Mom of two abused boys: Archdiocese is trying to blame me

[trotsky]

http://www.startribune.com/local/minneapolis/246985491.html

The mother of two boys sexually abused by the Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer contends that the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis is blaming her for not protecting her sons from the priest and has reneged on promises to help her family deal with the trauma.

“The burden this has placed on my family and the devastation … is insurmountable,” the mother said in an interview last week with the Star Tribune. “It really cut deep when they blamed it on me.”

...

The family’s lawsuit cites a May 2011 memo by former vicar general Kevin McDonough recommending against disclosing 2004 and 2009 police reports describing Wehmeyer’s approaches to young men.

“It’s bloodcurdling to me they had the opportunity to stop this man dead in his tracks before he harmed any of my children,” the mother said.

Absolutely disgusting.

[skepticscott]

1. I'm sure the Wonder Pope will be stepping right in

to correct this despicable injustice, right? I'm sure at least that all of Frank's apologists and defenders are cautiously optimistic, and hoping and praying that he'll do the right thing. Or else they're just Googling their little heads off to try to find some way to blame the family too. Or telling us that it's "complex" and that change is "glacial" and takes time. But nothing in the world is stopping the pope from speaking and acting to correct this kind of filth. He simply chooses to be blind to it and let it continue, while he goes out and hugs poor people.

[rbixby]

2. I heard about this on MPR this morning

and its just horrifying. The archdiocese is all about blaming the media for bringing this to light, which generally indicates that they're more mad that they got caught than upset about what actually happened. Minnesota Public Radio has been doing a great job of brining this stuff to light lately, I think they were the first media source to really start digging into this whole scandal, its been in the news there for months.

[gtar100]

3. How is it the Church can't seem to fathom that if they legitimately worked at eradicating

pedophiles from their ranks, they would have a lot more respect and support from people. What are they afraid might happen? I just don't get how they think it's in their own best interests to try and hide this away. It shows me that when the really difficult issues come up, they actually don't believe in the teachings of Jesus.

[CoffeeCat]

6. The Catholic Church is a nest of pedophiles...

When Ratz was Pope, there were documents from him, revealing that he knew about the
child sex abuse--and that cases were being reported nonstop. He wrote a memo that said
to keep it quiet to protect the organization.

Who in the hell protects pedophiles?

Can you imagine the CEO of an insurance company or a clothing company--allowing pedophiles
to abuse children and cover up the crimes--and allow active pedophile to find more victims within
the organization?

It's insane.

The only people who do these things--are pedophiles. The hierarchy of the Catholic Church is evil
and corrupt. Many priests, and many who sit in the pews are not evil nor are they pedophile enablers. However, they are complete sheep for believing in this organization and it's blatant rape of children that has been happening for decades.

They actually covered up for these pedophiles and moved them around to cover up the crimes--and they knowingly gave a gift to these priests--a whole new group of unsuspecting parishioners and child victims.

It's so sick--it's beyond belief.

[temporary311]

16. I wouldn't be surprised if

the reason a lot of the higher ups cover up for the pedophiles is because many of them are pedophiles as well. It's the only explanation that makes any real sense to me.

[Goblinmonger]

4. Stay classy, RCC.

And people wonder why many of us can't take them seriously.

[CoffeeCat]

5. The Catholic Church did this to my brother in law

My brother in law was molested by a priest. He came forward and
told the Catholic Church--the church where this priest worked--that
he had been molested as a child.

They refused to believe him. They refused to do anything.

So, my brother-in-law went to the local press. They printed a very
long story. Other victims of this priest came forward. A trial ensued.

During the trail--the Catholic Church put my BIL on the stand and accused him
of not reporting the sexual abuse that was perpetrated against him as a child.

You see, my brother in law is a doctor. By law, doctors are mandatory reporters.
Doctors break the law when they fail to report child sexual abuse. So, the church
was arguing that my brother in law was a horrible, irresponsible person and that
he violated laws--when he didn't report his own child sex abuse earlier.

Also, the Catholic Church put my brother-in-law's wife on the stand. My BIL hid
the sex crimes perpetrated against him--because he was terrorized into silence
by the priest pedophile. He never told anyone, not even his wife. The Catholic
Church put my sister in law on the stand and when she admitted that my brother
in law didn't ever disclose the abuse to his own wife--the Church said this was evidence
that my brother in law was lying about these allegations against the priest.

This is what these evil bastards do. Our family lived it.

Oh, and by the way--as the trail continued, the priest finally admitted that he had indeed molested
the boys that came forward as adults. The priest wrote my BIL a letter of apology, admitting
what he had done--but not before this sick, disgusting pedophile-enabling organization
raked this victim and his family over the coals--hoping they'd break and just give up.

[rug]

7. Were the lawyers who put them on the stand priests?

Is the ABA also a sick, disgusting pedophile-enabling organization ?

[Humanist_Activist]

13. I have a question for you, which is more important, protecting children, or the Church? n/t

[rug]

14. The former, obviously. Now maybe you'd like to answer the two questions I posed.

[Warren Stupidity]

19. why? you refuse to answer other people's questions of you. And here you are demanding answers

while defending your church's abhorrent behavior.

[rug]

23. Oh, there you are. Why don't you take a stab at answering?

Or do you prefer to simply to discuss people? I thought you had a place to do that.

[Warren Stupidity]

30. case in point.

[edhopper]

17. That is a loathsome defense of your Church

even for you.
Have you even asked yourself why the Church is defending these Priest at the expense of the victims.

[rug]

20. Bullshit.

What is loathsome is taking a sleazy legal tactic and offering it as decisive proof of a "sick, disgusting pedophile-enabling organization".

It is as dishonest as it is transparent.

But it's an exercise you are more than willing to wallow in.

I would like to say it is low "even for you" but that would be inaccurate.

[edhopper]

22. Have you no shame?

At long last, have you no sense of decency, sir?

And quoting another poster to attack me? Pathetic even for you.

[rug]

24. Have you a clue?

[edhopper]

25. Why don't you use another quote I didn't make

to disbarage me. Or can you ever admit when you are wrong?

[rug]

26. You do a fine job of disbaraging yourself.

[edhopper]

27. No sense of decency at all.

Sad really.

[rug]

28. I have enough decency to not exploit child sexual abuse for a pre-existing agenda.

And get off your high horse. You're no Joe Welch.

[Dorian Gray]

18. The Arch-Diocese

had a right to tell the lawyers not to defend them in that way.

It's horrendous.

[rug]

21. Frankly, I'd need to see more than an agenda-driven anecdote to see if this is what happened here.

Something more substantial, say a transcript or a filed motion.

[Dorian Gray]

29. That's fine

Look, I'm a church-going Roman Catholic who lives in Brooklyn. I love my parish. I love my pastor. I love my community. I believe in Holy Communion. There are realities in our diocese that disturb me, though. The lawsuits have led to a fiscal crisis in the Brooklyn-Queens Diocese, and the pragmatic priests in charge are business first, flock second. Bishop DiMarzio is more concerned with financial issues and protecting the organization, and his PR flacks do the same.

It's really disturbing and why I do NOT give to the annual Catholic appeal anymore. That money goes to Diocesan activities that I find abhorrent.

I'm actually pretty well connected in our diocese and know quite a few priests. Many of them are good men who care about the good of the people. There are others who care more about their positions in the ranks of the diocese and protecting church at all costs.

If that's going on in Brooklyn, it's going on elsewhere. I have no problem believing that council defended the actions of the church in this way. It's "good" defense. What is horrendous about it is that the church teaches us to find humility and grace, and then they attack the very people who suffered from their actions in court cases so that they can protect their own asses.

Yes, I do have a huge problem with this. As should all Catholic parishoners. The church needs to right the wrong it perpetrated on our society. That children were abused at the hands of priests is abhorrent. That many dioceses throughout the country and the Vatican colluded to hide and relocate those priests is abhorrent. The church needs to eat humble pie here.

[rug]

31. I don't disagree with any of that.

[Dorian Gray]

32. I just

wanted you to know I'm not coming from a combative "I hate Catholicism" place. I am not. There is good and evil within the church. I also, sadly, believe that the management of the abuse scandal by those in charge deserves a lot of criticism. I understand why people are angry, mistrustful, and, in some cases, hateful. I really hope that Pope Francis, the Cardinals and Bishops will UNREAP what was sown.

[rug]

33. There's no doubt in my mind about that. It goes back a long way as well.

What irks me is the cackling, faux righteousness and dishonest use of its many failings.

[Dorian Gray]

34. I get that too...

[skepticscott]

8. And yet there are still posters on this board

Alleged liberals, alleged progressives, alleged decent human beings, who will defend the RCC to the hilt over this and hurl accusations of anti-Catholic bigotry at anyone who won't "tolerate" it.

[trotsky]

9. Not to mention the dishonest tactic..

of noting that pedophilia happens everywhere, so it's unfair to single out the RCC. But no one is singling out the church for pedophilia. Instead what makes the RCC scandals so unique, and so damaging, is not just the pedophilia but the institutionalized coverup, and coordinated actions that protected the pedophiles and blamed their victims.

[CoffeeCat]

10. There is no other organization on earth...

…that has conspired in such a deliberate, orchestrated manner to cover up for pedophiles--and then place these pedophiles in positions of power where they would surely sexually abuse other children.

It's as if the catholic church was run by NAMBLA.

Anyone who sticks up for the church is an ignorant fool or just willfully turning a blind eye to the untold suffering of these victims. Either way, I have no use for people like that. They have no credibility. I'm certainly not going to spend one nanosecond arguing with such such a person.

[trotsky]

11. I'm with you on that.

I use DU's ignore feature for that very reason.

[skepticscott]

12. And on top of that

the fact that all of this filth is being perpetrated by an organization that claims to get its moral authority from god, and presumes to dictate that "morality" to the whole world, hubris that is not shared by any other organization under which pedophilia has occurred.

[rug]

15. Surely you can document that.

Don't interrupt your tirade to confuse it with countering bullshit.