RAY MOUTON, AUTHOR OF “IN GOD’S HOUSE” ON “REFORM IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH”
When Legality trumps Morality In The Catholic Church. That Is Whenever And Wherever Money Is Involved.
Two recent, amazingly, actually stunning contradictions and hypocritical stances were assumed by the Catholic Church when money was involved.
The most recent incident in January of 2103 involved a court case in Colorado, and other incidents involved legal proceedings in bankruptcy courts and other legal venues involving ownership of Church assets.
Before the two incidents referred to above occurred, for three decades the hierarchy of the Church has consistently abandoned morality for legality in situations where its priests sexually violated innocent children.
The hierarchy washed their hands of the problem on the first day of the current clergy abuse crisis and scandal, abandoning the moral obligations they owed to the terribly wounded innocent members of their flock.
Bishops placed all matters relating to the damage done to children in the hands of lawyers who are guided only by secular law and not the teachings and examples of Christ’s life or the Biblical admonition in Luke 17:2 “If he were thrown into the sea with a millstone tied to his neck, he would be far better off than facing the punishment in store for those who harm these little children’s souls.”
Beyond this abdication of their moral responsibility came other evidence of how the Church embraces secular law in instances where they perceive it is to their advantage, while arguing that secular law does not apply to the Church where they perceive the law will operate to their disadvantage.
Life begins at conception, according to the Catholic Church, yet in an legal appeal involving a wrongful death claim where a mother and the two twins she was carrying died at a Catholic Hospital in Canyon City, Colorado, lawyers for the Catholic owned hospital put forth the legal argument that a fetus is not human life, thus no claim for wrongful death could be pursued in the case of the unborn twins.
The lawyers arguing on behalf of the Catholic hospital relied upon secular law, a Colorado state statue that states an embryo is not a person until live birth.
The court followed state law and dismissed the claim, causing the lawyers for the Catholic hospital to sue the widower, father of the unborn twins, for their legal fees, driving him into bankruptcy.
Subsequent to the court action in which the wrongful death claims were defeated, the Colorado Catholic Church stated it was morally wrong for their attorneys to have put forth a legal argument contradicting the Church’s position that life begins at conception.
Incredibly contradictory court positions have been assumed by diocesan lawyers in regard to the ownership of properties associated with local church parishes.
In bankruptcy proceedings, attorneys representing dioceses have argued that under Church law or canon law that the property of a local church parish (church, rectory, school, meeting halls, parking lots, raw land) are under the sole ownership of the local church parish and therefore this property is not to be collated or otherwise counted as assets of the diocese for purpose of making financial distributions to creditors of the diocese, the bulk of whom are victims of clergy sex abuse.
In other legal jurisdictions where a diocese has decided to sell off local church parish properties, some that are historic church parishes, in order to raise money for diocesan coffers or replenish sums spent in paying claims of victims of priests it negligently supervised, there have been court challenges by the boards of the local church parishes, Catholics arguing that the position assumed by Church lawyers in bankruptcy proceedings is a correct interpretation of canon law, for the property of a local parish belongs to the parish and not to the diocese.
In these cases where the diocese wanted to sell off properties, Church lawyers have made the exact opposite argument made by Church counsel in bankruptcy proceedings, taking the position that the diocese does have full ownership of all property belonging to local church parishes and is free to dispose of same at its discretion.
When preaching from the pulpit, the American Catholic Church always assumes a pious pose, and talks only in terms of morality as the Church defines morality.
When money is on the table, whether it be in clergy abuse cases, cases involving a wrongful death claim for unborn twins, or bankruptcy proceedings, or cases where the diocese wants to evict parishioners from historic parishes so the diocese can sell the land and buildings to real estate developers, the Church seemingly quickly abandons morality for legality, using secular law as a sword.
When Church records relating to criminal priests are sought in civil cases involving clergy abuse, a diocese like that in Los Angeles, will expend millions in attorney fees, and argue to the highest court in the land that secular law does not apply to this religious institution.
The question of where morality breaks down in the Roman Catholic Church is answered by looking at the places where money and morality intersect.
A classic historical example of how money quickly compromises morality in the The Roman Catholic Church is the case where the Vatican accepted 50 million from Benito Mussolini in 1929 in exchange for a papal blessing of his fascist regime, funds that were moved offshore and managed in secret to amass a half-billion pound (nearly one billion dollar) real estate empire in the cities of London, Paris and Geneva. For a full discussion of this immoral monetary scandal involving the Vatican-Mussolini-and agents of the Church, see the article published by The Guardian in London that can be accessed by the link below.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-04-19 16:37:582013-04-22 20:51:53RAY MOUTON, AUTHOR OF "IN GOD'S HOUSE" ON "REFORM IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH"
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Virginia Graham watches as Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill extending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases.
OLYMPIA – Virginia Graham’s journey to get justice for victims of child sex abuse isn’t over, but after nearly 10 years of pleading and prodding the Legislature she can take a breather.
A bill that extends the statute of limitations on child sex crimes to allow charges to be filed until the victim turns 30 was signed into law Thursday afternoon. TheSpokane mother of three stood at Gov. Jay Inslee’s right hand as he put his signature on the bill. Former Rep. John Ahern, who fought for much of that decade to change the law was nearby, as was newly elected Rep. Jeff Holy, who picked up fight when succeeding Ahern.
In one hand, Graham held a handkerchief that moved frequently to her face, dabbing tears as Inslee signed the bill and ceremonial pens were passed out. In the other, she clutched tight to a pair of purple and white rosaries that wound around her palm…
To read the rest of this item, or to comment, click here to go inside the blog.
… The rosaries, she later explained, came from the funerals of her brother and sister, who like her were victims of child sexual abuse. Her brother committed suicide. Her sister ran away from home as a teenager, and soon after became one of the victims of serial killer Gary Ridgway.
When Ridgway’s was sentenced in 2003, Graham began searching for a purpose behind her sister’s death. That became what she calls “a verbalized prayer for a change in the law.”
Washington law extends the statute of limitations for charging a suspect in a case of child sexual assault, but the rules are complicated and vary with the age of the victim. In most cases a child must report the abuse while still a minor, when they are unlikely to do so because of threats or psychological manipulation by their abuser.
Initially, Ahern tried to remove the statute, making child sexual abuse like murder and allowing a suspect to be brought to trial at any time if the evidence was strong enough. Members of the law enforcement community balked, saying convictions get less likely with each passing year and changing the law would give victims false hope. Bills would easily pass the House, and die in the Senate, sometimes without a vote.
“People you’re trying to reach have no idea what it’s like,” Graham said.
This year, Holy, a Cheney Republican who is an attorney and former police detective, sponsored a modified version, which will allow charges to be filed on sex abuse involving someone under 18 that is reported before the victim turns 30. First- and second-degree rape can be prosecuted for 10 years if a victim who is 18 or older reports it within a year of the assault. That bill, the freshman legislator’s first, passed both chambers unanimously; it takes effect July 28.
The signing was a bittersweet victory for Graham because her brother and sister weren’t there, but a partial victory on which she hopes to build.
There’s no statute of limitations on murder, whether the person kills with a gun, a knife or a car, she said. There should be no statute of limitations on prosecuting a sexual abuser when that abuse leads to the death of a victim later in life.
http://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpg00SOL Reformhttp://sol-reform.com/News/wp-content/uploads/2016/04/Hamilton-Logo.jpgSOL Reform2013-04-19 14:32:142013-04-19 14:32:14Virginia Graham watches as Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill extending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases in Washington
Advocates for the sexually abused say it takes years, often decades, for people to overcome the shame they feel and to summon the strength to come forward and talk about what happened to them when they were children.
By that time, it’s often too late. Minnesota’s civil statutes require child sex-abuse lawsuits to be filed before the victim turns 24.
They should not face such an arbitrary deadline. That’s why we encourage the passage of the Minnesota Child Victims Act that’s working its way through the House and Senate.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon and Sen. Ron Latz, both DFLers from St. Louis Park, would amend the statute of limitations for childhood sexual-abuse victims to file civil lawsuits against their perpetrators.
Opponents of the bill, such as the Minnesota Religious Council, the Minnesota Child Care Association and the Minnesota School Boards Association, say the bill puts their organizations at financial risk. Lawsuits could drain them of funds and resources to operate their core missions. They also argue it leaves their organizations unfairly vulnerable for past cases in which a pedophile was unknowingly hired.
While we understand the opposition’s position, we strongly believe the individual’s right to seek justice is the overriding issue.
Simon’s bill offers a compromise by creating a three-year window during which someone could pursue past claims. After the three-year period, no perpetrator or institution would be civilly liable for past abuse; however, any future cases of new abuse would have no statute of limitations.
Latz’s bill is more straightforward, making no distinction between past and future abuse and allowing for civil suits to be filed at any time.
Child molestation cases involving Penn State University and the Catholic Church have dominated the headlines in recent years, while closer to home, disturbing allegations have emerged at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, which prompted the introduction of the Minnesota Child Victims Act.
Former drama teacher Lynn Seibel, who taught at the school from 1992 to 2003, faces 14 counts of criminal sexual conduct and three other counts related to his alleged actions while teaching at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. The allegations against Seibel, whose acting credits include a 2012 appearance on “The Big Bang Theory” (portraying a senile professor who gets naked at inappropriate times), include allegations by some students that Seibel touched them inappropriately.
After the Seibel case became public, a former Shattuck-St. Mary’s student accused another teacher, Joe Machlitt, of sexually abusing him in 1980. Joel Juers, now 47, said he never told anyone about the alleged abuse until 1995, when he was in his late 20s.
Machlitt admitted to the abuse but charges were dismissed earlier this month because Minnesota law doesn’t allow prosecution of cases dating back that far. Juers, who says he has alcoholism and intimacy issues stemming from the abuse, says he feels victimized again but is uncertain whether he will file a civil suit if the Minnesota Child Victims Act passes.
“Some of the things I’m weighing are forgiveness and grace,” he said. “Do I forgive or seek justice? Will I suffer by making somebody else suffer?”
We favor giving Juers and other child sex-abuse victims the choice between forgiveness and seeking justice. A lifetime of silence is too much of a burden for anyone to carry.
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An event page has been set up at http://mortalsins.splashthat.com/ where those interested in attending can reserve seats. The theater holds 199. Please note that the name of the venue is Culture Project at 45 Bleecker Street, not Bleecker Street Theatre.
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For the past eight years Assemblywoman Margaret Markey has introduced legislation to expand the statute of limitations for victims of sex abuse. The bill, which would allow child sex abuse victims to file lawsuits against their abusers, has failed to gain traction previously, but Markey believes a number of high-profile abuse cases in the Catholic Church and the Hasidic community, and an increased lobbying effort, will sway her colleagues and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I really think the governor is open to it,” she said. “If we get it past the Senate he’ll be open to signing it. You can’t pick up a newspaper these days without reading about an incident happening in a school or a religious institution.” Senate Republicans have opposed the measure in the past, arguing that its scope was too broad. Markey must also deal with a competing version of her bill that Democratic Assemblyman Michael Cusick is sponsoring. Markey said she would not derail Cusick’s bill but instead rally support for her own proposal.
RAY MOUTON, AUTHOR OF “IN GOD’S HOUSE” ON “REFORM IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH”
/in Uncategorized /by SOL ReformRAY MOUTON, AUTHOR OF “IN GOD’S HOUSE” ON “REFORM IN ROMAN CATHOLIC CHURCH”
PCAR urges movement on PA window legislation!
/in Pennsylvania /by SOL ReformVirginia Graham watches as Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill extending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases in Washington
/in Washington /by SOL ReformVirginia Graham watches as Gov. Jay Inslee signs a bill extending the statute of limitations on child sex abuse cases.
OLYMPIA – Virginia Graham’s journey to get justice for victims of child sex abuse isn’t over, but after nearly 10 years of pleading and prodding the Legislature she can take a breather.
A bill that extends the statute of limitations on child sex crimes to allow charges to be filed until the victim turns 30 was signed into law Thursday afternoon. TheSpokane mother of three stood at Gov. Jay Inslee’s right hand as he put his signature on the bill. Former Rep. John Ahern, who fought for much of that decade to change the law was nearby, as was newly elected Rep. Jeff Holy, who picked up fight when succeeding Ahern.
In one hand, Graham held a handkerchief that moved frequently to her face, dabbing tears as Inslee signed the bill and ceremonial pens were passed out. In the other, she clutched tight to a pair of purple and white rosaries that wound around her palm…
To read the rest of this item, or to comment, click here to go inside the blog.
… The rosaries, she later explained, came from the funerals of her brother and sister, who like her were victims of child sexual abuse. Her brother committed suicide. Her sister ran away from home as a teenager, and soon after became one of the victims of serial killer Gary Ridgway.
When Ridgway’s was sentenced in 2003, Graham began searching for a purpose behind her sister’s death. That became what she calls “a verbalized prayer for a change in the law.”
Washington law extends the statute of limitations for charging a suspect in a case of child sexual assault, but the rules are complicated and vary with the age of the victim. In most cases a child must report the abuse while still a minor, when they are unlikely to do so because of threats or psychological manipulation by their abuser.
Initially, Ahern tried to remove the statute, making child sexual abuse like murder and allowing a suspect to be brought to trial at any time if the evidence was strong enough. Members of the law enforcement community balked, saying convictions get less likely with each passing year and changing the law would give victims false hope. Bills would easily pass the House, and die in the Senate, sometimes without a vote.
“People you’re trying to reach have no idea what it’s like,” Graham said.
This year, Holy, a Cheney Republican who is an attorney and former police detective, sponsored a modified version, which will allow charges to be filed on sex abuse involving someone under 18 that is reported before the victim turns 30. First- and second-degree rape can be prosecuted for 10 years if a victim who is 18 or older reports it within a year of the assault. That bill, the freshman legislator’s first, passed both chambers unanimously; it takes effect July 28.
The signing was a bittersweet victory for Graham because her brother and sister weren’t there, but a partial victory on which she hopes to build.
There’s no statute of limitations on murder, whether the person kills with a gun, a knife or a car, she said. There should be no statute of limitations on prosecuting a sexual abuser when that abuse leads to the death of a victim later in life.
Source: http://www.spokesman.com/blogs/spincontrol/2013/apr/18/child-sex-abuse-prosecutions-extended/
Great editorial for MN SOL reform!
/in Minnesota /by SOL ReformAdvocates for the sexually abused say it takes years, often decades, for people to overcome the shame they feel and to summon the strength to come forward and talk about what happened to them when they were children.
By that time, it’s often too late. Minnesota’s civil statutes require child sex-abuse lawsuits to be filed before the victim turns 24.
The bill, sponsored by Rep. Steve Simon and Sen. Ron Latz, both DFLers from St. Louis Park, would amend the statute of limitations for childhood sexual-abuse victims to file civil lawsuits against their perpetrators.
Opponents of the bill, such as the Minnesota Religious Council, the Minnesota Child Care Association and the Minnesota School Boards Association, say the bill puts their organizations at financial risk. Lawsuits could drain them of funds and resources to operate their core missions. They also argue it leaves their organizations unfairly vulnerable for past cases in which a pedophile was unknowingly hired.
While we understand the opposition’s position, we strongly believe the individual’s right to seek justice is the overriding issue.
Simon’s bill offers a compromise by creating a three-year window during which someone could pursue past claims. After the three-year period, no perpetrator or institution would be civilly liable for past abuse; however, any future cases of new abuse would have no statute of limitations.
Latz’s bill is more straightforward, making no distinction between past and future abuse and allowing for civil suits to be filed at any time.
Child molestation cases involving Penn State University and the Catholic Church have dominated the headlines in recent years, while closer to home, disturbing allegations have emerged at Shattuck-St. Mary’s School in Faribault, which prompted the introduction of the Minnesota Child Victims Act.
Former drama teacher Lynn Seibel, who taught at the school from 1992 to 2003, faces 14 counts of criminal sexual conduct and three other counts related to his alleged actions while teaching at Shattuck-St. Mary’s. The allegations against Seibel, whose acting credits include a 2012 appearance on “The Big Bang Theory” (portraying a senile professor who gets naked at inappropriate times), include allegations by some students that Seibel touched them inappropriately.
After the Seibel case became public, a former Shattuck-St. Mary’s student accused another teacher, Joe Machlitt, of sexually abusing him in 1980. Joel Juers, now 47, said he never told anyone about the alleged abuse until 1995, when he was in his late 20s.
Machlitt admitted to the abuse but charges were dismissed earlier this month because Minnesota law doesn’t allow prosecution of cases dating back that far. Juers, who says he has alcoholism and intimacy issues stemming from the abuse, says he feels victimized again but is uncertain whether he will file a civil suit if the Minnesota Child Victims Act passes.
“Some of the things I’m weighing are forgiveness and grace,” he said. “Do I forgive or seek justice? Will I suffer by making somebody else suffer?”
We favor giving Juers and other child sex-abuse victims the choice between forgiveness and seeking justice. A lifetime of silence is too much of a burden for anyone to carry.
Source: http://www.postbulletin.com/opinion/our-view-forgiveness-or-justice-give-abuse-victims-a-choice/article_f9ec2ee6-ab7a-5bef-a777-e9beef7a97c6.html
Here is how to reserve seat for next Tuesday’s NY event for Mortal Sins!
/in New York /by SOL ReformNY Gov open to Child Victims Act
/in New York /by SOL ReformFor the past eight years Assemblywoman Margaret Markey has introduced legislation to expand the statute of limitations for victims of sex abuse. The bill, which would allow child sex abuse victims to file lawsuits against their abusers, has failed to gain traction previously, but Markey believes a number of high-profile abuse cases in the Catholic Church and the Hasidic community, and an increased lobbying effort, will sway her colleagues and Gov. Andrew Cuomo. “I really think the governor is open to it,” she said. “If we get it past the Senate he’ll be open to signing it. You can’t pick up a newspaper these days without reading about an incident happening in a school or a religious institution.” Senate Republicans have opposed the measure in the past, arguing that its scope was too broad. Markey must also deal with a competing version of her bill that Democratic Assemblyman Michael Cusick is sponsoring. Markey said she would not derail Cusick’s bill but instead rally support for her own proposal.
City & STATE
http://www.cityandstateny.com/