Friday, August 7, 2020

SSPX in Kansas under investigation


I do not want to take focus away from the informative, on going dialogue currently taking place in the combox of the previous threadbut the following article published yesterday by The Catholic World Report, ‘hits close to home’ for some folk who regularly contribute to this blog:


The  following quote from the article seems to indicate that “guilt by association” may be in play:

The SSPX is under investigation in the state of Kansas for alleged sex abuse, along with the four Catholic dioceses.

 Let’s pray that the truth in the matter will come forth soon…


Grace and peace,

David

3 comments:

leeseykay said...

Where has Catholic World Report been? This is pretty old news if you live in St. Marys like I do. To the best of my knowledge I have read every word that Church Militant has published against the Society of St. Pius X. They have this theory about how the Nazis were homos. Since the Society are neo-Nazis, they are of course, neo-homos.

We moved to the epicenter of the allegations less than two years ago, to be nearer to family, (next door actually), and have some help with my aging mother. We also were drawn by the relatively inexpensive real estate in Kansas. Finally, we wanted to be where there was a Traditional Catholic parish. Three F's: Family, Finances, Faith. Those are what drew us here.

Some of the charges of Church Militant seem frivolous or hopelessly dated. The witnesses seem to be of the sort that could be angry and vengeful for reasons besides abuse. One is reportedly a practicing witch and another is a woman in her 30's who was recently arrested for supplying minors with drugs and alcohol. I believe they both grew up in the chapel here in St. Mary's and I know that one of them still has family that are active here.

It becomes hard to judge because of the hate that mainstream Catholicism, and Church Militant in particular, has for the SSPX. If someone with sympathy for the Society would raise some questions, the charges would seem a lot more credible. Instead, the only people who believe that they are guilty of rampant homosexual predation are Catholics, or disaffected who have rigorous ideological opposition to the position the Society takes about the crisis in this Church foretold by Our Lady of Fatima, as we have been discussing.

Kyle White, who CWR quotes, was engaged to be married to a young lady when she revealed to him that her own father had abused her. Her father was an employee for the college and school here. I think he worked maintenance. Apparently the priests didn't believe Mr. White. One priest believed him though, and encouraged him to go to the authorities.

He went to the St. Marys Police Department. They are accused by Church Militant of complicity in a cover up. It wasn't even in their jurisdiction because this family lived somewhere else. This town has six or seven police personnel. The police chief at the time went to the local Novus Ordo parish, but Church Militant makes it sound like he was all buddy buddy with the priests, like everybody else in St. Marys...supposedly. The current chief does not go to the Society Mass either, and they accused him of wrongdoing as well.

This man, who lived outside St. Marys where he committed all of his crimes, was eventually convicted of abusing his daughter and is now in prison. I can understand Kyle White's bitterness if it is true he was not believed by most of the priests.

So now CWR has a big headline "SSPX accused of intimidating would-be whistleblowers amid abuse investigation". Then they quote Kyle White's interpretation of a letter from the district bursar suggesting that priests and employees, (who might fear being accused of cover up or worse), should have an attorney if they are questioned. Here is White's understanding of this letter:

"It looks like they’re trying to hide things, trying to keep people from speaking and definitely stonewalling,”

It seems to me, for what my opinion is worth as a very interested party, in favor of the SSPX, that the conclusion reached by another interested party, against the SSPX, Mr. Kyle White, regarding the letter of the district bursar, is not warranted. I will have a continuing interest in what less interested parties might think, and in particular the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. In the meantime, I listen to what Vatican II Catholics say about this, while finding it difficult to believe that they would be pleased if the investigations of the KBI exonerates the Society.

Rory
Rory

David Waltz said...

Hi Rory,

Thanks much for your informative response to the opening post—it provides important details left out in the CWR article. With that said, I have a couple of questions: first, what do you mean by “Church Miltant”?

My second question pertains to the following from the article:

>>In the group’s U.S. district, however, a number of abuse allegations have surfaced in relation to the large SSPX community at St. Mary’s, Kansas, which includes the society’s K-12 school, as have several allegations that priests engaged in cover-ups of abuse by priests or attendees of SSPX chapels.>>

Your detailed post gives no indication that SSPX priests themselves have been accused of “abuse”. Are you aware of any alleged allegations?


Grace and peace,

David

leeseykay said...

I thought that the CWR article referenced Church Militant. It is a Catholic internet and video organization located in Detroit that has regular broadcasts. This spring they began to focus on the Society. This has lightened up since they started that stupid Nazi theory and the credibility of some of their "star witnesses" was called in to question.

Google Michael Voris, and you will find Church Militant. They have a lot of stuff, some reaching back to the 70's against the Society. But some are accusations against maybe three or four priests serving today and of hierarchical coverups. Their essential contention I believe, is that Traditional priests are as subject to priestly misconduct as are Novus Ordo priests, if you will. Perhaps so. I hope to find out.

I think Traditionalists would be fooling ourselves to think that it is impossible that orthodox doctrine is an impenetrable protection against unholy behavior. It would also seem that disordered passions are sometimes compatible with an attraction to the beauty of the Catholic liturgy and orthodox doctrine. I think most of the Society priests, like me, will be surprised and terribly disappointed if it comes out that there have been deliberate coverups and shuffling to protect a handful of known perverts who might be able to abuse again. I don't think Mr. Voris understands how most of their own priests will respond if the Society leadership is guilty. He seems to think that they have no critical thinking faculties.

At this time, my judgment is that Church Militant also grossly misunderstands the culture of the faithful who attend SSPX Masses and who contribute to their upkeep. He thinks we will defend every Society priest no matter what. I do not hesitate to say that he does not know the people I know. It is insulting the way he talks about us like we are brainwashed cult followers willing to sacrifice our children and grandchildren to this greater cause called the Society of St. Pius X. I would say to him that The Society of St. Pius X is NOT the Catholic Church, without regard to the veracity of Voris' claims. I am pleased and grateful with the progress the Society has made in favor of Tradition in its short career. That is all.

If leadership has been covering up and shuffling pedophile priests as alleged, I suspect that many of our SSPX priests will have to evaluate their own status. It is from good SSPX priests that I have learned that though I affiliate with and support them, I am not a member of the SSPX. I am a member of the Roman Catholic Church. I do not expect to need to, but I say that I would discontinue supporting the SSPX if Voris is correct, and there was no substantial excuse and no substantial cause to know that this would not be tolerated. I think the Society priests I know would have to agree. If it is not through the SSPX as currently organized, God will provide for our spiritual needs. I do not have misplaced confidence in the SSPX.

It is unpleasant subject matter, but I encourage concerned parties to peruse the articles at CM, and share thoughts or ask questions. I would try to provide dispassionate context where I could.

Rory