Recent developments in the Church are the same old same old. There was nothing new or even changed in the new pronouncements issued from Rome in the ongoing disgrace of priest sexual abuse or homosexual behavior. There are priests who actually teach and preach the gospel who are being persecuted by their bishops. And now this…

I know this is on a local level but, using the word of the moment, it is systemic. I was at dinner the other night with four other priests when one of them decided to excoriate victims of clergy sexual abuse. This priest said that he has had four different people come to confession to him and admit that they made up allegations of abuse by dead priests because they needed the money. What? Where is my money?

Of course I did not believe him. Then I wondered why he was telling us something that was said in confession. This priest is not assigned to a parish because he is on sick leave so these people either sought him out or just happened to be in parishes where he was being paid to hear confessions. If true it cannot and should not be used to dismiss allegations of priest/clergy sexual abuse but that is what it was used for.

UG! On reflection on this conversation I thought, Good God I have become unbelieving like the bishops. Whether this confessional revelation happened or not is not the point. The point is the dismissal of all allegations based on four people, (if they even exist), and their revelation that they lied. And really the implication is that I have lied. Why would anyone put themselves through the hell of coming forward with sexual abuse allegations? That is one of the reasons I do not believe this priest. A payout of one million dollars would not be enough. Money can never replace what has been taken away from me or compensate for what I have been through.

To cheapen and/or dismiss allegations against priests sexual proclivities seems to me that, like Abel’s blood crying out from the earth to God, a steep penalty will be incurred in eternity. Also anyone bringing false allegation against someone, even if confessed, will incur a steep penalty even if it is not hell.

I advise everyone to pray for clergy sexual abusers, the clergy sexually abused, anyone making false allegations and anyone spreading lies about the heinousness of clergy sexual abuse with the intent to minimalize it or dismiss it.