On the 15th of November, we learnt that Fr. Matthew Despard was suspended of all ministerial duties at St. John Oglvie's Parish. As a Scottish Catholic from Motherwell, with deep connections to the Catholic community, I am outraged by this unjust action. Where are the suspensions of degenerate priests who have been indulging grotesque sin? Why the continued cover-up?
I had hoped that this would not happen; indeed, we thought that a suspension was in the offing over a year ago, but, the hierarchy backed off fearing serious legal repercussions. It is certainly very, very strange that it took the hierarchy several years to finally deduce that Fr. Despard has committed a "crime" worthy of suspension. This suspension is but another attempt to divert attention from the main issue: it is not the minutiae in Priesthood in Crisis, but the central theme that is the issue.
The suspension of Fr. Despard is indicative of the depth of the crisis, and the denial by the hierarchy that there is anything wrong. Decades of homosexual activity amongst clergy of all ranks will inevitably create a whole network of secrecy and blackmail.
An example of denial and coverup is the Carfin Grotto Homosexual Rapes coverup. To the bitter end, Bishop Devine continued to deny that anything happened. He continued to deny that homosexual activity was happening in the Diocese of Motherwell, when I and my contacts in Motherwell know full well from direct contact and information from a person or persons who shall remain anonymous that the sin of sodom was being committed at the seminary. I do not say that that sin is being committed to this day, I only write of what I definitely know: but very serious questions arise: are these priests still active, do they hold active ministry, have they been promoted into the hierarchy or other positions of power.....
And what of the implications for blackmail? Who else knows? We must presume, until evidence to the contrary, that active homosexuals maintain a strong and perhaps dominant position in the Diocese of Motherwell, as well as across Scotland. The persecution of Fr. Patrick Lawson, which I have documented; the promotion and protection offered to Fr. Paul Milarvie - even promotion to the local curia - all demonstrate that there is a homosexual mafia within the Church in Scotland.
They may be able to bury Fr. Despard's book; they may be able to turn him into a "basketcase" after several years of intense pressure; but they will not silence the thousands upon thousands of Catholics and men and women of good will who know that the hierarchy is corrupt and covering up a decades long homosexual scandal.
I encourage all readers to review the articles we have carried on the Homosexual crisis in Scotland under the Scottish Crisis.
They may be able to bury Fr. Despard's book; they may be able to turn him into a "basketcase" after several years of intense pressure; but they will not silence the thousands upon thousands of Catholics and men and women of good will who know that the hierarchy is corrupt and covering up a decades long homosexual scandal.
I encourage all readers to review the articles we have carried on the Homosexual crisis in Scotland under the Scottish Crisis.
14 comments:
Of course there is a coverup. There is a persistent refusal to deal with the actual contents of Fr. Despard's book on the part of bloggers at Witness. So far no one on this blog has even read the book!
I love it!
The coverup continues unabated! By his own admission Montfort knows details of the charges against Fr. Despard. "I am outraged by this unjust action." Which unjust action? Is Fr. Despard being called to account for his dealings with Laura Gaddis, the Mrs. X in his book, Fr. Kane who has recently brought an action against him, or some other as yet unknown action? Since judicial proceedings under canon law are not published in the Daily Record for the benefit of gossip mongers we really don't know.
To dismiss Fr. Despard's book as gossip is gossip.
Is Freyer not a blogger Witness? Is this a joke? If you have not read the book then order it.
Sheesh.
If you have actual facts which can be corroborated then by all means bring them forth. In the meantime, I dismiss Fr. Despard's book as largely unread and ignored by his staunchest supporters. Gossip is idle talk, rumors, hearsay and second hand information. Calling somebody who lives close to the source to find out what they may have heard is the very epitome of gossip.
Your article is ill informed, at best. This matter began only in March of this year with the self publication of the book "
Priesthood in crisis" therefore your claim that you feared he would be removed is specious.
Error number 2 ,fr Paul Milarvie is not and never has been a member if the Curia in his diocese. This, like Despard's book, is a work of fiction .
Is this Despard the same person who violently assaulted another student when a seminarian? If so, did the other man turn down his sexual advances? Regardless, he has thrown a lot of dirt but has not substantiated any of it! Full marks to Bishop Toal,
Anonymous, if you actually read the articles, and followed the links you would, indeed, discover that Milarvie is a member of the diocesan curia. His outrageous and evil conduct - not disputed - is a scandal to the local Church in Scotland. He should not be a priest.
You state Fr. Despard's book is fiction: this will not comfort those victims of homosexual rape at Carfin....Let us even remove Fr. Despard's book from the debate: what of it? The homosexual crisis continues unabated.
For anyone to suggest that homosexual activity is not a tragic reality over the decades in Scotland is delusionary.
Fr Milarve should not be labelled like this! We are all HUMAN. This judging and mud-slinging is very very far from how Catholics should behave,
We are indeed all human, and we all sin. Fr. Milarvie unfortunately committed a homosexual act while intoxicated. The homosexuality warrants removal from active ministry. He should retire to a monastery. God will judge the inner Milarvie; we can only go by the concrete evidence. The CHurch has always removed such men from active ministry, not ordained them.
An update from Scotland. The court case to evict Father Despard continued on 18 September. Also the day of the independence referendum, so it didn't get much media coverage (co-incidence?). I am a lawyer and attended court out of interest but the court was full to bursting with his supporters/parishioners so I could not get in. Still trying to find out the outcome. Not been back to mass since I found out about this and considering withdrawing my son from Catholic education. Appalling, truly appalling and the handling of it by the catholic church in Scotland is a car crash.
Maureen
I too am appalled by the injustice being meted out by the Catholic hierarchy concerning Father Matthew Despard. This good man is being denied his rights to practice his vocation and is being vilified by the Archdiocese of Motherwell. The Catholic Church has proven that they cannot, nor will not, be proven wrong, concerning these heinous crimes. Whatever happened to being innocent until proven guilty?? Is it little wonder that they are in desperate need for young men to turn to the priesthood, when they seem to thwart the likes of a good man, such as Father Despard, from carrying on his ministerial duties. I hear that his "day in court" has been postponed time and time again (the next date is December 2nd, 2014). Do they hope this ploy will make people lose interest, until his story is buried in the back pages of our newspapers? Where are all those who have stated he has lied? Let them come forward and dare to challenge him with slander...I cannot see this ever happening because he has always been truthful, and THEY KNOW IT. Are they scared to come out of hiding behind their unjust remarks against him?
I pray Father Despard will be vindicated soon, and, at such time, he will be returned to his priestly duties. But I have my doubts, because the wheels of truthful justice seem to grind slowly, as far as the Catholic Church is concerned.
Sincerely,
Isabell McGarry CPS CAM
S. Catharines, Ontario, CANADA
I have read Father Despard's book. I have also read the prior comments and recognize that Father Despard is held in high esteem by many. I respect their opinions.
I became a seminarian at Blairs College in the 1980s when I was 12 years old. Eventually I grew to hate it and left after two very long years. However, I knew one of the priests that Father Despard labels as homosexual and accuses of all sorts of malfeasance. He was one of the kindest and most decent men I have ever met. When I was being physically bullied and mentally tormented by other students, to the extent that I was afraid to go to sleep at night for fear of assault, he saw what was going on and helped me. While some of the priests at Blairs were high and mighty, this priest was truly humble and considered it his duty to serve others.
Now I cannot say for certain whether Father Despard's allegations are true, only that they are inconsistent with my experience as far as this individual is concerned. What I can say is that Father Despard's book contains allegation upon allegation, and nothing to corroborate any of them. Not a single witness willing to step up, not a single document proving the truth of any of what he says. I am a lawyer who litigates cases in the courts for a living. The complete absence of any corroborating witness or evidence makes me question the veracity of what Father Despard has to say.
The child abuse scandal has shaken our confidence in an institution we once thought infallible. So much so that we are willing to entertain any allegation, no matter how far fetched, as plausible if not probable or likely. But we can't just believe anything. We have to demand some kind of proof before we condemn people. And if one good thing has come out of this whole sorry mess, it is that people are no longer willing to stand in the shadows. So ask yourself, if homosexuality was as common in the Scottish clergy as Father Despard suggests, surely someone somewhere would have come forward and said something.
Finally, there are ways of going about things. Publishing a book like this one is not it. Not for a Catholic priest. Father Despard's criticisms also go beyond other members of the priesthood or the Church hierarchy. He attacks his own parishioners. While those parishioners may well have been a royal pain in the rear, or mentally unstable, they are not fair game for a priest to mock in the way that Father Despard does in his book.
HH
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