Priest, bishop clash in sex, theft scandals

THE WASHINGTON TIMES ^ | 11/12/2002 | George Archibald

[robowombat]

Tireless marprelate Geo Archibald sniffs out another clerical scandel.

[Andyman]

Parishioners at Virginia churches where Father Haley has served since 1987 expressed shock and concern over his suspension. "He's very holy, and that's his problem," said Marie K. Shaughnessy of McLean, a parishioner at St. John's Catholic Church, where Father Haley was assistant pastor from 1995 to 1997. "He doesn't budge from the straight and narrow. He doesn't accommodate."

Sounds like my kind of Priest.

[Seruzawa]

It appears that for the good of the Church the entire executive structure that is involved in coverups must go. The Catholics can no longer afford even an appearance of impropriety. It gives to much justification to the Secular Humanists and Atheist for their sick anti-religious propaganda. Every administrator who has been involved in cover-ups should be purged. That would go a long way into returning confidence. Actions like this suspension only reveal that there is far more dirt being covered up.

[TEXASPROUD]

Send him to Dallas, we need this guy at St. Pius X church.

[Notwithstanding]

Outrage ping

Can anyone vouch for this priest?

1. The preist asked the bishop to address grave scandals.
2. The bishop did nothing.
3. The priest refused to live with a sado-masochist sex-addict priest - and told the bishop in vivid color.
4. The priest was told to shut the eff up.
5. The people quoted in the paper say he is a holy priest and won't accept any nonsense.
6. According to a self-professed gay priest, the bishop's right hand man is rumored to be part of a gay network in the diocese.

What is going on?
Who is the villain?
This whistle blower priest or the bishop?

[Siobhan]

I do not know about this situation. But if the reportage is correct, then Bishop Loverde is clearly the villain. We would need to do more digging to verify.

I'm pinging Romulus, eastsider, and ArrogantBustard who may know more about this situation.

[Siobhan]

A grave concern ping. If this is true, it is an enormous outrage.

[LO_IQ]

We have a lot of work left in order to take our Church back.

One by one, we need to flush out these corrupt bishops

[Polycarp]

Who is the villain? This whistle blower priest or the bishop?

Unfortunately in this age the safest assumption is that the villian is the bishop.

Bumping for further input...

[Romulus]

Pinging Diocese of Arlington FReepers for comments.

[EODGUY]

This is but another example that the Catholic faithful must take an active role in ridding our Church of Her demons, especially because of the level of hierarchy they may have assumed.

[txzman]

As an ex-Catholic, all I can say is that until the lay people are able to take control of THEIR churches and as a body manage their affairs, this secret crap will go on and on and on.

I for one will never go back - after finally reading the Bible for myself, there is waaaay too much I cannot accept - not the least of which is this drama unfolding.

[Maximilian]

Actually, in all 3 cases the bishop did take action and disciplined the offending priests. The real question is, "What does this say about the diocese of Arlington when an assistant priest is sent to 3 consecutive parishes where the pastor is involved in sexual and financial immorality?"

By his actions, Bishop Loverde has admitted that all 3 pastors were guilty as charged. The case of the priest who married the parishioner has become a nationally-reported scandal. Even today, the ex-priest who married the guy's wife still has custody of the guy's kids.

If these situations were a small percentage, then what are the chances that a "straight" priest would be sent to live with 3 of them in a row? Let's say that 10% of pastors are engaging in homosexual pornography, stealing church funds, etc. Then the odds that Fr. Haley would be sent to 3 in a row equals 1 in a thousand. Such odds are not impossible, but must be considered highly improbable, to say the least.

Here's another scenario that's more in keeping with the facts: A straight-arrow priest finally gets fed up with looking the other way, and starts blowing the whistle on corruption. He finds (and conclusively documents) such corruption in EVERY parish to which he's sent. The fact that he is now living in a trailer park is evidence that there are no parishes to which he could be sent where he wouldn't encounter the same thing. The manner in which he has been treated indicates that the reports he received about the corruption going right to the Chancery office may be correct.

Remember also that the Diocese of Arlington is routinely held up as an example of one of the most conservative and best run diocese in the US.

[Aristophanes]

Question: when you read the part about "Unless you eat my flesh and drink my blood, you have no life in you" - what Church did that sound like?

How about when you read the part about confessing your sins to one another? Or the part about giving Peter, and later the apostles, the power to bind and loose sins on earth? What Church did that remind you of?

Finally, does the church you now attend regularly consume Christ's body and blood, hear confessions and forgive sins?

[Cicero]

I don't know anything about Bishop Loverde. I do know that the diocese of Arlington enjoyed a sterling reputation for orthodoxy under its previous bishop. It was famous for its high number of priestly vocations, and famous for its orthodoxy. Therefore I would guess that Bishop Loverde is probably one of the good guys, unless I hear convincing information to the contrary.

Does anyone have first-hand knowledge about this dispute? Keep in mind that many of these secular news sources cannot be trusted to tell the true story--nor indeed can many so-called Catholic sources. The Washington Times is generally conservative and trustworthy concerning things that it knows about, but I seriously doubt that it understands the internal workings of the Catholic Church.

[Zviadist]

Pinging Diocese of Arlington FReepers for comments.

Thanks. Was just about to post this. I live in Arlington diocese but do not go to a diocesean parish, as you know. I know a priest who formerly held a very high post in the Arlington diocese who told me of the homosexual cabal that runs the diocese and particularly the vocations. If you are not pro-homo your vocation is not accepted. He left his post in disgust. He was an honorable man who could no longer stand the corruption in the diocese.

[Zviadist]

Send him to Dallas, we need this guy at St. Pius X church.

Just what I was thinking: he would make a great Traditional priest.

[Zviadist]

See this?

[.45MAN]

Really looks to me like Fr. Haley is the one that should be left standing when the smoke settles. But this is only one parish this is going on in many others. The church I went to when I was living in FL had a wonderful Priest that had been instrumental in building a most beautiful church, even a stepped alter where a railing could have been added. The Bishop (Diocese of Palm Beach) was not a good priest at all and our conservative priest ended up being sent to Rome for a year to study. The next Bishop was no better..

[ltlflwr]

This story is quite distressing. Here are a few other items to consider:

"Bishop Paul Loverde (Arlington Diocese of Virginia) removed Vocations Director Fr. James Gould from his job. Loverde reportedly did so because Gould allegedly opposed allowing a man with a long history of homosexuality into the seminary. Bp. Loverde has not denied this report. Loverde also supported a homosexual 'civil rights' bill in Connecticut in 1991. That law allows homosexuals to adopt children and act as foster parents. The law 'also permits the state to impose quotas for homosexuals on employers,' reported RCF. Loverde is a bishop in 'good standing.'"

If these things are true, it is our recommendation that the parishioners of Arlington write to the Papal Nuncio in Washington D.C., and to the Vatican, requesting the removal of Bishop Paul Loverde; the restoration of Father Haley's right as a Catholic priest to offer mass and the sacraments; and a thorough independent investigation (not under the auspices of Bishop Loverde) into the allegations of homosexuality and other sexual perversions occurring in the rectories of the Arlington Diocese.
Source: http://www.catholicintl.com/epologetics/arlington_diocese.html

I will be writing a letter to Bishop Loverde concerning these scandals. I have already sent a letter to him concerning the horrible treatment Del. Richard Black received from Fr. Irace at St. Thomas More Cathedral. Del. Black, as you may recall, knelt to receive Communion but was denied reception by an irate Fr. Irace. I have yet to receive a response from Bishop Loverde. I won't hold my breath.