Credibility

By Kristine Ward
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
June 5, 2012

http://nationalsurvivoradvocatescoalition.wordpress.com/nsacireland/

[with pdf]

It's an amazing statement that Cardinal Timothy Dolan fired up and lobbed out to reporters after Sunday Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York on Sunday before hopping a plane to Ireland.

"SNAP," declared the Cardinal," has no credibility whatsoever."

If Cardinal Dolan had considered what he was saying he'd know the next thing he should say is not another ounce of effort should be put into getting depositions from SNAP's leaders or getting SNAP records.

No credibility, nothing worth getting. Plenty of Catholic money saved.

In the slap against SNAP, the organization that lifted the veil on Cardinal Dolan's Milwaukee tactics, New York's top prelate told reporters on Sunday that the reports of his Milwaukee voluntary laicization incentive payments were "groundless and scurrilous."

Groundless? Here is the link to the 3/7/03 Archdiocese of Milwaukee Finance Council minutes:

Link: Archdiocese of Milwaukee Finance Council Minutes.pdf

The minutes include this paragraph:

"Currently unassignable priests are receiving full salaries and are budgeted under the Vicar for Clergy. There is a proposal to reduce their benefit to be the same as the current pension benefit, $1,250 per month and also offer $20,000 for laicization ($10,000 at the start and $10,000 at the completion of the process). Also, they remain on our health insurance until they find other employment. The final effect of all this is not known at this time and it may be awash with the current budget."

Scurrilous? When the leader of an archdiocese who is charged with being the moral and spiritual beacon contemplates and then executes a plan to use money as an incentive to speed up the process of getting rid of perpetrator priests without a scintilla's worth of effort to call the police, that is insulting, scandalous, and outrageous behavior on an Archbishop's part. Scurrilous, indeed.

What we hope Catholics in the pews are not being hoodwinked by is that Dolan's carrot laicization filing solution centers on dealing with clerics who raped and sodomized children by methods involving the Church's process only not the US justice system. To know whether Catholics are being hoodwinked or not will involve those in the pews declaring themselves. For those who bought or are still buying "this is all in the past" mantra, we repeat the date of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee Finance Council minutes: 3/7/2003.

The minutes don't reflect any caveats, such as, applying for laicization when the judicial process has taken it course. No need to consider the justice system, no one was calling the police. No police investigation was ever intended. No way to safeguard children was ever part of the equation of the exit strategy of the bank account bounce.

Dolan's come to Ireland for the Eucharistic Congress (June 10-17) that Pope Benedict wisely decided not to attend.

Those who bear the daily burden of the result of rape and sodomy magnified by its perpetration by those who claimed a divine kinship as "alter Christus" will not be silenced here. Indeed if justice is denied to them the very stones of the Burren should cry out.

A transatlantic crossing will not wash away the Milwaukee revelations for Dolan.

He might well bear in mind the old Irish proverb: "There is no use carrying an umbrella if your shoes are leaking."

Upon his return stateside, the June meeting of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops looms. Dolan's the man on the lead horse for the USCCB. Those who line up behind him should carefully consider what's likely to be spattered upon them.

Contact: KristineWard@hotmail.com