentary

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LETTER TO EDITOR

In business, Pope would have lost job

(Published in the Daily Herald of Metro Chicago on Easter Sunday 2010)

Sadly, right here at St. Peter's of Geneva we're still experiencing the prior pastor's supporters attacking and intimidating those who dared step forward seeking justice for the perversions of another St. Peter priest.

Sorry, Europe. You'll learn as we have here in America that so long as the "good Catholics" keep the money flowing, the church has no intention to change its tune.

Frank Bochte

Geneva

Questions, Comments??

Click on the image above to read some of the questions or comments submitted to our web site over the years. Feel free to send your own. See the Contribute page for our addresses.

Companions in Hope

Please consider supporting our efforts to expose the truth, stand with the wounded, and protect the vulnerable.

Thanks for your support!

"But we, through enduring, shall win; because patience is never conquered, but is always the victor."

Justice Anne Burke
(Click on photo to read 'Private Catholic in a Public Square')

"Persevere well and you will later receive the reward of supreme and eternal blessedness, where supreme eternal beauty resides."

"One is crowned and deserving of glory not for beginning but only for persevering... How confounded that knight would deserve to be who turned and ran from the battlefield just as he was on the verge of winning!"

"If they are prudent, constant, and persevering, they will succeed."

"Neither the greatest of virtues nor any service to your neighbors may be brought at the price of sin."

"The saints enjoy mutual charity, and they also love you who are pilgrim travelers in this world.."

"The good of these souls is beyond what your mind's eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine."

"All of these are living witnesses to the truth.... They are like lamps set on a lampstand to point out the way of truth, perfectly lighted, that leads to life."

All of the quotes above are attributed to Catherine of Siena, a Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church

"While the Church has spent millions to hush up its pedophiles, married priests can't even collect their pensions."

"The Bystander Effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress."

"In 1992, Cardinal Bernard Law famously called down 'the power of God' on the Boston media, 'particularly the Globe'...

Prophets in the Wilderness

The Wise Men - and Women

More Must-Reads........

Companions in Hope

Thoughts and Commentary

Home The Garden SunlightProtectionTLCThe Library

Companions in Hope

Many of the authors of the commentaries we publish here have authored at least one book on the subject. Check out our list of books in the Library here.

LETTER TO EDITOR

In business, Pope would have lost job

(Published in the Daily Herald of Metro Chicago on Easter Sunday 2010)

Sadly, right here at St. Peter's of Geneva we're still experiencing the prior pastor's supporters attacking and intimidating those who dared step forward seeking justice for the perversions of another St. Peter priest.

Sorry, Europe. You'll learn as we have here in America that so long as the "good Catholics" keep the money flowing, the church has no intention to change its tune.

Frank Bochte

Geneva

Questions, Comments??

Click on the image above to read some of the questions or comments submitted to our web site over the years. Feel free to send your own. See the Contribute page for our addresses.

Companions in Hope

Please consider supporting our efforts to expose the truth, stand with the wounded, and protect the vulnerable.

Thanks for your support!

"But we, through enduring, shall win; because patience is never conquered, but is always the victor."

Justice Anne Burke (Click on photo to read 'Private Catholic in a Public Square')

"Persevere well and you will later receive the reward of supreme and eternal blessedness, where supreme eternal beauty resides."

"One is crowned and deserving of glory not for beginning but only for persevering... How confounded that knight would deserve to be who turned and ran from the battlefield just as he was on the verge of winning!"

"If they are prudent, constant, and persevering, they will succeed."

"Neither the greatest of virtues nor any service to your neighbors may be brought at the price of sin."

"The saints enjoy mutual charity, and they also love you who are pilgrim travelers in this world.."

"The good of these souls is beyond what your mind's eye can see or your ear hear or your tongue describe or your heart imagine."

"All of these are living witnesses to the truth.... They are like lamps set on a lampstand to point out the way of truth, perfectly lighted, that leads to life."

All of the quotes above are attributed to Catherine of Siena, a Doctor of the Roman Catholic Church

"While the Church has spent millions to hush up its pedophiles, married priests can't even collect their pensions."

"The Bystander Effect refers to the phenomenon in which the greater the number of people present, the less likely people are to help a person in distress."

"In 1992, Cardinal Bernard Law famously called down 'the power of God' on the Boston media, 'particularly the Globe'...

Companions in Hope

Do you still think priests are more special than rest of the human race? Go to Toppling the Pedestal here.

Prophets in the Wilderness

The Wise Men - and Women

More Must-Reads........

Home The Garden Sunlight Protection TLC The Library

Justice Anne Burke
(Click on photo to read 'Private Catholic in a Public Square')