Two Catholic priests defrocked: CNN

[physioex]

PHOENIX, Arizona (AP) -- Two Roman Catholic priests in the Tucson diocese who were suspended years ago because of sexual abuse allegations have been removed from the priesthood, church officials said Thursday.

The priests, Robert Trupia and Michael Teta, can no longer perform church ceremonies, wear clerical garb or identify themselves by any church title, said Fred Allison, a diocese spokesman. The church also will stop its financial support of the men.

Previously, the men did not work as priests but were allowed to keep the title.

<snip>

http://www.cnn.com/2004/US/Southwest/08/05/church.abuse.ap/index.html
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And we are then ones that don't value the sanctity of life......

[TXDemGal]

1. But, but, but...the Pope said feminism is

BAAAAD!

[physioex]

2. Hmmm 184 posts in 2 years...

You aren't very active are you.... :)

[TXDemGal]

5. I lurk a lot

and I'm shy. ;-)

[monarch]

12. Some people have way too many posts!

I've been here almost every day since the first couple of months that this site was in existence and I try not to post nonsense. Frankly, I judge the sincerity of a poster by the post itself and I think that people who post gratuitous slams should find something more productive to do with their time.

[physioex]

24. Hmmm...

Sounds like a case of the pot calling the kettle black....

[monarch]

29. Not really

You attacked a poster simply because of the low number of posts. In response to your irrelevant comment, I offered my observation that high post counts do not mean much.

[DEMonstate]

25. Hate to make your point..but...BINGO!

[TahitiNut]

27. Well, keep trying.

:evilgrin:

Just for grins, see if you can begin to contemplate how many posts someone racks up when they moderate this forum. (I can probably assure you that whatever you come up with will be an underestimate.)

[wickywom]

20. some of us lurkers...

come here for the info not social interaction--
Besides why say anything when there are others who say it better- faster.
you should thank us for staying quiet.
I know quite a few very intelligent folks who won't use this site because of the maturity level of some of it's members.

[The Backlash Cometh]

11. The guy's last name was Teta.

So you can track his problems back to a woman, I'm sure.

[The Zanti Regent]

14. Take the Pope off of Welfare!

When the K of C gives "I-MADE-MY-15-YEAR-OLD-MISTRESS-GET-AN-ABORTION" President Asshole a standing Ovation for being "Pro Life", the Party's over.

Time to balance the budget by taxing all churches!

[demoman123]

3. This is the first time I have heard of defrocking for paedophilia.

The article says, "At least a few other priests have been defrocked since the abuse crisis erupted in 2002," which is rather vague.

Have there been any other cases? Does anyone know how many?

[saigon68]

4. They are waiting for them to die

They hardly do anything

On the other hand they welcome THE CHIMPANZEE to their conventions and shout 4 more years as they try to convince their members to vote for the "GODLY MEN" who oppose abortion.

This criminal cabal does not need A TAX EXEMPTION.

[Maeve]

15. They are usually handled quietly

Columbus diocese has had three that I know of and I don't follow such things closely. What makes the paper is the original story and the removal from duty. The defrocking takes a bit more time and is a lesser story, from a journalistic perpective.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

17. This is what I don't understand.

Why aren't these "priests" in jail? I'm not Catholic, and maybe I'm missing something, but if I found out my child was being molested by a priest or whoever I would want them under the jail. Why aren't the parents going to law enforcement, attorneys, and the like?

So they got defrocked...big deal. They lost their job. I didn't read anything about jail time.

Can somebody please exlain this to me?

[msanthrope]

21. I think I can give you a partial explanation....

I worked for a law firm that was quite successful suing the Diocese of Baltimore. The majority of families who came in described how when they finally ferreted out the truth from their kids, the last thing they wanted to do was betray the Church.

You see, most of these families beleived that the Holy Mother Church would not condone, or in any way, shape or form countenance such behavior. With perfect confidence in their Church, they took their problems to the Church authorities, who, by and large, promised that the matter would be dealt with, and who suggested that their kids would be traumatized by any police action.

You see, these families didn't want to embarass the Church, and they didn't want to put their kids through more. Often, frankly, the priest picked on the most needy, fragile, and sometimes, the most troublesome kids--not very good witnesses.

So these kids and their families have been victimized twice--and now you can understand why they are such vengeful plantiffs.

[yankeeinlouisiana]

23. Thanks for the explaination.

It makes sense, but it was the Church who betrayed them first. It's just all so very sad. Maybe I'm just more vendictive then they are?

[DoYouEverWonder]

6. Defrocked?

How about sending these bastards to jail?

[demoman123]

7. Them too.

Put the war criminals in with the paedophiles.

[KansDem]

19. And don't forget to have them register as "sex offenders"

with the local police of the community in which they're residing.

[Bridget Burke]

8. You can't send somebody to jail if no criminal charges have been made.

Complaints were made to Church authorities--which were not handled well.

Now, lawsuits are pending. The offended parties will end up getting some money while avoiding the embarrassment of dealing with the police. Unfortunately, that's the only way to put somebody in jail.

[saigon68]

9. More than $5 BILLION DOLLARS $5,000,000,000.00

Paid out to children, sodomized, raped and fondled by these MEN OF GOD

[demoman123]

10. Church officials should have turned these priests in to the cops...

as soon as they knew that a crime had been committed. That is both a legal and a moral duty.

[Bridget Burke]

16. Of course. But why didn't the parents do it?

They wanted to avoid embarrassing questions. And get some money.

Why didn't they take the only steps that could actually get the guys off the streets?

[yankeeinlouisiana]

18. Exactly! Why didn't the parents go to

the police? I can understand there are some cases that the parents didn't find out until after the statutes (sp?) of limitation ran out, but with all of these cases, there has to be some cases within the timeframe of limitations.

I'm sorry, but if this happened to my child, it would take all of my being not to rip the idiots heart out!

[SemperEadem]

26. guilt and pressure not to make waves

chances are, if they did push this further than what the church hierarchy told them, they would be ostracized in their parish by the other families who would not be able to bring themselves to believe that any priest serving at their church in their parish would do such a thing to a child. That kind of stuff only happens in bad neighborhoods to bad people with bad children, not to them. How dare anyone destroy the ideal they've built around their church!!!

Many people aren't strong enough to tell jerks like this to go eff themselves, even if it's their child who has been injured.

[demoman123]

22. Right. So I guess that excuses the church hierarchy, huh?

For transferring known pedophiles from one parish to another, time after time, allowing them to prey on more kids.

[smirkymonkey]

30. I'd like to see them in the chair...

a little poetic justice for their crimes.

[leftchick]

13. do they still get to take communion?

as long as they are still "pro-life", no doubt they will... :grr:

[Catt03]

28. My point also

I bet they do too.

I don;t even want to start on this. Makes me crazy.