There are prima facie credible allegations that a deceased priest abused minors, the Church knew about it, had made no enquiry, had not informed the police, and now refuses to comment.
Oops! No, sorry, the story is not about a priest, but a TV celebrity, and not about the Church, but the BBC.
So that's all right then. Nothing to see here. No hostile interviews. Please move on. Instead you can read a glowing obituary of Jimmy Savile at the BBC website.
See Guido Fawkes: Did the BBC Fix It For Jim? Awkward Questions for Director General Mark Thompson
See also Daily Telegraph: BBC 'buried Savile sex abuse claims to save its reputation’
The celebrity in question took part in Church events involving children, notably at Lourdes. Perhaps the Bishops might ask the BBC why they were not informed about the possibility of his being a risk to minors. Imagine the furore if the Church had supplied a priest for a children's programme on the BBC and failed to communicate a reasonable safeguarding concern.
In other news: The Holy See has held a major conference in which recommendations have been made for action to be taken against Bishops who do not act correctly in safeguarding children.
13 comments:
Yes, the double standards of the secularists are pretty breathtaking.
I suppose to keep us vigilant though, priests and religious do have a higher standard - they have the care of souls.
Yes, of course. We should have much higher standards. I am encouraged by the Vatican conference which seems to be doing the right thing. I wonder if it will be given credit by the BBC.
Oh, I thought it was Michael Jackson.
Nothing new there, then! Have you seen the report that the BBC will have to apologise over other matters? It is in today's The Independent
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/media/tv-radio/bbc-to-issue-global-apology-for-documentaries-that-broke-rules-6719997.html
In the comments on the case it is said that he went to Mass several times a week, but I do not know whether that means he was Catholic
It is said in the comments of the Telegraph article that he went to Mass several times a week
He was also a Papal knight. Make of that what you will.
I'm just curious as to what these higher standards are supposed to be.
Aren't television producers and music figures held to fairly high standards of personal conduct, or should we look to mailmen or the military?
Is there an actual acceptable instance of abuse cases?
The factoid insistence by many civilians commenting on this fiasco is that when you point out that there's a lot more abuse outside of the Church, particularly in the entertainment industry and among politicians, they insist that the Church should be held to a higher standard.
What about the actual point that sex abuse in the Catholic Church is rare?
What's so hard about that to understand? The Church does set a higher standard. Not that it's not hard to do when you consider the inexorably low bar that's set for the rest of society by show-business and political "culture".
The Church was right to refuse actors burial on hallowed ground. Perhaps we should revisit those restrictions?
Jan
He was a Catholic. The issue is whether the BBC apply the same standards to itself that it demands from others. Did the BBC fail in its duty to protect vulnerable people from a sexual predator? If it did,we should know.
Meanwhile the media is rehabilitating Chris Langham after his child porn conviction: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chris_Langham#Post-release having already done the same for Pete "It Was Academic Research" Townsend. Not forgetting the child rapist Roman "It Wasn't Like, Rape, Rape" Polanski.
This is not Whataboutery from me. Personally I think anyone who does this sort of thing should punished to the full extent the law, priest or lay, Catholic or not, and people who hide them, bishops or yhe like should likewise face the consequences. My Lord had a more stern punishment in mind involving millstones and the sea.
On the same topic does anyone know if Geoffrey Roberstson, Richard Dawkins or Johann Hari have been calling for the BBC to face the European Criminal Court?
Anyone? Bueller? Bueller?
There was a big scandal in Austria recently involving the Socialist Democratic Party, where they were using a girl's orphanage as a brothel.
Not one peep out of the media, but when it comes to Catholic orphanages run by the Catholic Church in Ireland, well, if sister has a bad day and gets overzealous with the paddle, you're sure to hear about it and nothing else.
@Father Finigan
Every case of child abuse is important, and there can be no room for cover up, or the suffering is allowed to continue and the issue of compensation is not addressed.
Lessons must be learned from wherever evidence of these terrible crimes is discovered.
I think Christ's words Matthew 18.6 apply across the board on this subject whatever job/profession the beast hides behind... But if anyone causes one of these little ones who believe in me to sin, it would be better for him to have a large millstone hung around his neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea.
Our Lady of the Rosary pray for us!
PAPA VERO ORA PRO NOBIS!
Father, a bit off-topic, but I have tagged you in a meme:
http://ccfather.blogspot.com/2012/02/macs-meme.html
I hope you enjoy it.
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