Another Pedophile Bites The Dust
This past weekend America lost another pedophile and killer of an innocent man, Jim Reed.
August 26, 2018 Thomas J. O'Brien, 82, American Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Phoenix (1982–2003), complications from Parkinson's disease.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._O%27Brien_(bishop)
Sexual abuse scandal
Main article: Sexual abuse scandal in Phoenix diocese
In 2002, Maricopa County prosecutors initiated a grand jury investigation into charges of sexual abuse by Catholic priests in the diocese of Phoenix. Bishop O'Brien was a target of that investigation for allegedly covering-up allegations against other priests. The prosecution ended when the bishop admitted he had sheltered abusive priests. O'Brien agreed to cede his authority over diocesan sexual abuse policy in exchange for immunity from indictment for obstruction of justice. On August 4, 2017, it was announced that a civil lawsuit was filed against O'Brien over allegations that he sexually molested a boy on several occasions at parishes in Phoenix and Goodyear from 1977 to 1982.
On June 14, 2003, less than two weeks after signing the sexual abuse agreement with prosecutors, O'Brien struck and killed 43-year-old Jim Reed in a hit-and-run car accident. A driver behind O'Brien reported O'Brien's license plate number to the police. Police also discovered a dent in a fender and a crack in the windshield of the bishop's Buick Park Avenue. O'Brien later claimed he did not report the accident because he thought he had hit a dog, cat, or rock. O'Brien was arrested for leaving the scene of an accident and released on $45,000 bond. He resigned as Bishop on June 18, 2003.
On February 17, 2004, O'Brien was found guilty of leaving the scene of a fatal accident after a three-and-a-half-week-long trial. On March 26, 2004, he was sentenced to four years' probation and 1,000 hours of community service, and required to surrender his driver's license for five years.
He was the first American Catholic bishop to be convicted of a felony. O'Brien later asked for travel time to be deducted from his 1,000 hours and for flexibility in the number of hours he must serve each month.
While I was browsing the web over O'Brien's death, I came across this strange obit. It may simply be a coincidence, but I think it's worth noting:
Dieudonné Bogmis, 63, Cameroonian Roman Catholic prelate, Bishop of Éséka (since 2004), stroke.
BREAKING: ANOTHER BISHOP FOUND DEATH, BISHOP DIEUDONNÉ BOGMIS DIES MYSTERIOUSLY
August 25, 2018 critiqsite 237, Latest ViBes, Politics Leave a comment
Bishop Dieudonné Bogmis passed away this Saturday morning, August 25, 2018; age 63 years old. He was found dead around 10:20 am
Some Report that the prelate appointed head of this diocese in 2004, died of a stroke (Avc). A priest says the bishop was complaining of not feeling well for several days.
The Bishop has been head of the Eseka Diocese for about 14 years.
Of course, where ever scandal is announced on the web, this person always makes the headlines:
Pope Francis says he will 'not say one word on' allegations he covered up sexual abuse
Updated yesterday at 8:13pm
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2018-08-27/pope-francis-asks-forgiveness-for-abuse-in-ireland/10167614
Pope Francis says he will 'not say one word on' allegations he covered up sexual abuse
Pope Francis has said he would not respond to explosive accusations by a former top Vatican official that the pontiff had covered up sexual abuse, saying dismissively that the document containing the allegations "speaks for itself".
Key points:
Pope meets privately with abuse victims, makes public apology for "state of shame"
This is the first papal visit to Ireland in almost four decades
Pope accused of knowing allegations of sex abuse by prominent US cardinal for five years
Talking to reporters aboard the plane returning to Rome from Dublin, Pope Francis said he would "not say one word" on the 11-page document, in which the former official says the pontiff should resign.
Pope Francis said journalists should read the document carefully and decide for themselves about its credibility.
The official accused the Pope of having known of allegations of sex abuse by a prominent US cardinal for years.
The document by Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, the former Vatican ambassador to Washington, was an unprecedented broadside against the Pope by a Church insider.
"I read that statement this morning. I read it and I will say sincerely that I must say this, to you [the reporter] and all of you who are interested: read the document carefully and judge it for yourselves," he said.
"I will not say one word on this. I think the statement speaks for itself and you have sufficient journalistic capacity to reach your own conclusions."
Archbishop Vigano gave the bombshell statement to conservative Roman Catholic media outlets during the Pope's visit to Ireland, which was dominated by the Church's sexual abuse in that country and others around the world.
He accused a long list of current and past Vatican and US church officials of covering up the case of former cardinal Theodore McCarrick, the retired archbishop of Washington DC.
McCarrick, 88, resigned last month in disgrace and was stripped of his title after allegations that he had abused a minor nearly 50 years ago, and also forced adult male seminarians to share his bed.
In the letter, Archbishop Vigano accused the former Vatican secretaries of state under the previous two popes of ignoring detailed denunciations against McCarrick for years.
He said Pope Benedict XVI eventually sanctioned McCarrick in 2009 or 2010 to a lifetime of penance and prayer.
Pope apologises for 'state of shame' in Ireland
Speaking in Ireland during the first papal visit to Ireland in almost four decades, Pope Francis asked forgiveness for the multitude of abuses suffered by victims there at the hands of the church over decades, as he concluded a tour of the once deeply Catholic country.
After meeting privately with abuse victims on Saturday, the Pope apologised to mothers estranged from their children in church-run homes, children abused by priests and those exploited in religious schools, calling it a "state of shame".
"To survivors of abuse of power, conscience and sexual abuse, recognising what they have told me, I would like to put these crimes before the mercy of the Lord and ask forgiveness for them," he said at a church service attended by more than 100,000 people at Dublin's Phoenix Park.
"We apologise for some members of the hierarchy who did not take care of these painful situations and kept silent."
Years of sexual abuse scandals have shattered the credibility of the church, which dominated Irish society four decades ago.
In the past three years, Irish voters have approved abortion and gay marriage in referendums, defying the Vatican.
The declining influence of the Catholic Church has been demonstrated by crowds far smaller than those that met Pope John Paul II during the last papal visit in 1979, when more than three-quarters of Ireland's population turned out.
While 500,000 people snapped up tickets to see Pope Francis say mass, local media quoted police recording the numbers as estimating some 130,000 arrived in the rain at the same spot where Pope John Paul II stood 39 years ago.
'Give this man a chance'
Pope Francis, facing sexual abuse crises in several countries, wrote an unprecedented letter to all Catholics last week asking each one of them to help root out "this culture of death" and vowing there would be no more cover-ups.
Exposing a national shame
Some who turned out for him in the Irish village of Knock, where a group of locals in 1879 said they saw an apparition of the Virgin Mary, said Pope Francis should be given time to deal with the abuse issues that have rocked the church for decades.
"People have to give this man a chance, he's trying his best," Carmel Lane, who travelled from County Longford in the Midlands, said.
However thousands of people joined survivors, their families and supporters at an event elsewhere in Dublin as the Pope said mass to stand in solidarity with those who had suffered.
"It [the visit] has been very, very painful," said Graham Mills, 52, who was sexually abused as a child by a member of the Christian brothers religious order and travelled from Northern Ireland to join the protest.
"I think Pope Francis is probably a very decent human being. But yesterday I was very disturbed by the big celebration for him knowing the lives that have been destroyed."
So, Francis says he will not say a word. Well, the citizens of Australia will be happy to speak on his behalf. I'm sure there are citizens all over the world who will be happy to speak for the silent pope.
The key moments that led to one of Australia's most shocking inquiries.
The key events that led to the child abuse royal commission
After five years of emotionally exhausting and confronting public hearings, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is about to hand its report to the Governor-General.
http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-12/royal-commission-child-sexual-abuse-timeline/9222816
Here are some of the key events that led to the pivotal national inquiry.
The execution of John Kelly
May 23, 1867
Victorian man John Kelly was sentenced to death by Sir Redmond Barry for committing "an unnatural offence on a male child aged only 18 months". Survivor advocate Chrissie Foster said this was proof child sex offenders were always prosecuted in Australia, disproving the idea perpetuated by some church officials that child rape was unknown or not considered a crime.
A complaint against a Catholic priest
1958
A scoutmaster in suburban Dandenong told senior figures at the Archdiocese of Melbourne that Catholic priest Kevin O'Donnell was molesting boys. The church allowed the priest to continue running parishes, and assaulting children, for another 35 years.
Assistant priest Father Anthony Guelen observed Fr O'Donnell engaging in "inappropriate behaviour" with a young boy in the presbytery bedroom, but he later denied the allegation.
A police officer attempts justice
1971
Detective Denis Ryan, a police officer in country Victoria, tried unsuccessfully to prosecute paedophile priest Monsignor John Day. Senior church and police are accused of impeding the investigation and Mr Ryan's career.
Paedophile priests terrorise Western Victoria
1970s and 80s
News passed around the vast Diocese of Ballarat that Monsignor Day had been given a "green light". Several prolific paedophile priests and brothers, including the notorious Gerald Ridsdale, assaulted children freely across country Victoria.
Dangerous schools included St Alipius Primary and St Patrick's College. Ballarat Bishop Ronald Mulkearns and other church officials received complaints about Ridsdale and other priests, but the offending clergy were moved from parish to parish to avoid further scrutiny.
PHOTO: Campaigners tied ribbons to the fence of the former St Alipius school to support survivors. (ABC News: Margaret Burin)
The first priest is imprisoned
April 14, 1978
Father Michael Glennon became the first priest to be convicted and jailed. He served seven months for the sexual assault of a 10-year-old girl. The Catholic Church did not defrock him.
Derryn Hinch's contempt of court
December 6, 1985
Broadcaster Derryn Hinch told his radio audience about Fr Glennon's criminal past and warned parents not to let their children near him. But Fr Glennon had been charged with other offences, so Hinch was jailed briefly for contempt of court.
A Queensland teacher is investigated
December 18, 1990
Police began investigating Kevin Guy, a teacher at Queensland Anglican school Toowoomba Prep, for his assaults against students. Guy died by suicide. One of the victims, Lyndal, sought acknowledgement and help from the Anglican Church, which failed to provide any assistance.
Fifteen years of abuse in WA
1991
In Western Australia, sex offender Dennis McKenna was convicted of offences against boys at a hostel in Katanning. McKenna's reign over his victims lasted 15 years.
It would take another 20 years for an inquiry to expose the methods McKenna used to silence his accusers.
The example of Katanning was evidence that child sexual assault cover-ups were similar across institutions, both government and religious.
The 'trickle becomes a flood'
February, 1993
Volunteer advocacy group Broken Rites began investigating clergy sexual abuse, creating a hotline and urging victims to take their allegations to police.
That same year, Ridsdale was finally charged and convicted of offences against children. The boarding house master at St Patrick's Ballarat, Brother Ted Dowlan — who later changed his name to Ted Bales — was also jailed.
Charges continued to be laid against clergy throughout Victoria for two decades.
May, 1995 The Catholic Church is given a warning
Victorian Liberal MP Ken Smith chaired a state parliamentary committee that found the Catholic Church had covered up crimes. He was howled down by several of his colleagues. Then-Victorian premier Jeff Kennett warned the Catholic Church to deal with the issue.
That same year, Father Kevin O'Donnell was finally jailed for his crimes against children.
The Melbourne Response
October, 1996
The Melbourne Archdiocese established a payment scheme called the Melbourne Response, requiring victims to sign away common law rights before receiving payouts. Other Catholic Church dioceses established a similar scheme called Towards Healing, without the payment cap of the Melbourne model.
A survivor sues the Anglican Church
November 13, 2001
More than a decade after being abused by Kevin Guy at Toowoomba Prep, Lyndal successfully sued the Anglican Archdiocese of Brisbane.
A survivor takes on the Catholic Church
2002
Unsatisfied with the Towards Healing process, lawyer and survivor John Ellis sued the Catholic Church for damages. The church "vigorously" defended the case.
A governor-general resigns
May 26, 2003
The fallout from the case involving Kevin Guy and Toowoomba Prep, and a subsequent inquiry, forced the resignation of governor-general Peter Hollingworth, who was archbishop when the abuse occurred.
Widescale abuse in the Hunter
2006
Newcastle Herald newspaper reporter Joanne McCarthy received a phone call that prompted her to investigate Catholic Church clergy abuse and cover-up within the Newcastle-Maitland Diocese. She eventually uncovered abuse similar in scale to that of Ballarat.
Ellis loses his case
November, 2007
John Ellis lost his case against the Catholic Church in the High Court, five years after launching legal action. The church's lawyers wrote an internal analysis stating the result was likely to deter other victims from pursuing similar cases.
Hell on the Way to Heaven
January, 2008
Chrissie and Anthony Foster's daughter Emma died from an overdose. She was one of Father Kevin O'Donnell's many victims. The Fosters began their campaign for all survivors to receive justice. Chrissie wrote the book Hell on the Way to Heaven, which was accepted into the Victorian Parliamentary Library by MP Ken Smith.
Ireland provides an example
2010
The Victorian Government commissioned the Cummins Report, an inquiry into the systematic problems in Victoria's child protection system. Victorian MP Ann Barker began her campaign for a royal commission, travelling to Ireland to study the effectiveness of state inquiries in that country.
Victoria decides to take action
January 31, 2011
Reports from The Age and the ABC identified the alarming number of victim suicides in Ballarat. Victorian premier Ted Baillieu received the Cummins Report and immediately launched a parliamentary inquiry into religious and other institutional responses to child abuse.
July, 2012
John Pirona, an abuse victim from the Hunter region, died by suicide after leaving a note reading "too much pain". This inspired the Newcastle Herald to launch its Shine The Light campaign, calling for a royal commission.
Senior NSW detective Peter Fox spoke out at a Shine the Light forum, and subsequently appeared on the ABC's Lateline program to raise concerns about cover-ups in Newcastle-Maitland.
A royal commission
November 12, 2012
Prime minister Julia Gillard called a royal commission. Terms of reference and commissioners were selected. The commission was to sit for another five years.
tp://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-12-12/royal-commission-child-sexual-abuse-timeline/9222816
Hopefully these criminal pedophiles will be scrutinized world-wide and soon be required to all pay for their crimes on our children.
Please leave your comments for ideas to stamp out pedophilia in our churches and communities.
Sources:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deaths_in_2018
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_J._O%27Brien_(bishop)
https://allafrica.com/stories/201808250093.html
#childtrafficking #pedophelia #catholicpriests #childabuse #projectweepingangel