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Bishops and Sexual Abuse Cases - Outside India

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Sunday, 28 February 2010

Bishop: Kissing pope’s ring was embarrassing

THE Bishop of Kerry has admitted he was embarrassed as he stooped to kiss Pope Benedict’s ring during the visit of the Irish bishops to the Vatican.

Dr Bill Murphy said he was surprised with the protocol but he followed his fellow bishops who bowed to kiss the papal ring.

"When it came to my turn, the person before me did it and I kissed his ring as well even though I was rather embarrassed by it," Bishop Murphy remarked.

He said when he previously met Pope Benedict and his predecessor, Pope John Paul II, he was greeted with a handshake.

Bishop Murphy said he was sure the pope would also have preferred to avoid the ancient kissing of the ring custom when he met the bishops in Rome.

"Some people still try to kiss a bishop’s ring but, obviously, it’s out of touch with modern thinking," Bishop Murphy stated.

The bishop, meanwhile, has rejected claims from abuse survivors that the meeting in Rome was nothing more than a charade.

He said the gathering was "very serious and significant" and he conceded the Catholic Church might have been at fault for not lowering the "exaggerated and unrealistic expectations" of the public in advance.

The bishop said he is confident that Pope Benedict will offer a very sincere and profound apology to abuse victims in a letter he expects will be received in Kerry within the next three weeks.

Bishop Murphy said the Irish bishops were shown a draft copy of the pope’s letter and had made several comments on it which will be taken into consideration by Pope Benedict as he finalises his letter.

Meanwhile, Kerry man John Prior, who was one of the main whistleblowers in the Church sex abuse scandal, has branded the Rome meeting "a junket and a smack in the face" for abuse survivors.

"I thought they had learned their lesson. I thought the Church had a great chance of survival but that has gone way back because people are sour about what happened," he told The Kingdom.

"It was glamorising the Church – it was like a catwalk. All they are doing is digging a deeper and deeper hole for themselves. It’s one big cover up after the next. It’s a catastrophe of the highest order," Tralee-based Mr Prior claimed.

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Sunday, 28 February 2010

Archbishop Dolan: No honors for pro-abortion Catholic politicians

Archbishop Timothy Dolan of New York has told a New York television station that pro-abortion Catholic politicians will not receive honors at events like the Al Smith dinner.

“Everybody's welcome,” said Archbishop Dolan. “There's a difference between being welcome and providing someone who is dramatically, radically, publicly at odds with the Church on a particularly given issue to have a place of prominence and receive an award.”

Commenting on the scandals surrounding New York Governor David Paterson - a pro-abortion Catholic -Archbishop Dolan added, “There's something to be said for our American way of doing things, that character, integrity, personality have something to say and that the American people expect their elected officers, and by the way their church leaders, so we are not immune to it either, to be people of integrity, of justice, of fairness and of good character.”
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Sunday, 28 February 2010

German priest resigns over sex abuse case

The resignation of a Catholic priest in Bavaria on Friday was the latest development in an ongoing child sex abuse scandal in the German Catholic Church.

A priest in southern Germany resigned on Friday for failing to report sexual abuse accusations in the latest development of a scandal rocking the Catholic Church in Germany.

Maurus Krass, prior and head of a monastic school in Ettal, Bavaria, resigned for not relaying to clerical authorities allegations of child sex abuse between 2003 and 2005.

He was the second to resign in three days after Barnabas Boegle, also from Ettal, stepped down on Wednesday for the same reasons.

The German Episcopal conference recently appointed Stephan Ackermann, bishop of the western town of Trier, as head of the investigation into the scandal.

He said on Friday that he would pursue "with determination" all clues related to abuse committed by members of the church.

The Jesuit order has hired independent investigator Ursula Raue to assess the scope of the scandal. She has said about 120 people have come forward claiming they were abused.

A priest and a college rector in Bonn also resigned earlier this month in relation to the case, which first began when a Jesuit school in Berlin admitted to a systemic sexual abuse of its students by two priests in the 1970s and '80s.
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Sunday, 28 February 2010

Convicted priest (75) pleads guilty to further sex assaults

A JUDGE said yesterday he wanted to hear from a more senior member of the Franciscan order before passing sentence in relation to sex abuse at Gormanston College in the 1970s.

Convicted sex offender Fr Ronald Bennett (75) gave a schoolboy “sex education lessons” during which he told him how to seduce girls before removing his trousers and underwear, a circuit court judge was told yesterday.

Bennett was jailed in 2007 for 2½ years for indecently assaulting four other schoolboys at the Franciscan-run Gormanston College in Co Meath where he was sports master and spiritual adviser.

Yesterday at Trim Circuit Court he pleaded guilty to two counts of sexual assault on another schoolboy on dates unknown in 1973 and 1974.

Since his release from jail in January last year he has been subject to what his barrister Hugh Harnett SC said “is a form of imprisonment”, and cannot leave the Franciscan home where he lives in Killiney, Co Dublin, without being supervised.

Mr Harnett said there were specific guidelines for friars who had restricted ministry and Fr Ciarán Cronin, the guardian of the order in Killiney, said Bennett’s, “are the most extreme case we have.”

In reply to Judge Donagh McDonagh, Fr Cronin said that the regime could be altered by one of his (Cronin’s) superiors.

The judge said he would like to hear from the more senior provincial of the order before he passes sentence and adjourned the case until next Friday.

In this case State prosecutor Karl Hanahoe said the offences occurred on a weekly basis over a two-year period when the boy was aged 14 and 15.

He would be summoned to Bennett’s office either over the school intercom system or by a message to the classroom.

The court heard that Bennett would ask the boy if he knew how to seduce a girl and then tell him how to do so. He would open the boy’s trousers, remove his underwear and masturbate him.

Afterwards he would clean him using a handkerchief and put the boy’s clothes back on.

Sometimes he would show him pictures of naked women and once he showed him a picture of a naked man.

Bennett was interviewed about the complaint by gardaí while serving a prison sentence at Arbour Hill prison for the other offences.

Yesterday the now adult victim told Judge McDonagh that he made his complaint after reading reports about that other case and and reading that Bennett was originally given a five-year suspended sentence for it.

“It caused me a lot of anger and particularly some of the comments about the [Franciscan] order. The judge in the other case] praised the Franciscan order for acting promptly when they became aware of it [the abuse] . . . I was well aware they did not act promptly.”

The court heard that the DPP had subsequently appealed the suspended sentence and the court of criminal appeal directed Bennett serve 2½ years of the five-year sentence; the balance was suspended.

The man also said his confidence was badly affected by the abuse and for a long time he could not go out with girls because their perfume would remind him of Bennett’s smell – a combination of disinfectant and aftershave.

He said he was not not a practising Catholic and was very fortunate that the support group One in Four was able to provide him with psychiatric help.
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A national activist group against sexual abuse is upset about the election of the Rev. Terry R. LaValley as the 14th bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Ogdensburg.

David G. Clohessy, national director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, issued a statement saying the Chicago-based group is troubled by the promotion because of Father LaValley's "history of secrecy surrounding child sex crimes."

Father LaValley has been chairman of the Diocesan Review Board, which reviews policy and complaints related to sex abuse, since 2002. During that time, about eight priests have been removed for alleged sexual abuse.

"We think that he's been reckless and secretive and shows no sign of remorse or reform," Mr. Clohessy said. "People, Catholics, are very forgiving, but it is troublesome when a church official is chosen who has essentially protected predators instead of children."

Citing articles from the Watertown Daily Times, the Syracuse Post-Standard and the South Florida Sun-Sentinel, Mr. Clohessy said he takes issue with Father LaValley for not disclosing information about why the Rev. Paul F. Worczak had been removed from ministry in 2002, after an alleged victim told diocese officials the priest had been sexually abusive.

He also took issue with Father LaValley for how the diocese listed the Rev. John J. Fallon as "on sick leave" from 1989 to 2000. In 1986, Father Fallon had been convicted of receiving pornographic pictures in the mail.

"If they won't come clean with Catholics and citizens about a proven sex offender, it is hard to believe they have been or will be honest about credibly accused sex offenders," Mr. Clohessy said.

Diocesan spokeswoman Sister Jennifer L. Votraw said Father LaValley helped to protect children at his post at the review board.

"We have been proactive, trying to be helping the victims, providing counseling. He's tried to do all the right things," she said.

Mr. Clohessy also took fault with Father LaValley accepting his appointment to the review board, saying that having a priest lead the group is insensitive.

"That's the classic fox over the chicken coop position. His predecessor never should have appointed him, or he should have said 'that's wrong,'" Mr. Clohessy said.

The Rev. James W. "Jay" Seymour, director of clergy personnel, said the review board is considering appointing a layperson as chairman of the review board. He said a recent audit conducted by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops suggested the change.
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Pope Benedict must Resign

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Apparently, we were closer than commonly realized.

Recently the blogosphere and the mainstream media have been discussing John Paul II’s practice of self-mortification. Though some of the details had been known before, new life was given to the story by Msgr. Slawomir Oder’s new book on John Paul II, which revealed new information.

Oder’s book has ruffled some feathers at the Vatican, because Oder is the postulator of John Paul II’s cause for sainthood, and it is not customary for postulators to write tell-all books including the kind of behind-the-scenes information that Oder’s does. Worries include that this book may make it harder for future postulators to get witnesses to be frank if they think their comments will appear in public.

Reportedly, the chill about the book has grown so strong that Oder is no longer willing to publicly comment on his own book.

GET THAT STORY.

But amid the hoopla about John Paul II’s self-flagellation and questions of the prudence of the book, another very interesting subject has been neglected: Just how close were we to a papal resignation during the reign of John Paul II?

For years rumors had circulated that John Paul II would resign when he turned 75, which he did in 1995.

The logic was that bishops submit their resignations at age 75 (though they can serve longer if the pope chooses not to immediately accept their resignation). Perhaps the pope should resign at that age, too. If the burdens of pastoral office for an ordinary bishop are such that submitting a resignation at age 75 is appropriate, surely the even greater pastoral burdens of a pope would make this reasonable, too.

John Paul II apparently spent years considering this line of thought, as revealed in Msgr. Oder’s book. He also made contingency plans in case he became unable to fulfill his pastoral responsibilities. (Apparently Pius XII did the same thing, penning a letter specifying that he was to be considered as having resigned if he was kidnapped by the Nazis, as he thought he might be.)

Catholic News Service reports:

Msgr. Oder’s book also marked the publication for the first time of letters Pope John Paul prepared in 1989 and in 1994 offering the College of Cardinals his resignation in case of an incurable disease or other condition that would prevent him from fulfilling his ministry.
For years there were rumors that Pope John Paul had prepared a letter instructing cardinals to consider him resigned in case of incapacity.
But even a month before his death in April 2005, canon law experts in Rome and elsewhere were saying the problem with such a letter is that someone else would have to decide when to pull it out of the drawer and apply it.
Church law states that a pope can resign, but it stipulates that papal resignation must be “made freely and properly manifested”—conditions that would be difficult to ascertain if a pope were already incapacitated. . . .
The 1989 letter was brief and to the point; it says that in the case of an incurable illness that prevents him from “sufficiently carrying out the functions of my apostolic ministry” or because of some other serious and prolonged impediment, “I renounce my sacred and canonical office, both as bishop of Rome as well as head of the holy Catholic Church.”
In his 1994 letter the pope said he had spent years wondering whether a pope should resign at age 75, the normal retirement age for bishops. He also said that, two years earlier, when he thought he might have a malignant colon tumor, he thought God had already decided for him.
Then, he said, he decided to follow the example of Pope Paul VI who, in 1965, concluded that a pope “could not resign the apostolic mandate except in the presence of an incurable illness or an impediment that would prevent the exercise of the functions of the successor of Peter.”
“Outside of these hypotheses, I feel a serious obligation of conscience to continue to fulfill the task to which Christ the Lord has called me as long as, in the mysterious plan of his providence, he desires,” the letter said.

GET THAT STORY, TOO.

I must say that I think John Paul II made the right decision by not resigning at 75, for a whole host of reasons. Being elected pope is like being married to the Church. Barring truly grave problems, the union should remain. Merely turning a certain age should not mark its end.

And imagine what would happen if he had resigned at this age: It would create a precedent that would put pressure on future pontiffs to also resign at this age, giving encouragement to those who don’t like them (and there are always people who don’t like a particular pope) to put further pressure on him to resign—or to ignore what he says, knowing he will be gone at a foreseen date (making him a lame duck), and then hating him all the more if he doesn’t resign. In other words, it could be a recipe for chaos.

And, indeed, some dissident Catholics were openly enthusiastic about a papal resignation when John Paul II turned 75 in 1995. They didn’t like the stability he was trying to restore to the Church—a project the pope had been pursuing in an effort to reign in the post-Vatican II dissident movement.

So how close were we to a resignation in 1995?

Notice that the second of the two letters was written in 1994, the year before. Also, the CNS story notes:

Msgr. Oder wrote that in Pope John Paul’s 1994 letter the stressed syllables in spoken Italian are underlined, making it appear that the pope had read it or was preparing to read it to the College of Cardinals.

The idea is that John Paul II, not a native speaker of Italian, annotated the text to help him stress the right syllables for reading the letter aloud. And perhaps he did read it in private to the Cardinals.

The letter says that he has rejected the idea of retiring at 75, but it also says that two years earlier (i.e., 1992, when he had a tumor removed from his colon) he thought God might have mooted the question. That suggests he was still actively considering an age-based resignation as late as 1992 and perhaps as late as 1994, when the second letter was written.

That’s rather close for comfort.

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Catholic Bishop in Ireland Due to Resign Over Child Abuse Scandal

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Dec 7, 2009 by ■ Chris Dade - 8 votes, 1 comment

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A Catholic Bishop criticized for the manner in which he dealt with cases of child sex abuse committed by priests from within his church is expected on Monday to tender his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in Rome.

The Bishop of Limerick, Donal Murray, was censured by the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin, which the Earth Timesconfirms scrutinized the way that accusations relating to the sexual abuse of children were dealt with by the church authorities over a period of nearly 30 years, from 1975 through 2004.

Bishop Murray issued a statement that was read out at Masses across his diocese on Sunday, the same day on which he traveled to Rome in readiness for his meeting with the Pope. In the statement the Bishop spoke of being "acutely aware of the pain and anguish that has been experienced and expressed in the last week".

The Independent notes that according to the law of the Catholic Church the Pope must decide whether to accept the resignation of a bishop who was said to have behaved "inexcusably", whilst serving in the Dublin Archdiocese, when he was made aware of one particular case of a priest sexually abusing children. Furthermore the Bishop, initially resistant to calls for his resignation,was accused of mishandling a number of similar complaints.

It is thought that Bishop Murray's change of mind regarding his resignation was prompted by a call from Cardinal Sean Brady, Archbishop of Armagh and Primate of All Ireland, for those named by the Commission of Investigation, which was headed by Judge Yvonne Murphy, to "act soon".

If the Pope decides to accept the resignation ofBishop Murray the Irish Bishops' Conference would, says the Independent, be obligated by canon law to support the man installed as Bishop of Limerick back in 1996.

One person calling for Bishop Murray's resignation is Mervyn Rundle, a man from Dublin who suffered abuse at the hands of Father Tom Naughton, jailed for three years in 1998, during the 1980s. The Earth Times tells of how Mr Rundle's ordeal resulted from Bishop Murray's negligence when dealing with a previous complaint regarding Father Naughton's behavior.

Irish police have not escaped criticism for their part in handling complaints of children being abused by priests, the Commission of Investigation speaking of their "connivance" with the Catholic Church which allowed one alleged abuser to depart the country.

And a timeline of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, both in Ireland and worldwide, published by theIrish Times in November reveals other examples of Irish authorities failing to act to protect children from sexual predators. For example in 1998 it was announced that a system involving mandatory reporting of child sex abuse was to be introduced within the lifetime of the government in power at the time. The system has still not been introduced.

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Cardinal Bernard Law must resign following Irish Clergy Abuse report

It’s about time that Cardinal Bernard Law steps down as the prestigious Archpriest of the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. We have been pointing out that he is the criminal-Cardinal of Boston, and it must have sunk-in into some Catholics’ minds because now they are calling for his resignation.

We Bostonians forced Cardinal Bernard Law to resign in disgrace in 2002 but Venerable John Paul II elevated him in Rome see John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army expands into Ireland &John Paul is elevated as "Venerable"... only in the Catholic Church are criminals glorified http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2009/12/john-paul-ii-pedophile-priests-army.html .

We in Boston are the one and only state who dared and succeeded to force the resignation of a criminal-Cardinal who covered-up the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in the USA. No other state has done like we did. Look at Cardinal Mahony who covered-up more pedophile priests than Cardinal Law and he is sitting pretty in Los Angeles.

Compare the CRIMES and their VICTIMS in America

Victims - Attackers - Responsible Leaders

Pearl Harbor - 3,000 victims - 170 planes - Admiral Yamamoto

WTC & 9/11 attacks - 5,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden

USA Priest Pedophilia - 12,000 victims - 6,000 priests - John Paul II,
Benedict XVI & Opus Dei (Vatican Trinity)

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Catholics Call For Cardinal Law’s Resignation, Following Irish Clergy Abuse Report
BOSTON (MA)

WBUR
By DEBORAH BECKER
Published February 10, 2010
http://www.wbur.org/2010/02/10/irish-priests-followup

BOSTON — Ireland’s clergy sex abuse scandal erupted last year after two government-ordered reports documented decades of clergy child abuse and a church cover up of the abuse. Four Irish bishops said they’ll resign for not reporting the abuse. Some in Ireland say another Catholic leader should resign — former Boston Archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law.

“To keep Cardinal Bernard Law in the position he holds would suggest the papacy does not understand the principles of accountability,” said Sean O’Conaill, acting coordinator of Voice of the Faithful in Ireland.

O’Conaill said Pope Benedict XVI is expected to release a pastoral letter to Ireland’s four million Catholics after next week’s meeting with the bishops. But O’Connail said the letter is meaningless if Cardinal Law remains in his Vatican position helping to select new bishops.

“Many people find it difficult to understand why if a person was found to be as wanting in his duties, care for children, as Cardinal Bernard Law was — and that was comparable to what happened in Dublin — we find it difficult to understand why such a man would have been promoted,” O’Connail said. “It seems to us to be symbolically strange that he would have that role at all. What Bernard Law did was endanger the lives and souls of children.”

U.S. Cardinal Bernard Law, Archpriest of the Papal Liberian Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore, looks on as Pope Benedict XVI recites a Rosary prayer inside the Basilica in Rome in May 2008. (AP)

Cardinal Law came to personify the clergy abuse crisis. He was the first member of the Catholic hierarchy shown to have actively covered up clergy abuse. Immediately after the Boston Globe broke the abuse story in 2002, Law refused to step down. But 11 months later, when priests’ records were released by court order showing that Law took elaborate steps to cover for abusers, he stepped down.

“To all those who have suffered from my shortcomings and my mistakes, I once again apologize and from them I beg forgiveness,” Law said at the time. “During these past 11 months, decisions have been made and policies strengthened which ensure the safety of children as the archdiocese moves forward.”

After leaving Boston, Law was named to the prominent position of archpriest of the St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome. He also serves on several Vatican boards and committees and he participated in the 2005 conclave that elected Pope Benedict. But he hasn’t been seen in Boston since he left.

“You’ll notice when the pope came to Boston last year, all these American Cardinals from Rome came with the Pope on the plane — but not Cardinal Law,” said Father Walter Cuenin, who was among the group of Boston area priests who first called on Law to step down in response to the clergy abuse crisis. “He could not have been on that plane. So in some ways I think even in Rome they recognize it’s a delicate situation.”

Cuenin, now chaplain at Brandeis University, said having Cardinal Law leave his Vatican post now may be a moot point because his age requires that he relinquish some responsibilities this year.

“I think it was difficult for American Catholics in Boston, so I can understand why the Irish Catholics feel that way,” Cuenin explained. “He’s almost 80 years old, so he automatically will be coming off some of those boards. So I can understand their feelings, but I’m not sure it will make much difference in some ways.”

Some Catholics say it’s not fair to continue to point to Cardinal Law.

“There is a particular animus being manifested toward Cardinal Law,” said Deal Hudson, president of Catholic Advocate and director of InsideCatholic.com, two conservative Catholic Web sites. “When you stand back and look across the United States at all the dioceses and the way this scenario was repeated in so many dioceses and in some cases with even higher levels of abuse cases, I don’t think that animus is fair.”

The Boston Archdiocese did not want to comment about Cardinal Law or the Irish bishops meeting. Last month, the archdiocese released the names of three abusive priests with ties to Ireland who worked in Boston. Archdiocese Vicar General The Very Rev. Richard Erikson said the archdiocese continues to work to improve its efforts to prevent and deal with abuse. “The situation in Ireland is affirmation of the commitment of the Archdiocese to never let our guard down,” he said.

Erikson also said the archdiocese recently created two new offices to deal with those affected by clergy abuse and continues to look into ways to be more transparent and release priest records. “We’re actively engaged in looking at what we’re doing regarding disclosure,” he said. And how best to continue that practice or strengthen it.”

An archdiocese spokeswoman said the names of credibly accused priests would be published by the end of the year. Massachusetts Attorney General Martha Coakley said during her Senate campaign that she would call on the Boston Archdiocese to release the names of all priests from Ireland who worked in Boston. She hasn’t commented on when or if she still plans to do that.
•
I don’t understand why pedophiles who happened to be priests are treated via negotiation rather then simply jailed. It shows the power of the church over state even today. As far as Cardinal Law not being on the plane, I thought he had an outstanding warrant here. (If he doesn’t he should.) That’s why he stays in Rome–he and Whitey.
Posted by Lilee on February 10, 2010, at 9:31 AM
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“There is a particular animus being manifested toward Cardinal Law,” said Deal Hudson, president of Catholic Advocate and director of InsideCatholic.com, two conservative Catholic Web sites. — It is well-deserved animus. He should he in jail instead of continuing as a prince of the church.
Posted by John on February 10, 2010, at 9:14 AM

Posted on the feast February 11 of Our Lady of Lourdes who weeps for the tens of thousands of children victims abused by the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army see http://stella0maris.blogspot.com/

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John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army expands into Ireland &John Paul is elevated as "Venerable"... only in the Catholic Church are criminals glorified

In the United States, someone who aids and abets a criminal becomes a criminal as well, is considered to have been a party to the offence, and is punishable by jail time. John Paul II aided and abetted his John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army here for more than 26 yearshttp://jp2army.blogspot.com/ . His cover-up of the JP2 Army was first revealed in 2002. It happened on his way to his last World Youth Day in North America. Boston was erupting with priest-pedophilia and our priests and laity demanded the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law. We succeeded. Cardinal Law resigned in shame. He was the first Cardinal in modern time forced to resign by his own priests and us the laity. But John Paul II, to spite us Bostonians, and to prove that he is more powerful than us, promoted Law as Archpriest in the most prestigious basilica in Rome, St. Mary Major. John Paul II glorified Cardinal Law, the criminal who aided and abetted the pedophile priests of Boston became an Archpriest. Only in the Catholic Church are criminals glorified.

Today Benedict XVI is following his predecessor’s footsteps. In the wake of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army revelations in Ireland, he elevates John Paul II as “Venerable”. This means that John Paul II’s image and statues can be placed in churches worldwide and that he is recognized to have lived the Christian virtues as a hero. Go figure, John Paul II is a hero for leading his John Paul II Pedophohile Priests Army for 26 years in America, and now in Ireland? Only in the Catholic Church are criminals glorified. Only in the "one, holy, catholic and apostolic church" are criminals elevated to sainthood!

John Paul II's road to sainthood is one of the fastest on record. It started immediately one month after he died. He became “Venerable” only after 5 years after his death. The traditional road to sainthood usually takes 10 times longer, 50 years, for some, 400 years for some like Mary Ward who will be canonized next year, imagine after 400 years! The criminal John Paul II is going to be beatified soon. If we Americans have any moral conscience left towards our most vulnerable members which are the children, no American should ever call John Paul II as a “Blessed” or “saint”. John Paul II he had no compassion nor compunction whatsoever for the 12, 000 American victims, and now Irish victims of his John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army. John Paul II did not have the charity of Mother Teresa http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2009/11/john-paul-ii-did-not-have-charity-of.html and Benedict XVI’s papal act elevating John Paul II as "Venerable" is “brought to nothing” by St. Paul http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2009/12/benedict-approved-decree-attesting-to.html. Most of all, Benedict XVI has no power to say “Let there be God” in the Eucharist just like he has no power to say “Let there be light” in Genesis http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2009/12/benedict-xvi-has-no-power-to-say-let.html

Compare the CRIMES and their VICTIMS in America

Victims - Attackers - Responsible Leader

Pearl Harbor - 3,000 victims - 170 planes - Admiral Yamamoto

WTC & 9/11 attacks - 5,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden

USA Priest Pedophilia - 12,000 victims - 6,000 priests - John Paul II

Ireland Priest Pedophilia - 320 children - 46 priests - John Paul II
(11 Irish priests pleaded guilty)

Happy New Year to all our friends and readers!

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Holy Crap! What “rigor”? Due to Pope's rigor, sex abuse victims are rendered justice, writes Italian bishop who is out-of-touch with reality

Holy Smoke, those Italian bishops and EWTN are really out-of-touch with reality as they defend the Pope with strong worded lies and Holy Crap. See Benedict XVI is Papal Humpty Dumpty. Pope showed wisdom and firmness against abuses as CDF prefect, says Msgr. Scicluna is preposterous! http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/03/benedict-xvi-is-papal-humpty-dumpty.html

So from Monsignor Scicluna to Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi, Benedict XVI is made to appear as “defender of justice” when the fact is, all he did was to ‘defend the faith’ as Prefect of the CDF, the Inquisition, and what he really enjoyed was reading Jesuit books and Liberation Theology and counting with his fingers and toes which Jesuit and theologian to silence, see the list in BewareBenedict XVI and his allies can be violent http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010_02_01_archive.html

Benedict XVI NEVER defended victims of the John Paul II Pedophile Priests Armyhttp://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/02/pope-benedict-never-defended-children.html

Benedict XVI condemns abuse of children by priests 3 DECADES LATE…Cardinal Ratzinger Pope B16 is a pathological liar

http://pope-ratz.blogspot.com/2010/02/benedict-xvi-condemns-abuse-of-children.html

Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi of Alessandria, Italy, is a psychologist who believes that years of sodomy by a John Paul II Pedophile Priest can be psychologically cured by lying down and talking about it on his psychologist’s couch. And of course he worked at the Gregorian University which the Pope is in a hurry to shut down, so as to get rid of those creative Jesuit Theologians like the late Jacques Dupuis.

We exposed EWTN a few years ago showing that Mother Angelica has 50 millions dollar$$$ worth of diamonds carved in the walls of her personal chapel in her monastery in Alabama. Of course, these diamonds are blood-money from where else but South Africa See our earlier posts in the John Paul II Millstonehttp://jp2m.blogspot.com/2007_06_01_archive.html

Those wealthy Italian Bishops and wealthy Mother Angelica sure are faithful to the trillion dollar$$$ Chair of St. Peter in Rome.

Compare the CRIMES and their VICTIMS in America

Victims - Attackers - Responsible Leader

Pearl Harbor - 3,000 victims - 170 planes - Admiral Yamamoto

WTC & 9/11 attacks - 5,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden

USA Priest Pedophilia - 12,000 victims - 6,000 priests - John Paul II, Benedict XVI-Cardinal Ratzinger & Opus Dei

Due to Pope's rigor, sex abuse victims are rendered justice, writes Italian Bishop

Rome, Italy, Mar 15, 2010 / 12:14 pm (CNA/EWTN News).-

In an article titled "The rigor of Benedict XVI against the filth in the Church," Bishop Giuseppe Versaldi of Alessandria, Italy defended the "rigor" of the Holy Father in fighting sexual abuse within the Church. It is "ungenerous," he wrote, to deny the "open and decided battle" he and the Church are leading against these crimes.

In Sunday's edition of L'Osservatore Romano, the bishop wrote that some clarifications are needed regarding the sexual abuses that have been coming to light in recent days. He began by emphasizing the Church's "wholehearted condemnation of these serious crimes that disgust the conscience of anyone."

When these crimes involve people with vested roles in the Church, he added, "the scandal becomes even graver and more detestable.”

"Rightly, the Church does not intend to tolerate any uncertainty as to the condemnation of the crime and the removal from the ministry of whomever turns out to be stained of such infamy, along with just reparation for victims."

After underscoring this position, however, Bishop Versaldi brought up the existence of a "tenacity towards the Catholic Church," commenting that it is as if it were the institution with the most frequent instances of abuses.

He referred to a "much reduced" number of cases in the U.S. and "even fewer in Europe," saying that while this puts the phenomenon in perspective quantitatively, "it does not reduce in any way its condemnation nor the fight to eradicate it, as the priesthood demands that only humanly and spiritually mature people enter.”

"Even a single case of abuse by a priest would be unacceptable," he stressed.

But the "negative image" given to the Catholic Church is exaggerated, Bishop Versaldi said, considering that "no causal nexus exists" between the priest's celibacy and deviant behaviors. First of all, “because it is well known that sexual abuses of minors are more widespread among lay and married people than among celibate clergy; secondly, the statistics of the research highlight that the priests guilty of abuses already do not observe the vow of celibacy."

However, he continued, "it is even more relevant to underscore that the Catholic Church - despite the deformed image with which it is wished to be represented - is the institution that has decided to lead the clearest battle against sexual abuses against minors starting from within."

This is the place where Benedict XVI has given "a decisive impulse to this fight," thanks to his 20-plus years of service within the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Bishop Versaldi stated. From this "observatory," he explained, the Pope worked extensively with cases of sexual abuse and promoted reforms including "more rigorous" legislative norms.

"Now, as Supreme Pastor of the Church, the Pope maintains ... in this field a style of government that aims for the purification of the Church, eliminating the 'filth' that nests in it."

"Benedict XVI demonstrates himself to be, thus, a vigilant shepherd over his flock, despite the false image of (being) a devoted scholar only to writing books who would delegate to others the government of the Church," stressed the Bishop of Alessandria.
"It is thanks to the greater rigor of the Pope that several episcopal conferences are shedding light on cases of sexual abuses, collaborating also with civil authorities to render justice to the victims," he explained.

Bishop Versaldi then called it "paradoxical" that the Church would be represented "as if it were the responsible entity for abuses of minors." He also dubbed it "ungenerous" not to recognize "the merit" of the Church, "especially Benedict XVI," in leading "an open and decided battle against the crimes committed by its priests."

The bishop further proposed "another paradox" that exists today: that "wisely" established Church norms that are strict in preventing those who are immature "in the sexual field" from becoming priests, are “attacked and criticized by that same group that would like it to be the principal (entity) responsible for abuses of minors.

"The clear and rigorous line assumed by the Holy See," he concluded, "should instead be received in the Church ... to guarantee the truth, justice and charity towards everyone."

Bishop of Alessandria Giuseppe Versaldi is the ordinary emeritus of canon law and psychology at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

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All Roads Sex-Abuse Lawsuits Lead to Rome and John Paul II

John Paul II must never be called a saint by American children and in American soil because he led his John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army for more than 26 years together with the Opus Dei -- the wealthy elite Opus Dei who silenced the Jesuit Jon Sobrino who work with the poor in El Salvador.

===

All Roads Sex-Abuse Lawsuits Lead to Rome <

Posted by Brendan Kiley on Fri, Aug 7, 2009 at 11:07 AM

Another month, another multi-million dollar settlement against the Catholic church for knowingly—knowingly—putting children directly in harm's way, this time in Nova Scotia.

This suit claims the conspiracy went all the way to the Pope. The church doesn't deny it and doesn't want to spend any of its (considerable) resources disproving it. The silence speaks volumes:

The suit against the Roman Catholic diocese of Antigonish was filed last year. It claimed the church, under instructions from the Pope, had a policy to keep sex-abuse allegations against priests secret, with ex-communication as the penalty. It also claimed the church, diocese and bishop sent priests from the Antigonish diocese for treatment for "sexual deviations," but kept it secret and didn't protect children.

That "treatment" was most likely at the Servants of the Paraclete in New Mexico, run in the 1940s and 1950s by a Father Gerald Fitzgerald. Fitzgerald got sick of seeing predatory priests coming in and out of the revolving door of his facility. In 1957, wrote a letter to the Bishop of Manchester, arguing that predatory priests could not be effectively treated and should not be allowed to continue in the ministry:

Their repentance and amendment is superficial and, if not formally at least subconsciously, is motivated by a desire to be again in a position where they can continue their wonted activity. A new diocese means only green pastures... We are amazed to find how often a man who would be behind bars if he were not a priest is entrusted with the cura animarum [the cure, or care, of souls].

Father Fitzgerald eventually proposed building an island fortress in the Caribbean to keep these priests away from the public. He even bought an island but was forced to sell it—according to an ex-Benedictine monk named Patrick Wall—because "it all became too public. The Holy See would never be able to explain Father Fitzgerald's leper island for pedophile priests."
(I only know this—sometimes I wish I didn't—because of a long, depressing story (the Pedophile's Paradise) I wrote about it earlier this year.)

Is there an island big enough for the pope and his perverts? Oh, that's right, it's called The Vatican. Keep suing the ****ers. Keep suing.

Posted by Vince on August 7, 2009 at 1:39 PM
=======

The "Pedophile's Paradise"
http://www.thestranger.com/seattle/the-pedophiles-paradise/Content?oid=1065017

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Condom campaigners protest at the Vatican against Pope's Aids comments

A demonstration in favour of the use of condoms to prevent Aids was due to greet The Pope on his return to the Vatican from Africa on Monday.

By Nick Squires in Rome
Published: 3:45PM GMT 23 Mar 2009

Pope Benedict XVI jubilates before celebrating the mass in the Amadou Ahidjo stadium in Yaounde Photo: AFP/GETTY

The week-long visit to Cameroon and Angola was overshadowed by controversy after Pope Benedict XVI said he not only opposed the use of condoms in the fight against Aids, but believed they could worsen the pandemic by encouraging promiscuity.

Around a dozen gay rights and atheist groups were gathering for a sit-in outside the Vatican in St Peter's Square to coincide with The Pontiff's return from Africa this afternoon.

He is due to land at Rome's Ciampino airport at 6pm local time [5pm UK time] on a flight from Luanda, Angola.

"The Pope's extremely serious and irresponsible words are even further removed from reality when we consider that condoms are unanimously and scientifically recognised as the principal means of Aids prevention," said gay rights campaigner Mario Mieli.

The Pontiff's remarks, made at the start of his first papal trip to Aids-ravaged Africa, caused worldwide outrage.

They were condemned by ministers in France, Germany, Spain, Belgium and Luxembourg, as well as by the European Union, health professionals and Aids campaigners.

While Italy's prime minister, Silvio Berlusconi, refused to be drawn into the row, one of his key political allies, Umberto Bossi, criticised Benedict for his comments, made to journalists as he flew into Cameroon last Tuesday.

"Aids is widespread in Africa and the use of a condom helps to avoid it," Mr Bossi, from the right-wing Northern League, said. "Maybe the pope is not taking into account the reality of things on the ground." But the Roman Catholic Church continued to defend the German-born pontiff, who is into the fourth year of his papacy.

"When The Pope says something that everyone likes, he is praised. When he says something that is in line with the doctrine of the Church and people don't like it, he is criticised," said Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino, the head of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

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Vatican in new row over attempts to alter Pope Benedict XVI's Aids comments

The Vatican was embroiled in fresh controversy after altering comments made by the Pope about the use of condoms to halt the spread of AIDS.

Nick Squires in Rome
Published: 11:16AM GMT 19 Mar 2009

Pope Benedict XVI: Vatican in new row over attempts to alter Pope Benedict XVI's Aids comments

Pope Benedict XVI said AIDS was a tragedy 'that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems' Photo: REUTERS

Pope Benedict XVI provoked outrage worldwide from governments, doctors and Aids groups when he said that the sexually-transmitted disease was a tragedy "that cannot be overcome through the distribution of condoms, which even aggravates the problems."

He made the remarks as he flew from Rome to Cameroon at the start of his first trip to Africa – home to two-thirds of the world's Aids sufferers.

In a transcript of the interview published by the Vatican on its website, the quote was toned down, with the Pontiff reported instead as saying that there was a "risk" that the use of condoms would aggravate the Aids crisis.

But journalists who were on the Papal plane stood by the remark they originally attributed to the German-born Catholic leader.

It is not uncommon for the Vatican to issue "clarifications" of what the Pope has said on the rare occasions when he speaks to reporters.

The altered text appeared to be an attempt by the Vatican to contain the furore which was unleashed by Benedict's comments.

The international outcry was led by the French government, which expressed "extremely strong concern" over the consequences of the remarks and insisted that condoms were a vital part of the struggle to contain the Aids epidemic.

Two German ministers issued a joint statement saying that it was irresponsible to reject condoms as a way of combating the disease.

The Vatican's opposition to contraception is well known – it argues that sexual abstinence and fidelity to the same partner are the best ways to prevent the spread of Aids.

But the pope's remarks were seen as inflammatory because of their timing - before he had even touched down on the continent most ravaged by Aids - and because of the suggestion that condoms can worsen the crisis by encouraging promiscuity.

Anger over the remarks overshadowed the African trip, which will tomorrow take the Pope from Cameroon to Angola, the second and closing leg of his six-day visit.

An AIDS support group in Cameroon, Mocpat, accused the 81-year-old Pontiff of being out of touch with the modern world.

"Is the Pope living in the 21st century?" said spokesman Alain Fogue. "The people will not follow what the Pope is saying. He lives in Heaven and we are on Earth."

"To claim that condoms 'aggravate' the problem of Aids goes totally against all the efforts made by the Cameroonian government and other actors implicated in the struggle against Aids in Cameroon."

Spain's left-wing government, which has frequently clashed with the Vatican and the Spanish Catholic hierarchy over issues such as fast-track divorce and gay marriage, announced it would send a million condoms to Africa to fight Aids.

"The objective is to advance the prevention of this epidemic, which affects 33 million people all over the world, two-thirds of them in Africa," the health ministry of Prime Minister Jose Luis Rodriguez Zapatero's socialist government said.

"Condoms have been demonstrated to be a necessary element in prevention policies and an efficient barrier against the virus, according to laboratory studies," it said in a statement.

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Irish Catholic Church shake-up 'likely' after abuse

Pope Benedict was said to be deeply disturbed and distressed by the report

There is likely to be a big shake-up in the Irish Catholic Church following a damning child abuse report, the Dublin archbishop said after meeting the Pope.

Diarmuid Martin made the comments after he and the leader of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, attended Friday's meeting in Rome.

Pope Benedict XVI was "disturbed and distressed" by the report's findings, according to a Vatican statement.

He will write to the Irish people about the abuse and the Vatican's response.

The Murphy report, which was published two weeks ago, found church leaders covered up clerical child abuse in the Dublin archdiocese for decades.

'Pope outraged'

Father Federico Lombardi, Papal spokesman, reads the statement from the Vatican

The Pope summoned Cardinal Brady, the Primate of All Ireland, and the current archbishop of Dublin to Rome after the Vatican was criticised for failing to respond to the Murphy inquiry.

After the meeting, the Vatican issued the statement which said the Pope shared the "outrage, betrayal and shame" felt by Irish people over the cover-up.

"The Holy Father was deeply disturbed and distressed by its contents," it added.

"He wishes once more to express his profound regret at the actions of some members of the clergy who have betrayed their solemn promises to God, as well as the trust placed in them by the victims and their families, and by society at large."

'Significant reorganisation'

The report found that four consecutive archbishops prioritised the church's reputation above the welfare of children who were being physically and sexually abused by paedophile priests.

Their attempts to avoid scandal at all costs meant that abusers were moved between parishes, but were left free to repeat their crimes on other children.

If the Pope considers that some of the Irish bishops have not been doing their duty properly, then it would be indicated that they should resign

David Willie, BBC Rome Correspondent

Archbishop Martin was praised by victims for his willingness to co-operate with the inquiry which was ordered by the Irish government, unlike his four predecessors who had failed to report paedophile priests to the civil authorities.

After his meeting with the Pope, the archbishop told reporters: 'I think that we are looking at a very significant reorganisation of the Church in Ireland."

The BBC's correspondent in Rome, David Willie, said there had been no confirmation of speculation that there would be resignations of Irish bishops.

'Inexcusable actions'

However, he said that given the tone of Friday's meeting and the "very strong language used by the Vatican to describe the Pope's emotions on finding out what had happened in Ireland" he thought it was very likely that heads would roll.

"Vatican diplomacy is quite sophisticated," he explained.

Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray is in Rome considering his position

"If the Pope considers that some of the Irish bishops have not been doing their duty properly, then it would be indicated that they should resign."

One of the bishops whose conduct was criticised in the Murphy report, Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray, has been in Rome for the past five days, discussing his future.

The report censured him for the way he dealt with a paedophile priest when he was an auxiliary bishop in the Dublin archdiocese, describing his actions as "inexcusable".

Days before he left to meet the Pope, Cardinal Brady said the under pressure bishop was "considering his position" but added that he was confident Donal Murray would "do the right thing".

Victim support

Meanwhile, Ireland's Catholic bishops have pledged financial support to survivors of institutional abuse.

The announcement followed a meeting with survivor groups in Maynooth, County Kildare.

Victims' representatives said it was a step forward, but they were frustrated by the length of time it has taken to get to this stage.

They added that any similar process in Northern Ireland must be fast-tracked

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Two more Catholic bishops resign

Bishop Eamonn Walsh issued a statement read out at midnight Mass

Two more Irish Catholic bishops have resigned in response to a report which criticised how they handled allegations of abuse by clergy.

Eamonn Walsh and Raymond Field issued a joint statement which was read out at midnight Mass on Christmas Day.

The pair, who were both auxiliary bishops of Dublin, said they hoped their resignations would help bring peace to the victims of sexual abuse.

Four out of five bishops named in the Murphy report have now resigned.

Bishop of Limerick Donal Murray resigned earlier this month after the report branded as "inexcusable" his failure to deal effectively with a priest suspected of being a paedophile.

On Wednesday it was revealed that James Moriarty, the Bishop of Kildare, has offered his resignation to Pope Benedict. It is expected to be formally accepted in mid-January.

Martin Drennan, the Bishop of Galway, is now the only one of five bishops named in the Murphy report to remain in office.

After the report was published Bishop Drennan said he was comfortable with the findings as it "says nothing negative about me".

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Catholics in England and Wales offer abuse apology

y Avril Ormsby

Reuters
Thursday, April 22, 2010; 10:08 AM

LONDON (Reuters) - Catholic bishops in England and Wales apologized Thursday for the child abuse scandals that have hit the church worldwide, saying "terrible crimes" were committed and the response from some leaders was inadequate.

Hundreds of cases of sexual and physical abuse of youths in recent decades by priests have come to light this year in Europe and the United States.

The scandal has developed into the greatest crisis of Pope Benedict's five-year pontificate. He himself is accused of turning a blind eye to a case in 1980 when he was Archbishop of Munich in Germany.

He is set to visit England and Scotland in September in what will be the first official papal tour of Britain.

The Catholic Church in England and Wales has had its own scandals but they broke about a decade ago and reforms have since been introduced.

But the bishops said the child abuse scandals had been such a focus of public attention that they wished to address the issue directly.

"Catholics are members of a single universal body. These terrible crimes, and the inadequate response by some church leaders, grieve us all," they said in a statement.

"We express our heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed."

The statement was issued on the same day as the pope accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty after an official report named him among leaders in the Dublin archdiocese who had covered up cases of child sex abuse by priests for 30 years.

Wednesday, the pope, who has come under fire from victims' groups for using vague language about the crisis, publicly promised Church action. [nLDE63K1C4]

The Bishops of England and Wales said victims had suffered severe and lasting wounds and the offences committed by some priests were a "profound scandal" that brought deep shame to the whole church. But it said they were the "personal sins of only a very few."

The statement recognized the failings of some bishops and religious leaders in handling the allegations.

But Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales which has about five million worshippers, backed Pope Benedict, saying he had provided leadership.

"In our statement we express real confidence in him. I think some of the issues that have been attached to his name are a bit tendacious," he told BBC television.

(Editing by Angus MacSwan)

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Abuse cover-up 'shocking' - Cowen

Report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin

The report covered a period from 1975 to 2004

Irish Prime Minister Brian Cowen has said the cover-up by the Catholic hierarchy in Dublin of child abuse by priests was shocking and disturbing.

Report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin A report revealed decades of abuse was concealed by the church in Dublin in an attempt to save its reputation.

It said some senior police officers colluded in the cover-up.

Mr Cowen said it was a crushing verdict that the good name and standing of the Church as an institution was placed above the basic safety of children.

"Where this was facilitated by servants of the state, it was a betrayal of trust and a complete abandoning of duty," he said.

"It is a savage irony that a policy of cover-up that may have been borne of a misguided effort to avoid scandal has shaken the faith and confidence of many people."

Released on Thursday, the Report of the Commission of Investigation into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin covered a period from 1975 to 2004.

Some offending priests were shifted from parish to parish, leaving them free to abuse again.

The Taoiseach said it was the Irish government's priority to ensure the highest possible standards of child protection, within the Church and elsewhere, and that perpetrators of abuse are brought to justice.

"As to the implications for other individuals of the report's findings, I believe that just as there must be no ambiguity about the fact that all institutions and individuals are answerable to the law of the land, whatever their status, it is for those institutions and their members to determine the appropriateness of any individual to hold ecclesiastical office," he said.

The report investigated how Church and state authorities handled allegations of child abuse against 46 priests made by 320 children. Eleven priests were convicted of sexual assaults on children.

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Archbishops at centre of cover-up

Four Catholic archbishops of Dublin have been criticised for covering-up clerical child abuse in a damning report into how the crimes were handled by the Dublin diocese.

The archbishops were in charge of the area from the outbreak of the World War II- known as the Emergency in the Republic of Ireland - through to Vatican II and the rise of the "Celtic Tiger".

They presided over a period of unprecedented social, religious and economic change in the country.

Throughout the decades however, the four men appear to have taken a very similar approach to tackling the issue of clerical child abuse - an issue which would eventually bring down a government and rock the Irish Catholic Church to its very foundations.

Only one of the four, the former Cardinal Desmond Connell, is still alive to witness how their actions have been assessed by Thursday's report.

John Charles McQuaid (Archbishop of Dublin 1940-1972)

Archbishop John Charles McQuaid

Born in Cavan in 1895, his term of office saw the Catholic population of Dublin grow from approximately 630,000 to over 800,000 people while the number of clergy and religious increased by over 50%.

He created over 60 new parishes, built more than 80 new churches and around 350 schools.

He was described as a powerful and conservative figure who wielded much influence in all aspects of Irish society.

His opinion was sought on the wording of the Irish constitution and he was said to have heavily influenced the Republic's founding father and first Taoiseach, Eamon de Valera.

Dermot Ryan (Archbishop of Dublin 1972-1984)

Archbishop Dermot Ryan

Viewed as more approachable than his predecessor, Archbishop Ryan continued with the established policy of moving rather than removing those accused of abusing children.

The high point in his term of office was the visit of Pope John Paul II to the Republic of Ireland in 1979.

After his death, the pope said of both him and his successor that the Lord had called them to himself too quickly.

"Both were moved in their service of the Church by a profound sense of personal accountability to Christ," the pope said.

Archbishop Ryan gifted land at Dublin's affluent Merrion Square, which had been ear-marked for a new church, to the people of the city.

Kevin McNamara (Archbishop of Dublin 1985-1987)

Archbishop Kevin McNamara

An outspoken figure against divorce and abortion, he was co-consecrated as Bishop of Kerry by the now disgraced Bishop Eamon Casey, who he succeeded in the role in 1976.

The Irish charity One in Four, which supports victims of sexual violence, has alleged that as Archbishop of Dublin, Kevin McNamara sought legal advice about how to deal with allegations of clerical abuse.

He is said to have taken out an insurance policy to protect church finances from compensation claims.

His period in office was short-lived though and he died suddenly in April 1987.

Cardinal Desmond Connell (Archbishop of Dublin 1988-2004)

Cardinal Desmond Connell

The former head of the Catholic Church in Ireland, Dr Connell was in office when the first, very public clerical child abuse scandal broke.

It involved the Northern Ireland-born priest Fr Brendan Smyth who was convicted of over more than 90 charges of child sexual abuse.

The civil authorities' failure to take action over Fr Smyth eventually brought down the government and redefined the relationship between church and state.

The high-profile coverage of the case opened the flood gates, as hundreds of other victims of clerical abuse who had stayed silent for years finally contacted the authorities.

In the years of furore that followed, Desmond Connell repeated the mistakes of his predecessors by opting for internal inquiries as opposed to passing on details of the allegations to the Irish police.

In 1995 he finally handed over the names of 17 suspects to civil authorities, a figure which must be seen in context with the hundreds of complaints identified by his successor, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin.

Before his retirement in 2004, Dr Connell publicly asked for forgiveness from all those he had offended.

At the time, his successor said history would recognise that Dr Connell had acted in accordance with his conscience when handling clerical sex abuse scandals.

The two are said to have strongly disagreed last year, however, when Dr Connell caused outrage by mounting a High Court action to block the child abuse inquiry getting access to thousands of church files on clerical abuse

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Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin

Report by Commission of Investigation into the handling by Church and State authorities of allegations and suspicions of child abuse against clerics of the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin.

Cover Part 1 (PDF - 161KB)

Signature Page (PDF - 111KB)

Part 1 Beginning (PDF - 39KB)

Part 1 (PDF - 161KB)

Cover Part 2 (PDF - 167KB)

Part 2 (PDF - 2.04MB)

Cover Appendices (PDF - 163KB)

Appendices (PDF - 965KB)

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Belgian bishop resigns after admitting child sex abuseAFP, Apr 23, 2010, 04.12pm IST

BRUSSELS: The bishop of the Flemish city of Bruges has resigned after admitting sexually abusing a young boy several years ago, the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium announced Friday.

"Before I was a bishop and for a certain time afterwards I sexually abused a young boy close to me," said Bishop Roger Vangheluwe in a letter read out to reporters by a church official.

"The victim is still scarred" mentally, the letter added.

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US sex abuse 'victim' to sue the PopeAFP, Apr 23, 2010, 11.16am IST

HICAGO: The alleged victim of a US priest accused of being a serial pedophile sued the pope and the Vatican in an attempt to open secret files containing internal investigations into sex abuse in the Roman Catholic Church.

"There is a painful and long history of the Vatican and the top officials... muffling and suppressing the truth and protecting themselves and their own reputation instead of protecting the children," attorney Jeff Anderson said at a press conference.

"This suit demands further action by the Vatican and the removal of every single priest that has offended a single child and every single bishop and cardinal that has been complicit in those crimes."

Anderson, who has spent decades pursuing justice for victims of child sex abuse, said the case is far broader than a suit he brought against the Vatican in 2002 and is "unprecedented" in its scope and demands.

That case is currently before the Supreme Court to determine whether the Vatican, which claims sovereign immunity, can be sued in a US court.

Yesterday's lawsuit was filed on behalf of an unnamed alleged victim of a serial pedophile priest called Father Lawrence Murphy, who is accused of molesting up to 200 boys at a school for the deaf in Wisconsin.

It is the fifth case Anderson has brought forward on behalf of Murphy's victims.

He released documents in March showing that Pope Benedict XVI, then Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, was made aware of the allegations against Murphy in 1996 but took no action.

Anderson said that while Murphy's abuse was reported to the archbishop in the 1950's and to local law enforcement in 1974, he remained a priest in good standing until his death in 1998.

Already under pressure from a slew of scandals spreading across Europe, the Vatican vigorously defended the pope, arguing that Ratzinger's office chose not to begin defrocking proceedings against Murphy due to his ill health and seclusion.

Benedict XVI on Wednesday said the Roman Catholic Church was taking action against the scourge of pedophile priests and "shared" the suffering of abuse victims.

Anderson dismissed the pope's assurances as "lip service."

He insisted that the only action which would satisfy victims and protect children would be to open the Vatican sex abuse files to the public so parents can be warned of abusers in their parish and law enforcement officials across the globe can initiate prosecution.

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Children fathered by Fathers to sue Church
John Folain & Bojan Pancevski, Sunday Times, London, Apr 19, 2010, 12.24am IST

ROME/VIENNA: When Pat Bond told her lover Henry Willenborg, a Franciscan priest, she was pregnant, he urged her to have an abortion. Bond, who was 28, had a miscarriage, then became pregnant again. This time Willenborg's superiors urged her to give up the child for adoption. Bond kept the child but agreed to a vow of silence. In a signed contract with the Catholic Church, she undertook to keep the priest's identity secret in exchange for financial support for her son, Nathan.

In America, Britain, Ireland, Germany, France, Italy and Austria, women made pregnant by priests have signed such pledges in exchange for hush money from the Church.

The Church, already reeling under a series of scandals, faces a new battle over the children of priests. Many former lovers and their offspring are preparing to mount lawsuits.

Bond was 25 when she started a five-year relationship with Willenborg in 1983, after going to him for marriage counselling. He kissed her passionately as she left his parlour, she left her husband. After Bond became pregnant for the second time in 1986, Willenborg's order, the Order of Friars Minor, offered her $50,000 and a confidentiality contract. "They said: 'Take this money, sign this contract and you'll have support for your child'. I signed,” said Bond. She broke her vow last year after the Franciscans refused to meet part of the cost of treatment for Nathan, then 22, who died in November from a brain tumour.

When Willenborg's liaisons with Bond, now 53, and another woman became public, the priest was suspended from his parish in Ashland, Wisconsin.

He was treated for sex addiction, then returned to his pastoral duties. Catherine Schroeder, a St Louis lawyer for the Order of Friars Minor, declined to comment. Willenborg and the order failed to return calls and emails.

Other cases are reaching the American courts. In Maryland, two children of the late Father Francis Ryan are filing a lawsuit against their local archdiocese and a religious order for $10 million after discovering through DNA tests that he was their father.

Carla Latty, 58, and Adrian Senna, 65, say Ryan never admitted he was their father or made any payments to their late mother. Senna was sent to an orphanage, while Latty was put up for adoption.

Cait Finnegan, of the Good Tidings association, an American charity for priests and their lovers, has been contacted by nearly 2,000 women who had relationships with priests. She said one pregnant friend had been told by a bishop to "get rid of the child" — a comment she took to mean she should have an abortion.

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Apr 22, 2010

German bishop resigns

Augsburg Bishop Walter Mixa (above) wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday evening offering to resign as bishop and as Germany's Roman Catholic military chaplain. --PHOTO: AP

BERLIN - A German bishop is offering his resignation after a flap over allegations of physical abuse and financial misconduct, his hometown newspaper reported Wednesday.

Augsburg Bishop Walter Mixa wrote a letter to Pope Benedict XVI Wednesday evening offering to resign as bishop and as Germany's Roman Catholic military chaplain, the daily Augsburger Allgemeine reported, without citing sources.

He wrote that the 'continuing public discussion' about him had 'seriously burdened priests and the faithful,' according to the report. Diocese officials could not immediately be reached for comment late Wednesday night.

Mixa has been accused of hitting children decades ago when he was a priest. He initially denied ever using violence against youngsters but later acknowledged he may have slapped children.

On Tuesday, he offered an apology. 'I am pained in my heart and sorry for causing many people grief,' Mixa said in a statement without specifying what he meant.

Adding to Mixa's troubles, a special investigator has said there were financial irregularities at a children's home under Mixa's responsibility.

The case does not involve any allegations of sexual abuse. -- AP

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Belgian bishop resigns for child sex abuse

Belgium's Archbishop Andre-Joseph Leonard gestures during a press conference in Brussels. Leonard announced that the bishop of the Bruges has resigned after admitting sexually abusing a young boy several years ago.

German bishop Walter Mixa, seen here in 2007, has tendered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI after admitting hitting children. The bishop of Augsburg said he hoped his actions would allow a "new start" for the embattled Roman Catholic Church.

A man walks past the Papal Cross in Dublin's Phoenix Park. The bishop of the Flemish city of Bruges has resigned after admitting sexually abusing a young boy several years ago, according to the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium.

AFP - The bishop of the Flemish city of Bruges has resigned after admitting sexually abusing a young boy several years ago, the Roman Catholic Church in Belgium announced on Friday.

Roger Vangheluwe was the first bishop directly implicated in sex abuse to resign since a fresh wave of scandals involving Roman Catholic priests.

"Before I was a bishop and for a certain time afterwards I sexually abused a young boy close to me," said Vangheluwe, 73, in a letter read out to reporters by a church official.

"The victim is still scarred" mentally, the letter added.

While scant details were given on the abuse, the bishop assumed his role in 1985 and a church official said the time limit for criminal action against him had expired.

"This will be very saddening to the Belgian Catholic community. We are aware of the crisis of confidence that this will engender for a number of people," said Andre-Joseph Leonard, head of the Belgian church, his voice full of emotion.

The Belgian church now hopes to turn the page on an awful chapter in its history when "we preferred to remain silent" the Belgian primate added.

Another Catholic official insisted that there had been no prior indication of the disgraced bishop's activities.

The church has recently called on all offenders to admit their crimes and for their victims to make complaints.

"In recent years I have many times recognised the wrong I did to him and to his family and I have sought their forgiveness," the bishop said in his letter.

But that was not enough, he added.

"I profoundly regret what I have done and offer my most sincere apologies to the victim, his family, the whole Catholic community and society in general," Vangheluwe continued.

"I presented my resignation as bishop of Bruges to Pope Benedict XVI. That was accepted on Friday," the letter concluded.

The Vatican confirmed in a statement that it had accepted the resignation.

Leonard said it was a great shame for the Belgian Catholic community, all the more so as Vangheluwe "had been seen as generous and dynamic."

His decision, and the reason for the press conference, was "the wish for transparency" on the matter, the Belgian primate added.

The bishop of Bruges is just the latest Catholic clergyman to be immersed in scandal worldwide.

The German diocese of Augsburg said Thursday that one of the country's most divisive bishops, Walter Mixa, had offered to resign after admitting to hitting children.

On the same day an Irish bishop apologised to the victims of clerical child abuse, after his resignation was formally accepted by the pope, admitting he should have challenged a culture of secrecy.

In Brussels on Wednesday, the Belgian church apologised as another priest lost his appeal against paedophile charges ranging over seven years.

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Apr 22, 2010

UK Catholic Church sorry

Protesters hold placards in London, calling for the resignation of Pope Benedict XVI over abuse scandals rocking the Church. Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the head of the church in England and Wales, said the crimes of some priests were a 'profound scandal' that 'bring deep shame to the whole church.' -- PHOTO: AFP

LONDON - Roman Catholic leaders in Britain have apologised for child abuse by clergy, saying the scandal has brought shame on the church.

Archbishop of Westminster Vincent Nichols, the head of the church in England and Wales, said the crimes of some priests were a 'profound scandal' that 'bring deep shame to the whole church.'

He expressed the church's 'heartfelt apology and deep sorrow to those who have suffered abuse, those who have felt ignored, disbelieved or betrayed.' Nichols made the apology in a statement issued Thursday on behalf of bishops, to be sent to parishes across the country.

The apology came as Pope Benedict accepted the resignation of Bishop James Moriarty, the Vatican announced on Thursday, bringing to three the number of Irish bishops who have stepped down due to the sexual abuse crisis.

Moriarty handed in his resignation in December after an official report named him among Church leaders in the Dublin archdiocese who had covered up cases of child sex abuse by priests for 30 years. He was auxiliary bishop of Dublin for 11 years until he was named bishop of Kildare and Leighlin in 2002.

Pope Benedict pledged on Wednesday that the Roman Catholic Church would take action to counter the sex abuse scandal. -- AP, REUTERS

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Rwanda: Bishop Resigns Over Heavy Church Debts

Jean B Nkusi

1 February 2010

Kigali — Monsignor Kizito Bahujimihigo, who headed the Catholic dioceses of Kibungo and Ruhengeri has resigned, amid serious financial troubles, the church announced last Friday.

According to Bishop Semarigande Mbonyintego of Kabgayi Diocese, who is also the chairman of the Bishops in Rwanda, Bishop Kizito resigned because he had failed to account for millions of church funds.

"Monsignor Kizito Bahujimihigo has resigned; Kibungo is going to be overseen by Archbishop Thaddeus Ntihinyurwa, while Ruhengeri will be in the hands of Bishop Habiyambere," Bishop Semarigande announced.

According to one insider who wanted to remain anonymous, Kizito failed to account for over Rwf400 million.

"The resigned Bishop could not explain where the Rwf400 million went. This was worsened by the fact that the dioceses lost more funds during the reign of his predecessor," the source said.

Other sources say the diocese is sinking in debts worth over Rwf 1 billion. There is fear that if the diocese is not bailed out, some of its assets may be auctioned to sort out the debts owed to different banks.

The resignation has drawn mixed reactions.

Albert Habemungu, a Christian in Kibungo wondered why clergymen, who cause heavy financial losses, are never held accountable.

"Financial losses in our Church are treated in the name of 'Jesus Christ'. Why can't these people be followed up?" he said.

The Church will in the near future get the dioceses' new leaders as per the set procedures, officials said.The resignation comes days after Church leaders across the diocese appealed to Christians to pray and contribute towards getting the church out of the financial woes.

When contacted, the clergyman confirmed his resignation but said it was still early for him to go into the details of the reasons behind his resignation.

"What I can tell you at the moment is that I wrote to Rome requesting for resignation and it was granted for the details behind my decision, it is still early, I can only be in position to do that in two or three weeks," he said.

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Nigeria: Cleric Denies Occult Practice

Oladele Ogunsola

22 April 2010

Odunayo was among the numerous servants of God and prominent musicians and artistes recently accused by one Osogbo, Osun State-based Prophetess Oluwatimilehin a.k.a. Erelu Jesu that she had used occult power to bring them to stardom.Ibadan — An Ibadan-based religious leader and General Overseer of Love of Christ Global Bible Church, Olabode Odunayo, popularly called "BabaLove," has denied allegation against him that he used occultic means to grow the Old-Ife Road based church.

But Odunayo, at a press conference at the weekend denied the claim by 'Erelu' stressing, "If it is God that called me, definitely this ministry will continue to blossom, but if it is not God, it will perish."

Taking serious exceptions to the claim by the woman "that he normally carries rituals during the night to aid God's work", he described such allegation as false, claiming, "I was born as a prophet because my mother told me that she had been informed that I would be a prophet and I can say that beyond any reasonable doubt, I know that I am truly called by God. So, I see no reason why I should use diabolical powers to promote my ministry."

Odunayo further disclosed that his attention was called to the Video CD released by the woman in August, 2009 that he used occult powers in his church at Oke Baale, Osogbo, which led to his lawyer writing to the woman to substantiate her claim in the album or be ready for prosecution in court.

According to him, the Osun State Commissioner for Police waded into the matter, which led to the woman denouncing all she claimed in the video about him.

Erelu, he further alleged, claimed that all she said in her VCD were things told her by a woman whose identity she could not remember and whose address she didn't know.

The man of God said Erelu had to beg the Osun CP to help her beg him for forgiveness, blaming her illiteracy as the cause of the whole problem and promised not to sell the VCD again. "There and then, I forgave her and prayed for her," Odunayo narrated.

'Baba Love', as fondly called by his adherents even played the recorded tape where the woman allegedly denounced ever meeting him for occult power assistance and claimed that the woman had since remained elusive. He urged members of the public to disregard the claim made either in press interview by the woman or the VCD, insisting they had no iota of truth.The Ibadan based cleric, however, disclosed that he was embarrassed and angered that after the woman had tendered apology, she still continued selling the VCDs and was allegedly granting press interviews published recently in Christian magazines like the "End Time Journal" and the "Christian Alive Magazine" among others over the same issue and threatened to press charges as soon as the full identities of the magazines and their office addresses are made known to him.

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Uganda: Pope's Envoy Apologises for Child Sex Scandals

Taddeo Bwambale

22 April 2010

The Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Paul Tschang, apologised on behalf of the church for the numerous cases of sexual abuse involving children.Kampala — The Catholic Church has regretted the sexual abuse of minors at the hands of priests and other church leaders.

"We feel pain and shame for this horrible crime, a crime which hits the most vulnerable. We express our sympathy and solidarity towards the victims of the heinous crime," he said.

Tschang was speaking at the celebration of the 5th anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI in Kampala last Tuesday.

He said the church was going through a difficult time and urged believers to support it and the Pope.

Tschang appealed to Christians not to discourage priests and other religious leaders who have dedicated their lives to the well being of the church.

He also urged politicians to ensure that the 2011 general elections are peaceful, free and fair.

Ethics and Integrity minister, Dr. James Nsaba Buturo, who represented the Government at the event, thanked the church for its contribution to the development in the country."It is our prayer that the 2011 general elections are held in a serene and fair atmosphere," Tschang said.

He noted that the church has played a key role in the social and economic sectors, citing the setting up of health units like Lacor Hospital.

Buturo thanked the Pope for assisting victims of the landslide in Bududa and other disasters.

Among the guests who attended the event were the Speaker of Parliament, Edward Ssekandi, lands minister Omara Atubo, heads of diplomatic missions, and representatives of political parties.

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Kenya: Churches Still Hope Draft Changes Will Be Allowed

23 April 2010

They have asked politicians not to hold the country hostage by blocking the changes. National Council of Churches of Kenya general secretary Peter Karanja said on Friday that Parliament can make the changes.Nairobi — Churches still cling to the hope that changes will be made to the draft constitution before the referendum.

"The Constitution is made by Kenyans, and they should change it to suit the interests of the majority," he said. The Church has formed a 10-member committee to meet government representatives from Monday to discuss the contested clauses.

The government has, however, ruled out any amendments before the referendum. But speaking during a Central Province NCCK regional delegates' conference, the Rev Karanja hoped that the government would agree to Church demands to amend the Constitutional Review Act to allow the changes.

The Church objects to a section of Article 26, which empowers doctors to end a pregnancy if it endangers the mother's life. Its leaders are also opposed to the kadhi's courts in the constitution. The NCCK boss said: "The draft seems to have addressed all other issues, including the political and economic spheres. Only religious views have been locked out."

At the same time, NCCK has criticised some retired clerics for issuing statements they purport to represent their members' position on the proposed draft. It was apparently referring to retired Anglican Archbishop David Gitari and retired PCEA clergyman Timothy Njoya, who said they would vote Yes. The retired clergymen were expressing their own personal views, the organisation said.The Rev Karanja was presiding over the close of a conference, in which more than 300 delegates issued a statement backing the NCCK position to push for amendments on abortion and kadhi's courts. The team, appointed by the Church, will meet the government side to try and unlock the deadlock on the contentious issues.

And Grand National Unity Party said it would wait for the outcome of consultations between the government and church leaders before making a stand on the draft. Secretary-general Nderitu Gachagua pointed out that it was the party's wish that the two sides reach consensus.

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<<< Click the tabs to learn more about how the Church sex abuse scandal gained attention and what the Catholic Church is doing about it.

Q: HOW LONG HAVE SUCH SEX ABUSE SCANDALS OCCURRED?
A: The first to receive national attention occurred in 1985, when the Rev. Gilbert Gauthe of Lafayette, La., pleaded guilty to abusing 11 boys and admitted to molesting dozens. He served 10 years of a 20-year sentence. Eventually, 20 local clergy faced accusations and the diocese reached out-of-court settlements with 22 or more victims.

Q: IS THIS JUST AN AMERICAN PROBLEM?
A: No. Scandals also have hit Canada, Britain, Ireland, Argentina, Austria, the Philippines and even the pope's native Poland, where Archbishop Juliusz Paetz resigned amid allegations he had sexually harassed several priests. Paetz denied the allegations.

Q: WHAT HAS THE UNITED STATES CONFERENCE OF CATHOLIC BISHOPS DONE?
A: In October 2002, the Vatican rejected a proposal by the U.S. bishops on how to punish sexually abusive priests. The Holy See said the rules, which were drafted at a June conference in Dallas, Texas, were inadequate, confusing and legally ambiguous.

A revised draft was approved by the U.S. bishops about a month later. Pending final approval from the Vatican, the policy allows bishops to conduct a confidential, preliminary inquiry when a molestation claim is made to determine whether it is plausible. If it is, the accused priest is to be put on leave, then must go before a clerical tribunal to determine his guilt or innocence.

Q: WHAT IS THE VATICAN POLICY ON HANDLING ABUSE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST PRIESTS?
A: The Vatican has its own tribunals, with specific and often slow-moving procedures involving appeals and review boards. Defrocking involves cumbersome appeals, and U.S. bishops asked Rome to streamline the process for years. Guidelines that were issued quietly in 2001 direct bishops to swiftly inform Rome in order to centralize control of such cases and keep matters secret. Vatican officials deny this is meant to keep civil prosecutors out of the process, saying local laws apply. However, each bishop who heads a diocese independently handles discipline for local priests. Up until the wave of scandals broke, practices varied from diocese to diocese.

In dealing with the abuse, some at the Vatican have been concerned that bishops, eager to show their flock that they are vigilant, will take innocent priests away from parish work. A second concern is that U.S. churchmen might act hastily in handling cases of accusations. The Vatican is also drafting a document that could ban homosexuals from the priesthood.

Q: WHAT HAS POPE JOHN PAUL II HAD TO SAY ABOUT SEX ABUSE SCANDALS IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH?
A: Pope John Paul II spoke publicly for the first time about the scandals in July 2002. He told a crowd of over 800,000 at a World Youth Day Mass that, "the harm done by some priests and religious to the young and vulnerable fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame." However, he firmly continued, "think of the vast majority of dedicated priests and religious whose only wish is to serve and do good."

Q: WHAT IF PRIESTS ARE WRONGLY ACCUSED?
A: That's always a possibility, as with the false charge against the late Cardinal Joseph Bernardin of Chicago. Besides protections in civil law, the church's canon law system provides defense procedures for accused priests. Since local canon lawyers work for the accused priest's bishop, the San Diego-based Justice for Priests and Deacons offers outside counsel.

Sources: CBS News; AP

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Priest Sex Abuse

Problems with pedophile priests go back at least two decades in the U.S. Catholic Church. Click on the arrows to see the widening scandal.

1984
The Rev. Gilbert Gauthe of the Lafayette, La., diocese pleads guilty to molesting 11 boys and admits victimizing dozens more. In a widening scandal, 19 other priests are accused of abuse, and the diocese negotiates costly out-of-court settlements with victims.

1985
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, a canon lawyer for the Vatican embassy in Washington, writes a confidential memo for the nation's Catholic bishops citing 30 cases with 100 victims and projecting a cost to the church of $1 billion over 10 years. Also, journalist Jason Berry writes a nationwide survey of the problem for the National Catholic Reporter, drawing the secular media's attention to it.

1989
Hawaii's Joseph Ferrario becomes the first U.S. bishop accused of molestation. A court dismisses the charges because they were filed too late, but Ferrario, who denied the charges, retires early in 1993.

1990
The Rev. Bruce Ritter, celebrated leader of Covenant House for teen runaways, steps down amid a scandal. He denies an accusation of molestation from one youth, but others step forward to accuse him and the Covenant House board reports extensive misconduct. Ritter's Franciscan superiors in Rome approve a transfer to India, but outrage following a news report about the move forces the plan to be scrapped.

1992
The U.S. bishops take their first major collective action, endorsing a set of principles for handling cases. At the same time, Berry's history of the scandals, "Lead Us Not Into Temptation," estimates 400 priests have been accused, costing the church some $400 million.

1994
The growing victims' rights movement suffers a credibility setback when Steven Cook recants his sensational claim that Chicago's Cardinal Joseph Bernardin had molested him. Bernardin's former archdiocese in Cincinnati paid a settlement to Cook over a seminary teacher's abuse.

1997
A Dallas jury hears charges from 11 victims of ex-priest Rudy Kos and returns a $120-million verdict. The award was later cut to about $30 million, but the diocese needs to take out mortgages and sell property to cover the judgment.

1999
Bishop J. Keith Symons of Palm Beach, Fla., becomes the first U.S. bishop to resign after admitting molestation. That scandal was greatly compounded in 2002 when Bishop Anthony O'Connell, the successor Rome appointed to clean house, resigns for the identical reason.

2000
The Rev. Andrew Greeley, an author and sociologist, writes an introduction for a new edition of Berry's history. The sex abuse situation, he contends, "may be the greatest scandal in the history of religion in America and perhaps the most serious crisis Catholicism has faced since the Reformation."

Jan. 18, 2002
Defrocked Boston priest John Geoghan, 66, is convicted of indecent assault and battery as a priest sex scandal in the archdiocese widens. Geoghan, 66, has been accused of abusing 130 children while he was actively serving as a priest in the Archdiocese of Boston over a 30-year period. He faces more criminal and civil suits.

Feb. 21, 2002
Geoghan is sentenced to 9-10 years in prison as the archdiocese continues to reel from the scandal. The extent of the cover-up and the sheer number of priests involved has shocked Boston's large Catholic community, leading to calls for Cardinal Bernard Law to step down. Meanwhile, new cases are being reported in several other states.

April 16, 2002
Pope John Paul II summons America's cardinals to the Vatican to discuss the sex scandal and efforts to prevent future cases

June 14, 2002
America's Catholic bishops adopt a policy that will strip abusive clergymen of their authority but not automatically oust them from the priesthood. The policy falls short of the "zero tolerance" plan demanded by some abuse victims.

July 8, 2002
The Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines apologizes for "grave sexual misconduct" by Filipino priests, and promises a protocol to address future cases of abuse. The Philippines is one of Asia's two predominantly Catholic nations; until now only a few individual church leaders acknowledged the problem there.

July 28, 2002
Pope John Paul II speaks publicly for the first time about the sex scandals during an outdoor Mass concluding World Youth Day in Toronto. He tells the crowd of over 800,000 Catholic faithful that the harmful actions of some, "fills us all with a deep sense of sadness and shame."

Oct. 18, 2002
The U.S. Roman Catholic Church's new sexual abuse policy is rejected by the Vatican, which says the plan needs to be revised because elements conflict with universal church law. Most American dioceses have already started working with the policy, and may continue to implement it while the Vatican works through its issues. Victims groups see the rejection as the collapse of the church's reform effort.

Nov. 7, 2002
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops pick the FBI's top-ranking woman to head a new office charged with making sure American church leaders adhere to clerical sex abuse policy. Kathleen McChesney is named director of the Office for Child and Youth Protection, a critical post as the bishops try to re-establish their credibility.

Nov. 13, 2002
U.S. Roman Catholic bishops adopt revisions to their sex abuse policy. The new plan says priests should be removed from public ministry after any act of sex abuse of a minor. Critics say the plan continues the church's history of sheltering sexual predators and abandoning the people they prey on. The bishops' vote follows 10 months in which at least 325 of the nation's 46,000 priests resigned or been removed from their posts because of accusations of sex abuse.

Dec. 12, 2002
The Boston Globe reports a grand jury examining possible criminal acts by Catholic bishops who failed to prevent acts of sexual abuse has subpoenaed Boston Cardinal Bernard Law and five subordinates. Law remained in Rome, where he had flown a few days before.

Dec. 13, 2002
Finally bowing to months of public outrage that he failed to protect children from molesters, Cardinal Bernard Law resigns as Boston archbishop. He is the highest-ranking church leader to fall as a result of the clerical sex abuse crisis. The archdiocese faces lawsuits from more than 400 alleged victims, and Law had taken steps to allow it to file for bankruptcy.

Dec. 16, 2002
The Vatican OKs the revised U.S. bishops' sex abuse policy, allowing bishops to conduct a confidential, preliminary inquiry when a molestation claim is made, then putting the priest on leave and before a tribunal if deemed necessary. The bishops' initial plan permitted pulling priests from their jobs as soon as an accusation is made.

May 3, 2003
In a five-page agreement with a county prosecutor, Phoenix Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien acknowledges he hid allegations of sex abuse by priests and surrenders some of his authority. The deal is extraordinary, both as a personal statement of wrongdoing and as an agreement between a church leader and civil authority that changes how a diocese does business.

June 15, 2003
Following controversial remarks in which he said some church officials were being as secretive as members of the Mafia, former Oklahoma Gov. Charles Keating says he'll resign as head of the church's national panel on sex abuse. Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony, whom Keating accused of listening "too much to his lawyer and not enough to his heart" in dealing with the panel's investigation, called Keating's comments "the last straw."

June 18, 2003
One day after being charged in a fatal hit-and-run accident and still under fire over allegations he covered up for sexually abusive clergy, Phoenix Bishop Thomas O'Brien resigns from his post.

July 20, 2003
A spokesman for Massachusetts Attorney General Thomas Reilly confirms that criminal charges will not be sought against Boston church officials for allowing sexually abusive priests to remain in parish work. According to WBZ-TV, a report due to be released by Reilly's office suggests changes to prevent future abuse but stops short of charges. The report is based in part on an investigation by a state grand jury.

July 23, 2003
A report released by the Massachusetts attorney general's office finds that more than 1,000 people in the Boston Archdiocese were likely the victims of sexual abuse over a period going back to 1940. Attorney General Tom Reilly says former archbishop Cardinal Bernard Law "bears the ultimate responsibility for the tragic treatment of children that occurred during his tenure."

Aug. 6, 2003
CBS News obtains a confidential Vatican document, written in 1962, that lays out a church policy on sexual abuse by priests. The document calls for absolute secrecy when it comes to these cases, warning that anyone who speaks out could be thrown out of the church. The U.S. Conference of Bishops says the document is being taken out of context. Read theofficial Latin version or the English translation provided to CBS News.

Aug. 8, 2003
Seeking a resolution to the sex abuse crisis, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston offers $55 million to settle more than 500 clergy sex abuse lawsuits, according to a document obtained by The AP. Those who say they were abused as children by clergy would have 30 days to accept the offer, and 95 percent of the claimants would have to participate. Attorney Jeffrey Newman, who represents more than 200 alleged victims, said, "We think it's a very good start, but it's only a start."

Aug. 23, 2003
Defrocked priest and convicted child molester John Geoghan, 68, is strangled in prison by Joseph Druce, another inmate who is serving a life sentence for murder.

Sept. 4, 2003
Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops rejects a plea from priests to allow married men to join the priesthood, questioning whether such a move would increase the number of priests. This was in answer to a request from about 160 Milwaukee priests. The group, more than a quarter of the archdiocese's clerics, called in August for opening the priesthood to married men.

Sept. 9, 2003
In the largest known payout by a U.S. diocese to settle molestation charges, the Boston Archdiocese agrees to pay $85 million to settle more than 500 lawsuits from people who claim priests abused them. Victims will receive awards ranging from $80,000 to $300,000. David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, says of the deal, "For many victims, some kind of official, public acknowledgment that 'We were harmed' can be a real step toward healing."

Feb. 27, 2004
The National Review Board, a lay watchdog panel formed by Catholic bishops, issues two highly anticipated studies documenting the molestation problem. One is the first church-sanctioned tally of abuse cases, finding 10,667 abuse claims against about 4 percent of all American clerics from 1950 to 2002. The second report puts much of the blame on American bishops for not cracking down on errant priests.

May 2004
In a letter from Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley dated May 3, Paul Shanley is told that Pope John Paul II has decided to remove him from his responsibilities as a priest. The letter says Shanley, a key figure in the clergy sexual abuse scandal, will no longer be eligible for financial support or benefits from the archdiocese.

July 6, 2004
Facing dozens of pending lawsuits accusing clergy of sexual abuse, the archdiocese of Portland, Ore., files for bankruptcy. The Portland church has already paid more than $ 53 million to settle more than 130 abuse claims, and the archbishop says, "The pot of gold is pretty much empty right now." It's believed to be the first time a U.S. archdiocese has filed for bankruptcy.

Sept. 20, 2004
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Tucson, Ariz., becomes the second in the nation to seek bankruptcy protection, in the wake of extensive and continuing legal action stemming from sexual abuse of children by parish priests.

Sept. 24, 2004
Bishop Thomas Dupre is indicted on child rape charges, becoming the first bishop to face charges in the church sex abuse scandal. Dupree was the head of the Springfield, Mass., diocese, but resigned in February after the allegations came to light. His two alleged victims have said Dupre sexually abused them for years in the 1970s and asked them to keep quiet about the abuse when he was made auxiliary bishop in 1990.

Dec. 2, 2004
The Orange County diocese reaches a settlement with 87 victims of clergy abuse. Terms of the agreement are not disclosed, but a source tells the Associated Press the payout will be bigger than the record $85 million agreement with the Boston Archdiocese. The lawsuits allege sexual misconduct by 30 priests, 11 lay personnel and two nuns.

Feb. 7, 2005
Defrocked priest Paul Shanley, the most notorious figure in the sex scandal that rocked the Boston Archdiocese, is convicted of raping and fondling a boy at his church during the 1980s. Shanley, 74, is found guilty of two counts each of child rape and indecent assault and battery on a child, and is later sentenced to 12 to 15 years in prison.

Feb. 18, 2005
In a national audit, Roman Catholic bishops say that over the past year they received 1,092 new allegations of sexual abuse against at least 756 priests and deacons. Most of the incidents are decades old, and the majority of the accused are dead or no longer working in the church. The audit also finds more than 95 percent of dioceses are in compliance with the church's new child protection policy.

June 17, 2005
The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops overwhelmingly votes to extend the church's policy of permanently barring sexually abusive clergy from church work. A panel overseeing a mandatory review of the unprecedented 2002 policy concludes that "many, perhaps a majority," of bishops hope to someday ease the permanent ban on offenders, but now is not the time.

Aug. 2005
Daniel Shea, a lawyer who's suing Pope Benedict for allegedly covering up the sexual abuse of children by a seminarian, says he'll challenge U.S. diplomatic recognition of the Vatican if the pope is given immunity as a head of state. In the Texas civil lawsuit, Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) is accused of conspiring with the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston to cover up the abuse of three boys during the mid-1990s.

Sept. 20, 2005
The U.S. government told a Texas court that Pope Benedict XVI should be given immunity from a lawsuit accusing him of conspiring to cover up the sexual molestation of three boys by a seminarian. Assistant U.S. Attorney General Peter Keisler said in Monday's filing that, as pope, Benedict enjoys immunity as the head of a state — the Vatican -- and that allowing the lawsuit to proceed would be "incompatible with the United States' foreign policy interests."

Oct. 12, 2005
Newly released records of sex abuse claims against 126 priests that are at the core of hundreds of lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Los Angeles show that church officials for decades moved accused priests between counseling and new assignments. Read the archdiocese report (.pdf)

Jan. 4, 2007
The Spokane Catholic Diocese has agreed to pay at least $48 million to people molested by priests as a part of a deal to emerge from bankruptcy.

July 16, 2007
A settlement is reached between the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles and hundreds of plaintiffs in a church sex-abuse scandal. The church will pay $660 million, the largest payout in the abuse scandal by far. Cardinal Roger Mahony, leader of the L.A.'s archdiocese, apologized to the hundreds of people who will share the settlement over allegations of clergy sex abuse. "It should not have happened, and it will not happen again," he said. The settlement also calls for the release of priests' confidential personnel files after a review by a judge.

April 15, 2008
During a flight to the U,S. for his first papal visit, Pope Benedict says the sexual abuse scandal involving U.S. clergy makes him "deeply ashamed." He is pledging to make sure pedophiles do not become priests. He says it's "more important to have good priests than many priests."

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80-year-old priest accused of sexual abuse

An 80-year-old Chilean priest who trained numerous clergy members, five of whom went on to become bishops, has been accused of sexually abusing minors.

The church has launched a probe against Fernando Karadima Fari ±a, erstwhile parish priest at the Sagrado Corazon de Jesus de El Bosque church in Santiago, archbishop Francisco Javier Errazuriz said Friday.

The investigation was launched after a 44-year-old doctor, who was earlier an altar boy at the parish, accused Fari ±a of sexual abuse during his stay at the church.

Meanwhile, members of the parish recalled that Fari ±a presided over the doctor's wedding and baptised his children and said the accusation stemmed from a falling-out between the two after the doctor's marriage ended in divorce, according to a media report.

Fari ±a trained "five clergy members who currently are bishops and who are very grateful for what he did for them", Errazuriz said.

Four people, who say they were also sexually abused by the priest, have also filed criminal charges in Santiago against Fari ±a, their attorney said.

The victims had earlier been reluctant to file criminal charges "because they are Catholics who trust the ecclesiastical institutions", attorney Juan Pablo Hermosilla said.

The Chilean Catholic Church earlier this week for the first time asked forgiveness for alleged sexual abuse involving priests and asked victims to report these "very grave sins" to church officials so that they do not reoccur. Five priests have been convicted and five are currently being prosecuted, while 10 others are under investigation.

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Ugandan priest faces rape death penalty

Published Date: May 8, 2010

Tags: Catholic priest, defiled two girls, Ugandan prosecutor

Ugandan priest faces rape death penalty thumbnail

A Ugandan prosecutor has ordered the arrest of a Catholic priest who allegedly defiled two girls, and possibly infected them with HIV.

Director of Public Prosecutions Richard Butera said evidence was sufficient to charge Fr Santos Constatino Wapokura.

“That matter is clear: He should be charged,” Butera said in an interview.

He explained that the resident state attorney had already been instructed to charge the priest.

“He should have appeared in court and if he has not, I wonder why,” he said. In an earlier interview, the head of criminal investigations, Edward Ochom, ruled out settling the matter out of court, saying the offence was capital.

“We can afford to do that for chicken thieves, but not for a matter like this. He should be charged,” Ochom said.

The directive, Ochom said, had been communicated to the Police upcountry. It was unthinkable for a suspect on such a charge, he said, to be let off the hook out-of-court.

However, despite Ochom’s and Butera’s orders, the priest had not yet been re-arrested by press time.

Wapokura, 45, the parish priest of Pakwach, is accused of defiling a 14-year-old girl who was serving in the church.

Wapokura had been in Police custody twice over the same allegations. His latest release was ordered by the resident state attorney, Innocent Obale, purportedly to allow the parties resolve the matter out of court.

Upon his arrest last month, the Police said the clergyman tested positive for HIV and upgraded his offence to aggravated defilement. He will be hanged if convicted. The priest dismissed the allegations as a ploy to taint his name.

Source: State orders arrest of priest over rape (New Vision)

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Supporting site for same sex Catholics

Published Date: May 6, 2010

Tags: lesbian Catholics, same sex Catholic, transgender Catholics

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Dignity is a support group for gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics. It believes it is the right, privilege and duty of these Catholics to live full sacramental life of the Church.

Their site works to help people of differently oriented sexuality affirm and experience dignity through the integration of their spirituality with their sexuality.

The site through articles, Bible analysis and discussion groups works to help these people express their sexuality in a loving, life-affirming manner, keeping with Christ’s teaching.

It advocates full liturgical and sacramental participation of gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgender Catholics in the life of the Church.

Site: dignityusa.org

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Report: Bishop says kids ‘spontaneously’ gay

Brazilian cleric also tells conference society is ‘pedophile,’ paper reports

Nabor Goulart / AP

Porto Alegre's Archbishop Dadeus Grings gives a mass in Porto Alegre, Brazil. A Brazilian newspaper is reporting that Grings says kids are "spontaneously homosexual" and society at large is "pedophile."

Americas video

A Roman Catholic bishop in Mexico has sparked outrage by suggesting eroticism on television and internet pornography were to blame for child sex abuse by priests.

Bishop of San Cristobal de las Casas diocese Felipe Arizmendi enters cathedral in southern Mexico to take Mass on 25 May, 2000.

Bishop Arizmendi enters a cathedral in southern Mexico to say Mass

He also claimed sex education in schools was making it more difficult for priests to remain celibate.

Bishop Felipe Arizmendi was speaking as the Pope prepared to visit Malta where he is expected to meet victims of abuse by Catholic priests.

"With so much invasion of eroticism, sometimes it’s not easy to stay celibate or to respect children," he told an annual meeting of bishops near Mexico City.

"If on television and on the internet and in so many media outlets there is pornography, it is very difficult to stay pure and chaste.

Mexican Association for Sexual Health

"Obviously when there is generalised sexual freedom it’s more likely there could be cases of paedophilia," he added.

His comments have been denounced by the Mexican Association for Sexual Health, a group of professional counsellors and educators.

"Those of good conscience in the church should stop this absurdity and find good help," the group said in a statement.

"Blaming the problems that the Catholic Church has had with priests’ sexually abusing minors on sex education makes no sense," it added. "It borders on the pathetic."

Pope Benedict XVI on Palm Sunday

Pope Benedict, who is 83, has been rocked by a series of revelations in recent weeks

Bishop Arizmendi’s comments follow a series of controversial remarks by senior Catholic clergy about the child sex abuse scandal.

On Monday the Vatican’s secretary of state, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, said paedophilia amongst priests was linked to homosexuality not celibacy.

"Many psychologists and psychiatrists have shown that there is no link between celibacy and paedophilia," he said. "But many others have shown that there is," he said.

The Vatican was hit by another embarrassing revelation this week when a website posted a letter by a senior cardinal congratulating a French bishop in 2001 for not denouncing a self-confessed abusive priest to the police.

Sky News

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Sin within the church is biggest threat: Pope

Lisbon,Portugal: The abuse scandal represents the greatest threat to the Roman Catholic Church and the crisis was born from sins within the church not outside,Pope Benedict XVI said on Tuesday on a trip to Portugal.
He called for profound purification and penance within the church as well as pardon and justice.
In some of his strongest comments to date,Benedict said the Catholic church had always suffered from internal problems,but that today we see it in a truly terrifying way.
The greatest persecution of the church doesnt come from enemies on the outside,but is born from sins within the church, the pontiff said.The church needs to profoundly re-learn not only penitence,accept purification,learn forgiveness,but also justice.
Benedict was responding to journalists questions submitted in advance aboard the papal plane while en route to Portugal,where he began a four-day visit on Tuesday.His comments appeared to repudiate the Vaticans initial response to the scandal,in which it blamed the media as well as pro-choice and pro-gay marriage advocates for mounting a campaign against the church and the pope in particular.
Since then,however,Benedict has called for penance and promised the church would take action to protect children and make abusive priests face justice.As far as the churchs purification is concerned,Benedict has already been cleaning house,accepting the resignations of a few bishops in recent weeks who either admitted they sexually abused youngsters or covered up for priests who did.
Just last week,the pope took control of the conservative Legionaries of Christ order after it was discredited by revelations that its founder fathered at least one child and sexually abused young seminarians.
More bishop resignations have been tendered and the Vatican official in charge of handling sex abuse cases has said he would not be surprised if the pope asks for more.
While the abuse scandal greatly overshadowed the popes press conference,Portugal has not experienced the wave of priest abuse claims that have emerged in other European countries,including the pontiff s native Germany,as well as Austria,Belgium and Ireland among others.AP

Pope Benedict

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The

Roman

Priesthood.

"All the ordained ministers of the Latin Church...are normally chosen from among men of faith who live a celibate life and who intend to remain celibate 'for the sake of the kingdom of heaven'...Celibacy is a sign of this new life to service of which the Church's minister is consecrated..."
--CATECHISM OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH, 1994, P. 395 #1597

The Roman priesthood is well known for its celibacy requirement. Does God require celibacy?
"Marriage is honourable in ALL..." Hebrews 13:4
"A bishop then must be blameless, the husband of one wife..." 1 Timothy 3:2
"If any [elder] be blameless, the husband of one wife"... Titus 1:6
What then, Gentle Reader? God says in His word that the Roman celibacy requirement is a doctrine of devils...
Now the Spirit speaketh expressly, that in the latter times some shall depart from the faith, giving heed to seducing spirits, and doctrines of devils; FORBIDDING TO MARRY...
1 Timothy 4:1, 3
And history only proves it--"I am sorry to say, from my knowledge of [Roman Catholic priests]...that there is not a more corrupt, licentious body of men in the world."
-- WILLIAM HOGAN, FORMER PRIEST POPERY AS IT WAS AND AS IT IS HARTFORD, 1854, P. 37

And upon her forehead was a name written, MYSTERY, BABYLON THE GREAT, THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS OF THE EARTH....
Revelation 17:5
MYSTERY BABYLON IS MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS--we see this prophecy manifested physically and spiritually in the Roman Catholic religion. Her priests are forced celibates--yet they are unlawfully "serviced" through various means whether nuns, whores, or victims that come to them through the confessionals. It is okay for them to unlawfully fornicate, sodomize, and commit adultery but NEVER lawfully marry. The Roman Catholic Observer notes,
"...Let a priest marry, and he is immediately dumped, defrocked, stripped of his priestly privileges; it is almost immediate justice. But let that same priest seduce a woman parishioner, or a young girl or boy, he is either left alone, or, if exposure is immanent, he is shuffled-off to another parish, where the cycle begins again. This phenomenon (which I call 'assignment bingo") has been reported in case after case in courts of law, and in the comments of victims. This cover-up practice is too well-known to be denied. For a superb coverage of this topic, see Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children. "
Rome calls herself, "Mother Church". She is a mother alright--THE MOTHER OF HARLOTS AND ABOMINATIONS. Romish priests have destroyed a multitude of lives as they have taken advantage of those who look to them as "another Christ".
"My mother told me I would have to see the priest at the church in order to get my confirmation lessons to understand it more fully. I was to go each Saturday morning to see him. However, the subject of Confirmation I did not learn. This priest was sexually molesting me. I was shocked because I had never had anything like this happen before. I was scared. Since good Catholics were supposed to obey their priests, for they are in higher authority, I submitted though I was frightened. Each Saturday I had to go face this priest and didn't dare tell a soul what was happening. This lasted for about six to seven weeks."
Sandy, a former nun
Let us descend into an abyss as we spy out the predatory, lascivious, unclean, perversity of the Romish priesthood. They are notoriously incontinent. They only follow the example set for them by the popes themselves...ungodly men who have been some of the most cruel, licentious, perverted beasts in history. Read of Pope John XII who committed incest with his mother, sister and his father's concubine (Popes of Rome by Ronald Cooke, p. 11). John XXIII (or XXII) was convicted of lust, murder, rape, sodomy and piracy (ibid p. 19). Ronald Cooke says--
When one looks at the lives of some of these men who claimed, and still claim, to be the Vicar of Christ on earth, he sees a ghastly array of egregrious evils both moral and spiritual which cannot be matched by any other group of men, or by any other organization, in the annals of history. Other men and organizations have committed great evils, but never on such a wide scale and never for such a long time.
The evils are compounded by the fact that the popes of Rome not only claimed to be "Christian" but to be the leader of all Christians in the world, and the personal representative of Christ on earth. When the lives and teachings of the popes are examined it will be seen by any impartial observer, that some of the most wicked men who have ever lived on this planet were popes of Rome. Their lives and teachings mark them out as the representatives of evil rather than the representatives of the Lord Jesus Christ. The popes surpassed Nero and Caligula in crimes and sins. (p.5)
[Here Mr. Cooke cites Malachi Martin, a Roman Catholic writer concerning Marozia a whorish woman who serviced at least one pope.]--
[Otto III wanted to] lay eyes on the woman who was the mother of a pope, whom she had conceived by another pope, and who was the aunt of a third pope, the grandmother of a fourth pope, and with the help of her own mother, the creator of nine popes in eight years, of whom two had been strangled, one suffocated with a cushion, and four deposed and disposed of in circumstances that have never come to public light. (p.9)
The Roman Catholic Observer notes:
[a number of popes] sired bastard children, and even had some of those children made popes themselves! There was even a pope who was murdered by a jealous husband who found the "Vicar of Christ" having sex with his wife (Pope John XII). The box below lists some of the popes who sired future popes. It is enough to give one pause to think....
Popes who Sired Popes
Pope Anastasius (399-401) sired Pope Innocent I (401-417)
Pope Hormisday (514-523) sired Pope Silverius (536-537)
Pope Sergius II (904-911) sired Pope John XI (931-935)
Clerics who Sired Popes, Bishops and Priests
Pope Theodore I (642)-649) sired Bishop Damasus I (366-384)
Pope Boniface (418-422), Felix II (483)-492), Anastasius II (496-498), Agapitus (535-536), Marinus I (882-884) and John XV (985-986) were sons of Roman Catholic priests.[Lead Us Not Into Temptation; Page 179]
For information on the depravity of the popes (written by a Catholic), see The Decline and Fall of the Roman Church by Malachi Martin.
The beast that was, is not, and yet is carries on, through the millenia, blasphemous, licentious false worship. The papacy carries on pagan worship found in their predecessors, the caesers of Rome. The popes and caesars were both leaders of false worship. Both groups killed the martyrs of Jesus. The following excerpt gives a few examples of the atrocities of the Roman Caesars, fathers to the Roman Popes. (taken from History of the Christian Church, chapter 8, by Philip Schaff circa 1858)--
...The Pagan historians of Rome have branded and immortalized the vices and crimes of the Caesars: the misanthropy, cruelty, and voluptuousness of Tiberius; the ferocious madness of Caius Caligula, who had men tortured, beheaded, or sawed in pieces for his amusement, who seriously meditated the butchery of the whole senate, raised his horse to the dignity of consul and priest, and crawled under the bed in a storm; the bottomless vileness of Nero, "the inventor of crime," who poisoned or murdered his preceptors Burrhus and Seneca, his half-brother and brother-in-law Britannicus, his mother Agrippina, his wife Octavia, his mistress Poppaea, who in sheer wantonness set fire to Rome, and then burnt innocent Christians for it as torches in his gardens, figuring himself as charioteer in the infernal spectacle; the swinish gluttony of Vitellins, who consumed millions of money in mere eating; the refined wickedness of Domitian, who, more a cat than a tiger, amused himself most with the torments of the dying and with catching flies; the shameless revelry of Commodus with his hundreds of concubines, and ferocious passion for butchering men and beasts on the arena; the mad villainy of Heliogabalus, who raised the lowest men to the highest dignities, dressed himself in women's clothes, married a dissolute boy like himself, in short, inverted all the laws of nature and of decency, until at last he was butchered with his mother by the soldiers, and thrown into the muddy Tiber. And to fill the measure of impiety and wickedness, such imperial monsters were received, after their death, by a formal decree of the Senate, into the number of divinities and their abandoned memory was celebrated by festivals, temples, and colleges of priests!Â The emperor, in the language of Gibbon, was at once "a priest, an atheist, and a god." Some added to it the dignity of amateur actor and gladiator on the stage. Domitian, even in his lifetime, caused himself to be called "Dominus et Deus noster," and whole herds of animals to be sacrificed to his gold and silver statues. It is impossible to imagine a greater public and official mockery of all religion.
The lecherous, animalistic, beastly, lusty antichrist spirit continues to manifest itself throughout the Romish hierarchy. It has taken up residence in the hearts of wicked, willing men who've sold their souls for a mess of pottage. They care not for religion. Their religion is in their bellies. Carnal, fleshly. Today we are hearing about the widespread Romish Satanic pedophilia, fornication, rape, adultery, and sodomy.
How Satanic that the Romish priest is called "another Christ" by brainwashed papists such as Mother Teresa. In the following she addressed priests at the Worldwide Retreat for Priests in October 1984, in Paul VI Audience Hall, Vatican City:
"...only when the priest is there can we have our altar and our tabernacle and our Jesus. Only the priest can PUT Jesus there for us...Jesus wants to go there, but we cannot bring him unless you first give him to us.
...This is one of the reasons you are called 'another Christ'.
Roman priesthood: a well-known cesspool of sodomites.
The following excerpt taken from The Roman Catholic Observer--
Some claim that today's Roman Catholic seminaries (those that remain after the decline in priestly vocations) are actually attracting more homosexuals and sexually deviant men to the priesthood than ever before. In fact, a number of priests themselves support this thought:
"Alongside the attrition rate of thousands of priests who left to marry, the numbers of homosexuals entering the clerical life began to escalate. Dozens of priests over age fifty, in every region of the country, told me that in the 1970's homosexuals began pouring into seminaries and order houses. The 18 gay clerics I interviewed for 1987 articles in NCR" (National Catholic Reporter) "insisted that the younger generation " (of priests) " was a gay majority." [Jason Berry, Lead Us Not Into Temptation' Page 183]
How Many Homosexual Priests?
Catholic apologists say that the incidence of homosexual priests is no higher that can be found in the adult male population at large. None of them can cite statistics to support their case. This is one of the unfortunate results of the seeming lack of forthrightness by the Roman Catholic Church to investigate The Celibacy Problem and to report the results. Now consider the following:
"No one knows how many priests are homosexual, but researchers agree that the numbers are much higher than in society." [Jason Berry, Lead Us Not Into Temptation; Page 184]
A piercing insight by the same author is this:
". . . If you have a system that invites only celibate men into the priesthood, that opens up at least the possibility that a higher percentage of homosexual persons might be attracted to that than would be to some other professions."[ibid, Page 185]
Consider also the following from a Roman Catholic priest:
"Vicars of priests and seminary administrators who have been around awhile speak among themselves of the disproportionate number of gay men that populate our seminaries and presbytereates. They know that a proportionate number of gay priests and seminarians would fall between 5 and 10 percent. An NBC report on celibacy and the clergy found that 'anywhere from 20 percent to 58 percent of Catholic clergy have a homosexual orientation. Other studies find that approximately half of American priests and seminarians are homosexually oriented. Sociologist James G. Wolf in his book Gay Priests concluded that 48.5 percent of priests and 55.1 percent of seminarians were gay. The percentage appears to be highest among priests under forty years of age. Moreover, the percentage of gay men among religious congregations of priests is believed to be even higher. [The Changing Face of the Priesthood, Fr. Donald B. Cozzens; Copyright 2000 by the Order of St. Benedict]
When a man is immersed in a closed culture in which relationships with women are expressly forbidden, they are not at the same time stripped of their libido (be it hetero- or homosexual. Yes, they do 'sign-up' for celibacy because it is required to attain a truly admirable goal: to become a priest who serves the people. But more often than not it is merely a means to an end that denies and ignores the nature of the man himself - unless, of course, that man is a homosexual or pedophile to begin with. All too often the result is what most researchers term "arrested psychosexual development." That is to say that for many priests, their ability to face, to deal with their natural sexuality, remains at am immature, juvenile level. Also, the Catholic tradition that considers celibacy a higher state than marriage, not only denigrates both marriage and women, but fosters intimate bonds between people of the same sex - men. Is it any wonder that the seminaries are producing an increasing number of sexually deviant priests?
Further support showing that seminary training promotes arrested psychosexual development of priests is offered by Roman Catholic priestDonald B. Cozzens:
"Yet the sobering realities of marriage, fatherhood, and mortgage that often shake an emotionally adolescent male into maturity remain, with growing exceptions, outside the experience of the seminarian and priest." And, citing writer Robert Hovda, Cozens goes on to say that "Clergy and other professional servants of the (Roman Catholic) churches are kept in a state of economic serfdom and dependency on fringe benefits, sycophancy and tax evasion, discouraging the very freedom, independence and maturity we are finally beginning to desire in our ministers." [The Changing Face of the Priesthood, page 73.]
A Sample Seminary Example
One current example of homosexuality in Catholic seminaries involves St. Patrick's Seminary, Menlo Park, San Francisco, CA. Reports by former seminarians at that location say that the place is a haven for homosexual seminarians. The rector of St. Patrick's, Fr. Gerald Coleman, S.S. is a Catholic priest who goes about promoting acceptance of homosexuality. The Catholic Wanderer recently published an exposure of Fr. Coleman's agenda that included Fr. Coleman's threatened charge of libel. To read this revealing article, surf over to The Wanderer at the link below, and go to Issue Date: 1-6-2000, Article Title: The Wander Responds. . . OK, click here to read it.
Is this an isolated example. Hardly. Consider, if you will, the following from a Catholic publication:
"Equally disturbing is the tendency of bishops to overlook the fact that a disproportionate number of homosexuals are being recruited into seminaries. I know of one seminary where, two years ago, 60 percent of the students identified themselves as 'gay,' 20 percent were confused about their sexual identity, and only 20 percent considered themselves to be heterosexual. I have no objection whatsoever to welcoming homosexuals into the priesthood".[Pastor Ignotus, What are We Advertising, The Tablet, April 24, 1999]
What is particularly disturbing is this Catholic authors' opinion that he has "no objection whatsoever to welcoming homosexuals into the priesthood." The facts cited, coupled with such opinions should be enough to make any sincere Roman Catholic mildly petrified. Could this really be the plan of Jesus Christ for his ministers?
Now one final quote on this topic:
"Should our seminaries become significantly gay, and many seasoned observers find them to be precisely that, the priesthood of the twenty-first century will likely be perceived as a predominantly gay profession. Some, we shall see, believe it has always been so." [The Changing Face of the Priesthood, (Page 103)Fr. Donald B. Cozzens, Copyright 2000 by the Order of St. Benedict]
"At issue at the beginning of the twenty-first century is the growing perception - one seldom contested by those who know the priesthood well - that the priesthood is or is becoming a gay profession." [ibid, Page 107]

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"Let the priest come upon you like the Holy Ghost came upon Mary."

Sis. Charlotte went into a convent as a young child and eventually became a Carmelite nun in a cloistered convent--that's where her nightmare began. After she remained in a casket for nine hours she took three vows--of poverty, chastity, and obedience. She signed them in blood....

"And then after this, and the Mother Superior leads me out into another room, or rather she opens the doors, and I'm to be sent into that room.
"And when I walk out in that room I see something that I have never seen before. I see a Roman Catholic Priest dressed in a holy habit. He walks over to me and locks his arm in my arm which he had never done in the first part of my convent life. I never had a priest to insult me in any way. I never had one of them to even be unkind to me in the first part of my convent experience. But here he is now. And of course I didn't understand what it was all about. And I didn't know what in the world the man expected of me. But you know, I pulled from him because I felt highly insulted. And I pulled from him and I said, 'Shame on you.' And it made him very angry for a minute. And the Mother Superior must have heard my voice, because she came out immediately, and she said, "Oh," and they called me by my Church name. She said, "After you've been in the convent a little while you won't feel this way. The rest of us felt the same way you do."
And you know the priest's body is sanctified. And therefore it is not a sin for us to give the priests our bodies. In other words, they teach every little Nun this: As the Holy Ghost placed a germ in Mary's womb, and Jesus Christ was born, so the Priest is the Holy Ghost, and therefore it isn't a sin for us to bare his children. And let me tell you, that's what they come into the convent for. No other purpose in all of this world do priests come into the convent but to rob those precious little girls of their virtue. And I'll assure you, we'll be telling you a little later in the testimony just what they really do after they come in under those particular deals.
But may I say, now every bridge has been burned out from under me. There's no way back. I can't get out of the convent, even though I pled. Oh, how I pled with that priest, "Send for my father. I want to go home. I don't want to go any farther." Only to laugh in my face. And, let me tell you, that's when you stand alone. And you don't know who to turn to. And you're a victim of circumstances. And you live in the convent because there is no other way to get out of the convent. And, I'll assure you, I stayed in the convent until God made a way for me to come out. And so after all of this, my mail was stopped. I'll never receive another bit of mail from my family. Never another letter. I belong to the Pope. I belong to Rome.
And then after all of this--the Mother Superior, after taking me through these particular vows--the priest has invited me to go to the Bridal Chamber. You say, "Did you go?" No. Definitely not. I didn't enter the convent to be a bad woman. It would have been much easier to stay out of the convent to be a bad woman. You wouldn't go into the convent and live in the poverty we lived in and to suffer as we suffered to be a bad woman. No girl would do that. It would have been much easier to stay out of the convent if I wanted to be a bad woman. But I went there to give my heart and life to God. And that was the only purpose I had in going there.

At the following point in her testimony, Sis. Charlotte and the other "little nuns" have eaten on a level just above starvation. She has gone through various horrific penances, and is explaining what happens on confession day.

Alright. It doesn't bother the Mother Superior to take one of those dear, little girls... And, may I say, you know, when the priests come into the convents, they come as our Father Confessors. Once a month we go to confession. And we don't want to go, don't you worry. Many's a' time [I] have gone in the very back row. I didn't want to go in there. I know who's out there. One of them... I may not know the particular man, but I know he's a priest. And I know those priests. I certainly have seen them enough. I've lived there long enough. I certainly have had contact with every one of them. And, I'll assure you this one thing, I don't trust a single one of those in the convent.
Now, we're not telling you about every priest. I don't know all the priests. I'm just talking about the Convent in my personal testimony of convent lsife.
And, you know, we know something about what's out in that room. And, here we are, we know we're going to confession today. It may take all day long. And here he comes. And I have never seen a Roman Catholic Priest come into the Convent that I was in without intoxicating liquor under his belt...
And so we have a beast sitting out there. There a straight-back, hard-bottom chair. No other furniture but the Crucifix and the Virgin Mary. But here he is sitting on that chair right out there in the middle of that room. Now here a little girl has to walk out there alone. And she has to kneel down. Think of it.
Why, bless your heart, I really, sometimes... I'm saved now. I'm out of the Convent, and I now look back at that Roman Catholic priest, and I often say, "I'm sure he was a twin brother to the devil," because he's full of sin. He's full of vice. He's full of corruption.
And we go out there and kneel down at his knees. Now, you're a lucky girl if you get away from that man without being destroyed. Why, he's drunk. He's a beast. He's not a man. Oh, he has a holy habit on. He's an ordained Roman Catholic Priest.
And so, I'll assure you, we don't like to go to Confession. But we must go once a month. And those little girls can't help themselves. And nobody comes out into that room but the priest and I. Until it's all over and then we can come back. And the next one will have to come. And, I'll assure you, we don't appreciate that day.
And those little girls don't know any better. They don't know anything about the plan of salvation. They don't know that Jesus went to Calvary and died for them. They don't know that He shed His blood for them. Those little girls know nothing about it, because to me, as I repeat again, the Bible was a hidden book to every one of the those little girls.
And so, now, they can do things like this. Now, if a Roman Catholic Priest comes into the Convent he may go to the Mother Superior and ask her to permit him to go into the cell where one of the Nuns are. And, you know, that Mother with her carnal mind and her carnal heart - and she's very hard and very carnal - and she is the mother, many times, of many illegitimate children - they belong to the priest... and, you know, she'll take that priest. And he's drinking - she knows it. They bring liquor in with them. Sometimes some of the Nuns will drink with him, and the Mother usually drinks with him. And it's really a terrible place, it is, not a religious order. It does not live up to that name whatsoever.
But here she brings that priest into one of our cells. Now, I wonder if you realize how serious it is. That Roman Catholic priest, he has liquor under his belt, we know that. But he has a big, strong body. He's had three square meals of food every day of his life. He can eat all the food that he wants.
But, you know, there's a little Nun that may have a broken body. And she may not have very much strength. And what did he come into that cell for? For nothing other than to destroy that little Nun.
I often say I wish the government could walk into a Convent just about the time one of those priests are let in the cell. The Mother will turn a key in the lock, and you're locked in there with that priest.
Now, we have no way to defend ourselves. And I often say - I've had to nurse those little girls - I'm an R.N.. I've got my nurse's training by going through the tunnel over to the hospital as I lived in an Open Order Convent. But, may I say, after that priest is taken out of there, if you could look upon the body of that little Nun, she looks like something you've thrown out in a hog pen. And a half a dozen old sows have just mauled that child's body.
And this is convent life!
...Now, if I refuse to give my body - you know we're just supposed to give our bodies voluntarily to those priests. Many times the Nuns are overpowered. But if I refuse to give my body voluntarily to them, then you know he becomes very angry. And he goes immediately to the Mother Superior. Then when two carnal minds come together, they can invent things that you and I... we don't have enough evil in our heart to invent things like that. We don't have enough sin in our lives to even think up such terrible things. And when those two carnal minds come together, the next time, I want you to know, they're all ready.
Now, the Mother Superior might say to me in a day or two, we're going to do penance. Now the penance that they'll inflict on me is something that the Mother Superior and the priest have invented. And it can be very, very cruel.
They might take me down into one of the dirty dungeons. And there's no floors in those places. And, you know, they have a place down there - there are rods about three feet long. They have them, buried down into cement. And at the top of it there's a ring about this big, out, sticking out of the ground. They have some leather straps fastened there. And when they take me down there they put my foot, either foot, through those rings and then they strap my ankles securely.
Now, I'm standing with my feet in those rings. Alright, they're going out of there. And they're going to leave me locked up in that place by myself. And it's a dirty place. Well, I might stand there for two or three hours if I have strength enough in my body.
Well what do you think is going to happen to me then? I can't stand any longer. Sometimes we faint. Sometimes we just become exhausted and we go down. But when I go down it flips my ankles over like that, and I can't do anything about it. I don't have any strength for me to get up. I may have to lie in that position for two or three days and no one will come near. They won't give you a bite of food. They won't bring me one drop of water.
But I must stay there. And the next thing you feel is the bugs crawling over my body and the mice running over me. And I still have to stay there.
I can understand why they don't want me to uncover [these things]. They don't want the world to know these things are going on. No priest in this country wants it. And if he doesn't want the world to know it then they'd better be pretty careful that nobody ever gets out of the convent after they've spent a few years back there.
Well, on it goes. Then sometimes the priests come and they get angry at us because we refuse to sin with them voluntarily. And you know, after awhile, the Nuns bodies' are broken after we're there awhile. And many, many's a' times to have him slap you in the mouth is a terrible thing. I've had my front teeth knocked out. I know what it's all about. And then he gets you down on the floor and then kicks you in the stomach.
Many of those precious little girls have babies under their heart. And it doesn't bother the priest to kick you in the stomach with a baby under your heart. He doesn't mind. The baby's going to be killed anyway, because those babies are born in the convent. Why wouldn't babies be born when you run places like this under the cloak of religion? The world thinks it's religious orders.
And there are babies born in there. And most of the babies are premature. And many of them are abnormal. Very, very seldom do we ever see a normal baby.
You say, "Sister Charlotte, do you dare to say that?" I most definitely do dare to say this. And I intend to keep on saying it. Why? I delivered those babies with these hands. And what I've seen with my eyes and I've done with my hands... I just challenge the whole world to say it isn't true. And the only way they can ever prove it isn't true, they'll have to open [the convents] - if they ever serve a summons on me, and call me into court, I'll assure you this one thing - convents are coming open. And then the world is going to know what convents really are.

Romanist hierarchy in modern times seems to lead the fight against the evil of abortion--yet it is an author of child murder. Given the illicit relations between lascivious priests and their victims, pregnancies occur. Sis. Charlotte speaks of pregnant nuns in the convent...

Most of you dear mothers.. Oh, you have everything ready [for the arrival of your baby]. The beautiful nursery, all the baby's beautiful clothes you made. Everything is lovely. You're looking forward to that precious, little, immortal soul that's going to be born into your home. And everything is ready. And, oh, I would you could see that little Nun. She's not looking forward to that. There won't ever be a blanket around it's body. They'll never even - they'll never bathe that baby's body. But it can only live four or five hours. And then the Mother Superior will take that baby and put her fingers in it's nostrils and cover it's mouth and snuff it's little life out.
And why do they build the lime pits in the Convents? What is the reason for building it if it isn't to kill the babies? And that baby will be taken into the lime pit, and chemical lime is put over it's body. And that's the end of babies.
Oh, when I think about it! ...pray that God will make a way for every Convent in the United States to be opened and to let the government go in. And when the government goes in you won't have to worry. The Convents will be opened, the Nuns will be taken out and they'll be closed up just as they opened the Convents in old Mexico in 1934.
There are no Convents in old Mexico. Every cloister it is opened. And they found all of the corruption back there - the lime pits. If any of you are taking a vacation, go over into old Mexico. The government owns them. They're public museums. And go through the Convent. Look with your own eyes, touch with your own hands, and then come home and see if you believe my testimony. It'll stir every bit of that blood in your veins! I mean, it'll do something to you that nothing else has ever been able to do. Go through them and look at them. Go into the dungeons. Go into the tunnels. Go through the lime pits. Look at the skulls - rooms of skulls over there. And then ask the guides where they come from. And go and see all the devices of torture they placed upon the bodies of the little Nuns. Go into their cells and look at their beds, and see for yourself.

Guru · Guru

"Kill yourself, dear."

A word of confirmation from William Hogan, a former Catholic priest in a chapter of his book Auricular Confession and Popish Nunneries, 1854--

The whole family were members of the Protestant church, as the Episcopal church is called in that country. As soon as the sons left home to join their respective regiments, which were then on the continent, the mother and daughter were alone, so much so, that the fond mother soon discovered that her too great affection for her child and the indulgence given to her were rather impeding than otherwise her education.
She accordingly determined to remove her governess, who up to this period was her sole instructress, under the watchful eye of the fond and accomplished mother herself and send her to a fashionable school for young ladies. There was then in the neighborhood, only about twenty miles from this family, a nunnery of the order of Jesuits. To this nunnery was attached a school superintended by nuns of the order. The school was one of the most fashionable in the country.
The nuns who presided over it, were said to be the most accomplished teachers in Europe. The expenses of an education in it were extravagantly high, but not beyond the reach of wealth and fashion. The mother, though a Protestant, and strict and conscientious in the discharge of all the duties of her church, and not without a struggle in parting with her child and consigning her to the charge of Jesuits, yielded in this case to the malign influence of fashion, as many a fond mother does even in this our own land of equal rights and far-famed, though mock equity, sent her beautiful daughter, her earthly idol, to the school of. these nuns. Let the result speak for itself.
Up to the departure of the sons for the army, and this daughter for the nunnery, I had been ever from my infancy acquainted with this family, and had for them the highest respect and warmest attachment: the elder brother was about my own age and only a few years between the eldest and the youngest child.
Soon after the daughter was sent to school, I entered the College of Maynooth as a theological student and in due time was ordained a Roman Catholic priest by particular dispensation being two years under the canonical age. An interval of some years passed before I had an opportunity of meeting my young friend again; our interview was under peculiar circumstances. I was ordained a Romish priest, and located where she happened to be on a visit. There was a large party given at which, among many others, I happened to be present; and the meeting with my friend and interchanging the usual courtesies upon such occasions, she - sportively as I then imagined - asked me whether I would preach her reception sermon, as she intended on becoming a nun and taking the white veil. Not even dreaming of such an event, I replied in the affirmative.
I heard no more of the affair for about two months, when I received a note from her designating the chapel, the day and the hour she expected me to preach. I was then but a short time in the ministry, but sufficiently long to know that up to the hour of my commencing to read Popish theology, especially that of Dens and Antoine de Peccatis, I knew nothing of the iniquities taught and practised by Romish priests and bishops.
At the receipt of my friend's note, a cold chill crept over me; I anticipated, I feared, I trembled, I felt there must be foul play somewhere. However, I went according to promise, preached her reception sermon at the request of the young lady, and with the special approbation of the Bishop whom I had to consult on such occasions.
The concourse of people that assembled on this occasion was very great. The interest created by the apparent voluntary retirement from the world of one so young, so wealthy and so beautiful, was intense, and accordingly the chapel in which I preached was filled to overflowing with the nobility and fashionables of that section of the country. Many and large were the tears which were shed, when this beautiful young lady cut off her rich and flowing tresses of hair.
Having no clerical connection with the convent in which she was immured, I had not seen her for three months following. At the expiration of that time, one of the lay sisters of the convent delivered to me a note. I knew it contained something startling.
These lay sisters among Jesuits, are spies belonging to that order, but are sometimes bribed by the nuns for certain purposes. As soon as I reached my apartments, I found that my young friend expressed a wish to see me on something important. I, of course, lost no time in calling on her, and being a priest, I was immediately admitted; but never have I forgot, nor can I forget, the melancholy picture of lost beauty and fallen humanity, which met my astonished gaze in the person of my once-beautiful and virtuous friend.
I had been then about eighteen months a Romish priest, and was not without some knowledge of their profligate lives; and therefore I was the better prepared for and could more easily anticipate what was to come. After such preliminary conversation as may be expected upon occasions of this kind the young lady spoke to me to the following effect, if not literally so. I say literally, because so deep and strong, and lasting was the impression made upon my mind, that I believe I have not forgotten one letter of her words.... "I sent for you, my friend to see you once more before my death. I have insulted my God and disgraced my family; I am in the family way and I must die."
After a good deal of conversation which it is needless to repeat, I discovered from her confession the parent of this pregnancy and the mother abbess of the convent had advised her to take medicine which would effect abortion: but that she knew from the lay Sister who delivered me the note, and who was a confidential servant in the couvent, that the medicine which the mother abbess would give her should contain poison, and that the procuring abortion was a mere pretext.
I gave her such advice as I could in the capacity of a Romish priest. I advised her to send for the bishop and consult him. "I cannot do it," said she. "My destroyer is my confessor." I was silent. I had no more to say. I was bound by oath to be true to him. In vain did the noble sentiment even of the Pagan occur to me; a sentiment sanctioned almost by inspiration itself. It fled from my mind as smoke before the wind. I was one of the priests of the infallible church, and what was honor, what was honesty to me, where the honor of that infallible church was concerned?
They were of no account; not worthy the consideration of a Romish priest for a second. The almost heavenly sentiment of the noble Pagan, "Fiat justitia, ruat coelum," let justice be done even if the heavens were to fall, fled from my mind. I retired, leaving my friend to her fate, but promising, at her request, to return in a fortnight.
According to promise, I did return in a fortnight, but the foul deed was done. She was no more. The cold clay contained in its dread embrace all that now remained of that being, which, but a few months before, lived, and moved in all the beauty and symmetry of proportion; and that soul, once pure and spotless as the dew-drop of heaven, ere its contact with the impurities of earth, which a fond mother confided to the care of Jesuit nuns, had been driven in its guilt and pollution into the presence of a just but merciful God. All, all, the work of Jesuits and Nuns! This was the first check my Popish enthusiasm met with; and now for the first time did a doubt of the infallibility of the church of Rome enter my mind. After witnessing these events I could not help asking myself, can a church which sanctions and countenances such flagitious iniquities as I have just witnessed be a Christian church? Can a body of men, who individually practise such deeds of blood, treachery and crime as those which I have seen, be, collectively, infallible?
Are these the men whom the Saviour commissioned, in a particular manner, to preach the gospel to every creature? Are these the men, as a body, with whom he promised to be always, even to the consummation of the world? Are these the men who collectively constitute an infallible church? If so, unprofitable indeed has been my life. It is high time to come out from among them; and if I cannot live the life of luxury and ease, of sin and crime which a Romish priest can live, let me, at least, live that of an honorable man, and a useful member of society.
Europe is not the only portion of the world that contains legalized Sodoms. Its people are not the only people that support them. Its lawgivers are not the only men, nor its lawmakers the only ones, that make laws for them and give them charters. Its people are not the only people who contribute their time, their lands, their moneys, and who take almost from the necessaries of life, to support monk houses and nunneries, Jesuits and Dominicans. No, no. The new world, the new people, if I may say so, who boast of being the most enlightened people on the face of the earth -these are the people who, ill proportion to their number, contribute most to the support of Popish brothels, modestly called nunneries.
But it will be said that the young lady to whom I have alluded, has given no evidence of her being virtuous. As far as you tell us, she has made no resistance, and it is scarcely possible that one whom you have placed upon so high a prominence of virtue, could have so suddenly fallen into the depths of vice. This is all very plausible, and naturally to be expected from those who know nothing of auricular confession, a Popish institution, one of the most ingenious devices ever invented by the great enemy of man for the destruction of the human soul.
I am personally acquainted with several respectable Protestant Americans, both male and female, whose ideas of confession in the Romish church have often amused me, though not unaccompanied with feelings of grief and sorrow, at their unacquaintance with this, what may be called man-trap, or rather woman-trap in the Romish church.
American Protestants suppose that Popish confession means little more than that public confession of sin, which is made in all Protestant churches, or that which we individually make to Almighty God in our private chambers. Such may well inquire how this apparent sudden fall could have taken place. These inquiries will cease when I state that the young lady became a convert to Popery and give my readers some idea of what auricular confession is, and how it is, made. Every Roman Catholic believes that priests have power to forgive sins, by virtue of which power any crime, however heinous may be remitted. But in order to effect this the sinner must confess to a priest each and every sin, whether of thought, word or deed, with all the circumstances leading to it, or following from it; and every priest who hears confessions, is allowed to put such questions as he pleases to his penitent, whether male or female, and he or she is bound to answer under pain of eternal damnation.
It is very difficult, I admit, to suppose that this daughter of a virtuous mother, and that mother a Protestant too, brought up in the elegances of life, from her birth, breathing in no other atmosphere than that of the purest domestic morality, should be precipitated, in the short space of a year or two, from a state of unsullied virtue and innocence, to the veriest depth of crime; and it is a melancholy reflection to suppose a state of society, in which, by any combination of human events, the fond mother of a virtuous child could be made the instrument of that child's ruin. Such an event is scarcely possible in the eyes of Protestant Americans, and I feel a pride in believing, from my acquaintance with many of them, that if American mothers were aware of the existence of a society among them, whose object was to demoralize their children, shut out from them the noonday light of the gospel, and ultimately decoy them into the lecherous embraces of Romish priests and Jesuits; they would, to a woman, rise in their appropriate strength, and deliver our land fiom those legalized Sodoms called nunneries.
I will here take the liberty of showing them how the young friend to whom I have alluded, was debauched. The nunnery to which she was sent, as I have heretofore stated, had attached to it a fashionable school; all nunneries have such. The nuns who instruct in those schools in Europe, are generally advanced in years., descendants from the first families, and highly accomplished. Most, if not all of them, at an early period of life met with some disappointment or other. One perhaps was the daughter of some decayed noble family, reduced by political revolutions to comparative poverty, and now having nothing but the pride of birth, retired to a convent. She could not work, and she would not beg.
Another, perhaps, was disappointed in love; the companion of her own choice was refused to her by some unfeeling, aristocratic parent. No alternative was left but to unite her young person with the remains of some broken-down debauchee of the nobility. She prefers going into a convent with such means as she had in her own right. Another, perhaps, like my young friend, and thus is the case with most of them, was seduced by some profligate priest while at school, degraded in her own eyes, unfitted even in her own mind to become the companion of an honorable man seeing no alternative but death or dishonor, she goes into a convent.
These ladies, when properly disciplined by Jesuits and priests, become the best teachers. But before they are allowed to teach, there is no art, no craft, no species of cunning, no refinement in private personal indulgences, or no modes or means of seduction, in which they are not thoroughly initiated; and I may say with safety, and from my own personal knowledge through the confessional, that there is scarcely one of them who has not been herself debauched by her confessor.
The reader will understand that every nun has a confessor; and here I may as well add, for the truth must be told at once, that every confessor has a concubine, and there are very few of them who have not several. Let any American mother imagine her young daughter among these semi-reverend crones, called nuns, and she will have no difficulty in seeing the possibility of her immediate ruin.
When your daughter comes among those women, they pretend to be the happiest set of beings upon earth. They would not exchange their' situation for any other this side of heaven. They will pray. So do the devils. They will sing. So will the devils, for aught I know. Their language, their acts, their gestures, their whole conduct while in presence of the scholars, or their visitors, is irreproachable.
The mother abbess, or superior of the convent, who invariably is the deepest in sin of the whole, and who, from her age and long practice, is almost constitutionally a hypocrite, appears in public the most meek, the most bland, the most courteous, and the most humble Christian.
She is peculiarly attentive to those who have any money in their own right: she tells them they are beautiful, fascinating, that they look like angels, that this world is not a fit residence for them, that they are too good for it, that they ought to become nuns, in order to fit them for a higher and better station in heaven. Nothing more is necessary than to become a Roman Catholic and go to confession. Such is the apparent happiness, cheerfulness, and unalloyed beatitudes of the nuns, that strangers are pleased with them. They invariably make a favorable impression on the minds of their visitors. The inference is that they must be truly pious and really virtuous.
But to return to the causes which induced me to leave the Romish church. The young lady of whom I have spoken in a previous page, was sent to school, as I have stated, to a Popish nunnery. She was a Protestant when she entered; so are many young ladies in this country when they enter similar schools. The nuns immediately set about her conversion. The process by which such things are done is sometimes slow, but always sure.
It is often tedious, but never fails; though the knowledge European Protestants have of such institutions, renders the process of conversion more tedious than in this land of freedom and Popish humbuggery. The work of her conversion proceeded with the usual success, until she finally joined the Romish church. The next step, in such cases, is to choose a confessor. This is done for the young convert by the mother abbess of the nuns; and now commences the ruin of the soul and the body of the hitherto guileless, guiltless scholar, and convert from Protestant heresy.
She goes to confession; and recollect, American reader, that what I here state is "Mutata fabuta de te ipso narratur." Every word of what I am about to state is applicable to you. This confession is, literally speaking, nothing but a systematic preparation for her ruin. It is said that there is, among the creeping things of this earth, a certain noxious and destructive animal, called Anaconda. It is recorded of this animal, foul, filthy and ugly as he is, that when he is hungry, and seizes upon an object which he desires to destroy and subsequently devour, he takes it with him carefully to his den, or place of retreat. There, at his ease, unseen and alone with his prey, he is said to cover it over with slime, and then and there swallow it. I now declare, most solemnly and sincerely, that after living twenty-five years in full communion with the Roman Catholic church, and officiating as a Romish priest, hearing confessions, and confessing myself, I know not another reptile in all animal nature so filthy, so much to be shunned and loathed, and dreaded by females, both married and single, as a Roman Catholic priest, or bishop, who practises the degrading and demoraIizing office of auricular confession.

Guru · Guru

Let me give American Protestant mothers just a twilight glance at the questions which a Romish priest puts to those females, who go to confession to him, and they will bear in mind that there is no poetry in what I say. It contains no undulations of a roving fancy; there is nothing dreaming, nothing imaginative about it; it is only a part of a drama in which I have acted myself.
The following is as fair a sketch as I can, with due regard to decency, give of the questions which a Romish priest puts to a young female, who goes to confession to him. It is, however, but a very brief synopsis. But first let the reader figure to himself, or herself, a young lady, between the age of from twelve to twenty, on her knees, with her lips nearly close pressed to the cheeks of the priest, who, in all probability, is not over twenty-five or thirty years old-for here it is worthy of remark, that these young priests are extremely zealous in the discharge of their sacerdotal duties, especially in hearing confessions, which all Roman Catholics are bound to make under pain of eternal damnation. When priest and penitent are placed in the above attitude, let us suppose the following conversation taking place between them, and unless my readers are more dull of apprehension than I am willing to believe, they will have some idea of the beauties of Popery.
Confessor: What sins have you committed?
Penitent: I don't know any, sir.
Confession: Are you sure you did nothing wrong? Examine yourself well.
Penitent: Yes, I do recollect that I did wrong I made faces at school at Lucy A.
Confessor: Nothing else?
Penitent: Yes; I told mother that I hated Lucy A. and that she was an ugly thing.
Confessor: (Scarcely able to suppress a smile in finding the girl perfectly innocent.) Have you had any immodest thoughts?
Penitent: What is that, sir?
Confessor: Have you not been thinking about men?
Penitent: Why, yes, sir.
Confessor: Are you fond of any of them?
Penitent: Why, yes; I like cousin A. or R. greatly.
Confessor: Did you ever like to sleep with him?
Penitent: Oh, no.
Confessor: How long did these thoughts about men continue?
Penitent: Not very long.
Confessor: Had you these thoughts by day, or by night?
In this strain does this reptile confessor proceed, till his now half-gained prey is filled with ideas to which she has been hitherto a stranger. He tells her that she must come tomorrow. She accordingly comes and he gives a twist to the screw, which he has now firmly fixed on the soul and body of his penitent.
Day after day, week after week, and, month after month does this this hapless girl come to confession. Until this wretch has worked up her passion to a tension almost snapping, and then becomes his easy prey.
They even go further; they perpetrate the grossest outrages upon every law, moral and civil, in utter defiance of American jurisprudence. They keep their nunneries, or rather seraglios, in the very midst of them, surround them with ramparts, and not only deny to their civil magistrates the right of entrance, but defy them to do so.
This every American citizen knows to be a fact; at least, it is known in the city of Boston, where I now write. No one was admitted within the walls of the Ursuline convent, which an indignant populace reduced to ashes, without special permission from the mother abbess, allowing the nuns within to assume the appearance of decency and propriety before they showed themselves, however flagrant their conduct might have been.
Time was given to them and to the priests to assume their usual sanctimonius appearance; but then all the cells were never seen at the same time. Many were reserved for hidden and criminal purposes, and when some of those nuns were apparently cheerful and happy, leaving on the visitor's mind an impression that nothing but happiness reigned throughout the whole nunnery, there were probably some of them, unseen and unheard by strangers, writhing in the agonies of childbirth. This is no fancy sketch. Read Llorenti's History of the Inquisition, and you will find that the picture I give is far short of the reality.
Such was the profligacy of friars and nuns, as Llorenti informs us, in the fifteenth century, that the Pope, from very shame, had to take notice of it. He had to invest the inquisition with special power to take cognizance of the matter. The inquisitors, in obedience to orders from their sovereign Pope, entered immediately upon the discharge of their duties. They issued, through their immediate superior, a general order, commanding all women, nuns and lay sisters, married women and single women, without regard to age, station in life, or any other circumstance, to appear before them and give information, if any they had, against all priests, Jesuits, monks, friars and confessors.
The Pope was not fully aware of what he did, when he granted the aforesaid power to the inquisition. He supposed that the licentiousness of his priests did not extend beyond women of ill fame; but his holiness was was mistaken, as he subsequently discovered. All were obliged to obey the summons of the inquisition. Disobedience was heresy - it was death.
The number who made their appearance, to ledge information against the priests and confessors, in the single city of Seville, in Spain, was so great that the taking of depositions occupied twenty notaries for thirty days. The inquisitors, worn out with fatigue, determined on taking a recess, and having done so, they reassembled and devoted thirty days more to the same purpose; but the depositions continued to increase so fast, that they saw no use in continuing them, and they finally resolved to adjourn and quash the inquiry.
The city of Seville was found to be one vast area of pollution. But Americans will still say, this occurred in the fifteenth century; no such thing can take place now.
The whole social system is different now from what it was then. I tell you again, Americans, that you are mistaken in your inference. Priests, nuns and confessors are the same now that they were then, all over the world.
Many of you have visited Paris, and do you not there see, at the present day, a hospital attached to every nunnery in the city. The same is to be seen in Madrid and the principal cities of Spain. I have seen them myself in Mexico, and in the city of Dublin, Ireland. And what is the object of those hospitals? It is chiefly to provide for the illicit offspring of priests and nuns, and such other unmarried females as the priests can seduce through the confessional. But it will be said, there are no hospitals attached to nunneries in this country.
Infant being strangled by Priest and Mother Abbess
True, there are not, but of my own knowledge and from my own experience through the confessional, that it would be well if there were; there would be fewer abortions, there would be fewer infants strangled and murdered. It is not generally known to Americans, that the crime of procuring abortion, a crime which our laws pronounce to be felony, is a common every day crime in Popish nunneries. It is not known to Americans, but let it henceforth be known to them, that strangling and putting to death infants ins common in nunneries throughout this country.
It is not known that this is done systematically and methodically, according to Popish instruction. The modus operandi is this. The infallible church teaches that without baptism even infants cannot go to heaven. The holy church, not caring much how the aforesaid infants may come into this world, but that they should go from it according to the ritual of the Church, insists that the infant shall be baptized. This being done, and its soul thus fitted for heaven, the mother abbess gently takes between her holy fingers the nostrils of the infant, and in the name of the infallible church consigns it to the care of the Almighty; and I beg here to state, from my own knowledge through the confessional, that the father is, in nearly all cases, the individual who baptizes it.
Virtuous ladies, into whose hands this book may fall, will exclaim that this is impossible. If even nuns had witnessed such things, however depraved they may be, they would fly from such scenes; or at all events, no nun, who has ever been once guilty of such crimes, would commit them a second time. Here, again, we see how little Americans know of Popery; and of the practices of its priests and nuns.

"You can trust the priest, my children. Tell him all your sins, only he can forgive them."

The next witness is Bernard Fresenborg, a former Catholic priest. This is chapter 5 " Innocent Girlhood at the Confessional Box" of Thirty Years in Hell.

Blight girlhood and you destroy the usefulness of womankind. Tarnish the sacredness of girlhood and you sear the purity of womanhood. Deface the beautiful countenance of chastity, which is found in the bosom of girlhood, and you not only mar the happiness of girlhood, but you deface and obliterate the families of the future, for without that priceless treasure, virtue, the eternal principles of conjugal love becomes a barren waste without a single oasis.
Oh, if I could but call about me in one vast throng the girls of this land, and all other lands, who have had the first thought of carnality planted in their bosom by the scheming Priestcraft, I would have a throng of tear-faced mortals that would rend the heart of stone and stigmatize the cunning of Catholicism with a stigma blacker than the lowering clouds of despair.
When you force childhood to believe in the infallibility of the priestcraft you educate the mind of that child to implicitly believe in the officials of the Catholic Church, and when you gain the implicit confidence you have established a belief that cannot be easily eradicated, as this belief has become a part of that child, and as it grows older, this erroneous belief grows in proportion to the body, and by the time this child has arrived at the age of maturity, she is as densely ignorant of the cunning of this doctrine as she was when she first learned to repeat the Catechism with a childish lisp.
We desire to preface this chapter with common-sense arguments, so that the reader may thoroughly understand how completely the female element of the Catholic Church is under the control of the priesthood of this institution.
Priests are, as a rule, men of more than average intellect, and, as they have no other calling nor no other avocation in life than to make good impressions upon their members, they of course become cunning in their art, especially with the female members of their congregations, and more especially with their young and handsome members.
Imagine the power that a Catholic priest has over a young girl in her teens--yea, over any female member of their congregation, when you take into consideration the fact that from infancy these girls and women have been taught that it is almost an absolute impossibility for a priest to commit a sin.
When you dwell upon the doctrines taught these girls and women it will not be a matter of surprise that the priestcraft wields such a powerful influence over them, as any one with this doctrine funneled into them from childhood is open and ready to believe what the priestcraft may tell them, and the individual is not to blame for believing this, as they have been taught it by their parents from infancy, and the officials of the Catholic Church have taught it; then why should we be surprised at the dense ignorance upon the part of these girls and women?
Priests always try to impress their members with the idea that they are infallible and that it is impossible for them to sin. They do this for many reasons. First, in order that they may have their congregations in humble submission to any of the demands of the church, and, secondly, it enables them to accomplish any devilish deed they may wish to accomplish under the guise of priestly sanctity.
It is no pleasant task to dwell upon this most distasteful and most, repulsive of all of the fallacies of Rome and the abominable rottenness of the priesthood, but without giving a vivid description of the cunning of the priestcraft in regard to the "Confessional" would be treating the subject in a manner that would not do justice to the abominations of her hideous doctrines; and to fail to touch upon this subject would leave the greatest and most deadly weapon in the hands of this band of devils.
The Confessional Box is an emblem of paganism, as innumerable trustworthy authorities prove that Roman Catholicism has pre-empted this custom. as well as many other of her practices from the dark ages of paganism.
Oricular confession was practiced centuries ago by the ancient Babylonians, Egyptians, Mexicans, Peruvians and the Japanese--in fact, it is not only an ancient custom, but one which belongs to the darkest of the ancient ages, which should have been relegated to the haunts of hell centuries ago.
A priest once said: "Nobody should be surprised when we priests, bishops and popes sink into the bottomless abyss of immorality, for the celibacy of the priestcraft is only a cudgel in the hands of Catholic officials to drive us to the haunts of immorality."
A priest once said "that the Confessional is one of the most damnable institutions that was ever permitted to exist, as these Confessionals are only traps to lead the piously and morally-inclined priest to the plains of immorality, for a priest is naught but man, and when he is forced to compel women penitents to pour into his ears their every thought, feeling, desire, emotion and act, it kindles the fires of unholy thought upon the altars of his better ambitions and before he knows it he has committed adultery and not only ruined his own soul, but has been the implement in the hands of the devil to destroy the virtue of innocent womanhood.
He further states " that not only do the thoughts, feelings, emotions, etc., have to be related, in all of their details, to the priest, and perhaps a bad priest, but all circumstances leading to and the results growing out of these thoughts, must be given in detail."
The immorally inclined and. licentious priest is not satisfied with the female penitent enumerating only her mortal sins, but he insists and forces the penitent to give circumstances, minutely describing her thoughts and feelings of every-day life, which leads both the penitent and the confessor to the lowlands of immorality.
The priestcraft is instructed 'by the Romish Church not to allow the penitent to conceal anything from them, and the priestcraft is given instructions to probe the penitent to the heart's core.
In this chapter we propose to give you a little insight to the character of one or two priests that I have personally known, and if I dared and if it was possible to print the nasty history of a number of priests that I have been acquainted with, I could fill this volume with their depravity; but should I do so this book would not be permitted to circulate through the mails of the United States. But I will endeavor to clothe my recital of a few instances of priestly immorality in language of chastity, but will make my recital plain enough that any one who can read may understand.
Rev. Chas. Kuhlman, who was pastor of a Catholic Church in Edwardsville, Ill., was suspicioned of having become too intimate with a sister of his own school, and this sister soon left the sisterhood, and it was rumored that she went to St. Louis to evade the birth of a child.
This very same priest was caught in the act of adultery with a married woman in his office in East St. Louis. He was at that time, besides being pastor, the editor and publisher of a very important Catholic paper called "The Catholic Progress." This immorality of Priest Kuhlman became public property and formed such a nasty mess that the Catholic bishop had to take some notice of it and the case was tried before the Bishop of Alton, Ill., and Kuhlman was excommunicated for life.
This married woman gave testimony that was very damaging to the Rev. Kuhlman and gave her evidence before a notary public, which cannot he disputed, and it matters not how hard the Catholic Church may try to villify these statements, they cannot overcome the truthfulness of the same, as there are too many living witnesses at this time who know that what I am relating is absolutely true.
Rev. Kuhlman was not satisfied with the verdict of the bishop of Alton, Ill., and appealed his case to Rome, and the bishop was indeed glad to get rid of this dirty case and did not appear in Rome to prosecute the case, and the Rev. Kuhlman won the ease in Rome by default, and this same Rev. Kuhlman became a Catholic priest in good standing again and was permitted to officiate as a minister of the gospel, with all of this abominable slime of immorality clinging to his priestly garments.
Now, bear in mind that Rev. Kuhlman, after having all of this immorality laid at his door, was permitted by the Pope of Rome to go right ahead with his priestly duties, but a short time after he won his case at Rome there was an affidavit sworn out against Kuhlman by a man in East St. Louis, averring that he had been again caught in the act of adultery with another woman. This time the ease was reported to Bishop Janssen, of Belleville, Ill, and also to Cardinal Martinelli, of Washington, D. C., but there was no attention paid to it, and this Rev. Kuhlman was permitted to go right ahead in his pastoral duties and is at the present time the pastor of a church in East St. Louis and is also the spiritual director of a convent, which contains many sisters and many pupils. Now, if what I have related is false, Rev. Chas. Kuhlman has redress at law; and if I have libeled him he can make me suffer for the crime, and he will not have to spend any money to locate my whereabouts, as he is aware of my location at the present time and can find me at any time that he desires to bring suit against me for blackmail or any other crime that he sees fit to instigate against me.
It is no pleasant task to relate these very nauseating things, but it is my aim and intention to so plainly and powerfully set forth the deceit, cunning and dastardly deeds of Catholicism that I may be able to open the eyes of not only the Protestant world but of Catholicism at large, for there are thousands of the followers of the Pope who are very weak in their faith, and if I can by the righteousness of my cause, convince them that they are following the blind leaders of paganism, I am absolutely certain that the Protestant ranks will have an in-gathering of the hosts of Catholicism that will cause the angels in heaven to shout hallelujahs of thanksgiving.
Do not understand me to say, or to intimate, that there are no sincere priests, as there are; but their sincerity is founded upon superstitious beliefs and erroneous doctrines, consequently their sincerity and devoutness only helps to fasten the abominations of Catholicism more completely upon humanity, as those who are candidly sincere are held up to the Protestant world as models of Catholicism, when, in fact, they are but exceptions to the general herd of Catholic officials.
To more plainly illustrate to the reader how fascinating and powerful the teachings of Catholicism is upon the minds of man, I would illustrate this by the power that parents have over a child. You teach a child some doctrine, it matters not whether it is right or wrong, and you will impress it with the truthfulness of this doctrine in its childhood, and let it understand as it grows into manhood and womanhood that this doctrine is absolutely true, and hedge it about with superstitions confirming this doctrine, and the hosts of hell can hardly convince it that its early teachings were wrong; so you can easily see what a powerful influence Catholicism has over the minds of its followers, as you must bear in mind that Catholicism takes up the child when it is only a few days old and continually hedges it about with emblems of ignorance and superstition and never allows it to gaze above the horizon of this mass of erroneous doctrine; therefore the child is not to blame for its implicit confidence, but the cunning of those who practice this deception upon this child is to blame, and the doctrine of Catholicism is what I am assailing in this volume, for if I can be instrumental in opening the eyes of those who have arrived at the years of accountability, I feel sure that I can be instrumental in having those so reached declare to their offspring that their first lessons have been altogether erroneous, and if the Catholic parents will begin to teach their children before they leave the parental roof that their first lessons were erroneous it will not be so hard for the Protestant world to finish the job and turn these hosts of darkness into the highways of intellectuality.
The reason that we have so many disgraceful happenings and immoral incidents in the lives of the priestcraft is because of the absolute confidence that their followers have in them, as it is a well-known fact that the female world has a greater confidence in humanity than the male population, so it is an easy matter for any sane man or woman to understand why an immoral priest, and one who has no regard for honor, has such an easy task in accomplishing the ruin of those whom he seeks to destroy.
The paradise of the priestcraft is inky darkness, as they prefer darkness to light, and by their actions, their every-day lives take on the hue of midnight. If we can read God Almighty's handwriting in a legible manner, we believe that any intelligent man or woman can discern in the countenance of a majority of the priestcraft a look which is almost equal to a condemnation of their actions, as a large majority are lacking of that manly frankness of countenance which is found in the countenances of godly men.
In conclusion of this chapter, I beg to state that the Confessional Box of the Romish Church is one of the darkest ages of the dark history of Catholicism, and if this hideous chapter was removed from Romanism, three-fourths of her diabolical deeds would be eradicated; but when you remove the "Confessional" you remove the charm for that part of the priestcraft which exists upon the carrion of the human family, and whenever you remove the "Confessional," the celibacy of the church will be abandoned and the priestcraft will be allowed to marry, as Protestant ministers are permitted to do, and when this is done, instead of having a Roman Catholic Church, we will have a Protestant denomination in its stead, and my prayer is that a just God will hasten the day when this "virtue trap" will be relegated to the dark recesses of paganism, from whence it came.

"Protect my criminals."

Fresenborg says this in retrospect of his time as a Romish priest in chapter 8 of his book Thirty Years in Hell--

Monasteries Are Often the Abode of Criminals, and Nunneries the Slaughter Pens of Virtue.
When I was living beneath the folds of the black banner of Catholicism, I sincerely and devoutly believed that to shield a Catholic criminal was a righteous and Godly calling, as I believed that to prevent the civil law from taking hold of the criminal career of a Catholic official, for his shortcomings, was but an act of Godly justice.
I also believed that anything that was done 'between the walls of a Nunnery was sanctified by the approval of those who were higher in authority in the Catholic Church than myself; therefore, the things which I now realize are both criminal and immoral, as well as utterly detestable, I at one time considered righteous, simply because my education had been confined to the narrow channels of bigotry, and the effulgency of Biblical knowledge had never penetrated my Romish-inspired perceptibilities.

If Romish celibacy does not work WHY does the papacy require it in direct contradiction to the scriptures?

The following is excerpted from Woman Rides the Beast chapter 12, http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/fbns/beast12.htm.

CELIBACY'S ROOTS AND FRUITS
One must understand that mandatory celibacy is not taught in the Bible, nor was it practiced by the apostles. This teaching developed as an integral part of the evolving papal system and gradually became essential to it. The concern was not morality, for celibacy proved to be a veritable cornucopia of evil. In fact, the rule of celibacy was not the prohibition of sex but of marriage. Pope Alexander II (1061-73), for example, refused to discipline a priest who had committed adultery with his father's second wife because he hadn't committed the sin of matrimony. That was the great evil which had to be eliminated for the priesthood to be totally devoted to the Church.
All down through history not only priests and prelates but popes as well had their mistresses and visited prostitutes. Many were homosexuals. No member of the clergy was ever excommunicated for having sex, but thousands have been put out of the priesthood for the scandal of getting married. Why then the strict insistence upon celibacy, even to the present day, if it really doesn't mean abstinence from sex? It is because the rule of celibacy has a very practical and lucrative result for the Church: It leaves priests and especially bishops and popes without families to whom to bequeath property and thereby impoverish the Church. The clergy must have no heirs.
Pope Gregory VII, bemoaning the difficulty in stamping out marriage among priests, declared: "The Church cannot escape from the clutches of the laity unless priests first escape from the clutches of their wives." Here is another vital reason for celibacy: to create a priesthood without the encumbrance (and loving loyalties) of wives and children. Thus fornication and adultery, though forbidden in theory, were preferable to a marriage relationship. Nineteenth-century historian R.W. Thompson explains:
"It was considered absolutely necessary to the perfect working of the papal system that there should organize a compact body of ecclesiastics, destitute of all those generous sympathies which grow alone out of the family relation, that they might be the better fitted to do the work of the popes." (R.W. Thompson, The Papacy and the Civil Power, New York, 1876, p. 443).
Though married men in those early days were allowed to enter the priesthood, they were required to live celibate lives. Pope Leo I (440-61) decreed that married clergy were to treat their wives "as sisters." Few if any Catholics realize that as late as the reign of Pope Gregory VII (1073-85) it was accepted for priests to be married and supposedly live in celibacy with their wives.
Such a requirement was both unnatural and unrealistic. Who could keep such a rule? All over Italy the clerics openly had largely families and no discipline was enacted against them. After all, many of the popes had large families as well and sometime made no secret of it. De Rosa comments:
"This theological confusion in an age of depravity led the clergy, in fifth-century Rome in particular, to become a byword for everything that was gross and perverted. ... When Pope Sixtus III (432-40) was put on trial for seducing a nun, he ably defended himself by quoting Christ's words, `Let him who is without fault among you throw the first stone.'
"...roving monks were proving to be a social menace ... there ... were long periods when many monasteries were nothing but houses of ill repute. ... The second Council of Tours in the year 567 ... publicly admitted there was hardly a cleric anywhere without his wife or mistress" (De Rosa, op. cit., pp. 402-03).

Celibacy: a licentious, beastly doctrine.

The following excerpted from Woman Rides the Beast chapter 12, http://wayoflife.org/~dcloud/fbns/beast12.htm.

"The history of celibacy makes for reading so black. … A large part [of it] is the story of the degradation of women. … Ivo of Chartres (1040-1115) tells of whole convents with inmates who were nuns only in name … [but] were really prostitutes." --Peter de Rosa, Vicars of Christ
A sincere Catholic historian writes:
"The fact is that priestly celibacy had hardly ever worked. In the view of some historians, it has probably done more harm to morals than any other institution in the West, including prostitution. ... "The proof of the harm done by celibacy comes not from bigoted anti-Catholic sources; on the contrary, it includes papal and conciliar documents and letters of reforming saints. They all point in one direction: far from being a candle in a naughty world, priestly celibacy has been more often than not a stain on the name of Christianity" (Peter de Rosa, Vicars of Christ: The Dark Side of the Papacy, Crown Publishers, 1988, pp. 395-96).
A SYSTEM MADE FOR PROSTITUTION
For centuries the priesthood was largely hereditary. Most priests were the sons of other priests and bishops. More than one pope was the illegitimate son of a previous and supposedly celibate pope. For example, Pope Sylverius (536-7) was fathered by Pope Hormisdas (514-23), and John XI (931-5) by Sergius III (904-11) of his favorite mistress, Marozia, to whom we referred earlier.
Among the other bastards who ruled the Church were Popes Boniface I (41822), Gelasius (492-6), Agapitus (535-6), and Theodore (642-9). There were more. Adrian IV (1154-9) was the son of a priest. No wonder Pope Pius II (1458-64) said Rome was "the only city run by bastards." Pius himself admitted to fathering at least two illegitimate children, by different women, one of them married at the time. The rule of celibacy literal created prostitutes, making Rome the "Mother of Harlots," as the apostle John foresaw.
For years it has been a common saying that "Rome has more prostitutes than any city in the world because it has the most celibates." Pope Sixtus IV (1471-84) turned that fact into a source of considerable profit by charging Rome's numerous brothels with a Church tax. Then he gathered more wealth still by charging a tax on mistresses kept by priests.
Visiting Germany in the eighth century, St. Boniface found that none of the clergy honored their vows of celibacy. He wrote to Pope Zachary (741-52): "Young men who spent their youth in rape and adultery were rising in the ranks of the clergy. They were spending their nights in bed with four or five women, then getting up in the morning ... to celebrate mass." Bishop Rathurio complained that if he excommunicated unchaste priests "there would be none left to administer the sacraments, except boys. If he excluded bastards, as canon law demanded, not even boys [would be left]" (De Rosa, op. cit., pp. 404-05).
Terence German, a Vatican troubleshooter from 1978 to 1981 at Rome's Jesuit headquarters, claims that "the pope turned a deaf ear to his complaints of sexual improprieties." And when the facts could no longer be denied, the pope tried to say that such things were only occurring in the United States. "But that's hogwash," says German. "Its going on right in Rome, and he knows it" (Times, op. cit.).
John XII (955-64), to whom we referred earlier, became pope at age 16, ran a harem in the Lateran Palace, and lived a life of evil that passes imagination, even toasting the devil in front of St. Peter's altar. Spiritual leader of the Church for neither years. John XII slept with his mother and any other woman he could get his hands on. Women were warned not to venture into St. John Lateran church. Of this man Luitprand wrote in his journal:
"Pope John is the enemy of all things. ... the palace of the Lateran, that once sheltered saints and is now a harlot's brothel, will never forget his union with his father's wench, the sister of the other concubine Stephania. ...
"Women ... fear to come and pray at the thresholds of the holy apostles, for they had heard how John a little time ago took women pilgrims by force to his bed, wives, widows, and virgins alike" (Harry J. Margoulias, Byzantine Christianity: Emperor, Church and the West, Rand McNally, 1982, pp. 103-04).
Pope Boniface VIII (1294-1303) did not hesitate to have both a mother and daughter as his mistresses together... It was no secret that Pope John XXII (1316-34) has as son who was raised to cardinal.
Upon becoming Pope Alexander VI (1492-1503), Rodrigo Borgia, who had committed his first murder at age 12, cried triumphantly, "I am Pope, Pontiff, Vicar of Christ!" Gibbon calls him "the Tiberius of Christian Rome." Though he scarcely pretended to be a Christian, he was, like all the popes, deeply devoted to Mary. Of him a leading Florentine scholar wrote:
"His manner of living was dissolute. He knew neither shame nor sincerity, neither faith nor religion. Moreover, he was possessed by an insatiable greed, and overwhelming ambition and a burning passion for the advancement of his many children who, in order to carry out his iniquitous decrees, did not scruple to employ the most heinous means" (Francesco Guicciardini, Storia, I, 20, as cited in E.R. Chamberlin, The Bad Popes, Barnes and Noble, 1969, p. 173).
Like his predecessor, Pope Innocent VIII (1484-92), Borgia as a fond father admitted who his children were, baptized them personally, gave them the best education, and proudly officiated at their weddings in the Vatican, which were attended by Rome's leading families. Alexander VI had ten known illegitimate children, four of them (including the notorious Cesare and Lucrezia) by Vannozza Catanei, his favorite mistress. When Vannozza faded, Borgia, than 58, took newly-married, 15-year-old Giulia Farnese. She obtained a cardinal's red hat for her brother (thereafter known as "the Petticoat Cardinal"), who later became Pope Paul III (1534-49) and convened the Council of Trent to counter the Reformation.
Admiring visitors are not aware that this, the world's greatest work of art, was commissioned by Julius II (1503-13), who bought the papacy with a fortune and didn't even pretend to be religious, much less a Christian. A notorious womanizer who sired a number of bastards, Julius was so eaten up with syphilis that he couldn't expose his foot to be kissed.
Borgia's unbelievable wickedness, including his devotion to torture, his mistresses, and his illegitimate children, have been mentioned briefly.
Popes, cardinals, bishops, and priests without number have been habitual fornicators, adulterers, homosexuals, and mass-murderers, ruthless and depraved villains who pursued their degenerate lifestyles immune from discipline. Far from being excommunicated, such popes remain proudly displayed on the list of past "vicars of Christ."
Early in 1994, "Terence German, 51 [former Jesuit priest], filed a $120 million lawsuit in New York State Supreme Court against the Church, Pope John Paul II, and Cardinal John O'Connor." He accused them "of turning a blind eye to his repeated reports of other priests' sexual misconduct and misuse of church funds." German's formal complaint explains that--
"he gave up all of his 'worldly goods' when he took his vows in 1964 in exchange for a promise that the church would care for him until his death. The underlying assumption was that he would `live a life guided by the established principles' of the Roman Catholic Church. ...
"`The church--by acquiescing to pervasive sexual and financial misconduct--broke its part of the established principals. ... The Church wasn't enforcing its own rules, so [I wasn't] able to live according to the Church's rules ... with people stealing and in sexual alliances with small boys'" (Times, St. Petersburg, Florida, February 11, 1994, p. 3A).

Today's "celibate" fornicators, pedophiles, and perverts are almost always quietly transferred. In their new parishes they continue to celebrate mass and to perform priestly functions. Should they commit the much more serious sin of marrying, however, they are forbidden ever to function as priests again. The following excerpt is from The Roman Catholic Observer--

Conspiracy of Silence
The Roman Catholic Church has been charged with maintaining a 'conspiracy of silence' regarding her sexually abusive priests and bishops. Consider the following:
"Diocesan leaders cannot reveal information that would prejudice legal proceedings nor can they speak of confidential details that rightfully remain private. Nevertheless, there is much that can be spoken by Church leaders to stop destructive rumors, to correct false impressions given by secular sources, and to allay unreasonable fears." [ A tragic Grace; page 51 ]
Most of the studies I reviewed on this topic either categorically state or quietly imply that the Catholic hierarchy has been engaged in a long-term strategy of keeping silent about the growing crisis of The Celibacy Problem. When queried about the practice of ignoring complaints and just shifting offending priests from parish-to-parish, the response of most bishops is - silence. When the internal Catholic system fails and a priest is exposed by public trial, he is typically sent off to some Catholic location for 'rehabilitation.' Amazingly, the large majority of such priests are 'rehabilitated' in a matter of months and returned to pastoral assignments. Again, these things are well documented in the Reference Material I have examined.
Reference Material
Books
Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children; Berry, Jason, Image Books, ©1992
Sex, Priests, and Power: Anatomy of a Crisis; Sipe, Fr. A.W. Richard, Brunner/Mazel Publishers, ©1995. Sipe is an ordained Roman Catholic priest, now retired from active ministry.
Pedophiles and Priests: anatomy of a contemporary crisis; Jenkins, Philip, Oxford University Press, ©1996
A Tragic Grace: The Catholic Church and Child Sexual Abuse; Rossetti, Stephen J.; The Liturgical Press, ©1996 by The Order of St. Benedict, Inc.
Slayer of the Soul: Child Sexual Abuse and the Catholic Church; Stephen J. Rossetti; Twenty-Third Publications, ©1990, Stephen J. Rossetti and Twenty-Third Publications.
The Changing Face of the Priesthood; Fr. Donald B. Cozzens©2000, The Order of St. Benedict, Inc., Collegeville, MN
Internet Sites
Roman Catholic Faithful
"Roman Catholic Faithful (RCF) is a lay organization with many religious members, dedicated to promoting orthodox Catholic teaching and fighting heterodoxy and corruption within the Catholic Hierarchy." Here is a group of priests and Catholic people not afraid to grapple with the realities of sexual abuse by Catholic priests.
Scriptural Catholicism
Hosted by Catholic author and apologist Steven Kellmeyer, this sites' purpose is "to provide an easily-referenced index to the Scriptural underpinnings of Catholic doctrine and dogma. . . " An excellent site to study the Catholic teachings on apostolic succession, purgatory, sacraments, transubstantiation, and a host of other things. This site does mention "celibacy" (A whole half-page is give over to the topic). Sadly, it fails to distinguish between required celibacy and natural or self-chosen celibacy (which can exists for both a priest and a layperson alike, and which can, indeed, be a calling from God).
The Survivors of Clergy Abuse
Site includes a "clergy crimes" page that gives information on many Roman Catholic priests involved in litigation for sex abuse. A current events site that proves the pervasiveness of sex abuse by priests.
Survivor's Network for Those Abused by Priests
Seduction of women by priests, priestly pedophilia, and homosexual priests . . . things that the RCC plays-down and Catholic apologists try to minimize . . . come together at this site devoted to helping those who have been sexually abused by Roman Catholic priests and bishops. The very existence of such a site suggests that the problem is a lot bigger than Rome is willing to admit.
Survivor's of Clergy Abuse in Catholic Seminaries
An activist center for survivors of sexual assault, rape, incest and child molestation. The now-infamous Fr. James R. Porter case (Massachusetts) is covered here. You can subscribe to their newsletter, The Survivor Activist and read related articles. This group also maintains a database of known sex offenders.
Effects of a Celibate Priesthood
The title speaks for itself.
Celibacy Is The Issue Surf over to the C.I.T.I. (Celibacy Is The Issue) site for an eye-opening view of the many Roman Catholic priests who have gotten married and continue to practice their faith. The stated purpose of C.I.T.I. is to work for full use of married priests aspriests. How many of them are there? Do they have Biblical support? Do they have Canonical support? Find out here!

Doctrines and precepts of devils.

Why 15 foot high walls around cloistered convents? Why have cloisters? Jesus did not pray we be taken out of the world. John 17:15, "I pray NOT that thou shouldest take them out of the world, but that thou shouldest keep them from the evil." Yet the Romanism lures unsuspecting people into its convents and monasteries. Of course, requiring them to give all their worldly goods to "Mother Church"

Time fails to relate the preponderance of testimony concerning the dens of iniquity known as convents. Shame prevents sharing the worst of offenses carried out by the priesthood. We conclude with thoughts from Charles Chiniquy found in "The Priest, the Woman and the Confessional"...

The confessional is like the spider's web. How many too unsuspecting flies find death, when seeking rest on the beautiful framework of their deceitful enemy! How few escape! and this only after a most desperate struggle. See how the perfidious spider looks harmless in his retired, dark corner; how motionless he is; how patiently he waits for his opportunity! But look how quickly he surrounds his victim with his silky, delicate, and imperceptible links! how mercilessly he sucks its blood and destroys its life!
What remains of the imprudent fly, after she has been entrapped into the nets of her foe? Nothing but a skeleton. So it is with your fair wife, your precious daughter; nine times out of ten, nothing but a moral skeleton returns to you, after the Pope's black spider has been allowed to suck the very blood of her heart and soul. Let those who would be tempted to think that I exaggerate, read the following extracts from the memoirs of the Venerable Scipio de Ricci, Roman Catholic Bishop of Pistoia and Prato, in Italy. They were published by the Roman Catholic Italian Government, to show to the world that some measures had to be taken, by the civil and ecclesiastical authorities, to prevent the nation from being entirely swept away by the deluge of corruption flowing from the confessional, even among the most perfect of Rome's followers, the monks and the nuns. The priests have never dared to deny a single iota of these terrible revelations. On page 115 we read the following letter from sister Flavia Peraccini, Prioress of St. Catharine, to Dr. Thomas Camparina, Rector of the Episcopal Seminary of Pistoia:
"In compliance with the request which you made me this day, I hasten to say something, but I know not how. "
Of those who are gone out of the world, I shall say nothing. Of those who are still alive and have very little decency of conduct, there are many, among whom there is an ex-provincial named Father Dr. Ballendi, Calvi, Zoratti, Bigliaci, Guidi, Miglieti, Verde, Bianchi, Ducci, Seraphini, Bolla, Nera di Luca, Quaretti, &c. But wherefore any more? With the exception of three or four, all those whom I have ever known, alive or dead, are of the same character; they have all the same maxims and the same conduct.
"They are on more intimate terms with the nuns than if they were married to them! I repeat it, it would require a great deal of time to tell half of what I know. It is the custom now, when they come to visit and hear the confession of a sick sister, to sup with the nuns, sing, dance, play, and sleep in the convent. It is a maxim of theirs that God has forbidden hatred, but not love; and that man is made for woman and woman for man.
"I say that they can deceive the innocent and the most prudent and circumspect, and that it would be a miracle to converse with them and not fall!"
Page 117.—"The priests are the husbands of the nuns, and the lay brothers of the lay sisters. In the chamber of one of the nuns I have mentioned, a man was one day found; he fled away, but, soon after, they gave him to us as our confessor extraordinary.
"How many bishops are there in the Papal States who have come to the knowledge of those disorders, have held examinations and visitations, and yet never could remedy it, because the monks, our confessors, tell us that those are excommunicated who reveal what passes in the Order!
"Poor creatures! they think they are leaving the world to escape dangers, and they only meet with greater ones. Our fathers and mothers have given us a good education, and here we have to unlearn and forget what they have taught us."
Page 188.—"Do not suppose that this is the case in our convent alone. It is just the same at St. Lucia, Prato, Pisa, Perugia, &c. I have known things that would astonish you. Everywhere it is the same. Yes, everywhere the same disorders, the same abuses prevail. I say, and I repeat it, let the superiors suspect as they may, they do not know the smallest part of the enormous wickedness that goes on between the monks and the nuns whom they confess. Every monk who passed by on his way to the chapter, entreated a sick sister to confess to him, and—!"
Page 119.—"With respect to Father Buzachini, I say that he acted just as the others, sitting up late in the nunnery, diverting himself, and letting the usual disorders go on. There were several nuns who had love affairs on his account. His own principal mistress was Odaldi, of St. Lucia, who used to send him continual treats. He was also in love with the daughter of our factor, of whom they were very jealous here. He ruined also poor Cancellieri, who was sextoness. The monks are all alike with their penitents.
"Some years ago, the nuns of St. Vincent, in consequence of the extraordinary passion they had for their father confessors Lupi and Borghiani, were divided into two parties, one calling themselves Le Lupe, the other Le Borghiani.
My pen refuses to reproduce several things which the nuns of Italy have published against their father confessors. But this is enough to show to the most incredulous that the confession is nothing else but a school of perdition, even among those who make a profession to live in the highest regions of Roman Catholic holiness—the monks and the nuns.

Guru · Guru

149 THIRTY YEARS IN HELL

Chapter IX.

Un-Married Cussedness of the Roman Priest-Craft.

In the Book of Books, we find that the Lord of Hosts declares that, "It is not good for man to dwell alone," and our Heavenly Father also teaches us that "Every man should have one wife."

Now, the Good Lord was either right or wrong when He made this declaration, and who is there that would declare that the Lord was mistaken in His injunction? Not one! Therefore, we must acknowledge that either the Lord our God made a declaration that was nonsensical and unreasonable, or else the Roman Priestcraft is living a life which is diagonally contrary to the commands and demands of God Almighty, for when the Roman Church declares that her Priests shall not wed, they at once set up a rule for their teachers which

150 THIRTY YEARS IN HELL

is in violation, to not only the laws of God, but the laws of man, as the silent whisperings of man's nature demands a helpmeet. The heathen nations of the earth who are not acquainted with the sanctity of the marriage vow, have a longing for the companionship of the opposite sex, and this longing cannot be termed anything but "a godly love," as this feeling was placed in the bosom of humanity by a divine being, and whenever this desire is thwarted, you have disturbed the most blissful inspiration of the human family; but the Roman Catholic Church would have us believe that a few of the human family have been ordained by God to live recluses, or, as we may term it, "unmarried hermits."

Catholicism, with all her damnable dogmas and creeds, cannot change that God-given impulse that was planted in the bosom of man, when Adam was created in the Garden of Eden, and the more Roman Catholicism endeavors to eradicate that feeling, the greater her sins become, for it is a most damnable sin to try to force man to eradicate from his bosom this everlasting and godly

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craving for the love of the opposite sex, and as long as "man is born of woman," just so long that inspiration will live in the bosom of mankind, and just so long as Roman Catholicism endeavors to force humanity to purge itself of this blessed longing, just so long the mark of deception, depravity and ungodliness will be left upon the brow of this Romish demon.

This chapter is one that must be written in a delicate manner, which prohibits me from becoming emphatic and explicit, for should I allow myself to write exactly what I have seen, and the truths that exist in regard to Romish hellishness, and the deeds of the unmarried cussedness of Catholicism, I would have to resort to language that would be unchaste, but I have in mind a story that was told some time ago, by a young lady, who had spent a number of years in a convent, which I will relate word for word as she gave it, and which will be only the history over and over again of thousands--yea, tens of thousands of girls who have had the same experience as this

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poor mortal, only perhaps had new agonies added to their lives.

The history of this girl's life in a convent is more than pathetic, from the fact that her father on his deathbed requested that she be placed in a convent by her mother, which was done, and her sufferings, the reader will see, were not a fault of hers, but the fault of her parents, who had been raised to believe in the diabolical teachings of Roman Catholicism, but who did not know that these teachings were only echoes of the dark ages of paganism, therefore you will see that this poor girl's history is laden with a sadness for which she is not to blame, and the fault can only be laid at the fountain head, as her parents were sincere in their belief, and did not, of course, realize that they were helping to ruin their darling girl's future.

I will now relate her history, as near as possible, the way she gave it, which will be symbolic of the history of thousands of other girls, and which is absolutely true. Her story follows:

"When one becomes an inmate of a convent,

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they become a prisoner, as every act is scrutinized by the mother superior, and you have no privilege any more than if you were a convict and placed behind the bars for some heinous crime. With this exception, however, you are allowed to receive letters from a priest without having the letter opened and read before 'it reaches you, as there is always some mark to distinguish a letter received from a priest, but all letters that you write and all letters that you receive, unless they bear the mark indicating that they have been sent by a priest, are carefully read, and if the contents of either the letter you write, or the one that has been written to you does not meet with the arbitrary opinion of the "mother superior,'' they are destroyed, and you never have the opportunity of sending the one that you have written, or to receive the one that has been written to you, unless they can pass the inspection of the "mother superior," who is nothing more nor less than an agent of the Pope of Rome, as she receives her instructions from the priestcraft, and they receive their instructions from the Pope of Rome.

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When an inmate of a convent receives a letter from a priest it is handed her without being opened, as the "mother superior" is instructed Rot to open such letters, and is told that all such letters, of course, relate to the spiritual welfare of the nun.

In these letters the priest will tell the nun what day he will call to give her a general confession. As soon as such a letter is received the nun informs the "mother superior" that on a certain day Priest So-and-So will visit her, and, of course, this "'mother superior" gives the permission, and on the day that the priest is to arrive, this nun is excused from all duties for that day, and when the priest arrives he is shown into what is called the Retreat Parlor; and no matter how long he remains there, no one will disturb him. He is supposed to be talking with his penitent on the welfare of her soul. Ah, could any one look through the door, they would find this priest with his arms about the form of this fair penitent, or perhaps in a far more compromising position!

Right here the reader may ask if these nuns are

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willing to submit to the embraces of these priests? I will allow this girl to answer this question in her own language, and her answer is this:

I answer that in fifteen out of twenty cases--No! But she is there helpless; the priest has seen her somewhere in the garb of a nun, and has taken a fancy to her, and, whether she be willing or not, he compels her to allow him to satisfy his hellish passion!"

This girl continues by exclaiming: ''Oh God! Great God! When I 'think of this system--this system born of the, devil and nurtured by hell--and realize that under the cloak of religion it is stealing away our liberty, entering into our homes, ruining our womanhood and girlhood, and painting childish purity with the brush of immorality, and defiling everything with which it comes in contact, I then become a mad woman, and I become as a venomous serpent, wanting revenge for what has been done to me, and it seems as if I cannot remain quiet, but, closing ray eyes and ears to everything, as I have no redress, I am compelled to warn thousands who may come after

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me, of their fate, should they take up convent life, which is a hell upon earth and a blotch as black as the shadows of hell to any land."

The same lady who related the above, and a great deal more which I cannot tell in this chapter, gave an account of the sufferings of another nun, who was in the same convent with her, and I now learn that the same story that I will now relate has been told to others.

Reader, you must bear in mind that convents have many tortures outside of the torturing conscience on account of having the virtue of their inmates destroyed. The teachings of Catholicism lead people to practice, self-infliction upon their person in order to appease a living God, as they seem to worship a living God the same as the pagans would worship a God of stone, or a ferocious God in the form of some carnivorous beast, and in order to atone for their sins, these inmates of the nunneries are taught that they must beat self-infliction; in fact, Catholicism teaches her followers that in order that any of them shall receive

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absolute pardon, that they must resort to heathenish practices.

As stated above, the same lady whom we speak of in the first part of this chapter, relates her experience with a sister nun, who endured self-torture, believing that it was an outward demonstration of godliness. Her story follows:

"I call to mind a case of cruelty under the guise I of devotion that happened in our convent. A consecrated penitent, Sister Madeline, had been for some time a victim of consumption. She was a beautiful girl, and her exquisitely sweet voice could be heard in church every Sunday, taking part in the high mass. Poor Sister Madeline!

How many humiliations she received! How often she was censured for leaving her work unfinished when she was not able to do it, and how I have pitied her as she tried to eat the bread and dripping we had for supper. Failing in the attempt, I would notice the tears gather in her eyes. Oh, how often I longed to be able to obtain some little delicacy for her! but dared not ask for it.

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Her gentle, patient, suffering face will never fade from my memory.

"One Sunday evening she and I were walking in the garden after benediction. She felt more than usually weak, and, therefore, I could offer her my arm to lean upon.

"'Dear Sister Magdalene Adelaide,' she said, 'I think our blessed Lord is soon going to come for me.'

I tried to cheer her by telling her that it might be His will to restore her again to health and strength.

'No, dear Sister, she replied; 'and oh, I do not want to stay. I long to see my Master's face. At night, when I lay awake in pain, I long, oh, so much, that I might go!'

" 'Sister Madeline,' I said, 'you have been happy here, have you not? You love your present life?'

"We had seated ourselves by this time in a little grotto made up in honor of 'Our Lady of Lourdes.' She buried her face in her hands, and I saw the tears trickling between her fingers.

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"My own eyes filled with tears; I know not why. "At last, raising up her head, she said: 'I have tried my best to be contented; but oh! Sister Adelaide, it has been a bitter struggle. It is wrong in me to give way thus; but I cannot help it. May Our Lady pity me! I want you to promise, dear Sister, that you will say a rosary for me every day for a year after I am dead, and one communion every month.'

'I will gladly do this for you, Sister Madeline?' I answered. 'Tell me,' I continued, 'is there any particular day you prefer?'

"'Yes,' she replied, 'I would like your Friday communion. Promise me that on the anniversary of the feast of St. Mary Magdalene, my patron saint, you will offer your communion for me.'

"I promised her this and she seemed more satisfied.

"'I know,' she said, 'that I shall have a long purgatory.' She shuddered as she spoke. 'And oh! I do hope the dear sisters will remember me in their prayers and communions.'

Dear Sister Madeline,' I said at last, 'purgatory

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is better than hell and our Blessed Lady will intercede for you.'

"'Yes, dear Sister Magdalene Adelaide,' she said, 'you are right; but oh!' she continued, 'I cannot help the shudder that passes through me as I think of the suffering I shall be in for years, especially after the mortifications I have practiced here, the discipline I have applied to myself, the days I have abstained from food, the prayers I have offered, the tears I have shed; and now, as death approaches, there is no other prospect before me than a long term of purgatorial punishment. Besides, the punishment will be all the greater since I have given away to an unnatural thought.'

"'And what, may I ask, do you call an unnatural thought?'

"'Sister Magdalene Adelaide, come close to me.'

"I rose from my chair and knelt down beside her.

"'Dear sister, I have endeavored to bear my cross,' she commenced, speaking with difficulty; 'But oh! sister, I dread the end; I have so much

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to expiate; and oh!' she continued, her voice now choked with sobs, 'if only I could have my mother near me; if only I could hear her voice once more; it is so long since I have seen her. I have asked for any letter that may have come, but they tell me none has arrived, and oh! I don It think mother has quite forgotten me.'

"I durst not trust myself to speak; my heart was too full. At last I said, 'Dear sister, do not grieve thus; our Blessed Lady will intercede for you. Remember, in coming here your purpose, even as mine, was to make reparation for sin. You and I have both suffered. Be brave now, dear, and now that the end is near do not take away from God's glory by fearing for the future.'

"'I know it is wrong to grieve so much, Sister Magdalene Adelaide, but oh, I am so weak! Will you read a meditation for me?'

"I took up the book and did as she requested. Soon she fell into a sleep which lasted about one hour, and again I commenced saying my rosary beads. Presently I heard her murmur, and, listening, I heard her whisper, 'My feet! oh, my feet!'

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I arose from my chair and removed the sheet with the intention of rubbing her limbs; as I did so her feet were disclosed. A thrill of horror passed through my being as I looked at them, for they were all cut, festered and bruised; a fearful suspicion took possession of me, and, stooping down, I picked up her infirmary shoes. On examination I discovered in them. pieces of broken glass; a thrill akin to horror ran through my whole frame. I held the shoes in my hands and looked at the pale, suffering face of Adeline as she lay there on her bed, and this evening the whole scene rises before me--the little infirmary with its clean, white floor, a few cheap prints of the stations of the cross hanging on the otherwise bare walls, the two or three small iron bedsteads, then the white wooden altar upon which was spread a white linen cloth embroidered with red; the two statues, one of 'Our Lady of Dolours' and the second of St. Joseph, the patron of happy deaths. In the center of the altar was a vase with a few cheap paper flowers.

"Yes, it comes to me most vividly. There she

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lay, the sin of her past life being that she, too, had been deceived at the altars of Rome--a victim of priestly solicitation in the confessional. Even as she lay there in the last stages of consumption, traces of what had at one time been a beautiful face were clearly discernible. What had she not, suffered for years! Who could tell the many weary hours of heart anguish she had passed through? And yet she was young--hardly twenty-five years old. She had given up all that was near and dear, and, for the years she had lived in the convent, she had tried to appease God's justice for her early sin by mortifying and chastising herself in a way that can only find a parallel in the doctrines of Buddha. Oh, Madeline! poor, wounded, betrayed one! Who can wonder, as you lay there with the fever of consumption running and coursing through your veins, that, in spite of all the teachings and practices of self-denial in the convent life in which you had lived so many years, yet, when the hour of death drew nigh and your soul was hovering on the borders of the unknown eternity, your thoughts once more went back to the old

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home-scenes, and you longed, as only a child can, for the sight of a mother's face, the sound of a mother's voice, the cool, soothing touch of a mother's hand passing over your brow? They tried to crush down the natural love that God placed in your heart for your mother, but they could not. The use of the discipline caused the blood to flow and gave you physical suffering; fasting and long prayers made you weak, and thus incapable of exercising will-power; and, when no other eye but God's was upon you, when struggling with the desire to leave forever the hateful prison walls of the convent, the bitter tears forced their way. 'Then, kneeling before the statue of the 'Mother of Sorrows,' you pleaded with her to help and intercede for you. What comfort did you get? What hope? What consolation? None! You might make good confessions and communions, practice all the self-denials required of one in your vocation, and the only thing that the church could give you, the only gleam of hope she could offer, was that, through your works of supererogation, your purgatory would be lessened,

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and now, wasted through suffering and consumption, dreading the punishment of purgatory, endeavoring in your dying state to do something to lessen its pangs, you have walked with glass in your shoes and your poor feet give evidence of the agony you endured. And this is Christianity!

"I applied cold cloths to her feet; I sat down in the dimly-lighted infirmary by the side of her bed, and, holding the fevered and trembling hand, I, in my ignorance, tried to give her some comfort. I promised to remember her in my intentions, my communions, and at the sacrifice of the Mass. I spoke to her of the mercy and compassion of Mary, the 'Mother of Sorrows,' and tried to give her hope by pointing to her as mediator between her soul and Christ, but I could see that she received no satisfaction, no assurance. Then her eyes closed and she dozed for a few minutes, only to wake with a moan of pain--'Oh, my feet! oh, my feet!' And then again, 'If only I could see my mother!' would issue from her parched and cracked lips.

"And so I sat through the night, soothing her

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as well as I knew how, and repeating aspirations for her, until the dawn crept in and the nuns' bell rang out at 4:30 o'clock, arousing the inmates. The quietness and deep stillness still remained throughout the institution, the sisters and penitents walking in the dimly-lighted cloisters with soft tread and down-cast eyes, as if in the land of the silent dead and not the living."

As I write I wonder how it was possible for me to endure the paganism of Catholicism, for thirty years, and the only rational reason I can give for this endurance is that 1, like thousands of these poor nuns whom I have just written about, was raised to believe that the teachings of Catholicism were right and the only road that lead to eternal glory; therefore I look with pity and compassion upon those black-garbed nuns when I behold them tramping the streets of our large cities, as I realize that they actually believe they are performing God's work, when the truth of the matter is that they are only following the practices of heathen nations.

I could go on and write a thousand pages upon

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"The Unmarried Cussedness of the Roman Priestcraft," and each page would be as black as the shadows of hell, but I deem it unnecessary, as I have confidence in those who may read this book that they will believe every word of what I have written, therefore it is unnecessary for me to dwell longer upon the hideousness of celibacy.

In conclusion, I desire to say that so long as Roman Catholicism demands that her priestcraft shall not wed, just so long the priestcraft will remain vultures of virtue and just so long convents will be turned into carnivals of vice.

It is only natural that such should be the case, as both the priestcraft and the inhabitants of our convents are brought up from childhood to believe in the absurdities of Roman Catholicism, and to believe that all of their many sins can be pardoned by the cungerings of this Romish doctrine.

My prayer is that the government of the United States may learn in the near future that the broad light of Protestant inspection must penetrate these recesses of darkness before we can ever have them cleansed of their immorality, and this

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inspection must be made often, and I sincerely believe that the time is not far distant when Protestant America will demand that Catholicism shall do away with her monasteries and nunneries, unless she submits to a rigid examination of her actions, and whenever she submits it will be because she is forced to submit, and whenever she is forced to do so, these monasteries and convents will be closed up, as Protestant America will not allow nor permit these plague spots to exist to pollute the fair name of America when she learns of their actual mission.

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Chapter X.

A Brazen Insult to God.

Catholicism teaches that the Pope of Rome is infallible and cannot sin, neither can he make a mistake. This claim, if true, would place the Pope of Rome, who is nothing more nor less than a human being, upon the same footing as Jesus Christ.

The Bible says, "There are none pure; no, not one." Now, if the claim of Catholicism that the Pope of Rome is infallible, is true, then the Bible is a myth and a mockery.

If Catholicism's claim that the Pope of Rome is infallible, is true, then God is not an impartial God, for if He is an impartial God He would not bestow upon any of His mortals the gift of purity, without being ready to bestow the same gift upon

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all of those who are deserving, and who by their righteousness deserve this grand and princely distinction.

We want to use a little commonsense and a philosophy that can be assimilated by any man or woman of ordinary intelligence.

The Bible does not relate in any verse or chapter that any one can reach the point of infallibility during life. Now, is not this true? And if it is, then the claim of Catholicism that the Pope of Rome is infallible is a lie, woven in the devil's loom.

We want to prove to our readers that this claim is one founded upon fallacious grounds, as the Pope of Rome is elected by the cardinals of the Catholic Church, who are human And who are often as immoral as the devil; therefore the infallibility of the Pope rests in human hands, for it is by these cardinals that the Pope is created, therefore you will see that by the ballot of these cardinals the Pope derives his infallibility, and not from any power of God Almighty, consequently

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this proclaimed infallibility of the Pope rests in the hands of these cardinals.

Now, to illustrate this damnable doctrine and show it up in its rabid ignorance, we will suppose that when Pope Pius X was elected Pope of Rome that if some other priest had received a majority of one of the votes of the cardinals, Pope Pius X would never have had this blessing from God, but he would only have missed it one vote, therefore you will see that this infallibility which was about to rest on Pope Pius X, but did not, would have been snatched from him by the failure of one cardinal to vote for him.

Now, any man or woman of ordinary "horse sense" can see that God Almighty has nothing whatever to do with filling the office of the Pope, and this infallibility rests altogether with the pulling power that the candidate for Pope exercises over the cardinals, as it is an indisputable fact that there is as much political chicanery in the election of a Pope as there is in the election of a justice of the peace at a township election.

We want to learn just how far this infallibility

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of the Pope goes. If a man is infallible he can not make a mistake, and I can prove by every man of broadmindedness and intelligence that the Popes of Rome, for centuries past, have made nothing but mistakes, and their mistakes have been not only ruinous to those whom they profess to teach, but their mistakes have had a tendency to paralyze the righteous ambitions of every nation to which their influence has extended. If the claim of Catholicism is true that her Popes are infallible, then we must acknowledge that this great gift was received from God Almighty, and we cannot believe such nonsense when we are aware of the fact that these Popes are elected by the cardinals, and the election of a Pope depends upon the tactics and schemes of these cardinals; then, pray, tell us how any man who has been raised up under the arch-light of Protestantism, or who has had the searchlight of Protestant intelligence penetrate his soul, can for a moment believe in the infallibility of the Pope?

I sincerely believe, in fact, I know that there are millions who believe this damnable doctrine,

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as I can honestly say that I at one time believed it myself. But those who do believe it are those who have been raised beneath the dark shadows of superstition, and my mission in writing this book is to brush the cobwebs of ignorance from these dwarfed minds and help to point them to "the Lamb of God who taketh away the sins of the world," and if I can be instrumental in this mission I will not only open the eyes. of the followers of Catholicism, but I will put stiffening into the backbone of Protestantism and help them to brand this idolatrous doctrine of Catholicism wherever she may dare to rear her abominable head.

The great danger in teaching that the Pope is infallible is in making thieves and murderers of our citizens, for if Catholicism is right in teaching her followers that the Pope of Rome is infallible, this doctrine is bound to have an influence that is awful in its effect,, for whenever a man or woman believes in the infallibility of the Pope they are bound to believe in the infallibility of all things that he creates; therefore you will see that this doctrine is far-reaching in its effects, for if a

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Pope is infallible the bishops which he creates are infallible, and if the bishops which he creates are infallible, the priests which they create are infallible, and whenever we teach a nation this abomination we have a nation of people which believes that there is no sin so heinous which they may commit but which may be forgiven by the priesthood, as they have learned to believe that all things created by the Pope are infallible, simply because they have been created by the Pope, and whenever you preach a doctrine that has such effect upon the inhabitants of any country you will have a set of inhabitants who will commit crime without hesitation, as they are assured that by paying a few dollars into the coffers of the priest they can have their sins pardoned, and whenever you cause a nation to believe this, you at once have a nation of criminals.

It is, in my estimation, absolutely impossible for an individual who believes in such a damnable doctrine to become a pure, patriotic American citizen. Now, this may seem to the reader a very broad assertion and one that may appear too broad to be substantiated, but I propose to demonstrate

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to you that it is only a natural consequence, and if we fail to make this point clear to the reader's mind we will not ask them to believe it.

In the first place, we desire to say that the Catholic religion--if religion it can be termed--is founded upon the rock of superstition. Every code of their church doctrine teaches that the Pope is infallible and cannot err, which is absurd, and not only absurd, but a festering lie, for no man or woman who believes in the teachings of the Holy Bible can believe in such a doctrine, and whenever a man or woman does believe in the infallibility of the Pope and believes that the Pope cannot err, he or she believes that the Pope is superhuman, and such we know cannot be the case as long as there is life in the body, as we are all liable to the Adamic sin, as the world at large was cursed with the Adamic sin in the Garden of Eden.

Now, we want to deal in simple facts and truths that are so simple that the commonest man of ordinary intelligence can understand.

Now, if the Pope of Rome is infallible, he is immortal, and if every action of this Pope is pure,

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then everything that is created by him must be pure; and if such is the case, I was at one time as pure as Jesus Christ Himself, as I for thirty years was a Roman Catholic priest and a creature created by a Roman Catholic Pope. Every man and woman of very ordinary intelligence knows that neither I nor any other priest ever was pure; in fact, that man has never lived or died who could claim infallibility and purity so long as life was left in his body.

If the doctrines of Catholicism are correct then we have no use for a God any longer, as we already have a Pope; and should Pope Pius X die to-day the cardinals to-morrow, or some day in the near future, would elect another Pope, who would take the place of Jesus Christ Himself, according to their doctrine; and if such doctrines are true, then the human family in the future and the unborn millions could be saved as easily without God as they could with Him, as the Pope would perform that mission himself.

There are thousands--yea, tens of thousands, who send handkerchiefs and trinkets each year

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to Rome to be blessed (?) by the Pope, and who believe that by having some article which has been blessed (?) by this presumptuous vagabond will prevent them from being overtaken by bad luck, ill health or any other misfortune that besets the path of man.

Now, if the Pope of Rome has the power to bless and sanctify, a piece of cloth, a ring, or any dead and inert object, he undoubtedly is "the real thing," and if such is the case the Bible is a lie, the gospel a fallacy, and God Almighty becomes a hireling, and we have no further need of a God.

What can we expect of the followers of Catholicism who believe in this hellish doctrine, and what can we expect of a nation which is controlled by those who teach and preach such abominations?

An institution which will teach such damnable ignorance and practice such superstitious paganism is a plague spot and a curse to any country, and the man or set of men who claim that the Pope is infallible offers "a brazen insult to God."

Guru · Guru

The Convent Horror

THE STORY OF OF BARBARA UBRYK

Twenty-One Years in a Convent Dungeon
Eight Feet Long, Six Feet Wide
from official records
Excerpted from the enlarged 1957 Edition

INTRODUCTIONIt is a most significant evidence of the moral obtuseness of the American people, that while all progressive foreign countries which are called Roman Catholic, have either suppressed or opened for public inspection, convents and monasteries, this great professedly-Protestant nation not only permits them to continue their nefarious course unmolested, but encourages them by indirect public aid, in exempting them from taxation.

Convents are increasing at an enormous rate in this country, and while used as prisons of life-servitude for American-born girls, are officered and controlled in nine cases out of ten by foreign-born unnaturalized women and priests.

The following items are taken from recent American dailies:--

London, May 23, 1892.--Two huge petitions were wheeled into the House of Commons this afternoon. They bore the signatures of 13,305 members of the Protestant Alliance and 101,408 members of the Loyal Protestant League and others, praying for the appointment of a commission to inquire into the conditions of the convents and monasteries in the United Kingdom.

City of Mexico, Dec. 26, 1891.--It is probably difficult for people in the United States, where church and State are quite distinct in their spheres of action, to understand the recent forcible closing of convents in Puebla and Cholula by an armed force, and amid a popular tumult which resulted in the killing of soldiers and rioters.

But here everybody understands the difficulty to be the result of the clandestine establishment of convents, in defiance of the laws governing religious establishments.

All convents, or other associations of persons under religious vows, are forbidden by law, and a convent of high church Episcopalian nuns or monks would be as promptly closed by the authorities as similar associations of Catholics.

Naples, Oct. 21, 1890.--The judicial authorities have instituted proceedings against the superior of the monastery popularly known as the "Convent of the Buried Alive," where the dreadful discoveries of the existence of starving and demented nuns within its walls was recently made. Another domiciliary visit has been made by the police to a conventional refuge of a similar character at Tencuraboli, where no opposition was made to their entrance. From information obtained at this establishment, it was found that institutions, for the "Sepolta Vive," or "Buried Alive," under the rule of St. Orsola, are not uncommon. In vatican circles it is asserted that at the next consistory the Pope will enter a protest against the violation of the monasteries here. In the meantime the priests of this city are sending in their adhesions to the remonstrance by Cardinal San Felice, Archbishop of Naples, against the recent visitations.

Another account says: "Sixteen nuns were found within a state bordering on insanity. They were covered with rags, and their surroundings were of the most filthy description. Many had forgotten how to speak, and the demeanor of all of them was more like that of animals than human beings. Those who were induced to talk expressed themselves perfectly resigned to their fate.

"The cause of the raid upon the nunnery was the desire of the parents of a young girl who had entered the convent to recover her. She had been banished to a nunnery on account of a love affair objectionable to her family. The latter, being unable to communicate with her, had complained to the police, and an order from the Minister of Justice for her removal was obtained. She was found to be a mere skeleton, and her parents became half-crazed at the condition in which she was discovered. The nunnery has been closed and a strict investigation ordered by the Governor of Naples.

"Later intelligence states that ten more nuns have been released from the subterranean dungeons of the nunnery of 'The Buried Alive' at Naples which has just been opened by order of the Minister of Justice. Among them were eight young women who had been incarcerated against their will by order of their parents. The police have been ordered to visit all nunneries in Southern Italy which are closed to the public. Cardinal Sanfelice left Naples for Rome to obtain further instructions from the Pope on the subject. Immense excitement has been created by the disclosures."

And so reports come in from all countries, of vigorous acts of suppression or confiscation, while Americans are giving their money to begging nuns and priests--thus supporting these shameful institutions.

The story of Barbara Ubryk was first brought to our attention by cable dispatches in the daily papers (see Boston Transcript, May 15, 1891, and other dailies of about the same date.)

It should be remembered that the story of Barbara here given is written from a Roman Catholic standpoint.

HER OWN NARRATIVEAfter the death of my father in 1843, at which time I was sixteen years old, my mother moved from the city of Vienna, to the residence of her sister, my aunt, Pauline Bertholenski, a short distance from Cracow. For a year previous to this I had been receiving the attentions of a young gentleman from Vienna, and, in fact, we were betrothed, for I loved him very dearly, and he had asked me for wife. He did not love me, however, as I did him, for when, on my father's death, it was found that I could not inherit much wealth, my suitor became suddenly cold, and finally asked to be released from his engagement to me. Though my poor heart was broken, I bade him farewell, resolving never to have another suitor. People used to say I was beautiful; and many times after this event my mother chided me for refusing the attentions of several young gentlemen who desired to court me.

My natural disposition was one of much gaiety; but I now became the victim of melancholy, which made my mother extremely angry with me, so much so that she sometimes struck me, and forced me to see gentlemen calling at our house. Once she reproached me with the remark that, if I did not soon get married, I would always be a burden on her. This drove me crazy; and, in a moment of grief, I resolved to enter the Carmelite Convent.

"Mother, dear mother." said I one day after determining what I intended to do, "I love you, and would like to obey you, but I cannot marry. I could give no man my love, and would therefore' bring him only misery. Yet I will not be a burden on you. I will bid adieu to the world, with its frivolities, and go and live as a Carmelite in the Cracow Convent. There, in pious converse and happy contentment, I will pass the remainder of my days in prayer and meditation."

My proposition pleased my mother, and, in a short time afterward, I began my novitiate, that ended in my assuming the veil and vows of a Carmelite nun in 1846.

During the time that I was passing my novitiate, the Lady Superior, Josepha, was exceedingly kind to me; never speaking to me except with a gracious and sweet smile upon her face; and often doing me many little, kindly favors, that were really against the rules of the Convent. Fr. Calenski, during this time, also, was kind to me, but maintained a distance toward me that he did not exhibit toward the other inmates of the institution; though, from the glances that I accidentally discovered him sometimes casting at me, I felt that he took a particular interest in me.

I thought now that my life was the most delightful one in the world; that I would never grow tired of it, and I yearned daily for the hastening of the time when I should complete the course of duty that would entitle me to become a nun of the order. At last this long-wished-for day arrived; and, amidst the most solemn ceremonies, I took the required vows and received upon my forehead the sisterly kiss from the Carmelite nuns that sealed me as one of themselves for life. I was now a nun; a member of the order in full, cut off forever from the outside, wicked world. Oh, how intense was my joy, and how sweetly did I slumber that night on my humble pallet! Could l have only died during that sweet sleep, from what an eternity of sorrow would I have been saved!

Nothing of any note occurred for a month or two subsequent to my assumption of the vows, though it did not miss my observation that there was somewhat of a change in the deportment toward me, of both the Lady Superior and Fr. Calenski. Whereas the former had heretofore been so extraordinary kind and familiar, she was now much more cold, distant and even haughty. The change in Fr. Calenski was not so marked; yet still, it was very perceptible, instead of treating me with more reserve than my companions, as he had formerly done, he was now more familiar and more pleasant with me than with any of them. I did not then perceive his wicked object; but afterwards, when I was languishing in my living tomb, the whole plot stood revealed before me in all its horror.

I well remember the first occasion on which he commenced his advances to me. For some trifling offence in the supper room--striking my knife thoughtlessly against my plate while one of the Sisters was reading to us--Mother Josepha, as was called the Lady Superior, ordered me to remain all the next day fasting in my cell. Punishments were so often ordered to us by the mothers of the Convent--the four oldest nuns were called mothers--that we did not think hard of them, and I was enduring mine in all humility and resignation.

About half the afternoon had passed away, and I was engaged in reading the "Lives of the Saints," when suddenly, and of course unexpectedly, the door opened, and Fr. Calenski came in, shutting the door after him. I was surprised and nonplused by this, and rose quickly to my feet.

Daughter, said he, "I see you are alarmed."

"Not alarmed, father," replied I, "but startled."

"Yes, yes" was his reply, "that is the proper word, 'startled,' for of course you could not be alarmed by me."

He laughed, and gave me a meaning look as he made this answer.

I brought him the cell stool to sit upon, and when he had sat down, I kneeled before him in accordance with my duty, and awaited what he had to say; supposing, of court, it would be instruction and pious conversation.

For a short time he did so converse with me, respecting my duties, devotions, and so forth. Then suddenly he changed his manner and tone entirely, and said:--

''Barbara, does not Mother Josepha often order you to fast now?"

"Yes, father," I replied.

"Ah, that is right! And she commands you also, rather frequently, the penance of flagellation with the thongs, does she not?"

"She does, father," I replied.

"I must stop all that, or she will ruin your loveliness of face and admirable contour of figure. Barbara, do you know you are beautiful?"

"Thanks to heaven, father," said I. "I think no more of it now. Before I took upon me the vows of a holy profession--ere I left the vain, foolish world--I was called beautiful; but whenever I look upon yonder skull I think to what an end mere beauty must come."

"That is exceedingly correct and proper on your part, Barbara; but you must not fix your thoughts so entirely on the future as to lose sight altogether of pleasure, within your grasp for the present."

As he said this he placed his arm upon my shoulder and drew himself, still sitting on the stool, closer to me. So complete was my confidence in the holiness of Fr. Calenski, that even his strange language and still stranger movements did not awaken any suspicion, within me, and I therefore did not change my position.

But when a moment later he bent down and kissed me full on the lips, a frightened chill flashed through my whole frame, and I started back and looked up at him in wonder.

"Why, daughter, are you frightened? Is the kiss of a father, who loves you as a child, so dreadful?" and he again drew himself close to me.

I knew not what I was about, nor what to do, and in my bewilderment I made reply, half stammeringly:--

"No, father, but it is so strange, so unusual, so--I scarcely know what to tell you."

"There, there Barbara," he laughed, "I know it is a little unusual now, but in the future you will get used to that, and more too, from me. It is my love for you. But I must go now. Rise, daughter."

I obeyed mechanically, and stood waiting for what else the Confessor had to say. He also rose and said :--

''Before I go, Barbara, I will interpose my superior authority and relieve you from punishment. Here, I leave you some seed-cakes, and some dried fruit, and tomorrow I will bring you something better. And remember, when Mother Josepha orders you any penance, I relieve you from it."

"But, holy father--" remonstrated I, trembling at the idea of such a thing.

"Never you mind, daughter!" interrupted he, smiling and placing his hand playfully over my mouth. "You must obey me; I am superior above Mother Josepha, and she, I think, has a little too much zeal in punishing you, because I have spoken sometimes to her of my liking for you. In the outside world she would be called jealous. But I must go now; you
will mind what I tell you."

After saying this, Fr. Calenski went out of the cell, leaving me a prey to most conflicting and harassing thoughts. What should I do? I endeavored to interpret his singular conduct favorably against my own intuitive judgment that it was at least wrong if not wicked. The cakes and fruit that he brought me were exceedingly tempting, and as I had been punished much by fasting that week, I ate all of the refreshments. The cakes tasted not only delicious, but, as I thought, somewhat peculiar. So likewise did the fruit, each piece of which I noticed had been cut upon on the ends.

After the repast I sat down upon my pallet and commenced reading the "Lives of the Saints." After a while I began to feel drowsy. To shake this off I arose and walked about my cell briskly; but I became so sleepy in spite of all my efforts to keep awake that at last I sank down in a heavy slumber upon the pallet.

How long I slept thus I could not tell, but when I at last aroused it was dark. Terrified at my negligence, I tried to spring up; but such an apparent languor had possession of my limbs that I could only rise to a sitting posture. At this instant I also became aware that I was not alone, for some one moved about in my cell, and in a moment or two a small wax taper was lit by my companion, who was none other than Fr. Calenski.

"You have had a long sleep, Barbara" said he, reaching the taper upon a small shelf on which were my books, and coming and sitting down beside me.

So heavy had been my slumber, or rather torpor, that I now felt half listless, like a person in a dream, and though I looked at Fr. Calenski I made no reply, as both my will and power seemed completely overcome or torpid. After a few moments silence he said in a bantering tone and giving me a little shake:--

"Come, Barbara, rouse up a little, and let me talk with you."

Then placing one arm around my waist he pressed me to him so strongly as to nearly drag me off my pallet and hurt me very much. At the same time taking from his vestments a phial of pungent vaporous extract, he held it beneath my nostrils, causing me to inhale it. So sharp was the vapor that it strangled me and made the tears spring into my eyes, and caused me to utter a cry of agony. Dashing down the phial as though in anger and alarm, he exclaimed:--

"Ah! little fool, don't make any noise! There now, be quiet."

At this moment he laced both arms around me and drew me to him.

Whether it was this act or the effect of the pungent liquid in the bottle which broke the languor that had enthralled me, I do not know; but instantly recovering my strength, I sprang away from my companion, striking him in the face, and screaming out:--

"Go away out of my cell, Fr. Calenski! Why do you behave so wickedly."

I shall never forget the horrible expression that came over his features when I screamed. In an instant he bounded up, put out the taper, and seized me roughly, gave me a heavy, blow with his open hand on the side of my head, saying, in a low hissing tone:--

''Silence, if you utter another scream, "I'll kill you! You'll disturb all the Sisters, and have Mother Josepha here!"

My spirit was up now, however, that the Confessor had thus uncloaked his villainous intentions, and I replied instantly, as I recovered from the blow be had dealt me:--

"Shame, Fr. Calenski! shame on you! Though you are our Confessor I fear you not; and if you do not instantly leave my cell I shall scream for help! Now then, go; or I will rouse the whole Convent! I do not care if you kill me for it!"

"Hush! Barbara, hush!" replied Mr. Calenski, "I am going out. Be quiet, and I will not lay hands on you again. Remember, however," he continued, in a low, bitter tone, "that I will punish you for this behavior, so that you will pray for death ten times a day. You have repulsed me, and now you shall sec what my power is. I will torture you well; believe me, but I will!"

There was something in his manner that sent a chill of apprehension through me. Yet feeling strong in the right I banished the momentary fear, and was in the act of making a reply, when suddenly the door was opened and there stood Mother Josepha with a lamp and bunch of keys in her hand.

"What is the stupid fool bawling about?" asked she of Fr. Calenski, after stepping in and closing the door tight: "Sister Agatha and Lucie, next above, told me they heard her scream out your name, and also something else that they could not make out. There will be a pretty fuss if this comes to the bishop's ears. I really do wish that you would be more careful."

These last words were directed to the Confessor, and, from the looks that he and Mother Josepha exchanged between them, the new and horrible revelation was made clear to me that she was as bad as he was and that both instead of being the holy persons they seemed were only whited sepulchres full of loathsomeness. My brain reeled as this conviction flashed upon me, and, losing my judgment and discretion, I boldly accused them of what I thought them guilty. When I had finished, they looked at each other, and next at me. Then both stepped to the farthest corner of the cell, and whispered for several minutes together, talking in French, which I did not sufficiently understand to know exactly what they said; though I knew enough to make out that it was what they should do with me. At the conclusion of the conversation, both left my cell, Mother Josepha last. As she was going out, she said to me in a tone I never forget:--

"Girl, your own silly lips have sealed your doom !"

A moment more, and I was alone. Oh, what terrible thoughts and dread filled my mind! What had I done? What would be done with me? I know the Confessor and Lady Superior to be wicked; and yet alas! I knew also that here in the Convent they had the supreme power. In their hands I was helpless. I was aware that they intended to do something dreadful to me, not only out of personal enmity to me, but also to prevent me from making any damaging disclosures. I at once concluded that they would take my life; and I composed my mind-to meet my fate.

DOWN IN THE DUNGEON

For a week I remained in my cell, not being allowed to come out, except when I was accompanied by Mother Josepha and Mother Cecilia, who was next in authority to the Lady Superior. Mother Cecilia, I noticed, seldom spoke to me; and her manner was that of a person who is in charge of a lunatic. She would watch every motion of mine, no matter how trivial, and she seemed to be afraid of me.

At the end of the week, one Friday evening after Vespers, and when all the Sisters had gone to their cells for the night, my door was opened by Mother Josepha who ordered me to come out, as she wanted me to do some menial labor in the kitchen for punishment. I knew it would be useless to resist, so I arose and followed her.

She led me downstairs to the foundation floor of the Convent, then along a cold, damp corridor, near the end of which was a heavy oaken door, padlocked on the outside. Putting down her lamp, Mother Josepha proceeded to unlock the door. Instinct told me what was coming; and that, instead of taking me from my cell to do kitchen work, the Lady Superior intended to imprison me in that cellar cell.

The idea of escape rushed upon my mind, and I turned my head to look along the corridor, a dim hope rising within me that I might run and escape out of the building. But, as I turned thus, there I beheld, standing close behind me, with a vengeful, wicked smile upon his face, Fr. Calenski, who must have come noiselessly out of the passage-way.

The plan had been well laid. In case, as was supposed by my persecutors, I might make an attempt at escaping, the Confessor had thus quietly followed our footsteps in order that he might be ready to render all the brute force which might be necessary to overcome my resistance.

By this time the door was opened, and Mother Josepha told me to go into the dungeon.

"Yes, Barbara, go in!" added Fr. Calenski, with a demon-like satisfaction in his manner, as he waved his hand toward the cell.

For a moment I was undecided, and then, bethinking me how little resistance would avail me, I crossed the dreadful threshold. When inside, I asked:--

"Mother Josepha, how long must I stay here?"

"Till you die, Barbara!"

These words were uttered by Fr, Calenski, and in a tone that chilled my heart with despair. An instant more, and the thick oaken door was closed, the padlock secured, and I was alone in my living tomb.

After I had been left thus solitary for some minutes, I began to think of the size of my dungeon, of its accommodations, and so forth, stoutly resolved to bear up bravely under my afflictions and oppression. Knowing that it would be many hours yet before daylight came, I began to grope around the room to ascertain what was in it. I began at the door and moved toward the right, feeling the wall and floor as high as I was able to reach up, and as far as I could reach out my arms. The wall was of stone, cemented, and the floor of heavy oaken planks, so mortised and fitted together as to make it like a solid oak block.

When I state that this underground vault was only eight feet long, six feet wide, and an inch or two over six feet high, in the middle of the ceiling, which was arched, it may easily be supposed that my groping search did not occupy more than a few moments, and resulted in discovering, first, that the walls were perfectly bare, and second, that the floor was the same, with the exception of two small hutches of straw in one corner -- the two together weighed about nine pounds -- and a sort of privy seat, such as are to be found in prisons. This seat was fixed, and evidently let down into the general cesspool or sink of the Convent. I was convinced of this from the frightful smell that came up out of it.

By leaping up with all my strength, I could sometimes touch the ceiling with my fingers. My object in thus jumping up was to ascertain where the window was. I thought there must be a window in the ceiling, as in the end wall the only aperture I had felt was like a narrow slit, in the bottom of which I could just insert my four fingers flat across. How long it was I could only tell by jumping up and running my fingers up to the top of the slit. That it opened into the air I knew from the rush of cold wind which would once in a while come in.

This was all that I could discover, and the violent exertion of leaping so wearied me that I undid the two hutches of straw, and, spreading it out smoothly, I threw myself down on it, and soon fell into a profound slumber.

When I awoke, I felt very stiff in my limbs, and had a dreadful pain in my back and loins. I thought I must have been asleep for a very long time, yet I saw not the expected daylight; so, not feeling sleepy any more. I sat up and awaited the coming of the dawn.

Hour after hour passed away, yet still my dungeon was as dark as when I first entered it. I got up and walked about, and jumped, laid down and sat up, got up and went through the same exercises as before, over and over again, looking always looking, for the appearance of the precious sunshine.

By the time I had been thus awake for twelve or fourteen hours, I knew that I was doomed never to see the light again while I remain in this grave. Then I fell to crying, and wept myself asleep. Again I woke up and was still in utter darkness. Hunger, too, and thirst, added their pangs and began to make me feel weak. Again, therefore, I searched, with my hands every inch of the floor, in the dim hope that, while I had slept, my persecutors had perhaps come and left me a little food and drink. But no! there was nothing but the bare floor.

Once more I began a weary, listless watching for something, I knew not what. After many more hours of silent horror I heard some one at the door, which caused me to scream out with very joy that the dreadful monotony was about to be broken. The door was opened and there stood Fr. Calenski with a lamp in one hand. a pitcher of water in the other, and a portion of a stale loaf of bread under his arm. He came in, and, shutting the door after him, gave me the bread and water, which I eagerly devoured, as I was literally famished. While I was eating, he stood watching me, as though I were a wild beast; and when I asked him to please tell me how long I was to stay there; how long I had been there, and what time it was now, he said that I had been there two days, or about forty-eight hours, that I would be fed every forty-eight hours for the rest of my life, and that never again would I see the light of day, so it made no difference to me what time it was now. He then continued:-

''You have almost exposed both me and Mother Josepha. The rest of the Sisters are suspecting things, and all because you were foolish enough to resist me. Now I have arranged everything. It is given out that you attempted to kill us; that you have become raving mad, and so dangerous as to force us to confine you in this cell. You are now in my power and I can do as I please with you here, and the more you cry for help, the less likely will it be that you get any, even if your cries are heard at all!"

I was utterly helpless in that bad man's power, as he had truly said, and when he had left my dungeon I indeed felt like a wretch; a blighted outcast, indeed! My woman's strength and resolution were no match against overpowering force. For a long, long time I lay half insensible upon my heap of straw, and then, when I grew stronger and collected my sense, I became a prey to the most, harrowing thoughts. I asked myself a hundred limes, why was it that I was permitted by Heaven to be so dreadfully used? I, who had never harbored even an ill-will to any living creature. During what I calculated to be the next two weeks, Fr. Calenski came to my dungeon eight or ten times. On the occasion of his last visit, he said:

"I am tired of you now, why don't you die or go really crazy?"

I begged him in every way I knew how to set me free, or at least take me out of the dungeon. I promised solemnly never to speak one word about the past. But he only laughed at me, and remarked that, that was a risk neither he nor Mother Josepha could incur. Then I implored him for something to employ myself with.

"I will go mad if I am kept here!" I cried wildly.

"Well, go mad!"

With these words, spoken with the most intensely cruel expression, the Confessor left me and locked the door, after which it must have been two years before I saw him again.

HOW SHE PASSED HER TIME

After this last visit the strange impression fixed itself indelibly upon my mind that I would live many long years in this awful dungeon; but that after that I would be rescued and taken out. In my childhood days I had read with much avidity the narratives and histories of the victims who had lived in dungeons in the Bastile and other prisons from youth till exceedingly old age, enduring all the sufferings of cold and hunger, and torture; and I felt that I was to become just such a victim. Strange as it may seem, yet it is true, that after this conviction took possession of me I resigned myself to my fate, and laid out many plans and methods for occupying my mind so as to pass the time away.

One of these was to count tile hairs on my head. My hair had begun to grow long. This generally kept me employed for three or four horn? of what I used to call days. Every hundred hairs that I counted I would tie with cotton, a spool of which, with a needle and a paper of small pins, was everything I had about me, when first placed in the dungeon. In the course of time my cotton wore completely out, and then I used a strand of hair in place of it.

Another source of employment my hair afforded me was to take six, eight, or twelve single strands, and plait them so all over my head, and then do all up into some supposed fancy style, and wonder how I looked, and what people would say if they could see me.

Still another means of employment I made for myself was to construct fancy articles out of the straw that served me for a bed. Besides these, I wove out of it with my fingers and teeth a rug or carpet that covered nearly half the floor. The outside edges of this I trimmed with a fancy fringe made out of the beards, or heads, that had contained the grains of wheat. The latter I carefully picked out and ate; and well I recollect how delicious these gray grains used to taste to me, because I was always so hungry.

In the course of time my eyes became so accustomed to the darkness that I could distinctly see all the little articles I had made, and from the difference in the amount of what light did get in at the slit in the wall, I got to be able to tell night from day quite easily; though to any one else all this would have been perfect darkness continually.

All I longed for to complete my happiness was a yet of some description; a cat, a rat, a spider, a beetle, an ant, or anything to which I could talk, and which I could make love me, and stay with me. And I recollect how nearly crazy I was with delight, when, one day a little mouse, that bad run into the slit of a window, fell down upon the floor of my dungeon. I bounded to it, picked up tenderly, kissed it, and cried bitterly over it because it seemed badly stunned by the fall. After a while, however, the little animal recovered and in a short time became quite sociable. He and I soon got to be attached to each other, and would play together for hours. Even this pleasure was taken from me; for in a few months the mouse sickened and died. No one can imagine how intense was the agony of my grief when my little pet was dead. I mourned for it several years, as though it had been a darling child.

Sometimes I found employment and amusement in the same way I once read what the prisoners of the Bastile had done, which was this: Taking all my pins in my hand, I would shut my eyes, and then throw them singly behind me; and when I had cast all away, I would go down on my hands and knees to hunt them up again. But I became so expert at the finding of them that it afforded me but little employment.

One greatest trouble to me, and one which at times drove me nearly mad, was that I had no water which to keep myself clean, and I became covered with vermin.

At times, when Mother Josepha, accompanied by one of the other mothers -- or, as was occasionally the ease, by a sister -- I would beg in the name of God for a little water to wash myself. It was always refused me, and I would then rave about my dungeon screaming, and beating the doors with my fists till they bled again.

in_cell By the time ten years had gone by my clothes were so rotten and worn away that they would no longer stay on me. Often, during the latter part of this time, I had sewed them together with strands of my hair that I pulled out of my head for that purpose. But nothing would hold them; and I therefore was obliged to go about my dungeon completely naked.

To add to the horror of my situation, the privy pipe sometimes became filled up, or the Convent cesspool overflowed. Which it was I do not know.

The result, however, was that my dungeon would become filthy in the extreme. Oh, how often have I gone down on my poor bleeding knees and prayer Mother Josepha to have some little mercy upon me or kill me dead. Yet all my entreaties seemed only to render that woman's heart more stony. Nay, more, she actually delighted in the torture she thus inflicted upon me.

SHE BECOMES INSANE

One day in the midst of my desolation something seemed to break inside my brain; and for hours afterwards I experienced the strangest sensations. I became wild with some dreadful, undefined fear. I needed something, I knew not what. I leaped and jumped and laughed and cried and beat myself against the wall and screamed with all my might. Then I knew I was mad at last -- insane!

Just after I experienced this terrible feeling, Mother Josepha, in company with Fr. Calenski, opened the door, the latter having in his hand a long strap like a knout. I could not stop screaming, though he ordered me to be quiet. Then he beat me till I fell down, after which he and Mother Josepha went away.

How many years I remained in this condition I do not know, but the only recollection I have of it is being often so very cold and hungry and dirty, and being often beaten with the knout or a heavy walking-cane.

While this spell was on me I knew I used to rave a great deal, and I always remember how often Mother Josepha, with some of the Sisters. would come to the door hold up their hands in horror and say:--

"What an awful, wild lunatic poor Barbara has become!"

And I remember, too, how terribly angry these remarks used to make me, and how much worse I used to be afterwards. I cannot tell how long my insanity continued; but it left me just as suddenly as it had come on.

One night I lay down in my filthy, rotten straw, and went to sleep, and when I awoke I was in my right mind. The strangest part of my recollection is that from the moment I was placed in this dungeon up to the day I recovered from my insanity, I never had had one dream. Sometimes I used to think to myself, if I could only dream about my young days, about my mother and father and sisters and brothers; about the green fields and the rivers, the flowers and trees, how happy I could be, at least in my sleep. But after I became sane again, I began to dream not only in my sleep but even when awake.

No one can imagine what a delight this was to me. And while I dreamed I used to think, I hope I will not wake up now till my dream is done. Then, when I was awake, I would sit hour by hour conjuring up scenes of pleasure in my past life; every place, time and occurrence passing in review before being exactly like a panorama in the most vivid reality. At such times, though, if any one came to the door I would not allow the interruption to break the pleasing trance.

It may seem a strange assertion for me to make, but so habituated had I become to the filth and suffering of my situation that I now looked on it all with the calmness of despair. Yet I did not despair. Oh, no! had I done so I should have died long ago. I never ceased praying except, perhaps, during the years that I was insane. But, before, and since that, I have never failed to pray morning, noon and night, not only for myself but also for my enemies, who were thus torturing and persecuting me so frightfully. Like a star in the great, dark distance, was that precious, precious comfort of God's Holy Word:--

"Not a sparrow falls to the ground without He knows it."

I kept my eyes fixed on that star through all my twenty-one years of agony. Nothing could blot it out; no cloud could hide its cheering rays from my poor eyes. All for the best. It is my lot to suffer here, and in His own good time God will reach out his omnipotent arm and pluck me forth out of this dreary dungeon. This was always my thought, and when I revert to my happy deliverance, it seems as though that unfailing star came nearer and nearer till it burst into my dungeon, drove out all the gloom, and filled it with pure light. Thank God for his mercy and goodness to me, the most unworthy of his creatures.

HOW SHE WAS FINALLY RELEASED

A few weeks before I was released from my dreadful dungeon I was one night startled by the appearance at my door of Sister Mary, one of the oldest nuns to the mothers in the Convent. It was not so much the mere fact of her coming, for no one had been near me for nearly three days, and I was very weak from hunger. But what surprised me was that she was alone.

"Where is Mother Josepha?" I asked.

"Hush, Sister Barbara. She is asleep. All the sisters are asleep. I am your friend. Trust me. I have brought you some food and drink. I have not been able to sleep for several nights by reason of thinking of you. From all that I have observed and heard I am assured that you are the victim of a horrible conspiracy on the part of Father Calenski and Mother Josepha. But you are not the only one who has suffered. All is not well in the Convent. What I come alone here for is to ascertain to a certainty, whether you are mad as they say you are. It is given out that you are raving mad, frightfully dangerous, and that it is necessary to keep you securely confined in this dreadful place.

I was trembling violently with the sensation of struggling hope and dread within me! but I controlled myself as powerfully as possible and replied:--

"God and the saints bless you dear Sister Mary, for your bravery and kindness! Let me tell you my story and you will say it is strange that I was not crazy long ago or dead; and when I have done you shall demand of me any proof you like of my sanity and I will give it to you. Oh, if you could only get word to our holy bishop, he will interpose his authority and save me. I know he will!"

I then told Sister Mary my whole story, simply, truly.

"Oh, horrible! horrible!" she exclaimed when I had finished. "Poor Barbara! Poor Barbara. But live in hope! From this night forth I shall labor to have you freed. Do not be too sanguine. Father Calenski and Mother Josepha are all powerful here, and without I use caution and judgment I may not only bring myself under some awful punishment, but may also make your own condition still worse than it is now."

"That cannot be, dear Sister Mary; but I will be patient, indeed I will. You are so kind! so kind!"

She was about to go away. I had not heard one word of kindness for twenty-one dreadful years; and her affection impressed me so that I asked her to let me touch my lips to her hand. She did not answer a word; but, as the tears filled her eyes, she stepped back again and kissed me on the forehead.

A moment more and she was gone, leaving me alone. I put my hand up to my forehead where Sister Mary had kissed me, and I thought of the day, many a year gone by, when she, and Mother Josepha, and the rest of the sisters, had given me the sisterly kiss and I became one of their number. Oh, how I cried at the thought! Then I saw the star in the distance coming nearer and growing lighter, and I felt that deliverance would soon come to me now.

And the rest of that night I sat awake in the midst of the filthy remnants of my straw, pondering over this unlooked-for promise of succor and deliverance. Yet it did not surprise me as it might be supposed to have done; for, from the second day after I had been thrust into this loathsome hole, I had a childlike faith in the goodness and mercy of God. I felt then the conviction had never died out of my mind even in the midst of the darkest and direst of my afflictions and oppressions -- that some day He would by some means in His kind providence set me free.

It was at least ten days before I again saw Sister Mary, and during these days and nights I suffered all the torments of suspense. At one time I thought that perhaps she had been watched by Fr. Calenski or Mother Josepha, and been herself imprisoned in some dismal dungeon like my own, at which I wept for hours. Then I would imagine that perhaps she had been forced to give up her attempts to free me on account of the vigilance of my persecutors. Yet again the terrible idea would flit across my mind, like the shadow of an illomened bird, that Sister Mary perhaps in some way in league with my oppressors. But I banished this the moment it presented itself as unworthy.

No! no! I could not suspect that good and noble sister of treachery! She, who, of all those in the Convent, had made her way down to my dreary dungeon in the dead hours of the night, bringing me delicious food and most precious of all, words of kindness and hope and cheer. Yes, yes, I would trust her.

On the tenth night of her absence, just after one o'clock, I was roused from the dreamy, semi-unconsciousness I used to call sleep, by the noise of somebody unfastening the padlock of my dungeon door. I started up, fearing that the visitor might be Fr. Calenski or Mother Josepha, and yet hoping it might be Sister Mary. It was Sister Mary, and I could hardly suppress a scream of exquisite delight as I heard her friendly voice, in low tones, say:--

"Are you awake, Sister Barbara?"

"Yes, I am awake. Oh, dearest Sister Mary, how sweet it is to hear your voice!"

Without answering, she came in, and closing the door after her, opened a small lantern, though dim enough in reality, seemed excessively bright to my eyes as to make them ache. Setting this down, Sister Mary next produced two slices of soft, white bread, between which were two or three very small bits of bacon. She gave me this -- to me -- tremendous quantity of food, and said:--

''Sister Barbara, until to-night I have been unable to come to you, neither have I been able to do anything for your release. But do not think I am cold or neglectful. Depend on me, and have patience. Either Fr. Calenski or Mother Josepha would not hesitate to kill me outright, or else bring me here and shut me up for life with you in this dreadful den, if they ever suspected me of my design. Even now I am running a great risk in coming to you. But I could not help it. I felt that I must speak to you again. I may not be able to see you any more before I make known your case outside the Convent. I will try every method, and if I see no other way within a week, then I will watch my opportunity; escape out of the building into the street, go to the Court of Correction and state your case before the judge, who will certainly give ear to the statement and investigate it immediately."

"Why not speak directly to the bishop when he next comes here?" asked I.

"Ah, poor Barbara, you little know how impossible that would be. Not that our bishop is not a holy man; but that I would have no opportunity to do as you suggest. And even were I to do so, the Confessor and Mother Josepha would tell the bishop I was crazy or something of that sort, and not bring him to your dungeon."

"Well, dearest Sister Mary," replied I, "do as seems best to you on my behalf, and I will ever pray for blessing upon you for your kindness and love."

"Be of good cheer, Barbara," said Sister Mary, taking up her lantern preparatory to leaving me, "be of good cheer, you shall soon be free now, or I will perish in my attempt to make you so. Farewell."

"Farewell. and God and the Saints be with you and keep you. Whether you may succeed or not, I shall always feel deeply grateful to you for your kindness."

Sister Mary darkened her lantern, and passing out from my dungeon, shut me in again. I ate what she had brought to me with great relish. The slices of soft, white bread, I remembered, seemed to me the most delicious food I had ever tasted. Strange as it may seem, yet it is true, that now, when fresh hope of being delivered from horrible captivity was awakened in, me, I began to fret and worry about the question of how soon I would be released for as I have already said, I had all along had the impression that I would be released in some mysterious manner in spite of the precautions of Fr. Calenski and Mother Josepha to the contrary.

I spent at least half my time now in praying that I might speedily be rescued. I was praying thus the day after Sister Mary's visit, when Fr. Calenski, accompanied by Mother Josepha, came to my dungeon. I did not cease when they came in; but I was quickly interrupted by Fr. Calenski, exclaiming:--

"Here! get up, you miserable wretch! What is that you are praying for? To be released, eh? I will release you!"

With these words he struck me on the back of the neck with his cane so violently as to prostrate me on the floor. He made another blow at me; but by a great effort I shrank away into corner and begged him not to beat me; that I would mind all he said.

"I wish she was dead!" said Mother Josepha.

"Yes!" added the Confessor, "and if she doesn't die pretty soon I will kill her myself! She has more lives than ten thousand cats. But I will fix her very shortly. A dose of arsenic will help her wonderfully!"

"Barbara," asked Mother Josepha, "have any of the Sisters been here at any time to see you?"

A cold chill of horror wrapped itself around my heart at this ominous question, asked as it was in a peculiar tone. A thousand suspicions, a thousand dreads, trooped through my brain in an instant of time. Had the Lady Superior or the Confessor seen Sister Mary either going to, or leaving my dungeon? Had some one of the Sisters seen her and given information thereof to my persecutors? Or was the question of Mother Josepha propounded on a mere suspicion of her own, aroused by some trifling circumstance, or accident; such as the padlock having been meddled with since she herself secured it? Or was there any crumbs of my bread on the filthy floor that had attracted her eye? This though was dismissed immediately, for I knew I had been too careful in eating the bread to allow a single precious atom to fall. Possibly there might be mingling with the stench of my dungeon a faint odor of rose leaves. Sister Mary was fond of keeping dried rose leaves about her, which she gathered in the garden of the Convent.

All these thoughts, as I have said, rushed through my brain in one instant of time, and in an equally short space I had weighted each of them and decided on my line of action. I pretended to be greatly excited as I replied that she would never allow any of the Sisters to come to see me.

"That was not what I asked you," she said; "I asked you if any of the Sister had been here to see you?"

"No; you know they have not!" I promptly and savagely answered, feeling that the circumstances in which I was placed justified me telling an untruth..

"What do you mean by answering that way, eh?" exclaimed Fr. Calenski, raising his cane and giving me several dreadful blows with it, and causing me such agony that I became nearly crazy, and could not help screaming out. He then looked down at the broken dish on which there were three small mouldy potatoes, and laughing at Mother Josepha, said:--

"Well, mother, I think there is no need of leaving our wild pig anything more to eat, for she has enough to last her a day or two, and it will never do to feed her too high, you know."

"I will put these that I have brought with those she has and that will do for several days."

Thus speaking, Mother Josepha emptied four or five potatoes out of a little bag on the plate: and then, in company with the Confessor, left the dungeon.

For several days after this I felt a numbness in my neck and back where I had been struck by Fr. Calenski, and this gradually gave way to a mental dullness and stupidity that I could not possibly resist, though I made the most strenuous effort to do so. I now feared that I was becoming idiotic, which gave me a frightful anxiety. On several occasions after this, Fr. Calenski and Mother Josepha beat me, and I became so filled with despair -- for I had not as yet received another visit from Sister Mary -- that, for the first time since I had been immured in my dreadful dungeon, did I pray for death to relieve me from my torments.

But thank God for His mercy, He at last remembered me, His unworthy creature. After languishing over twenty-one years in my living grave, and almost giving up all hope, I was startled one day by a strange visitor; clad in the uniform of an officer of police. I could see him very distinctly, though he did not see me.

Dear reader, it is not in my power to tell you what my sensations were at this occurrence. You may, perhaps, partially imagine what your own feelings would be, had you been like me, locked up for more than twenty-one years in a damp, loathsome vault in the ground, without one ray of blessed sunshine all that dreary life-time; and then suddenly, an officer of the law standing at your dungeon to bid you come forth to liberty.

I was obliged to hold my hands tight upon my heart to still its wild pulsations; and I screamed out my joy. Had I not been able to do this, I am certain I should have sunk down dead with excessive happiness.

My first thought, after I collected my sense sufficiently to think at all, was about good, noble-hearted Sister Mary. I did so long to see her, for I felt certain that to her I was indebted for my rescue.

Very soon after this, however, I began to lose all control of myself, and I know that by the time the bishop and the rest came and stood in my cell, I seemed actually demented. Yet I could not have helped it, had I been threatened with a thousand deaths.

I need not here repeat the details of my liberation, and the discomfiture of my persecutors, Fr. Calenski and Mother Josepha. It would not behoove me as a Christian, an humble follower of God to desire revenge. Christ has taught my lips and my heart to forgive my enemies, and I do so fully and freely.

Another duty I must perform ere closing my narrative, and that is to entirely exonerate all the Sisters in the Convent from any complicity in my long imprisonment and dreadful persecution in the dreary dungeon. Fr. Calenski and Mother Josepha were the sole and only ones to blame in the matter. They induced all the Sisters in the building to believe that I had become a raving maniac, and that it was necessary to confine me in the dungeon. And had it not been for Sister Mary I should have been either still a prisoner there in that living tomb, or mouldering in my grave.

I wish to be particular in regard to this correction, as it had been stated in all the public newspaper accounts that the Sisters were cruel and heartless to me. What gave this color, I have no doubt, was the fact that when they came into my dungeon at the time the bishop and officers were there, the former reproached them in great anger as though they had been equally guilty with Fr. Calenski and Mother Josepha. It is true that he did thus reproach them at that time, but as soon as he learned the true account of it he fully withdrew all he had then said to them.

It is all over now, and I am free to spend the few remaining days of my life in serving God and praising Him for His goodness and mercy.

(Signed)______________________BARBARA UBRYK

The foregoing statement has been duly and legally made to affirmation by the nun, Barbara Ubryk, of the Carmelite Convent, as being in every whit true. Done before me officially this sixteenth day of August, eighteen hundred and sixty-nine, A.D. -- Kironski, presiding judge of the Court of Correction, Austria.

[Barbara's convent was in the city of Cracow. After Barbara's release, Fr. Calenski committed suicide and Mother Josepha was found guilty by the Commissioners of Examination -- Wilhelm Franski, J. Trelings, Louis Breverrich, and J.P. Heiliginski]

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Sunday, 28 February 2010

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Sunday, 28 February 2010

Sunday, 28 February 2010

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