Posted on 08/01/2007 11:54:22 PM PDT by Gamecock
Melbourne, Australia (AHN) - The foul-mouthed priest who was caught on camera hurling abuse at a group of teenagers has been suspended by the Catholic Church.
The Archbishop of Melbourne, the Most Reverend Denis Hart, announced the suspension of Reverend Monsignor Geoffrey Baron on Tuesday afternoon. Baron was caught racially abusing skateboarding teenagers outside St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne.
Although the incident occurred about a year ago, it was brought to light only recently by YouTube. Popular video-sharing site YouTube has since removed the footage of the senior Catholic priest, who has expressed shame and embarrassment at his behavior.
In a statement, Hart said, "I have known Monsignor Geoff Baron for 46 years. I know him to be a very good and talented man and priest and I am deeply troubled by the incidents at St Patrick's Cathedral."
"For the time being, I want to relieve the dean of the pressures and responsibilities he carries as dean of the cathedral. Accordingly, I have granted him a period of leave from his position and responsibilities as dean.''
Newly appointed Premier of Victoria, John Brumby believes the priest has atoned for his outburst. Baron hit talk-back radio on Monday and apologized for the incident, which he says was a one-off.
Not that I advocate cursing, but to suspend him is pretty harsh. He seems pretty sorry for his actions. Why not just transfer him to another parish. I guess maybe the church does not want to hear about it twenty years from now when cursing will get you ten to life.
This post reminds me...the LDS Church had a guy in one of their quorums, cant remember which, named J. Golden Kimball, does that name ring a bell to you either of you? One of my LDS friends in Salt Lake was telling me about him and his legendary, “colorful” antics.
Verbal abuse?
Based on Scripture it's not harsh enough:
1 Timothy 3:1 The saying is trustworthy: If anyone aspires to the office of overseer, he desires a noble task. 2 Therefore an overseer must be above reproach, the husband of one wife, sober-minded, self-controlled, respectable, hospitable, able to teach, 3 not a drunkard, not violent but gentle, not quarrelsome, not a lover of money.
Titus 1:5 This is why I left you in Crete, so that you might put what remained into order, and appoint elders in every town as I directed you— 6 if anyone is above reproach, the husband of one wife, and his children are believers and not open to the charge of debauchery or insubordination. 7 For an overseer, as God's steward, must be above reproach. He must not be arrogant or quick-tempered or a drunkard or violent or greedy for gain, 8 but hospitable, a lover of good, self-controlled, upright, holy, and disciplined.
You got me curious, so I Googled. Quite a character!:
Quotes from J. Golden Kimball:
* “Cut me off from the church? They can’t do that! I repent too damn fast.”
* “I may not walk the straight and the narrow, but I sure in hell try to cross it as often as I can!”
* “There are not enough general authorities to do all the thinking for the membership of the church.”
* “I love all of the brethren, but I love some a hell of a lot more than I do others.”
* “I don’t know how the people of St. George can stand the heat, the Indians, the snakes and the flooding Virgin River. If I had a house in St. George and a house in Hell, I’d rent out the one in St. George and move straight to Hell.”
* “This city (Brigham City) looks like hell. You need to clean things up, mow the grass, paint your houses and barns. And you sisters, you could stand a little paint yourselves.”
* “Young men, always marry a woman from Sanpete County. No matter what hard times you experience together, she has seen worse.”
* “I understand you brethren can’t go on missions because you swear too much. You can overcome it. Hell, I did.’ ....
ROTFLMAO!! I have a friend that lives in St. George and I wonder how he can stand living there. He once told me "oh, dude, it's great, doesn't snow in the winter and I can work with my shirt off."
The fact that he is more than double my weight means I'm taking his word for it. :)
Wow! You learn alot being on FR from FRiends. I had no idea that curising was a sin. I thought is was just bad taste.
It is the intent of the cursing. I’m sure it wasn’t used to heap blessing on the waifs.
that is true.
Sounds easy enough. I'm pretty sure the Catholics have that practice down to a science now.
No, they have not.
However, once confessed to those offended, and to God, wouldn't forgiveness seem as holy?
“And you sisters, you could stand a little paint yourselves.”
Nice. :0
(When once asked if he was afraid that his language would get him kicked out of the Church, Kimball is reported to have replied, "I can't be cut off the Church; I repent too damn fast!")I love reading stories about J Golden Kimball.
Sometimes, however, he earned the censure of President Heber J. Grant because of his colorful language. He was known for using "damn" and "hell" over the pulpit, words that J. Golden always claimed were simply left over from his days as a cowboy and rancher. "You must understand" he would say, "these words are left overs from a much larger vocabulary."
Thanks for doing the Google search. LOL, I haven’t thought about J Golden Kimball for years.
Muslims?
They were nasty, ill-behaved youths who were trespassing, vandalising and yelling abuse at him. They could have been put up on charges, instead he just told them off.
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