Abandoned Altars

People might well wonder: if I have such problems with the hierarchical Church, why do I continue to be a priest, even in a Catholic Church free of the pope?

It’s a good question, and there are no easy answers. This week, I’ll have been a priest for fifteen years, not that it’s resembled any sort of a traditional ministry. Dealing with my own abuse issues and trying to help others with theirs has not left much scope for that, though I’ve performed the entire range of sacramental services.

And the abuse issues have always been a factor, even before I was aware of them. The day of my ordination, a friend asked, “Do I have to call you “father” now?” My unconsidered reply: “Please don’t, because when I hear that word, I look around to see who’s sneaking up on me.”

Talk about clueless, indeed; but I think my answer indicates the real reason. To face my memories, I had to have the same powers as I felt my perpetrator had. The playing field had to be leveled.

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Where God builds a church,
the Devil builds a chapel.

– old English Proverb

In my day job, I’m a graphic designer responsible for the advertising for the company I work for. One day not so long ago a fax came through that was handed off to me. The very church I was abused in was inquiring if we would like to place ads in their parish bulletin!

My colleagues must surely have noticed the insane peals of laughter that came from my office, but none was brave enough to inquire…

Dear sweet merciful Mother of God, what an opportunity!

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In the aftermath of the guilty verdict handed down in the Robinson murder trial, there has been much weeping and gnashing of teeth.

There are the usual pleas for forgiveness and healing from the Church authorities, utter disbelief expressed by the sheeple in the pews, and law enforcement is denying it had any part in the decades-long cover-up. In other words, the usual reaction to priestly crime.

At least the prosecutor has finally explained why he claimed in court that it was not a satanic crime.

Mr. Mandros said he “did not want to go in that direction” of trying to prove that the crime was a satanic slaying.

“There was a tremendous amount of evidence that would have allowed you to make that argument,” he said. “We had professionals with expertise in the occult say, ‘Yes, this is a classic textbook satanic cult killing’ - more than any case they’d ever seen.”

But prosecutors felt it was better to try the 68-year-old priest on a straight murder charge. That legal strategy proved successful for prosecutors Thursday morning when a Lucas County Common Pleas Court jury convicted Robinson of murder. Judge Thomas Osowik immediately sentenced the retired priest to 15 years to life in prison, with eligibility for parole in 10 1/2 years…

Mr. Mandros said that if the state had filed charges against Robinson alleging it was a satanic-cult murder, it would have increased the burden of proof on prosecutors.

(Toledo Blade) (Emphasis added)

This is rather curious. Jurors would be more skeptical, but I’m not sure how would satanic claims would have increased the burden of proof. I was not aware that the law had a special category of devilish crime. Perhaps his hesitation was involved with ascribing a believable motive, which might delve into dark matters far beyond the dead woman on the sacristy floor.

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This just in: After a three-week trial over a horrific killing a quarter of a century old, Fr. Gerald Robinson has been convicted of the ritual murder of Sister Margaret Pahl. He was immediately sentenced to 15 years to life in prison, although his attorney has already said they will appeal.

If you never heard about this before, you shouldn’t be surprised. Despite the spectacular nature of the crime, it hasn’t exactly made front page news.

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