Elite Olympic gymnasts made it clear: It isn't enough to put away the doctor who molested them. Those who enabled the molester by ignoring/mishandling abuse reports need to be held accountable as well. Senators and the FBI director agreed. If only Bishop Michael Fisher could grasp this concept as well.
In the midst of this catastrophic situation of the Diocese of Buffalo–brought on by our bishops–you’d think the very laity specifically chosen by our bishops to advise them would be open to humbly reassess their ministry, challenge their previous assumptions about these men, knock off that obsequious deference to those guys and hold them accountable. Such laity are not above scrutiny, especially when our safety is at stake and lives and souls have been destroyed. Time to have that adult conversation. That's what this national podcast attempts.
Clericalism- a form of elitism. A sense of belonging to a separate class of persons marked by privilege, deference and power. Bishop Michael Fisher continues to do nothing about the credible allegation that this auxiliary bishop threatened a seminarian to keep him from reporting sex abuse suffered at the hands of a priest. There's been NO investigation into that allegation made by the victim back in 2019. Want to know why? Keep reading.
“...who mislead and scatter the flock of my pasture, says the Lord...You have not cared for them, but I will take care to punish your evil deeds.” This First Reading from today’s Liturgy, Sixteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time, (Jer. 23) reminds us that God will take care of business. In this we can be sure.… Continue reading Woe to the shepherds
In 2004, a 23-year-old seminarian wrote to vice chancellor Monsignor David LiPuma asking for help concerning sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of a diocesan priest--help he never received. So, I have written a letter. It's a letter not just to the monsignor's superiors, but ultimately to him personally...for the salvation of his soul. No matter what happens with his career, we pray that Monsignor David LiPuma will at the very least own up to the harm he inflicted upon the seminarian and others while operating as an officer of the Diocese of Buffalo and repent. (To access the letter, click title above)
We look at three women who held influential positions in diocesan chanceries--two in Buffalo. They are living proof that women are not the silver bullet to keeping us safe. Reduced to two choices in their positions, they can play the game and stay, or they can act on their moral conscience and leave. A bishop is not necessarily going to be persuaded by whatever they bring to the table. It sure didn't work in Buffalo. (Click title above to read more...)
“Our founder, Jesus Christ, taught us ‘the Truth will set you free.’ Why are we hiding? Why are we lying about the truth?” He projected the harrowing reaction that overcame him when he finally realized, “It’s simply to protect predators like McCarrick, monsters like other predators around. We hide them and shelter them, and that’s the reason for the lie. And it’s so contrary to what we are about in the Church," he said. "If the bishops, the shepherds, are going to such an extent to lie about such horrible things, how do you expect them to care for the faithful, for their souls to be nourished, for salvation, if they lie about and hide and protect child rapists? We need to sometimes wake up and realize, they’re not just lying about McCarrick; they have been lying the last 30 to 40 years about what’s been going on.” (Click title to read more...)
A parish council stepped up to the plate to do the right thing. A small but significant step by laity to share in the co-responsibility of directing the Diocese of Buffalo toward Truth & healing for survivors. We were groomed to accept DOB narratives for too long. Time to take back our Church. Check out this WKBW-TV report from Charlie Specht. (Click title to read more...)
Bishop Michael Fisher's claim, “I want to be about accountability and transparency,” rings hollow. Without professional accountability for the officials we trusted to protect us, any hope of “renewal” for our diocese mired in this endless clergy sexual abuse crisis is impossible. And this crisis is here to stay as long as the bishop continues to appoint in leadership positions officials who have compromised their integrity by participating in orchestrated coverups of up clergy sexual abuse allegations. Such recent appointments of diocesan leaders only reveal a perverse continuation of the corrupt culture that promotes/protects the very officials who were complicit in enabling the crisis. (Click title to read more...)
No disrespect to the task force that said it did an “extensive examination” of the diocese, but the greatest threat to the Church is the toxic culture spawned by our leaders who created a system that ravaged lives and souls of innocent human beings. It is this very culture which enabled the clergy sexual abuse crisis to flourish in the first place. And guess what? That toxic culture is left UNTOUCHED in the proposed recommendations for diocesan renewal we were just handed. (Click title above to read more...)
