Just heard some shocking news

[janedavitt]

Just heard from Mum that the priest who married Cousin Janet and Bill (Bill's the man who died earlier this year) was extradited from the US on charges of abusing young boys for years and today was sentenced to twenty-one years in prison.

I'm in shock. I was brought up as a Catholic and went to Mass every Sunday until age 14 when I went through the usual adolescent reevaluation of my world and realized that none of it worked for me and turned away from it, a decision I've never regretted or wanted to change.

Father Robinson was a priest I really liked -- everyone did. He was young and cool; he'd been a boxer and he had a craggy toughness about him and a modern outlook. When I was going to church as a child, Mass was still in Latin, remember. Father Robinson wouldn't just preach from the pulpit, he'd walk amongst the congregation, talk to them, get replies back.

To find out that during that time, he was systematically seducing and abusing young boys...God, that's just appalling.

This has been the worst year. David was at another funeral yesterday, a co-worker who'd died of cancer.

I want 2010 over.

Comments

[princessofgeeks]

so sorry.

[janedavitt]

::hugs you::

[jenlev]

I wish I had words that would somehow make sense of this. I don't think there are, because it's an act of irational evil. *hugs*

PS. edited to say, which isn't to say that he isn't human, it's just that the betrayal of everything is so horrifying. Gah, I'm sorry I'm not very articulate about this.

[janedavitt]

I know just what you mean ::hugs:: The sad thing that he is human, with very human needs that got twisted and warped somewhere. He betrayed his church and his congregation, over and over, hurting and damaging where he should have been guiding and supporting. It's dreadful to think of how long it went on.

[jenlev]

Thank you for understanding. I get a bit flaily about this issue. And the time it went on (and goes on throughout human history) is just terrible. *more hugs* right back at you.

[jdjunkie]

It's been a big story over here and it's very shocking.
So sorry that you've taken yet another hit this year. Hang on in there. We're rooting for you.
*hugs*

[janedavitt]

It's just so unbelievable and yet I guess it shouldn't be. It's not like he's the only priest ever to have done this. I feel so bitter about how he was probably shielded by the church for so long.

[rainkatt]

Oh, honey, how shattering that must feel. ::hugs::

[janedavitt]

It was a huge shock and then to see it made national news...I was totally taken aback. Those poor people he hurt...