BishopAccountability.org
	Are Your Children Safe at Church Oped News May 24, 2011 http://www.opednews.com/populum/linkframe.php?linkid=132179 Many pedophiles don't have criminal records, either because they haven't been caught or haven't been prosecuted. The majority of churches and religious groups do not conduct background checks or take any steps to protect children against mistreatment. Children's advocate groups say not all background checks are equal and warn that religious groups are often targets for abusers. There is a $10 basic-level background check option that includes a national criminal and sex offender search. In a sampling of 900 churches and religious groups 11,277 background checks were conducted, 40% returned a hit, 21% or 2,320 returned records with felony offenses. Insurance companies recommend churches and religious groups conduct background checks but don't require such screening for coverage. Insurance and child advocate groups also urge background checks not only be conducted on newcomers but with existing staff and volunteers. Rick Schaber, risk control manager for the Merrill, Wis. based Church Mutual Insurance Co., the leading U.S. insurer of worship centers and religious organizations with nearly 100,000 customers, said, "We do understand there is an upfront cost but religious organizations are not struggling and bear a responsibility. … How do you look a parent in the eye if something does happen and you didn't take any steps to prevent it." Richard Dangel, president and CEO of the Arlington, Texas based Praesidium Inc., an abuse risk management-consulting firm, said his company conducts more than 100,000 background checks each year. "Less than 1 percent come back with a disqualifying offense which typically involves violence or a sexually related conviction," Dangel said. "It's so small because only about 3 percent of sex offenders have criminal backgrounds," Dangel said. "Offenders go to places where they think they can get in. So while doing criminal background checks is prudent and thoughtful and responsible, it's not the end-all. It's a piece of the puzzle." He said, "training staff and members at church and religious groups to recognize potential abuse before it happens is far more critical than background checks. If you don'tteach people how to spot warning signs and if you don't teach them how offenders infiltrate churches… then they don't know when they're hit. They don't know until they've already got victims." Until, churches are willing to conduct background checks and train personnel to spot "warning signs", children are not safe at church. Please, remove your children immediately. They are in grave danger. A 270-page report published the church's handling of 100 allegations of abuse against 21 priests. The investigation found that for 20 years church leaders did not expel priests against whom abuse allegations were made but simply transferred them to a different diocese so they would be able to or did re-offend. Here is a sampling of that report: · Cardinal Roger M. Mahoney allowed priest Michael Baker, to remain in ministry even after he told the cardinal in 1986 that he had molested children. · Cardinal Mahoney of Los Angeles supervised Bishop Oliver Frances O'Grady when he became Bishop of Stockton in 1980. Mahoney testified that he never saw O'Grady's letter of apology for molesting a boy in the priest's file, but when molestation charges were brought against O'Grady, he was moved to a parish in San Andreas where he was promoted to pastor. · Cardinal Mahoney has long fought to keep files from prosecutors and the public citing the church's constitutional rights and other privileges. Even the national review board appointed by U.S. Bishops slammed Mahoney for withholding church records from courts seeking justice for victims. · Cardinal Bernard Law knowingly transferred priests with histories of molesting children to numerous parishes, The Boston Archdiocese settled with 552 child victims who were molested by priests. · Father Michael Wempe, age 65, is awaiting trial on criminal charges of molestation from 1990 to 1995 while he was a chaplain at Cedar-Sinai Medical Center. Wempe is also charged with 42counts of molesting 13 boys from 1977 to 1986. Cardinal Mahoney was aware of abuse allegations against Wempe when he transferred him to the hospital. · Siegfried Widera, priest in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, was convicted of child molestation in Wisconsin in 1973 but was later sent to work at a parish in Orange County. · Anthony Edward Rodrigue, also known as "Fr. Tony", was ordained in 1962. Though registered as a sex offender in 1980, he wasn't removed from the priesthood until 1992. He admitted in a lie detector test that he sexually abused 4 to 5 young boys a year while he was a priest. Rodrigue was finally sentenced to prison for one offense despite admitting that he abused over a hundred children. He served 8 1/2 years of his 10-year sentence. Rodrigue has been released and moved back to San Bernardino County were he was a priest. The Catholic Church says they are not responsible to warn people of his release, since he is no longer a priest. During Rodrigue's priesthood he was transferred and shielded by brother bishops enabling him to abuse innocent kids time and time again. Rodrigue was asked by other priests to request re-assignment after abuse was reported but they failed to report him to civil authorities. · Priest Michael Baker molested boys as young as five to seven years of age and was transferred to other dioceses to protect him from criminal prosecution. · L.A. Catholic school Dean, John Joseph Malburg, son of Vernon Mayor Leonis Malburg, has pleaded not guilty to numerous counts of child sexual abuse, lewd acts and making a video tape of a minor engaged in sex acts which was available to be sold. · Roger M. Mahoney ignored 3 complaints against Lynn Caffoe – one by a nun, the second by an anonymous caller, and the third by a pastor. A sex tape with "improper behavior" of high school boys was found in the possession of the priest before he was put on inactive leave. · Father Gary Wolken was sentenced to 15 years in prison for multiple counts of statutory sodomy and child molestation. He pleaded guilty in 2003 but is still a priest. · There are 544 sexual assault cases against the Los Angeles Archdiocese. · The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is to compensate 132 victims of clergy sexual abuse. · The Roman Catholic Diocese of Reno has been named in more than 150 sexual abuse cases. · Bishop Phillip Staling moved from Boston to the Diocese of San Bernardino in 1990 and is charged in 150 molestations of young boys. · Joseph Lundowski, a volunteer missionary who served the parish from 1968 to 1975, abused 85 Alaska natives as children. · Fr. Fernand Lopez, was arrested in October for sexually molesting multiple victims. Rev. Fernando Lopez pleaded not guilty to 4 counts of felony lewd contact with a child- a felony count of sexual battery by restraint, two misdemeanor counts of child molestation and one misdemeanor count of sexual battery. (L.A. Times 2007) All across the U.S., every state, every town, spanning around the globe, the church has not done one single thing to help any of the victims. Settlements were only won after years and years of litigation and the church forced victims to relive their horrors over and over again on the witness stand. Rather than helping the victims or ensuring justice or even from keeping these priests from re offending, the church has, and still is, with holding church records and protecting the guilty. Ten Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse remain in parish ministry: Msgr. Richard A. Loomis, head of clergy who oversaw misconduct allegations against Msgr. Patrick Reilly of Burbank, Father Michael J. Carroll, Father Sean Cronin of Northridge, Father Walter Fernando of Pasadena, Father Richard Martini in L.A. and Father Samuel Orellana, also in L.A. (some names were redacted by court records) So I ask all good Christians and Catholics to explain how we can ask the church to absolve us of our sins when their sin is greater. How can we ask the church to remove a splinter from our eye when they have a 2×4 in their eye? For which sins do we, the congregation, owe penance – smoking, drinking, extra marital affairs? Did you know that even though Cain killed Abel, God forgave him? So, I say to you, even if you have murdered your own brother in cold blood, God wills forgive you Go and sin no more. Live in peace. But to the churches, which won't even admit their own crimes and ,indeed, try to hide their own sins ,for them there will be no forgiveness. There are only two sins in the Bible that are unforgivable. Jesus says it would have been better for you to never have been born (because of the punishment that awaits you). Mark 11:16 "You have turned my fathers house into a den of robbers." (NIV) It is not necessary to seek God out in buildings of stone or brick, buildings that were made by man, for God is everywhere. The priests are guiltier than you. May the truth set you free. Your sins are forgiven. Go now, leave the church and sin no more.
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