Fr. Benedict Groeschel: Response to Brooks Egerton’s March 2, 2003 Article n Dallas Morning News

http://www.franciscanfriars.com/ ^ | Fr. Benedict J. Groeschel CFR, Ed. D.

[sinkspur]

I was never involved with such a case before and I was startled by the degree of anger and hurt Hanley’s sinful behavior had generated. Since that time I have worked with a number of victims and I accept their anger as appropriate and say so in my book, From Scandal to Hope (OSV 2002).

Well, it appears that Groeschel's compassion did evolve, though it is puzzling to me why a psychologist would not know that sexual abuse was hurtful to the victim and would generate a great deal of anger.

[american colleen]

What they teach you in school and how it is in real life is very different sometimes, as you know. Also, who knows what the heck is in psychology courses... depends on what decade they are taught in, right? Is sexual abuse taught with a Kinseyan slant or a Catholic slant?

I would think that being a Catholic priest who had interaction with an alcoholic priest who abused a child in the past and who was truly, honestly repentant and then meeting the victim later (after knowing the priest) would be torn with sympathy for both... you know, the forgiveness thing with us. However, the forgiveness cannot be given to the abusing priest by anyone except the abuse victim.

It would be a hard line to walk - I couldn't do it. However, with additional years of experience, Fr. G. now understands the victims and the anger they have within them. Which is something that I am working on at times --- it's hard to have a lot of sympathy for folks who yell and scream obscenities at you (and your children) when you are trying to enter a church in order to attend Mass. This happens in one particular parish here week after week. Even with Cardinal Law gone. They still verbally abuse and intimidate parishioners who had nothing to do with any of this. In fact, it happened again yesterday at the Lenten Mass. Two dozen protesters outside yelling and screaming and two inside --- stood up and faced backwards while the new bishop gave his homily and when the bishop was done, they left. Tripped leaving the pew, though.

[sinkspur]

They still verbally abuse and intimidate parishioners who had nothing to do with any of this. In fact, it happened again yesterday at the Lenten Mass. Two dozen protesters outside yelling and screaming and two inside --- stood up and faced backwards while the new bishop gave his homily and when the bishop was done, they left. Tripped leaving the pew, though.

Is this VOTF? That kind of stuff is ridiculous. As you say, the parishioners had nothing to do with what Law did, and Law's gone anyway.

They're not going to gain any additional converts with tactics like this.

[american colleen]

It's a combined effort spearheaded by VOTF. You can see the "Lenten Plan" they have coordinated here -- including a "Good Friday Protest" and Stations of the Cross at 14 of the local parishes where abuse took place - but they'll be using pictures of the victims instead of the pictures of Our Lord. All coordinated to include the presence of the media, of course.

They don't like the interim bishop, Archbishop Lennon because he hasn't aquiesed to their wishes. First they were almost obsequious to him and now, a few months later, since he hasn't given them carte blanche, they are excoriating him.

Here's one of the e-mails from VOTF to other VOTF members:

* Why don't we combine an action at each of Lennon's regional meetings with Mike's idea of a weekly theme? I think we want to be in his face at those regional things, and having a theme each week will give the press something more interesting to cover than the repetitive goings-on inside. I also think we should have a few people inside, in case the format allows us to get near a mike.

* I like the chancery action because it reminds me of Steve Lynch's 40 days, and it also brings us into Lennon's neighborhood. But I think we should do something secular, not churchy. I think each week at the chancery could be coordinated with Mike's idea of a theme.

* Note that Lennon opens his "Lenten Program -- Towards Healing and Holiness" ("initiative" is the Globe's word, not Lennon's) on Ash Wednesday at noon and ends it on 4/17 at 1:00, both at the Cathedral. I think we should there for both.

* Good Friday among Catholics is often marked by Stations of the Cross. Why don't we hire a bus (or do a motorcade) and have a Survivors' Stations, going to 14 scenes of abuse all over Boston, with reporters invited along and media opportunities, ending with a press conference in front of the chancery?

* Since VOTF Central hasn't reacted, is it time to put individual activist VOTF groups like Mike's and Steve's in the media contacts? In the "Why" section, bring the SNAP item up in the list, and say "VOTF members," not "VOTF."

[nickcarraway]

You believe the media has never made a mistake.

A ridiculous overstatement.

It is an overstatement. But you are the one covering up your own words. In post 27, you said ``The media has "distorted" nothing..'' You said it.

[nickcarraway]

But you don't care who made the mistake, you're just using this to beat up on the people you disagree with, whether they did anything or not.

[sinkspur]

But you don't care who made the mistake, you're just using this to beat up on the people you disagree with, whether they did anything or not.

Nick, I have a hard time following your thought processes some times.

I'm not "beating up" on anybody. I just want everybody to be up front, take responsibility, stop placing blame.

I don't disagree with Fr. Groeschel. But he comes across as very naive in his rebuttal letter. A priest his age has seen everything and knows what's going on.

Enough of the "I just didn't know" nonsense.

[Illbay]

Egerton says that according to me the sexual abuse scandal is “largely the stuff of fiction”.

I have heard Michael Savage say the same thing on several occasions.

[Illbay]

I became involved when Hanley came on retreat after he was removed a second time from a new assignment because his picture appeared in the diocesan paper with a group of altar boys. I totally agreed with the Serano family, who apparently acquiesced to his reassignment, that this was a serious violation of a provision that had been given to them, namely, that Hanley not work with minors.

This is the stupidest part of this whole scandal, to me.

Paedophiles and Pederasts DON'T just stop "working with minors." You might as well ask a mongoose to leave the snakes alone.

These people are SICK. They are COMPULSIVE and they WILL be compelled to seek out these children even if they have to do it clandestinely.

The only thing to do is REMOVE THEM FROM ANY POSSIBILITY OF CONTACT.

To me, the R/C hierarchy is, at the very least, guilty of gross stupidity in the handling of these people.

[Illbay]

I am still amazed that you guys keep up with this screed.

Do you REALLY not understand that the REAL scandal here is NOT that a few priests were "bad apples," but that the hierarchy continued to cover for them, move them from one assignment to another without dealing with them as they should have, and attempted to cover everything up and deny everything.

Even now, they seem far more concerned about their "fraternity brothers" than they do the victims of the abuse.

So yes, you're right: Probably 1%, maybe LESS. But how many times were each of those individuals allowed to continue their outrages while the hierarchy covered for them, hoping they could figure out how to "make them change" next time?

How many times were laws broken when these people weren't turned over to the authorities as the law requires?

It is not a minor point that the focus has been on people like Cardinal Law, rather than the perps themselves.

[Illbay]

You got it, Sink. And every time someone tries to bring up that point, this "1% of priests" thing is brought up. Well, what percentage of the hierarchy has been involved in the cover up?

[Salvation]

**Fr. Benedict Groeschel**

bttt!

[RobbyS]

How many times were laws broken when these people weren't turned over to the authorities as the law requires? I would guess that they bishops rarely broke the law. If there was any corruption, it was in hiding behind the law.

[Antoninus]

What "agenda"? You assume, because he's gay, that Egerton has an agenda.

This may be the dumbest thing you've ever said. He's not just "gay," he's also the president of a homo-promo organization. If you don't think he's got an agenda, you're either painfully naive or purposely ignoring it because his article furthers your aim of dragging a holy, conservative priest's name through the mud.

[sinkspur]

I'm done dialoguing with you, Antoninus. You're a nasty, smarmy little jerk.

I know you don't like me, and I'm growing to despise you.

So, before I come to hate you completely, I'm putting you on ignore.

Civility is not in you.

[Antoninus]

The quotation from Fr. Groeschel's letter does not refute Serrano's contention that Groeschel questioned why Serrano was hurting Hanley further by bringing charges forward because Hanley was "a sick man." If Serrano is right, Groeschel was more concerned about the priest than about him.

You're fixated on one quote from a victim utterly divorced from it's context. If you're willing to hang Fr. Groeschel out to dry based on this one unsubstantiated, contextless comment in an agenda-driven article, well... it's pretty clear you had little love for Fr. Groeschel to begin with.

I honestly feel bad for you. Your overriding desire to smear Fr. Groeschel seems to have precluded all rational thought.

[Antoninus]

I know you don't like me, and I'm growing to despise you.

On the contrary, I actually like you quite a bit. I think you're dead wrong on a number of issues--and you have a real hard time admitting when you've a.) overreacted, or b.) are just plain wrong about something. I think in this case, you read an article that looked like pure gold in terms of your agenda, but turned out to be a lump of iron pyrite.

Civility is not in you.

Not true. I am civil when I need to be. In your case, civility generally has little effect. I have never once heard you admit that you were anywhere on the southside of 100% right, even when it's plain to everyone that you've been had.

Guess what? In the case of this article, you've been had.

[Land of the Irish]

* Good Friday among Catholics is often marked by Stations of the Cross. Why don't we hire a bus (or do a motorcade) and have a Survivors' Stations, going to 14 scenes of abuse all over Boston, with reporters invited along and media opportunities, ending with a press conference in front of the chancery?

These goofballs, VOTF, aren't Catholic and no Catholic bishop should recognize them as being so.

[Desdemona]

I just want everybody to be up front, take responsibility, stop placing blame.

Dream on, Alice. People who do the kind of stuff that's been done in the church don't take responsibility for it. They lie like rugs. Men with fortitude resign, like Cardinal law did.