Hi Loudmouth

DUH I meant to say Senator Peris. I watch (or tape) question time in Upper House and Senate - daily.

Always interesting.

No worries, Saints :)

To get back to topic, sort of, can anybody doubt that the Child Sex Abuse commissioners currently politely questioning Cardinal "Big Man" Pell would have to be extremely careful to avoid the slightest suspicion of passion, involvement, subjective interpretation and bias ?

Thankfully, we out here in the non-responsible world of cyberspace, aren't so restricted. Perhaps I'm completely alone on this thread in suggesting that anybody working with children should be routinely under surveillance by colleagues and parents for the slightest sign of impropriety.

I taught for only a year, but (perhaps I'm retro-remembering, as happens with all oral memory) tried to be vigilant, and certainly conscious, of the need to keep a distance from kids, never to be alone with a child in the classroom without the door wide open and some physical distance between us, not to touch children, etc. Sometimes a kid might come up in the playground and suddenly hug you, which, with 1.3-metre kids, can be embarrassing, with their head in your crotch. But you find ways to avoid that.

Or should do. And so it should be for priests, social workers, carers, etc., who might work with children, especially one-to-one. Surely fellow-workers are keeping an eye on each other for that sort of behaviour ? Surely parents as well ? Doesn't the Catholic Church have anything like parents' committees ?

I absolutely can't believe that Pell didn't know, or suspect, almost from the outset, even from his own observations of over-familiarity, that nothing ever, ever, was going on. 'Coaches' horsing around with boys in the change rooms ? In the pool ? Oops, that's getting a bit close to Pell himself, I apologise in advance, just in case he is innocent of any such behaviour.

Now we see him trying to pass the buck onto an 86-year-old, very sick, 'colleague' - who may be guilty as hell, but no less than others closer to Pell.

No wonder commissioners have to stay squeaky-clean, and stick to the evidence before them. But hopefully, never to sweep it under the carpet again.

Joe

Hi Loudmouth

Will come back to you later tonight with response to your post.

Am still watching today's evidence by Cardinal Pell.

Hi Loudmouth

Agree with your comments, however listening and watching Cardinal Pell’s evidence I believe he was certainly extremely well briefed to stay on point from 2nd day onwards.

I found him most – cold, and still certainly don’t believe he wasn’t aware – even as a junior priest – in the 70’s that abuse was going on among members of the clergy, such abuse which continued throughout his career to appointment as Cardinal – and beyond. That's my opinion.

Telegraph 4/3/ - “A St Patricks College student complained to him (Pell) in 1974 that priest Ted Dowlan was “misbehaving with boys”.

Cardinal Pell confessed he did nothing with the “very serious” allegation.

It was only after a rebuke from Commissioner Peter McClellan, who suggested he should have told school authorities or the police, that Cardinal Pell conceded he had erred in not raising the alarm.

By way of explanation, the third most powerful Catholic in the world and current Vatican treasurer said, “People had a different attitude then. There was no specifics about the activity, how serious it was – and the boy wasn’t asking me to do anything about it, just lamenting and mentioning it”. (end of article)

I would have thought a young boy feeling compelled to tell “someone in charge” about a priest abusing students should have sent a warning “red flag” to Pell – but no. Nothing to see here. Pell let this young boy (and many others) down.

Pell states “that attitudes were different then”. No Cardinal Pell – rape and abuse of any child by anyone is just as disgusting and abhorrent then - as it is to all decent human beings today.

No child asked to be born, as such no one has any right to rape or abuse any child!
Cont'd

Cont'd

The cover up was so extensive and continued for decades.

Pell’s was asked what changes could/should be made within the Catholic Church in order to protect children, he quoted the need to look at rules of Canon Law and the Testament etc, etc.

In other words, don't hold your breath for solutions any time soon.

Pell states now he believes his accompanying Ridsdale to Court was an error on his part!

Gee, for the third most powerful Catholic in the World – he certainly not the “sharpest tool in the shed”.

Daily Telegraph – 3/3/ - Seven More Boys Assaulted

“A Christian Brother has pleaded guilty to indecently assaulting seven boys more than 30 years ago.

William Peter Standen, 66, pleaded guilty in Sydney District Court yesterday to seven counts of indecent assault committed between 1978 and 1981, when he was a boarding house master at a private school in Goulburn.

He had been due to go on trial this week but will now face a sentence hearing on April 15. Standen pleaded guilty last year to similar offences against 11 other boys.” (End of article)

I applaud the brave Ballarat child abuse survivors and supporters travelling to Rome to witness Pell’s evidence.

I hope other children who were abused by anyone in the past, whether it be by members of the Catholic Church, Anglican Church, Salvation Army or any other institution/s will now have the courage to stand up, come forward and report that abuse to Police.

Some have lived their lives “filled with shame” as victims of abuse in the belief it was somehow their fault - well, it wasn’t.

These innocent children were abused by deviant, calculating, child predators.

Hi Saints,

Power. Power over children. power to do what you like with nobody watching. Catholics. C of E. State-employed social workers. Etc. Etc. Power.

So what are the churches doing, now, this moment, about changing the procedures so that any complaint from a child, any charge, is immediately referred to police ? Perhaps with a mandatory copy of charges to be sent to head office ?

1. Clearly, Catholic priests should have the right to get married, then they can have sexual relations to their hearts' content, and leave little boys and girls alone

2. Anybody with oversight over children should never been in a position of being sequestered alone with children, in situations where nobody else could have the chance of observation;

3. Children's claims should be treated as bona fide, and investigated as much and as quickly as possible, not swept aside, BUT if no evidence is produced, that's it. Somebody's reputation is already probably trashed.

Yes, we all have some story of a girl (or boy) in high school accusing a teacher, etc., but even there, there would have to be some evidence. Negotiating life is hard enough.

Joe