Laurie Goodstein is a pretty terrible author, at least on Catholic issues anyway. The "false, preposterous and unjust" statement was wrt the Father Becker case, which our Laurie introduces toward the end as if it was a totally different person--the part about "charity" was actually part of the same statement. And it was false, preposterous and unjust because Father Becker had already been removed at the time, as anyone familiar with the Father Becker case already would know. (Which is why she probably kept him anonymous in the beginning of the article).
As for the rest--the Archdiocese gave money to accused priests in order to remove them from priesthood while skipping the long and costly trial. SNAP often complains that there's not enough money to pay the alleged victims or that the trials take too long, so....this seems like it saves a lot of money and gets accused priests out faster. I think its debatable if you should just wait through the whole trial on principle or get them out faster, but this seems exactly like the sort of thing SNAP should be supporting, given all their prior complaints. Cardinal Dolan took over the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from Archbishop Weakland of all people, so he had a big mess to clean up and he did so as quickly as possible. This is something thats done in secular environments as well, I can find a public schoolteacher who was paid that in order to get him out, so welp.
I love the timing of this article as well.
Not suspicious at all.
As for the rest--the Archdiocese gave money to accused priests in order to remove them from priesthood while skipping the long and costly trial. SNAP often complains that there's not enough money to pay the alleged victims or that the trials take too long, so....this seems like it saves a lot of money and gets accused priests out faster. I think its debatable if you should just wait through the whole trial on principle or get them out faster, but this seems exactly like the sort of thing SNAP should be supporting, given all their prior complaints. Cardinal Dolan took over the Archdiocese of Milwaukee from Archbishop Weakland of all people, so he had a big mess to clean up and he did so as quickly as possible. This is something thats done in secular environments as well, I can find a public schoolteacher who was paid that in order to get him out, so welp.
I love the timing of this article as well.
Not suspicious at all.
Mary Immaculate, star of the morning
Chosen before the creation began
Chosen to bring for your bridal adorning
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Sinners, we honor your sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for your pity we plead;
Grand us the shield of your sovereign protection,
Measure your aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from your throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which your footsteps have trod;
Stretch out your arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
Chosen before the creation began
Chosen to bring for your bridal adorning
Woe to the serpent and rescue to man.
Sinners, we honor your sinless perfection;
Fallen and weak, for your pity we plead;
Grand us the shield of your sovereign protection,
Measure your aid by the depth of our need.
Bend from your throne at the voice of our crying,
Bend to this earth which your footsteps have trod;
Stretch out your arms to us, living and dying,
Mary Immaculate, Mother of God.
