Waiting for Godot to Leave

Bishop Finn has agreed to pay $600,000 of diocesan funds to the parents of a girl abused by a priest under his care in the diocese of Kansas City.  (I've written about this case at length ).  What struck me from this article about the settlement is this quote ... The second count, which Fenner allowed to remain, accused the bishop and diocese of receiving, possessing or distributing pornographic images of the girl. Fenner is the judge in the case, who dismissed one count in the lawsuit and let another stand - the count that the diocese was liable not only for a coverup but was COMPLICIT IN THE CRIME ITSELF. Let that sink in.  The diocese of Kansas City was not only wrong in covering up what the abuser did, but was  INVOLVED IN THE CRIME ITSELF - by "receiving and possessing" pornographic images of the two-year-old in question, by not turning the photos over to police, and eventually letting the evidence be destroyed so that the priest had a...

Since I'm currently a judge in a one-act play contest, I don't want to say too much about the plays I'm reading.  But I have seen enough to know how to write a really bad play.  And I'm passing that advice on to you, dear reader! Make sure your script contains NO comedy whatsoever - nothing the least bit funny, or if something almost-funny sneaks in, make it very predictable and stupid. Put a homeless man in it so the audience has someone to feel sorry for. Set the play at Christmas or in a foxhole during a war or in an abortion clinic.  Or better yet, at a makeshift abortion clinic in a foxhole on Christmas Eve. Handle exposition awkwardly.  For example, in the first few lines, have one of the characters say,  "Remember when that meteorite hit our house and you bravely struggled to pull me out and save our four children and the reporter from the liberal paper made fun of you because you were Christian and -" Give someone cancer or writ...

So you want to be the Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, do you?  (See Bad Bishops: Same Old Spin - Different Day ). Submit your resume and answer the question below. Given the following scenario ... A priest under your control and care admits to having homosexual or bisexual desires.  This priest likes to wrestle with 14-year-old boys.  Let me repeat that: this priest likes to wrestle with 14-year-old boys. This priest admits that while wrestling with a 14-year-old boy, he grabbed his genitals, on two different occasions.  The second time he did so, the boy became enraged and refused to talk to the priest the rest of the day, at an event for the boy's family. The priest is indicted, tried and convicted on a charge of aggravated sexual conduct.   The conviction is overturned on a technicality.  The appellate court orders a retrial. To avoid a retrial, you strike a deal with prosecutors, agreeing to remove said priest from any ministry...

There is a pattern and it's a sick and strange one. Over the months, I have written at length about Kansas City Bishop Finn's dreadful handling of a sex abuse case in his diocese, and have taken quite a bit of heat from the True Believers, who swallow uncritically the cult-like notion that criticizing a bishop who endangers children is the equivalent of hating Jesus Christ and His Catholic Church.  (If you really want to have fun, read the whole series here ). Archbishop of Newark, John J. Myers Now we have Archbishop Myers in New Jersey and sex abuser Fr. Michael Fugee.  The case is so much like the Finn case that it's weird.  Frank Weathers and Mark Shea  have articles on the case, in which they link to local New Jersey reports, which themselves link to the original source documents at the heart of the matter, including this one , which apparently nobody wants to read. I won't go into details, since if you're interested you can find the details at this l...