Sunday, September 25, 2011

Patrick Roberts to U.S. Catholic Bishops: Time to Rein in Bully Bill Donohue



And speaking of reining in (piggybacking here on what I just posted about Father Frank Pavone and Bishop Patrick Zurek): here's Patrick Roberts writing at the Irish Central website about the need of American Catholic church leaders to rein in Bill Donohue of the Catholic League, as he "defends" the church by attacking journalists and victims of clerical sexual abuse: 

It is time for the church,who are clearly approving of Donohue's attacks to rein him in.

He is doing their cause no justice smearing victims and launching vicious attacks on journalists who are doing their job uncovering corruption and abuse in the Catholic Church.

One can understand the church defending its position but when its main mouth piece is smearing child victims of clerical sex abuse it is surely time to put a stop to it.

The church does not need inquisitors like Donohue and his poison pen.

It needs men like Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, who confronts the allegations heads on, responds with generosity and genuine compassion for victims and tries to move on.

The American church could learn much from him.

 Robert doesn't say so, but the key Catholic official who has most ability (and a primary obligation) to rein Donohue in is the president of the U.S. Catholic Bishops' Conference Timothy Dolan, who shares and office building with Donohue.  But I'm not holding my breath about the possibility that Dolan intends to yank the chain of his attack dog Donohue anytime soon.  To the best of my knowledge, Dolan has totally ignored the appeal of Catholics United that he dissociate himself from the mean-spirited attacks of Bully Bull--an association that earned Dolan Frank Cocozzelli's coveted Coughie award at the end of last year.

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