Roman Catholic Church - Actions Speak Louder than Words

During the recent Papal visit to the USA, Benedict XVI made statements of sorrow and apology for the Catholic Church sex abuse scadal and cover ups. Pretty words, yet the Church's actions show that they were hollow - something many of us knew even as they were came out of Benedict's mouth. The Church hierarchy's only concern is about loss of money and bad publicity. They don't gaive a rat's ass about victims, past or future, as evidenced by the Church's conduct in connection with a known child molester thought to be residing in Northern Virginia. As the Washington Post is reporting, Bishop Paul S. Loverde - an arch conservative and anti-gay bigot who wrote a letter urging Virginia Catholics to support Virginia's anti-gay Marriage Amendment - is failing to take appropriate action to warn residents about a Connecticut priest thought to be living in Northern Virginia. The Bishop's attitude is basically, who cares if more unsuspecting children are molested. Here are some story highlights:

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A small group of clergy sexual abuse survivors met outside the Catholic Diocese of Arlington yesterday to push church officials for more information about a Connecticut priest thought to be living in Northern Virginia. Representatives of the regional offices of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) say they are upset that diocesan officials didn't tell the public when they learned in March that the Rev. Stephen Foley, 66, was living in Chantilly.

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The Archdiocese of Hartford has made payments to 12 men who said they were victims of Foley's, including a single $599,000 settlement in March. A former state police chaplain, Foley drove a Ford Crown Victoria -- a common police vehicle -- until last year, when the Hartford archbishop reportedly ordered him to sell it. Alleged victims said he used the car to lure children.

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But Becky Ianni, a Burke woman who was sexually abused by a priest as a child and is the leader of the Northern Virginia SNAP chapter, said parishioners should have been told. "This is the history of the church; they keep it among themselves," she said. In a letter delivered to the Arlington diocese yesterday, SNAP said Bishop Paul S. Loverde "has a moral duty to warn unsuspecting families and neighbors, Catholic and non-Catholic, about Foley's presence here."