Let me be perfectly clear: the two situations are not precisely parallel, because the sexual abuse of young men went on under the noses of the responsible officials at Penn State University, who studiously ignored bringing the abuser to account, or reporting him to the police. In contrast, and at least as far as we now know, Father Bede Parry did not commit any sexual abuse of minors under the nose of Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori.
But there — with one big exception, as I note below — the dissimilarities between the two cases end. For it is now undisputed that Bishop Jefferts Schori learned early on, from Bede Parry’s own former Abbot, that he was a multiple-count abuser who could not continue to function as a Catholic priest (or monk) because he had “a proclivity to reoffend with minors.” And she learned of this fact before she decided to receive him into her Diocese as an Episcopal priest.
Therein lies the chief similarity between the two cases: Both the officials at Penn State University and at the Diocese of Nevada (including its Standing Committee at the time, and its Commission on Ministry, as well as its Bishop) made an apparent decision to ignore the offender’s history, and to place (or leave) him in a position where he would be free to continue his abuses, if he was so inclined (notwithstanding supposed “restrictions” on his ministry, which were soon forgotten altogether).
The chief dissimilarity between the two cases, however, lies in seeing how the two institutions reacted to the news of this decision to hire (or to retain) a self-convicted pederast, once the news of that decision became public.
[i]The Church, acting through its own disciplinary bodies, should inhibit its Presiding Bishop from further exercise of her office and functions until she has made a clean breast of all the factors surrounding her decision to receive Bede Parry[/i]
Many of us commented on a similar story last week on SF. The call to action seems proper, but again we have to wonder: who will do this?
No doubt someone has sent a report to Bp. Henderson’s Commission, but will something follow? Will the HOB take action? Who within HOB will lead the charge? Can the Executive Committee of TEC take action? Will they?
This could be as much a defiining moment for TEC as was the consecretion of Bp. Robinson.
Capt,
I’m not holding my breath on this. I anticipate that the temperature of the nether regions will dip below 32F before anyone has the courage to bell this cat.
Yeah sophy0075, I don’t even think absolute zero will be cold enough for this!
If Bp Henderson even gets the case, it’ll get deep sixed. He is too busy working on the Bishop Lawrence complaint to deal with the problem of child predators in the church.
As I read this article, if an individual makes a complaint to Bishop Matthews about this, that individual will eventually receive a response from Bishop Matthews telling him or her what has been done about the complaint — and if it is a decision to drop it without going further, then that individual may appeal from the decision, and require more of the disciplinary bishops to get involved, and similarly to make a written decision which will be sent to the individual.
So I think the point of this post is that if enough individuals send in their complaints, the disciplinary authorities will have to make their reasons for acting or not acting, as the case may be, known to a whole lot of people — and the new Canons will thereby be put to a public test which will make a useful parallel to how the same authorities decide to proceed in the +Lawrence case.
Either the canons apply to [b]all clergy[/b], or they don’t. If they do, then they should be applied fairly and impartially…..and [b]no one[/b] should get off because they hold a high position in TEC. [b]NO ONE![/b]
Cennydd13, I understand your tone of outrage and it’s justifiable. But, as you know, the canons are not applied fairly and impartially. Anyone who thinks the Presiding Bishop will face censure of any kind is dreaming. I say this as someone who has dreamed, as you seem to, and is now awake to the truth. AlfredNorth, there are no “disciplinary authorities.” Are you pulling our legs? There are only crones of the episcopal elite. They will do, or not do, as they please. This is your Christian episcopal church.
I have written twice to 815 requesting the Bp Shori matter be sent to the disciplinary committee and requesting an acknowlegement of my request and have received no response. Is that surprising? I don’t think so. That’s why I fired her as my spiritual advisor several years ago. I actually got a response then.
6,7,8, the one thing you can always count on about Absolute Power, is that it corrupts Absolutely.
And this is precisely what we are seeing in The Episcopal Church. There is no longer any pretense of any sort, it is, what it is.
That is why I said above, this may be a defining moment for the Church as was the consecretion of Robinson. Either we will continue to muddle along, sinking further into the stinking mess that has been created for power; or a magnanimous hero–someone with the guts, someone in a high position, and someone who retains spiritual integrity, will stand up and take on the power structure to begin the process of cleaning things up and out.
Which way will it be?
Yes, Captain, it is a defining moment indeed, a crucial fork in the road, but my expectations are very low.
As always, the Curmudgeon is as lucid and compelling as can be. Making use of the contrast with the horrible Penn State case is a splendid and timely move. But another illuminating (or discouraging) contrast is provided by how the PB acted to inhibit +Bennison, supposedly for failing to take action against his brother when he was abusing a young woman in his parish back in CA, despite the statute of limitations, etc. The Bede Parry scandal is even worse, for he was a serial offender with multiple victims (not just one), and his abuse was not confined to so distant a past, and yet the PB may well get off scott free.
As far as I’m concerned, it’s simply Exhibit Z that the blind and deluded leaders of TEC have totally fallen into the trap that “the end justifies the means.” So everything, or everyone, promoting the all-holy cause of “social justice” for an oppressed minority, the LGBT segment of society is pardoned of all transgressions committed in the service of that supremely noble cause (sic). The utter lack of concern for real justice on the part of the ardent advocates of social justice is just astonishing.
Counselor Haley has belted another homerun right out of the park.
David Handy+
I thank God every single day that I am no longer an Episcopalian; I couldn’t stand the public embarrassment if any of my friends and acquaintances knew that I was!
That’s right…no point being constrained by the beatitudes!