Friday, February 28, 2014

"He Was Like A Wounded Animal"

By Ralph Cipriano
for Bigtrial.net

A tearful mom and dad told a jury today about the noose they found hanging in their son's closet.

They were followed to the witness stand by a grandfather who was a retired detective.

It was "Pop" who took the first statement from the alleged victim in this case, the 26-year-old man who has accused Father Andrew McCormick of sexually assaulting him back in 1997 when he was a 10-year-old altar boy.

"He was like a wounded animal," the silver-haired detective said of his grandson. "He was so filled with anxiety."

In short, it was a great day for the prosecution as three relatives of the alleged victim took turns burying "Father Andy."

Dad was the lead-off witness. He talked about the 3 a.m. text he received on Dec. 5, 2011 from his son.

"Dad, I'm just gonna come out and say it," the father recalled the text message saying. "Father Andy molested me. This is the root of my problems."

The teary-eyed father told the jury about the day Father Andy asked if his son wanted to be an altar boy. At the time, the family had just moved to the neighborhood, and joined St. John Cantius Church, a Polish Catholic parish in the Bridesburg section of the city.

"Father Andy approached us and said our name in Polish," the father recalled. "I was impressed with that."

When Father Andy asked if his 9-year-old son wanted to become an altar boy, "I thought it was a great idea," the father testified. But after his son became an altar boy, he didn't act the same.

"His behavior stared to change" when he was 11, the father recalled. "He's hanging a noose in his closet."

Father and son used to go fishing, and watch wrestling on TV. But the son no longer wanted to do those things with his father. He also didn't want his father to touch him.

"He just withdrew," the father testified. "He spent a lot of time in his room."

In 2011, the father saw a news story on TV about Father Andy being one of 26 priests suspended by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for suspected inappropriate contact with children.

The father asked his son about the priest. According to the father, the son would only reply, "Father Andy's not a good man."

Assistant District Attorney Kristen Kemp asked the father about how the family reacted after their son told them about the alleged abuse.

"It's been a heavy burden," the father testified.

On cross-examination, defense lawyer Richard J. Fuschino asked the father if his son's personality change at 11 may have been due to a struggle over sexual identity.

Yes, the father said.

Fuschino suggested the altar boy also could have been struggling with the Catholic Church's position on homosexuality. The Catholic Church believes that homosexuality is immoral, right, Fuschino asked the father.

Yes, the father conceded.

The victim's mother testified that she originally had a very favorable impression of Father Andy.

"He was a really nice guy," she said. When the priest asked her son to be an altar boy, "I was really happy about that."

The mother told the jury how she went to see Father Andy at church to ask him to say a Mass for her late brother, who had died in a fire.

"My brother was a feminine boy," the mother testified. At that meeting, the mother said she confided to the priest, "I worry about [my son] because he's so feminine."

When her son came out at 21, his family was "totally supportive and not shocked," the mother testified.

She told the jury about her son's personality change at 11 years old.

"He started getting real bad," she testified. "I found him hanging in a closet," she said, before she broke down in tears on the witness stand.

"He used to pull his hair out of his head," she sobbed. She said she kept asking him why he was doing these things to himself.

The mother had to stop testifying; she told the prosecutor she thought she was going to get sick. The jury was sent behind closed doors. Mom rushed out of the courtroom, pursued by the assistant district attorney, who was carrying a wastebasket.

After a break, the mother returned to the witness stand.

Her son told her he didn't want to be an altar boy anymore, she testified. He also wanted out of St. John's.

"I want to get out of that school, I want to get out of that school," her son kept saying. But Mom didn't want to do it.

"I really liked it," she said of St. John Cantius. "We're Polish."

She couldn't understand what had gone so wrong.

In 2011, when the TV news reported that Father Andy had been suspended as a priest, the mother asked her son if the priest had ever done anything to him.

Her son denied it. His only criticism of the priest was, "He used to say weird stuff to us."

When she found out about her son's claim of abuse, it hit like a bomb.

"We were sitting on the couch," she told the jury. "I was out of my mind."

She began to cry as she related what she told her son: "Why didn't you tell me? Because I was always there."

That night, she testified, she drove over to the closed St. John Cantius Church, and banged on the door until a bewildered man showed up and asked what she wanted. She said she told the man to forget it.

Her next move was to call her father. Her son wouldn't talk to her about the abuse, but he did say he would talk to "Pop."

"My dad kinda like took over," the mother testified. He came over the next day.

"My son didn't want me to hear anything," the mother testified. "I had to leave the house."

Her son told Pop everything.

When she came back inside, her father told her, "We're going to the police."

The prosecutor asked how the alleged abuse had impacted her family.

"It's affected us in so many ways," she testified. Her son had trouble sleeping. He had frequent panic attacks.

The prosecutor asked the mother a tough question. Did her son know that she had told Father Andy she was worried her son was gay?

Mom started crying again.

Her son didn't know that happened until a recent meeting in the district attorney's office, she testified.

And what was her son's reaction to that bit of news, the prosecutor asked.

"He said," she sobbed, "I sold him out."

"Objection," said a defense lawyer.

Sustained, said the judge.

But the damage was done. It's hard to imagine the jurors will forget that line.

The mother testified her son is still too ashamed to tell her what happened with Father Andy.

"I still don't know specifics," she said.

On cross-examination, the mother was asked if she attended the Masses that her son served as an altar boy with Father Andy.

Most of them, the mother said. I may have missed a few.

"I was a church goer," she said. "I still am."

Did the kids make fun of your son because he was effeminate, the defense lawyer asked.

"I don't know about that," she said.

The final witness for the day was the alleged victim's grandfather. He's a retired Philadelphia police detective who also worked for the Montgomery County District Attorney's Office, investigating sex crimes.

When his daughter called to talk about her son, "she was sobbing on the telephone," the grandfather testified.

He went out to talk to his grandson the next day.

"I immediately recognized he had been assaulted," the grandfather told the jury.

He testified he told his grandson, "You gotta calm down."

It was the grandfather who took the alleged victim to see a civil lawyer, at the advice of his step-son, who's a lawyer.

"I thought he needed protection," the grandfather said of the alleged victim.

Does your grandson plan to file a civil lawsuit, the prosecutor asked.

His grandson "never wanted to sue anybody," the grandfather flatly declared. "This is not about money."

The defense lawyers wisely decided not to cross-examine "Pop."

The case resumes at 9:30 a.m. Monday, weather permitting, in Courtroom 1102 of the Criminal Justice Center.


55 comments

  1. Is this case only going through the motions ?

    The grandfather is a retired cop with special training in investigating sex crimes ? The only thing that could make it easier for the prosecution is a video of the abuse.

    Did I hear correctly McCormick turned down a plea deal ?

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    1. And he did not recognize the signs for 14 years? What kind of expert is that?

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  2. Seriously grisly images in this case. Noose. Pulling hair out. Maybe worst of all, clenching of teeth in order to prevent penetration. A 10-year old boy who succeeded in keeping his teeth clenched, left to walk home alone at night as a wounded animal. Whoever did this needs a life sentence.

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    1. Sarah - if - in fact - anyone actually did it.

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    2. It seems to me that the fact that the victim's behavior change was observed at the time of the incident tends to confirm its occurrence even if the actual reporting of the crime occurred years later.

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    3. and the parents divorce couldn't have brought on this change in behavior?

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  3. What a "man of God" this guy is! I can't wait to hear the apologists come out calling the mother and the retired police officer who investigated sex crimes liars and conspirators against this "good and gentle" esteemed "man of God."

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    1. And here I am to insist on what you just said: there is a conspiracy here on the part of this family to harm this priest and to seek a pay out. Those of us who know this priest, were familiar with his work at St. John Cantius and who have many wonderful memories and experiences of him, know with certainty that it was not possible for him to do these things.

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    2. Do you know why he was suspended in 2011?

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    3. Why WAS this wonderful "man of God" suspended in 2011? Oh, yeah... it's ALL a big conspiracy going back years with people from everywhere working in concert to wrongfully "expose" this "saint" who some apologists insist "it was not possible for him to do these things." Just simply IMPOSSIBLE that something like this could occur with Philadelphia area Catholic priests and the hierarchy that aided and abetted these criminals (er... excuse me. I meant to say "men of God")... Impossible, I say!

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  4. So, the DA is supposed to help a wounded animal who did not help himself for years? Had he reported the alleged abuse then, it would be much easier to arrest and put on trial to convict. That is the best way to ensure someone is convicted than to have to deal with a case that is more than a decade old when it will be much harder to find the evidence to help a jury convict. Now, you are telling the jury to convict someone based on your gut that he did the abuse.

    The defense has not been heard yet. And round 2 comes nexf Monday weather pemmitting. .

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  5. Such shear ignorance....the boys sexuality has NOTHING to do with it, this priest should have NEVER taken advantage of a child. Countless well respected and beloved clergy have molested children, we know this as fact, yet many here want to say this could not have happened. Then you want to blame the mother, father, or grandfather for not seeing this sooner. Just listen to your own arguments....sexual identity confusion IS just one of many RESULTs of a child who was molested by someone of the same gender. Then some of you want to make this about the family wanting money...this IS a CRIMINAL TRIAL, not civil. So again, more misinformation. Some of you would be the very parents to blame their own children had Father Andy approached them to say they were abused yet you wonder out loud why this young man didn't come forward 14 years ago? The reason, his parents then, were too much like you now.

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  6. Some of you would be the very parents to blame their own children had Father Andy approached them to say they were abused yet you wonder out loud why this young man didn't come forward 14 years ago?

    What I meant to write...if Fr Andy abused their child and the child tried to tell their parents it is rather obvious some who have commented here would have defended Father Andy. You blame his family for acting (years ago) as you are acting today...total denial. Yet you expect a child to come forward right away when the abuse occured...I think it crystal clear why he did not.
    Read more at http://www.bigtrial.net/2014/02/he-was-like-wounded-animal.html#GjfCKbMerpapdzcZ.99

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  7. Does Seth Williams only recruit drug addicts to falsely accuse men in a white collar? I do not know how he has enough nerve to say he is a Catholic let alone walk into church. He has ruined reputations and lives in his powerful position. I only hope one day he and his family are treated the same way he has chosen to treat these priest and their families.

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  8. Similarities between Billy Doe and this accuser (what shall we call him...Sally Doe?) Drug addict, tried to kill himself, family member highly connected in police dept and DA's office, both waited over 10 years to tell anyone about their abuse, both confided in another person (yet that person never told anyone either...who would keep that a secret), both saw civil attorneys, neither billy or sally have any evidence, and for the final similarity......both families made up bogus stories with the help/support of their families and the Philadelphia DA's office. It's basically going to come down to the judge instructing the jury, if you believe the accuser, then you must find Father McCormick guilty.

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  9. I wonder if the accuser had been 'experimenting' with the 'choking game' (like David Carradine) - hence the noose in his closet. Maybe he was in the midst of inner turmoil because of his sexual orientation.

    It would be interesting to hear from any doctors who may have treated him and what their medical records may have revealed.

    How about his school and possible police records?

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    1. well if he's been as fortunate as Billy Doe/Danny Gallagher, he'll have 4 drug cases dismissed/expunged in a brief 3 or 4 year period of time compliments of the Philly DA in exchange for his couple of hours on the stand. IF i were looking at a potential windfall of big $$$$$ down the road as a result of a successful civil suit against the archdiocese, I'd take those odds my lies and deceit won't be discovered....oh that's right no one, not the mother, not the father and not the detective/ grandfather noticed anything for over a decade,
      does that seem eerily similar to the Gallagher clan of St Jerome's .....

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  10. I like the comment on 3/1 at 9:04 listing the similarities or should I say excuses that anonymous gives to show proof the prior case against 3 priests and a school teacher and this case are bogus.

    From the sexual assault and domestic violence center:

    Because most children cannot or do not tell about being sexually abused, it is up to concerned adults or friends to recognize signs of abuse. Physical evidence of abuse is rare. Therefore, we must look for behavioral signs.

    The following are general behavior changes that may occur in children and teens who have been sexually abused:

    . Depression
    . Eating Disorders
    . Sleep disturbances
    . School problems
    . Withdrawal from family, friends, or usual activities
    . Excessive bathing or poor hygiene
    . Anxiety
    . Running away
    . Low self-esteem
    . Self-destructive behavior
    . Hostility or aggression
    . Drug or alcohol problems
    . Sexual activity or pregnancy at an early age; promiscuity
    . Suicide attempts

    Click here for more symptoms.

    Additional Symptoms
    Children and teens who have been sexually abused frequently have more specific symptoms:

    . Copying adult sexual behavior
    . Sexual play with other children, themselves, toys or pets
    . Displaying sexual knowledge, through language or behavior, beyond what is normal for their age
    . Unexplained pain, swelling, bleeding or irritation of the mouth, genital or anal area
    . Urinary infections
    . Sexually transmitted diseases
    . Hints, indirect comments or statements about the abuse

    Treatment
    Often children and teens do not tell anyone about sexual abuse because they:

    • Are too young to put what has happened into words
    • Were threatened or bribed by the abuser to keep the abuse a secret
    • Feel confused by the attention and feelings that accompany the abuse
    • Fear that no one will believe them
    • Blame themselves or believe the abuse is punishment for being "bad"
    • Feel too ashamed or embarrassed to tell
    • Worry about getting into trouble or getting a loved one into trouble

    End.

    What anonymous is saying regarding an abuse not happening, is the same NORMAL behaviors of a child who has suffered abuse.

    We then read the conspiracy theory. This is no better then the second gunman on the grassy knoll. Let me read something showing proof of that. Parents, victim or grandfather in any financial distress ? Then someone writes its all a ploy against McCormick.. Does this person know the wheels of that accusation would have had to be put in place prior to the date of the reported date of abuse.

    Concluding: we read the most popular excuse in clergy abuse cases. Father whoever is such a good man, he could have never or its impossible for him to do such a thing. Surprise, surprise, surprise folks there are priests in prison all over the world with parishioners who said the exact same thing.

    Priests, pastors, bishops and even the Pope, they are all ordinary men. God gave them the same gift you and I have. The freedom to choose between right and wrong.

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    1. Because everyone knows the above facts regarding abuse, anyone can spin a tale using these well known facts to level false charges against anyone. Those of us who support Fr. Andy are not blind to the reality of abuse. However, we do not believe him guilty for numerous reasons which people like Dennis refuse to accept. Dennis seems to think that anyone who claims abuse is automatically credible. Pedophiles are serial offenders. If this priest is a pedophile tell me how he served 14 years in the same parish and 30 plus years in ministry and NO ONE else has accused him. Doesn't that tell you something?

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    2. Anonymous - save your breath (and your fingers). Trying to reason with Dennis is like pizzing up a rope. Can't be done.

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    3. Dennis: amazing how in both the Billy Doe and this case (not sure what his "DA assigned name is? neither the parents, grandparents, siblings, aunts and uncles, heck let's even include casual acquaintances in the mix, and in both of these cases over a decade went by without any hint of the sexual abuse being considered as a basis for their addictions
      drug addicts turn to drugs all the time because they are weak and quite suseptible to peer pressure

      priests like Frs McCormick and Engelhardt have a "bullseye" on their back, they are easy targets in this day and age and that's why these false accusations are made....that and a little payday at the end of the rainbow, oh did I read above the "grandfather took the alleged victim to see a civil lawyer" Maybe he called Billy Doe's uncle up at the FOP headquarters for a reference


      the accusers in both of these cases including the current case have "lied and stolen" to feed their drug habits for many years and they have nothing to lose and everything to gain...ultimately, they steal the reputations and more importantly, the freedom of the innocent priests..

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    4. Excellent points, anonymous 9:44 a.m. Now let us hope that the jury in Fr. Andy's case will see with the same clarity that which you have made crystal clear.

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  11. What is the profile of a child molester ? By Bracha Goetz

    What is the profile of a child molester? An average child molester will offend 200–400 times before being caught, if ever. The vast majority of offenders do not get caught, and they have no criminal records. According to the FBI, only one out of ten cases of child sexual abuse is reported to law enforcement.

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    1. Dennis, in your remark above, you just proved the points of the 2 anonymous' who commented above you. !) There is no pedophile here 2) You are a waste of time

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  12. There is an inordinate amount of these recent cases where there is a connection to the Philadelphia police dept.. I find that strange. Also,I wonder who took the polygraph, of course not admissible. What is the issue with the accuser's father? That also cannot be admitted and there is a gag order imposed. Grandpa was not crossexaminned but look forward to Mom and Dad and hopefully, some psychiatrist..maybe a teacher or two. Look forward to the defense. (Not for you Dennis, you think you are such a good guy, not the case. Most people realize that you are innocent until proven guilty here in the America..Please don't give us any more lectures. You are off base and terribly boring and annoying-honestly, I don't know how your wife can stand it).

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  13. Josie, You must not be able to comprehend. I told you this like I told everyone else before I don't force anyone to read my comments. You continue to read and comment of your own free will.

    I know after reading the facts (some I already knew) I would be sitting down with my child if she had any involvement or dealings with your catholic clergy past or present and ask her if there was at anytime inappropriate behavior.

    Can you imagine what a simple question like that may unearth. What does the article read the child molester will offend 200-400 times before being caught, if ever. Your fr.andy attacking over and over again, and your defense for your sick clergy is, and we seen it in the last trial as we are hearing it with this one fr. andy has had no accusations before against him. Your pedophile priests, I will give them one thing they are smarter then the average bear. No other abuser can put the fear of eternal damnation of burning in hell in a child's mind if they ever speak of the horror they had to endure.

    I do however like your shot at comedy trying to make a link between the PPD and how your clergy have been treated. Pass on some facts when you have them. I'm sure it will be an interesting read.

    Until then here are the facts of today Sunday 3/2/14 and I am not going to try and smooth it over. ANOTHER one of your clergy members is on trial, this time for trying to jam his penis down an innocent 10 year old child's throat, and you at your very best will attempt to defend him. You have two priests and a school teacher who are living their life at this time in a 8X10 cage and another who lives his life within four walls who has less freedom then my dog.

    Good track record.

    But like I asked someone before, I can live and go on with my life if there is an innocent verdict, the question is can you live and accept a guilty one ?

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    1. And all you are doing is living your life through these victims - one thing you all have in common is that the abuse was made up and in the end everyone is in it for the money

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  14. Josie, Here is what I think is sad. You fail to mention the four other cases of abuse that are pending trial. The re-trial of fr.brennan who thinks it was o.k. to strip and climb in bed with a minor and only God, the victim and brennan know the unspeakable actions that happened.

    Two coaches for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia one who forced the victim to kiss him. I guess two employees who must have been absent the day of those educational classes about sexual abuse.

    Then let us not forget about the priest who should be 100% lucky that he is not looking at a bloody stump for an arm after an assault at a YMCA.

    Trials I have no doubt you will try to defend.



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  15. Coincidence that we have the Oscars going on at this time, as well!! I thought we'd seen the last of these farcical cases. How these people can lie in a public court, and accuse an innocent man of God of such things is beyond me. This will come back to haunt them.
    As for the jurors, you hold in your hands the fate of an innocent priest. That in itself is a despicable state of affairs. Proceed with great caution and discretion. You are being watched.

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  16. It depends. Philly com has barred all comments on the trial in stories covering such which will tamp down sentiment. This case does not have the fire of the Lynn case. Reasonable doubt can be interjected in this case which will give the jury pause. Plus the jury is confronted with deciding the fate of the priest based on allegations, not pieces of evidence.

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  17. The Jury has one hell of a job to do. Although many hate when that letter comes in the mail I think the majority who are chosen if for this case or any another take what they have to do as serious. No matter what they decide either innocent or guilty, no juror should ever be belittled because of a verdict. I guess time will only tell if it happens again.

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  18. It is not uncommon for one who experiences trauma at a young age to hide it for years. In fact, some hide these kinds of experiences for their lifetime. I believe that in our county's justice system, the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. I will not personally comment on my presumption of either his guilt or his innocence. I will however speak out about the devastatingly sad, dark, mean spirited and hateful comments and insinuations written above about the accuser and their family. As someone who has experience with people recovering from addiction I can say that rape, abuse, and trauma is a common thread in many stories. People who suffer from the disease of addiction are not " weak" they are suffering. It is of particular interest to me that these people who are always the first to defend religious figures when they are accused of crimes never seem to bring God into their words when they are shooting them like bullets at others. I wonder just for arguments sake whether any of these " God minded" folk think for one second about the accuser in this trial with any degree of kindness or empathy. I have to wonder; Is the accuser and their family in their prayers? This family is church goers. Not only that, they are deeply rooted in a faith in God and the church. What has the Arch Diocese done for them? Have they reached out in faith? Have they asked them if there was anything spiritually that they could do to help? No. Instead, like the comments above exemplify; they have put the accuser on trial. Slammed the door of the church firmly in their face and their family's. Where is God in that? People have no business making assumptions about the motivations in such cases. As someone who has intimate knowledge of how hard it is to bring to light some devastating traumas of past; we are not uniquely qualified to presume that the motivation in this case is monetary. Perhaps, for the accuser it is their way of healing a wound through a "searching and fearless moral inventory". I too hope that justice is served in this case and that God shines the light on all of it.

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    1. And everyone is entitled to their own opinion

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    2. Anonymous 5:32pm

      BRAVO.

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    3. I've wondered the same myself. Why are they so mean to the little ones?

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    4. Who is "they"? And who are the "little ones" that "they" are "mean" to? You never make any sense.

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    5. To Anon 5:32pm,
      No God in our words? "Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor."
      Sorry, "church goer" and "Catholic" are used as badges of convenience and deception by false accusers the length and breadth of the country. In accordance with the .... Abusenik playbook.

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    6. Josie, "the little ones" is SNAP speak. Use a diminutive form to emotionalize and subjectivize a case. The classic undefined and amorphous "They": the Vatican, the clergy, Catholic civil rights groups, Catholics For Life, the Church Fathers, the holy martyrs, the Saints, etc. etc.

      SarahTX2 does seem to have a very genuine, compassionate concern for the little ones. In fact, it appears to be her sole motivation for posting on here. Her posts are full of equanimity and objectiveness, of caring, understanding and virtue. I do hope I'm not embarrassing her by sharing a few to enlighten our fellow readers:

      “It wasn't a stunning decision. He told his biographer two years ago that he was thinking of resigning. It's being portrayed as stunning in order to try to lend some mystery to an aging, increasingly irrelevant religion.”

      “He could not continue his empty world apology tour. This Pope was living a total lie.”

      “They need to get the resigned Pope off to South America”

      “..both of those Popes will have to look over their shoulders whenever they leave the confines of the 1.9 sq. mi. Vatican because people will be looking to arrest them.”

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    7. Sorry, Anon, I am not buying what you say-at all!!!. Sarah TX does have some association with SNAP, or copy their tactics-whatever-don't really care. I don't know much about her except her name has been revealed here on a number of occasions. She has been called out almost every time she comments because.... she does not make any sense and is not privy to the Philadelphia 'stories'...I am certainly not impressed with the comments that you quote her saying, wherever they have been posted.

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    8. P.S. Also not impressed by your 3/3 5:32 PM comment/diatribe.

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    9. Josie, March 4, 2014 at 6:29 PM,
      my bad - my comments above (March 4, 2.17pm) were written with a huge dose of irony. Read them again with that lens. The woman has written some very bigoted anti-Catholic things.
      As for 3/3 5:32pm spiel, definitely not mine.
      Sorry for confusion.

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    10. Not sure what to make of your post, Anonymous. I guess these are quotes of mine? You’re looking up quotes of mine because I guess you think I’m the enemy? Isn’t that kind of lame? Well, have at it. Let me help you. My comments go back to 1998 when my cousin killed herself in Pennsylvania after her family called her a false accuser and told her to never come home again. And then she found out they really meant that. And that’s when I found out how really mean Catholics can be. Yes, sir, I post here because people who were damaged by priests are reading this blog. I want them to know that no one should kill themselves because of religion. I want them to know that a lot of people are trying to stop the abuse and that a lot of it has been stopped and that the future is bright. I want them to know that it is possible to blaze their own trail. Are any of you horrified at the idea of a noose in a 10 year old’s closet? If you’re not, please do me the favor of simply ignoring me. You’re not the people I’m trying to talk to. And you’re certainly not the people I’m trying to elicit compassion from. It must be very uncomfortable to see your religion’s bad habits playing out in the public square. You should be a lot madder at your Cardinals and Bishops and the priests who did defile the children. Have you looked up their quotes?

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  19. How would Jesus treat this accuser? Would he call him names? Or would he treat him with compassion and respect? That answer lies in faith, not opinion.

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    1. That is up for each to decide. As we have seen in this city a priest has lost all civil rights once an accusation is made. Faith has nothing to do with it. The sins of the majority who have passed have given a free pass for anyone to make an accusation in the hopes of collecting money for all the wrongs they have done to themselves and their families. And in the end it will be about the money with this case.

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    2. Was this priest accused already once before? Was he not on a list and this second accusation came up?

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    3. "The majority who have passed"?

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    4. My mother died two years ago in exaltation in the Catholic Church. She has given no free pass to anyone. She wishes ya'll had made better decisions. She wishes it were less complicated. She likes Pope Francis. Less complicating, more caring.

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    5. "The majority who have passed" means, I think, the fact that most of the offenders died long ago. This also includes the bishops who so poorly handled handled the allegations, victims and offenders. The majority of those bishops are also dead or long retired.

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  20. Anonymous 11:22

    This is information the defenders do not wish the public to know. The Archdiocese had already suspended McCormick PRIOR to this victim coming forward.

    If what we have been reading is true, this present victim did not come forward until learning of McCormick suspension and hearing the news regarding the Sandusky case. Information he used to gain the strength to come forward in an attempt to protect his nephew, so what happened to him was not repeated.

    I believe this would throw out the window of a defense by some that McCormick is innocent because there was no other evidence of him abusing prior.

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    1. Whoa, Kemosabe!....

      This scenario is uncannily similar to the Billy Doe multiple accusations which were made after Father Avery - who was residing at Saint Jerome's - was suspended and then laicized.

      This alleged victim may have been abused (as he stated) or he could simply be following the Avery / Engelhardt / Shero play book - which seems to have worked....at least for the moment.

      Time will tell.

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  21. ....give you another reason why its " uncannily similar"...(if that's even a proper phrase)...to other accusations....

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  22. To rebut Dennis Ecker 3/1

    Helping children cope with divorce: Know when to seek help

    Normal reactions to separation and divorce
    Although strong feelings can be tough on kids, the following reactions can be considered normal for children.

    Anger. Your kids may express their anger, rage, and resentment with you and your spouse for destroying their sense of normalcy.
    Anxiety. It’s natural for children to feel anxious when faced with big changes in their lives.
    Mild depression. Sadness about the family’s new situation is normal, and sadness coupled with a sense of hopelessness and helplessness is likely to become a mild form of depression.

    Red flags for more serious problems
    Watch for these warning signs of divorce-related depression or anxiety:

    Sleep problems
    Poor concentration
    Trouble at school
    Drug or alcohol abuse
    Self-injury, cutting, or eating disorders
    Frequent angry or violent outbursts
    Withdrawal from loved ones
    Refusal of loved activities

    This from http://www.helpguide.org/mental/children_divorce.htm


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