My brother Jim
Though it cannot be said, great among men,
still hardworking and trim, striving to win,
lover of nature, avoiding gross sin,
loyal to family and helpful to kin
rarely was asked, ‘where have you bin?’
Late finding success more real to him,
extraodinary future, soon to begin!
This article by Neil Macdonald seems like it has not received the attention it should have. This link to the published article still works; https://www.cbc.ca/news/opinion/grand-jury-report-1.4798291
Here is a slightly edited version and PLEASE NOTE: HORRIFIC DOCUMENTED CASES OF CHILD ABUSE IN THE ORIGINAL ARTICLE ARE NOT INCLUDED IN THIS REPRINT.
By secular standards, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization and
Federal authorities should treat it like one!
Neil Macdonald · CBC News · Posted: Aug 26, 2018 4:00 AM ET | Last Updated: August 26, 2018
WARNING: This column contains disturbing details
Imagine for a moment that a big, admired multinational corporation, one selling a beloved product, was employing large numbers of male pedophiles and rapists, operating in rings all over the world, and that their crimes had been uncovered in Australia, Ireland, Canada, the Philippines, Belgium, France, Austria, New Zealand, Argentina, Chile, Britain, Germany and the United States, and, further, that senior executives had systematically covered up and suppressed evidence, transferring and enabling hundreds of predators, betraying thousands of victims.
What would happen to the company is not terribly difficult to imagine.
At a minimum, the U.S. government would likely use its Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations (RICO) law to go after not only the rapists and molesters, but also the company’s executives, up to and including its CEO if possible, seizing the company’s assets and seeking the harshest possible prison terms. That’s the sort of thing RICO was invented for. The company would almost certainly collapse. But of course no company’s warranty guarantees everlasting life, and no company maintains that its CEO is chosen by God.
Grand jury report: (continued) The Roman Catholic church does, which is the only explanation for why, after the release of a grand jury report that detailed more than 1,000 cases of sexual abuse in Pennsylvania over several decades by more than 300 predators in clerical collars, many of whom are still alive, millions of American Catholics continued to attend mass.
(DISGUSTING GRAPHIC DOCUMENTED CASES ARE DELETED FROM THIS REPRINTING HERE)
‘We showed no care for the little ones’: Pope’s letter vows to end sex abuse, coverups
Pennsylvania’s attorney general, Josh Shapiro, told reporters last week that high church officials “routinely and purposefully described the abuse as ‘horseplay’ and ‘wrestling,'” choosing to transfer the pedophiles to other congregations (where they’d have a whole new selection of horseplay partners), or send them away for prayerful reflection before returning to duty.
Unfortunately, though, Shapiro said, the statute of limitations has run out in most of the cases, or the priests involved had died. Pity, Shapiro was implying, because if they could, authorities would vigorously pursue and prosecute and imprison not only the perpetrators, but their enablers and protectors. Or not. Actually, probably not. Inevitably, that scale of prosecution – we are talking about inflicting severe damage to the Catholic Church in the United States – would require steadfast political will, and seriously, what politician seeking re-election wants to alienate 24 per cent of Americans, many of whom, despite clear evidence of the church’s moral rot, insist on believing it is infallible? Pope Francis released an open letter to the world’s Catholics after the Pennsylvania revelations, basically repeating the company line. (Alessandra Tarantino/Associated Press)
The same goes elsewhere. Revelations of horrors in all the above-mentioned Western countries (here in Canada, there was documented abuse in Quebec, British Columbia, Ontario, Nova Scotia and Newfoundland, where the church’s Mount Cashel orphanage was operated as sort of a prison for child sex slaves resulted in dismissals of some church officials, some lawsuits and a handful of criminal convictions, but not much more than that.)
Each time, the Pope or one of his high subalterns would lament human frailty, and drone on about the sacred duty to protect the most vulnerable, while privately fighting to thwart civil suits or conspiring to keep facts from investigating authorities.
Pope Francis, who enjoys the most saintly reputation of any recent pope (except for John Paul II, who was actually made a saint, despite all the ugly revelations on his watch) released an open letter to the world’s Catholics after the Pennsylvania revelations, basically repeating the company line: gosh, sorry, that was terrible, we must do better, God bless you all, go in peace.
Noting first that “most of these cases belong to the past,” (don’t all cases belong to the past?) the Pope banged on for 2,000 words about feeling the pain of the vulnerable, and the necessity of ensuring it doesn’t happen again (and again and again and again), but his central theme was expressed right off the top in a line from Corinthians: “If one member suffers, all suffer together with it.”
Yes. Of course. Let’s compare the spiritual suffering the Pope claims the revelations have caused him to that of a child being sodomized by an adult stalker in a clerical collar, a monster the boy probably doesn’t think he’s even allowed to complain about.
Resisting change
The right thing for the Pope to do would be to waive his sovereign privilege (he is a sitting head of state), and invite criminal authorities to freely and fully access church records worldwide, and drain the holy swamp. He might also consider at this stage ordaining women, because women are God’s creatures too, perfectly able to spiritually guide the faithful, and, umm, don’t tend to rape children.
But the privileged old men who run the church aren’t going to allow any of that. They’re a bit like gun control opponents, opposing an obvious solution on doctrinaire grounds.
There actually have been a few attempts to use the RICO statute against priests, notably in Cleveland, but jurors did not convict
When former Oklahoma governor and former federal prosecutor Frank Keating, a practicing Catholic, compared the church’s obsession with secrecy to the Mafia’s, Cardinal Roger Mahony of Los Angeles demanded his ouster from a church board examining clerical abuse. Keating resigned from the panel.
Mahony, who covered up sexual abuse by priests in California, according to church records, retired peacefully at age 75. Only after a court order compelled the Los Angeles archdiocese to open its files on abuse was Mahony gently rebuked by the church.
The National (news cast)
Pope Francis condemns priestly sexual abuse.
Pope Francis condemned priestly sexual abuse and its cover-up by the Catholic Church, in a public letter. In addition to demanding accountability, Francis begged forgiveness for the pain suffered by victims and said Catholics must be involved in any effort to root out abuse.
By any secular standard, the Catholic Church is a corrupt organization. It in fact sets the standard for impunity.
Cardinal Bernard Law, who presided over the coverup of the church’s famous Boston sex abuse scandals, was plucked and brought to Rome by Pope John Paul II, where he resided until he died at the Vatican, beyond the reach of American prosecutors.
Earlier this year, after Bishop Juan Barros of Chile was accused of covering up clerical abuse, Pope Francis denounced the accusers’ “calumny.” When it turned out that there was merit to the accusations, and that the Vatican had been informed of the problem, Francis claimed he’d been misinformed. A few weeks later, all 34 of Chile’s bishops tendered their resignations. Francis eventually accepted three of them.
And now, Catholic activist Susan Reynolds has gathered thousands of signatures on a letter demanding the resignation of all American bishops. It would be the right thing to do, but at a guess, the very notion amuses America’s bishopry, comfortable in their armour of piety.
RICO, aggressively deployed by federal prosecutors using wiretaps, search warrants and informants, would be far more effective. They can’t all flee to Rome.
This column is part of CBC’s Opinion section. For more information about this section, please read this editor’s blog and our FAQ.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Neil Macdonald
Opinion Columnist
Neil Macdonald is an opinion columnist for CBC News, based in Ottawa. Prior to that he was the CBC’s Washington correspondent for 12 years, and before that he spent five years reporting from the Middle East. He also had a previous career in newspapers, and speaks English and French fluently, and some Arabic.
More by Neil Macdonald
CBC’s Journalistic Standards and Practices|About CBC News
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I had just landed my Mooney M20A airplane at the typical short gravel Nakusp B.C. airstrip, expecting my brother who lived just a short distance North at New Denver to great me. However he was delayed, leaving me alone next door to the local dump! Not only that but the dump was crawling with black bears! A side pathway seemed to by-pass them towards the main highway which I took. However as I walked towards it a very large black bear was ambling along about 300 feet ahead. He detected me and turned to look, at which time I began to have some real concerns. Not knowing what was the best course, and not wanting to overtake him, as he apparently was heading to join his peers at the dump site. I simply marked time like a tin soldier, while not wanting to show fear or retreat. Fortunately a young couple in a pickup truck on the adjacent side road leading to hot springs, came along and I flagged them down. Gratefully they transported me the few kilometers to the main highway where I connected with my latent brother.
Consider this question objectively if possible; how much appreciation, or elevation in carvings * and/or ceremonies, should be attributed to ‘killer whales’ correctly known as Orcas? Perhaps at the top of the marine food chain, they prey on salmon, birds, seals, and young whales.
True they are marvelous marine creatures. Of course it’s typical for human media to highlight the beauty and grace of such large marine mammals, perhaps simply because they are more readily available and photogenic than others, otherwise known as the news glamor factor.?
Without a doubt ‘all‘ other life on earth contributes to ‘human‘ life in one way or another. But only the Creator of all such diverse and beneficial life, marine or otherwise, actually deserves our adoration and accreditation; not birds, not marine animals, not unseen spirits, but only the Great Spirit and Creator of all life is truly deserving of our worship!
* I hasten to add that ‘worship’ is not, and was not, the intended purpose of pole carvers, as was so wrongly judged by Christendom in the past!
However, that said, please take note of a scriptural passage relating to worship:
“Therefore, since we are the children of God, we should not think that the Divine Being is like gold or silver or stone, like something sculptured by the art and design of humans. True, God has overlooked the times of such ignorance; but now he is declaring to all people everywhere that they should repent.” (Acts 17:29,30)
Our human brain is very far beyond AI or any man made computer.
No computer generated intelligence could begin to equal the ability of the human brain to remember and identify specific sights, sounds, smells, touches, and feelings, to name just a few examples.
For instance I have a distinct memory of the ‘smell of newly applied road tar’ recently applied to our East side street when I was about 7 years old. It was when, with slightly older cousins as we were walking down the middle of 22nd street in East Vancouver between my home and theirs, completely unconcerned due to very little side street traffic in 1940’s mind you, more than 70 years ago!
Indeed, at that time, on that day, I received an epiphany as we walked along, my youngest cousin Jim, a year or two older, quite seriously divulged shocking newly acquired knowledge, namely; where baby’s come from! Of course I strongly disagreed, and the subject was soon forgotten.
Just a poignant childhood memory, true. Yet a simple example of the superior capacity of our superbly created human brain to store even subtle sensual memories, perhaps forever!
Then there is the prophetic evidence, namely the fulfillment of prophecies hundreds or even thousands of years recorded beforehand. E.g. its now a known fact that over 300 of those prophecies were fulfilled in the life and times of Jesus Christ while on earth. Does that not tend to add major credibility to biblical scriptures?
Indeed the only logical conclusion is; Truth based on Bible facts ‘is‘ reality! Therefore if you are a truth seeker, make the effort to get to know exactly what the scriptures teach us, true, it may take some humility to do so, but well worth the effort!
visit JW.org and choose ‘any’ language you prefer!
Ziggy was rather unpopular in my apartment building. A tall very fit pre-war era German, with a brusk demeanor. There were incidents resulting in police attendance on a least one occasion to calm things down, possibly over a loud music complaint.
His apartment was on the third floor and mine on the first so he never bothered me. I was even a little sympathetic toward him, perhaps due to my experience in a recent contentious divorce.
In fact we were on slightly friendly terms. So I asked to borrow his small pickup truck to transport a scooter. At the time I was buying and selling a rv’s, cars, and scooters to supplement income. He agreed but only if he was the driver, so we did the round trip together.
Not long after that a publication appeared in my mailbox that was concerning, to say the least. It was comparable in appereance to a community newsletter, but the information was anything but, and totally conflicted with my core beliefs.
To put it bluntly it was touting what can only be described as Aryan, Nazi philosophy! Not that I was any expert on the subject, however neither was I a nieve babe in the woods.
I didn’t directly ask Ziggy if he had delivered it, however there was little doubt in my mind, for one reason, it had not been mailed, but hand delivered to my mailbox. At first I simply ignored it, but avoided any further close association with him.
Until I began to receive regular deliveries of this highly, prejudicial propaganda. They were profession printed, not just some whacky pamphlet, so at that point I decided the matter could no longer be ignored.
Although I don’t remember exactly how I approached the subject with Ziggy to cease delivering them, I do remember trying to tactful do so. However the conversation then or later took an even more surprising and concerning turn, when he cautiously suggested I should attend a meeting of his peers who shared these beliefs!
I was taken aback that he would even think of me in the same light and clearly turned him down.Free speech and press is one thing, but I was truly shocked there could be regular meetings of people adhering to such hate filled Aryan-come-Nazi doctrine, right here in Canada, even in our own backyard!
Perhaps I should have loudly condemned his invitation, however I thought better of it for several reasons. Nevertheless I did now believe I must share this information with the local RCMP office, and did so. If anything ever came of that I have no idea. I felt like I had touched on something truly foul and simply didn’t want to have anything more to do with it. End of story.
What’s it like to view the earth from outside the space station? After 9 spacewalks NASA astronaut Mike Fincke puts it this way;”…seeing the whole cosmos of creation….it’s just awe-inspiring”.* Other astronauts have this to say: “I felt very insignificant in that vastness of space,” Ms Sharman says. “Seeing Earth so clearly, the swirls of clouds and the oceans, made me think about the geopolitical boundaries that we construct and how actually we are completely interconnected.”
Ms Stott says she loved living with six people from different countries “doing this work on behalf of all life on Earth, working together, figuring out how to deal with problems”. Astronaut Kimiya Yui recently (2025) observed; “The views from the ISS are all spectacular, but the collaboration between Earth and the starry sky is simply the best,”
However, in spite of such well informed expressions, the focus since mankind has achieved ability to circle the earth in orbit, has arguably become the exploration of ‘other’ planets, besides the moon. So my question is ‘why’? Hasn’t it become abundantly obvious to all thinking people, the earth, often called ‘mother earth’* is the very special, very specific, home of mankind?
Just how much scientific, factual. evidence is needed to verify this very basic, very obvious, truth?! Exploration is apparently a natural trait of humans. However as has often been said; we actually know less about what’s in deep ocean waters than we do about near space! Doesn’t that suggest the great emphasis on space exploration is a strange, even ‘unnatural’ bias for major exploration efforts? Is our insatiable appetite for plundering valued resources even being extended beyond earth now!?
(quotation) “Maybe the most amazing fact about Earth is that it’s the only planet we know that supports life at all. A lot of things had to go right for this to be possible. For one, our planet is perfectly distanced from the sun in what scientists call “the Goldilocks zone” because it’s not too hot and not too cold
The Earth is also protected from solar radiation thanks to its magnetic field, and kept warm by an insulating blanket we call the atmosphere. And most important, it has the right building blocks for life — mainly water and carbon.
Take note of this quote by ethnobotanist and anthropologist Wade Davis: “The fact that carbon dioxide combines with water, sparked by photons of light, to give us the food we eat and air we breathe – That’s the formula of life” (i.e. learning how the Kreb’s cycle converts the sugars assembled by photosynthesis into cellular energy through aerobic respiration, “was a miracle to me.”)
If we are truly curious to learn more about life, why not focus our attention on life on our wondrous, beautiful, even mysterious planet, instead of making haste to explore other planets, planets so far proven to be completely lacking in the countless features of our earth, not to mention any form of life.? * And all such efforts creating serious, if not dangerous, competition between nations no less!
If you had a house needing repairs, but it was still fundamentally sound, would you simply ignore it to pursue some other far less attractive place in a hostile neighborhood?
No, the logic of space exploration, as stimulating as that may be for us it simply does not meet the litmus test of sanity! But then what grandiose human activity ever has? E.g. consider the ongoing environmental damage caused by the industrial revolution with all its now known attendant detrimental consequences to the environment, not to mention damage resulting from the ‘nuclear age’, or as yet untold harmful consequences from the computer age!
Isn’t it crystal clear by now all mankind is, and has been, complicit in destroying planet Earth whether knowingly or unknowingly?
Yet there is a genuine hope for the future, not by the hands of mankind, rather in spite of mankind! Indeed the Creator of this beautiful ‘blue marble’ well knows how to restore his perfect creation, to remove any and all who are exploiting or causing shameful environmental damage!
* * Note: “…his invisible qualities are clearly seen from the world’s creation onward, because they are perceived by the things made, even his eternal power and Godship,..” (Romans 1:20)
* Indeed the euphemism ‘mother earth‘ may be quite apropos’ given all components of the human body are most likely only found on earth – including 60% water. This begs the question; ‘Who is the Father of the Earth?’ The one who used those components to create all the awesome and complex life forms from those components! Think about it!
* “…Mars is effectively one big desert.” (the words of Professor Rabinovich, Stevens Institute of Technology in New Jersey.
In our Creators’ own reliable prophetic words:
* “….look! I am creating new heavens and a new earth; And the former things will not be called to mind….” (Isaiah 65:17) …”and to bring to ruin those ruining the earth.” (Revelation 11:18) Thanks for viewing!
My comment: ‘The Book of life’
“Earth is a book, our Mother indeed, chapters are seasons, timely to read. Plans for all life, real pages to turn. Cover to cover, lessons to learn. Noble blue marble, a world in decline, soon to be fixed by He who designed!”
Please see my other posts:” Our Creators’ Art! and “Paradise Lost to Paradise Regained!“
Recent airplane ownership of a Piper tri-pacer afforded me the opportunity to invite some local neighbors along with family to explore one of our BC coastal gems.
With picnic lunches and eager families we took off and landed in less than 30 minutes on one of the small pristine Gulf Islands * just South of Nanaimo.
It was uninhabited in those days, the 70’s, with a cleared grass center right down the middle about 2500′ from shoreline to shoreline, a little rough but perfectly ok for my venerable ‘milking stool’ Piper, so nick-named due to its high landing gear.
It took a couple of flights to transport all of us from my Butler-Howroyd home airfield in North Saanich, but worth it. Kids fished off rocks at the Southern end, and we all enjoyed the brief outing away from city life.
When time came for a return flight, I found the battery weak on my yellow bird. Spinning the prop by hand to start the engine now became necessary. With throttle and brake set, I cranked until nearly exhausted without result! Likely a flooded fuel issue. Spinning the prop in reverse finally cleared it, and thankfully the faithful Lycoming engine roared to life. I’m not sure what we could have done if it hadn’t started!
Two round trips and a day on a tiny gulf island. It was a memorable experience for us all.
* Hudson Island, named after the Hudson’s Bay Company, (31 Acre Island) next to much larger Thetis Island.