Cardinal O'Brien, Gay-Hating Closet Case

Keith O'Brien, Cardinal of Sin?

Details of the Vatican Homosexual Scandal are breaking faster than New Year's resolutions the past few days.

Allegedly, Cardinal O'Brien, put the moves on some hunky young seminarians. It all came out, along with much more, in a big honking red-bound report now stowed away in the Pope's private safe, whose combination may be soon forgotten. He has instantly resigned and won't be sending up any white smoke in the coming conclave, but can he really disappear in a puff of black smoke?

For us on this side of the Atlantic, let us take a fond look back. It was only a year ago when the Telegraph printed him thusly as he spake against gay marriage in his very own op-ed, placidly entitled "We Cannot Afford to Indulge This Madness":

... Will both teacher and pupils simply become the next victims of the tyranny of tolerance, heretics, whose dissent from state-imposed orthodoxy must be crushed at all costs

In Article 16 of the Universal Declaration on Human Rights, marriage is defined as a relationship between men and women. But when our politicians suggest jettisoning the established understanding of marriage and subverting its meaning they aren’t derided.

Instead, their attempt to redefine reality is given a polite hearing, their madness is indulged. Their proposal represents a grotesque subversion of a universally accepted human right.

So, it's the gay people doing the repressing, eh? Gay folks like you, Cardinal? Hypocrisy doesn't begin to describe this man's blather about "the children, the children!" and all the other usual nonsense. He pens this in his closet while he sexually harasses his subordinates.

The man's more bent than a psychic's spoon.

UPDATE, March 3, 2013: Cardinal O'Brien's revolting non-apology apology.

"However, I wish to take this opportunity to admit that there have been times that my sexual conduct has fallen below the standards expected of me as a priest, archbishop and cardinal.
"To those I have offended, I apologise and ask forgiveness. To the Catholic Church and people of Scotland, I also apologise.
"I will now spend the rest of my life in retirement. I will play no further part in the public life of the Catholic Church in Scotland."

What's this "to those I have offended" BS?  Meaning anyone reading the news? I guess it applies not specifically to the guys he put the moves on, apparently, but just to anyone out there even slightly disgusted by the actions of this creep. That would be, I don't know, any non-sociopaths out there. Predictable from the "moral leaders" of our era, I guess, but still revolting.

See also: DOLAN'S DARK DOINGS AND PAYOFFS

MORE DOLAN DETAILS SURFACE. TWO CONFIRMED PAID OFF SO FAR.

AP has the report of two Milwaukee priest payoffs:

The archdiocese acknowledged it paid suspected pedophile clergy to leave the priesthood after an abuse victims' group produced a court document that references a 2003 proposal to pay $20,000 to "unassignable priests" who agree to leave the ministry. The document from the archdiocese's bankruptcy proceedings includes minutes from a 2003 meeting of its Finance Council, which included then-Archbishop Timothy Dolan, now a cardinal and head of the New York archdiocese.
...
The archdiocese acknowledged in 2006 that it gave $10,000 to former priest Franklyn Becker to help pay his health insurance until he became eligible for Medicare.
...
Dolan asked then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger in 2003 to defrock Becker after allegations of repeated sexual abuse of children that dated back to at least 1970. Dolan wrote the letter about two weeks after Becker was arrested in California in connection to a sexual assault there in the 1970s. Becker was removed from the priesthood in 2004.

Odd timing, that last one. Perhaps he had never been accused until 2003? I don't have those details. So, Cardinal Dolan was getting the guy booted, by the now-Pope, no less. Then he either claims not to know about the payoff, or considers it "charity." Which is it? I think the press needs to press him on this issue.

I guess by labeling it as "charity" that changes what it is? Awfully slippery, and I don't buy it.

Cardinal Dolan still has the ability to change course here and do a world of good to repair many wrongs. A semantic squabble seems a bit petty at this stage. I think his dignity of office would be better served by trying to fix things.

DOLAN'S DENIAL: SNAP IS LYING

WNYC reports on Dolan's press gaggle. He denies something about the $20K payoffs to accused priests.

"SNAP has no credibility whatsoever," Dolan said. “To respond to charges like that that are groundless and scurrilous in my book is useless and counterproductive.”

[...]

Dolan’s comments Sunday seemed to contradict a statement made to WNYC by a spokesman for the Archdiocese of New York last week, which said that the cardinal "has read and supports the statement from the Archdiocese of Milwaukee."

Working his best to keep the story alive, Dolan denies a proposal that seems to have gone forward during his leadership. Wait, we have it from a court filing. Is the document the Catholic Church provided a fake? Is that what he's claiming? Doubtful.

Is he saying the program never went forward? He doesn't say as much.

Does he deny he knew about any of this, or fall back on the old faulty memory syndrome? Not here he doesn't.

Is he withdrawing what his spokesman said? WNYC said they didn't get a response here.

The best answer he has is "Snap has no credibility whatsoever."? Good work. Attack the victims! Unleash the hounds. Works every time.

Groundless and scurrilous charges? When they are based on an internal church document? That's a ground, sure as there's earth beneath all mortals' feet.

Update to: DOLAN'S 20K PAYOFFS TO ACCUSED PRIESTS

ARCHBISHOP DOLAN PAYED ABUSING PRIESTS TO LEAVE CHURCH

According to CNN and a bit of discovery in the Catholic Church's bankruptcy case in Milwaukee, our own Archbishop Dolan approved a program of $20K payoffs to priests leaving the church for abusing children.

On Thursday, the archdiocese confirmed that it had offered payoffs to abusive priests as "the most expedient and cost-effective way to have offenders laicized or removed from the priesthood."

Having an abuser volunteer to go through the process known as laicization - formally leaving the priesthood - "was faster and less expensive. It made sense to try and move these men out of the priesthood as quickly as possible," the archdiocese said in a statement.

Lovely. How expedient. The abuser cash-out. I guess there were enough of them to push the Milwaukee church into BANKRUPTCY. Yeah, right, the Catholic Church is bankrupt. Sell a few bejewelled gewgaws and diadems and the like. Have a damn tag sale. Hell, donate all future bingo proceeds to a fun.

One Catholic church source defended the payment plan on Thursday, saying, “You either pay them to leave and give them money for food and clothes and shelter as they look for a job or you have a drawn out trial that could take years.”

“Wouldn’t that be preferable than to keep them as priests and paying their salaries,” the source, who would agree to speak only anonymously. “And wouldn’t it be better than a trial and to have victims testifying and cross examined?”

Er, better for WHOM? Exactly whom would that be better for? Can someone clue me in? Laicized indeed.

Update: DOLAY DENIES, DENIES, DENIES

SEE ALSO: PRIEST STANDS UP TO WA CATHOLIC CHURCH ANTIGAY PETITION DRIVE