Posted on 09/27/2002 1:53:02 PM PDT by NYer
MONTPELIER, Vt. (AP) _ A Vergennes priest who had a long-running sexual relationship with a young man has resigned his post and asked to be allowed to retire from the ministry. In a letter to his parishioners at St. Peter's Church, the Rev. Donal Ward said that he was one of the priests referred to earlier this week by Attorney General William Sorrell, who cleared two priests of any illegal conduct.
Ward, who was suspended from his ministerial duties in May, said in his letter that he never engaged in pedophilia, but he did say he had been involved in a consensual sexual relationship with a young man. ``How these situations arise is not always easy to explain,'' Ward wrote in the letter released to his parishioners on Wednesday. ``I state openly, however, that it was in clear violation of my solemn promise of celibacy.''
In the letter Ward, 71, said he had asked Bishop Kenneth Angell, the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, to allow him to retire. The Addison Independent newspaper, which first reported Ward's letter, said he had planned to retire next year anyway. ``I ask forgiveness for all the wrong that I have done, of God, of my bishop, of the whole church that I have been ordained to serve, but especially of my dear, dear parishioners who have been so loyal and supportive,'' he wrote.
In a statement released on Friday, Angell said Ward's case would be discussed by the diocese's Misconduct Review Board. ``I'm so sorry that this has happened,'' Angell said. ``My heart goes out to all involved. I'm sorry for the young man, I'm sorry for the parishioners, and I'm sorry for Father Ward.'' Ward's suspension in May from active ministry came after the state began investigating allegations that six active priests and about 14 others had been involved sexually with children.
On Monday, Sorrell said the state's investigation into sexual misconduct by the clergy had cleared two priests of any criminal activity. But, without naming anyone, Sorrell said one of the priests had "groomed" a young man by paying close attention to him and then begun a sexual relationship when the youth was 17, above the age of consent.
In the other case that won't be prosecuted, Sorrell said the statute of limitations had expired and the state couldn't prove beyond a reasonable doubt that a crime had been committed. Ward said the state investigation focused on him because of a letter written by the parents of some boys who had been uncomfortable with nudity in a swimming pool locker room. That incident, which took place when Ward worked in Barre, was investigated by the state and the diocese and nothing came of it.
After his suspension in May almost 400 of the 500 parishioners of St. Peter's signed a petition in support of Ward. In his letter, Ward denied that he had groomed the youth for sex. The youth with whom Ward became involved had been sexually active with others from some time before he became involved with the priest. ``This is in no way to explain away my responsibility or condone the violation of my solemn promise of celibacy,'' Ward wrote. ``I remain very much at fault, and my parishioners have every right to feel betrayed and to express anger at my behavior.'' In his letter Ward did not say how long the relationship lasted. Sorrell on Monday said it went on for a number of years and that Ward paid for the young man's college education.
AP-ES-09-27-02 1547EDT
I wonder how they feel about the situation now.
I will NEVER allow my son to be alone with a priest.
Sorrell on Monday said it went on for a number of years and that Ward paid for the young man's college education.... at Bringam Young University ...
We...eeeeell???, OK. We'll see what we can do. I think that we might just be able to allow it!
It's funny what they leave out of these stories. Heard any more shrill catcalls from the PC sidelines that this doesn't involve the "H" word? Is the suggestion that sodomy, engaged in with a male homo sapiens under 18, is no longer "homosexual"? Just like to understand the reasoning and logic here...
Make it two...and BTW I do not believe him how about you?
Honest, but how much later?
What perks?
According to the story he did not commit a crime. If he were an employee of a corporation, he would be fired for breaking company policy. Is that sufficient cause for denial of pension?
Of course the archdioces is not a corporation and probably doesn't have to obey normal pension laws.
I need a drink.
If I were the young man's father, I'd need a gun. Of course, it's highly probable that the young man didn't have a father.
I see it's spiritual happy hour again!
I have not seen any definitive numbers quoted lately and, frankly, how many priests given the current crisis, would admit to being gay. In my diocese of Albany NY, I would say your figure is on target. Bishop Hubbard has just been named to the USCCB Sex Abuse Review Board. This is tantamount to awarding a judgeship to a fellon.
So, what kind of truck do you own?
I'm sure your son will appreciate your company in the confessional.
You have doubts, why? You people are sad.
No room for old fashioned compassion or forgiveness in the modern church. Just indignation and anger.
Excuse me? Are you advocating murder, or vigilantism, or just trying to demonstrate how macho you are?
The fact he lied initally and still defends this as " not child abuse" because the kid was 17 ..17 Chuck..17 ....says it all to me...
He defends his sin....he is sorry he got caught..(and BTW I do not believe a word that falls from the perverts mouth)
Des..make it a double!
One wonders if the Church as a whole is capable of such discernment.
Seems like an awful lot of (homosexual) priests feel that your sons are fair game. I don't advocate gun violence, but something much stronger is needed to communicate to these guys that other people's sons are not sexual toys.
Christ himself got plenty angry over the money changers in the temple. Imagine how much more angry he would have been at the idea of temple priests sexually molesting boys.
There are lots and lots of homosexual priests who repeatedly confessed, and then went back to raping boys. That's a very good reason to have doubt. A lot of these monster priests can't help themselves - penitent or not. Until they are totally and completely removed, our sons are not safe in the Church.
You bet there, St. Chuck. I'd like to see a picture of every molestor priest plastered across the Church walls. I doubt you have a teenage son.
These people forget that God can be quite wrathful. If there were ever a case for such, it would be now.
Estimates range from 20% to 60%. And many estimate that a third of so of those are men who look for sex with teenage boys. The Church needs to dequeerize itself, or accept that teenage boys will always be in danger from homosexual priests.
Agreed. You can't have trust when the Church dithers about protecting teenage boys from sexual abuse at the hands of men who are supposed to live 'in persona Christ.' When the Church puts the welfare of kids last, as it has, it has forsaken any hope of trust by many, many in the Church.
The press can't bear to acknowledge that there's anything negative about homosexuality. They just think that everyone is so stupid as to not see so.
Okay, I was just trying to be macho...
Now I need a drink! ...and it won't be a Pink Flamingo!
As a matter of fact I have a nineteen year old and a sixteen year old, and future teenage boys coming up. For the life of me I can't imagine either one of them being victimized without their consent, which I am 100% certain they would not give. Your fears are unfounded. You have a better chance of getting struck by lightning than you do, having your son molested by a pedophile priest. Your over reaction is unhelpful to the vast majority of priests who are faithful to their vow of celibacy. Your assertion that you would never leave your son alone with a priest is a scandalous comment and spreads the lie that all priests are perverted predators. Nothing could be further from the truth. It's a lie and you damage the church by spreading it when the church is damaged enough. Please apply facts to the issues and not exaggerate and apply them to every person and every situation. It's not only foolish to but is a sin against truth.
My sons also are well-warned about homosexual molestatory priests. But many boys are not. We found out from the front page of the New York Times this year that the elementary school which our younger son attends was, just a few years ago, the site at which six boys were homosexually molested by the parish priest over a period of several years, every week. The priest would anally rape them, while asking them to recite all the football teams they could think of. The Catholic High School which our older son attends just sent us a letter detailing the homosexual abuses on teenage boys of two priests in the school. The former headmaster priest of Seton Hall Catholic High School, near us, was just arrested in Toronto for buying sex from a 14-year old boy (along with a friend teacher priest), while the Pople was there. In Denville, another school was closed down for several cases of homosxual abuse. In short, most major Catholic high schools near us have been affected. IN Boston, EIGHTY homosexual priests are under investigation for teenage boy homosexual molestation. Four hundred priests nationwide (and four bishops) have been pulled for homosexual molestation. Given that each, on average, molested multiple boys, we are talking about literally thousands of homoesxual boys molested and tens of thousands of individual acts of homosexual molestation. I could go on and on and on. The Church in America (and in some other nations as well) is chock full of active homosexuals, many of whom cannot keep their dirty paws off of teenage boys. I do not know of even ONE Catholic family in our area (and I know many, many) who would trust a Catholic priest alone with their sons. You're living in fantasy land there, St. Chuck.
Not at all. Never said that, nor should you imply that I did. Obviously, not all priests are perverted predators. But I don't who's who - and nor does any other family. My best guess, judging from all I've read and seen, is that around 1/3 of the priesthood is homosexual, that most of that 1/3 are actively practicing homosexuals, and that a significant percentage of those cannot control themselves around teenage boys. We have a heavily queerized priesthood. So sure, when a new priest comes to town and asks your sons over to the rectory for a while, send them over. Nobody around here would contemplate doing that for a minute. They've seen too much pain and suffering from the families whose families were betrayed.
Right. I'm the sinful one here. We have a set of morally corrupt bishops who allowed this to continue (and who in many cases abetted the molestation of teenage boys), and all of whom are now piously in charge of cleaning up this situation. We have a Church which, although 90% or more of these molestations were homosexual in nature, cannot even admit to that. We have a Church which, right now, is built on lies and deception, and a callous and frightful disregard for the well-being of children. This has obviously been going on for a long time, and nobody - not the priests, the bishops or the Pope, has lifted much of a finger to do something about it - until it was all brought out into the public sphere. In my whole lifetime, I have never seen anything so horrific and incredibly cruel with regard to children. I have seen no organization with such a track record. And the fact that it's my own Church blows my mind.
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