Worcester Abuse Victims Dubious
From the Worcester Telegram & Gazette, 4.20.2008.
Brought to my attention by my Worcester friend Dan Dick.
Thanks, Dan.
I have added yellow highlighting for emphasis.
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April 20. 2008 8:28AM
Abuse victims dubious
Pope’s apology called ‘empty’
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By Thomas Caywood TELEGRAM & GAZETTE STAFF |
WORCESTER— Some local clergy abuse victims and Catholic activists yesterday dismissed Pope Benedict XVI’s historic apology for the priest abuse scandal, and his private meeting Thursday with a group of victims from Boston, as empty gestures.
“This is just, as far as I’m concerned, a dog and pony show,” said clergy abuse victim David Lewcon of Uxbridge. “It’s all deceptive. Too little too late. Staged.”
Mr. Lewcon successfully sued the Diocese of Worcester over abuse he suffered at the hands of convicted child molester Thomas H. Teczar, who has been stripped of his priestly duties and jailed in Texas.
“This has brought some of us together. I’ve heard from more victims in the last week or so than I have for years. You get those e-mails that say, ‘How are you handling this?’ ” Mr. Lewcon said. “I’ll be very happy when the pope goes home and starts cleaning his own house.”
Another Uxbridge victim of Mr. Teczar, George “Skip” Shea, said he was encouraged to hear the pope expressing regret over clergy abuse of children, but that he’s holding out for deeds to back up the words.
“Will they settle lawsuits for a decent rate? Will they stop fighting efforts to eliminate the statute of limitations on the sexual abuse of children? Will they support those efforts? Those are the types of steps I want to see,” Mr. Shea said.
“My hope is that I’ll see that action,” he added, “but my fear is that he’ll get on the plane, and people will say, ‘OK, it’s over now.’ ”
The pope met with five victims for about 25 minutes Thursday afternoon in Washington, D.C. The meeting was kept secret until it was over.
Local victims and clergy abuse victim advocates said the participants in the secret meeting were picked by Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, and that no victims from Central Massachusetts were asked to participate.
“We’re always hopeful that every time there’s additional recognition of the harm that’s been done that, hopefully, it will help move people toward healing,” said Raymond L. Delisle, a spokesman for the Diocese of Worcester.
Representatives of local Catholic lay groups critical of the church’s handling of pedophile priests said they don’t share the diocese’s sense of hope.
“The model for dealing with the abuse crisis will not really change,” said Daniel Dick, a spokesman for Worcester Voice of the Faithful. “Bishops will continue to do as they please. The laity — the victims, in particular — have no way of being confident the system will change as to how victims are treated.”
Worcester Voice founder Mary Jean was equally skeptical that the pope’s apology would be a catalyst for change and healing among local victims — and those estranged from the Roman Catholic Church by the scandal.
“His words continue to ring empty when looked at from the perspective of the Worcester Diocese’s actions against those who were victims,” said Ms. Jean, a Leominster resident.
Mr. Lewcon, who now works with fellow clergy abuse victims, said that while people are expressing sorrow for the abuse and the way it was handled by the Vatican, church lawyers are aggressively fighting victims in court and depositions.
“When a clergy abuse victim comes forward, they don’t even know what they’re in for. They have what I call ‘pit bull, hired-gun attorneys,’ and they just victimize you again,” he said.
Mr. Dick of the local chapter of the Voice of the Faithful said some victims he has spoken to welcomed the pope’s apology.
“That’s a great step forward,” he said. “But people here are saying that nothing is going to change.”
Mr. Delisle, the diocesan spokesman, said the diocese understands the pain it has caused victims, and that some simply aren’t ready, and may never be ready, to return to the church.
“Not everyone is in the same place. There are some people moving forward with healing, and others who are not. Some people want to work with the church. Others do not,” he said. “There are others for whom the hurt is so great, they can’t work with us now. The best we can do is work with those who are willing and be ready to work with the others when they’re ready.”
Contact Thomas Caywood by e-mail at tcaywood@telegram.com.
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| Reader Comments |
| I want to give a big thanks to Dan Dick of Voice of the Faithful and the survivors in the Worcester Diocese who are doing great work to help Catholics get through this crisis and learn what really happened and how to keep it from happening again. I am not a survivor of sexual abuse but to those who criticize, I would like you to contemplate for a moment what it must be like to be 8 or 9-year-old and to be anally raped or think of a little girl who goes to first penance and is sexually violated and raped during the sacrament. What of those in our own area who were raped on altars, in sacristies and in our holy sanctuaries? Then think of what it must be like for those who hide and pretend nothing happened.
-A Grateful Catholic |
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| Years ago when victims first came forward most did not desire a battle with the Church. Concerned parents often went to the Bishop for resolve and spiritual insight on how to deal with a very confusing situation but were usually given empty words. Many later found out the abusing priest was transfered to another parish. Most did not realize that Cannon law instructs officials a to avoid Church related scandals at all cost.I feel the Catholic faithful are also victims of this scandal but many don’t relate to that label since many are still heavily influenced by their spiritual leaders incouragement of a hopeful future. Many are beginning to think for themselves and not accepting everything their spiritual leaders say.I think the issue with victims is not as much the pain they suffered from their abuse and how it compromised their life but by the way the Church (and especially the Worcester Diocese) re-victimized them during litigation with severe and dehumanizing legal strategies and manipulations.
This article calls it the way it is. It’s just too dark of a story to shed much light on. -Dave Lewcon |
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| Show them some money and they’ll feel better. My guess is that there is no pain money can’t heal.
-abused, now greedy |
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| I have supported VOTF for several years now but feel that Mr. Dick’s stubborness in this moment makes me question whether I should continue to support this organization. I too want real change in the church but I can’t afford the kind of continual pessism that the contributors to this article have. T and G, how about some balanced reporting. I’m sure it wouldn’t have been too hard to track down some people who are victims or knew victims who are feeling a little bit more hopeful after the pope’s first steps to address this issue in the U.S.. The T and G usually does a better job than this. This kind of negative senssationalism is better left to ‘rag’ newspapers.
-Turned Off |
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| The opinions expressed here are those of the authors and do not reflect the opinions of Telegram.com, the Telegram & Gazette, the New York Times Co. or any of its employees. |
One Response to “Worcester Abuse Victims Dubious”
April 21, 2008 at 6:28 pm
I’m afraid that fingers in the dike will not prevent further priest abuse. Certainly a concerted effort to follow through with action after the Pope’s apology will help protect future victims from abusive priests. But what can we learn from the priests who have already been abusive? As far as I know, no one has made the effort to ask them about thier abuse or to request them to tell their stories. Although molestors are not attractive people to approach, what about the lessons we can learn from understanding what led them down the path they took? I would like to see the Church take an honest look at the lives, thinking, feelings and motivations of the priests it has in the past protected from having to face the consequences of their actions. What can be learned from such an undertaking might well help planning future strategies. The problem is that the answers might well suggest needed changes in the priesthood and hierarchy which the church might not want to consider.