DPP warns clerical abuse support group to halt calls for prosecution | Irish Examiner
this is utterly disgraceful. there ought to be someone who can insist on prosecutions. surely one man cannot make this decision about so important an issue.
Saturday, November 27, 2010
Australia
after Rome I went to Australia. To a conference arranged by 'Survivors Australia'. Now Australia I love, I knew it would be hard with travelling alone in wheelchair but despite the two 11 hour flights , transfer in Bangkok, I arrived in one piece to nearly 30 degrees summer time.
I was met by the conference organiser and founder of 'survivors australia' Nikki Wells. I stayed with her, her partner Paul and son Preston age 6. later joined by Emma, a survivor and little girl aged 11, pauls daughter. A family home was a joy as a single, live alone peson. Preston delighted me and teased me about poisonous spiders, of which I am paranoid about. Needless to say he was to alert me to a real funnel web spider that had entered after a heavy storm. this I bravely killed as Preston murmered "(the spray kiler) won't kill him", I said perhaps I could knock him out!" . He was right it took ages to immobilise it and then to mash it with my slipper, then put the deceased outside in the garden. The mozzies again liked me and I got bitten mega. Even under my eye marring my beauty for a time.
Yes Australia is some place and this was some conference. The first day survivors were welcomed to a programe of distinquished presenters (I'm included)such as Tom Doyle, the American Dominican, with a big heat and much wisdom, who for so long has been a thorn in the side of the Vatican, ditto Bishop Geoffry Robinson.A man of integrity, warmth and spiritual depth who has been cruelly treated by his 'conferes in christ' (a joke) sidelined and rejected. A Bishop survivor of Sexual abuse who put his head above the parapet like Tom. These men bring hope to us, hope of decent clergy amongst the rotten apples in the barrell.
Their talks were 'Truth to Power' and empowered us greatly. (see 'Catholica' site for parts of their talks) and video therein.
I gave my talk on 'Clergy sexual exploitation of Adult women' and promptly was approached by two former nuns and a lay woman all sexually abused as adults by clergy. This always happens. The adults sexually abused are as sidelined and abused again by the rejection of their stories by all and sundry. Take for example the journalist of the Sydney Morning Herald who told me she could not do an article on the issues or my research as it was not 'Australian' and added the paper was not there to help people but to print stories to sell. mmmmnnn...well there we go I suppose.
Nevertheless I had the privilage to go on an Abc religious programme with Tom Doyle (can be found online) and took phone calls from the public. I hope we were able to help.
The next day was for professionals. Mostly the same speakers and equally powerful.
Talks were filmed by Cathlica and Toms & Geoffrey Robinson's are on that site.
What was most interesting was to Discover Australia is so behind in many respects to the rest of the world. The Archbishop who came into much criticism and vitrole was 'Pell'
, survivors spoke of him as almost evil. The stories I heard about his response to abuse were horrendous. Why should the australian survivors have to suffer this man?
I also discovered that survivor groups all criticise each other. no unity of purpose and it seems some dodgy dealings, collusiveness with the Church or taking cuts in money from survivors compensation for help given.
This was hugely disappointing, but replicated in Ireland also. We are not here to gain personaly. Not here to cause harm or disunity. Not here to set up kingdoms, be territorial, isolationists, preaching our own 'take' on the issues. Survivor groups need to work together. This is what Nikki Wells hopes.
Just as gary Bergeron & McDaide in rome called ALL survivors to unite, nikki and others do too. there is now an international coalition of survivors. more anon I hope. There is a realnd growing sense that groups are better united, better with integrity and beyond reproach and more professionally structured and organised.
gone are the days of simply being a survivor and calling for change. survivors need to learn the ropes of collective challanging in more effective ways than just 'screaming' 'I was abused' . Strategies are called for. planning and focus demanded.
This is what I learned from the Australian conference.
The individual story is of course powerful and necessary but the impact is transitory. Its impact to change nebulous.
What is needed is direct, specific demands based on justice and truth.
We must get these together and all sing from the same hymn sheet as they say. The common goal.
Australia was good. meeting brave fighters of survivors. Emma who favoured 'direct action' such as entering the bishops residence, sitting on his throne in church and basically creating embarrassment and havoc necessitating court appearances and being locked in a cell. Emma who pushed me in my wheelchair, Emma who cucified me in massage! Emma the 'one off - unique lovely peson'. Marco, the sculpturer, full of righteous anger, who stormed Vatican meetings desguised as a journalist and asked difficult questions, who stormed meetings with the Australian prime minister and did Ditto there. Marco who travelled Europe meeting survivors and travelled to Verona to meet the deaf survivors. Marco, wounded by clergy sexual abuse, using his own money to reach out and challange . good old Australian marco.
Nikki, intent on unity of purpose in the Australian survivor movement, who with Paul her partner want to set up a centre for survivors (something I long to do in Ireland) and education of professionals on survivor trauma.
Yes australia is moving.
and of course I had my treats there...whale watching...awesome...shopping...which i can't afford and generally exhausting myself. But it was a great experience and I hope I contributed in some small way to their understanding a form of sexual abuse not yet acknowedged. Clergy sexual abuse/exploitaion of adult women.
My powerpoint presentation is available if wanted . (magsken57@gmail.com)
May australian Survivors be supported by their 'colleagues in suffering' the worldwide survivor community. keep up the good work.
Margaret
I was met by the conference organiser and founder of 'survivors australia' Nikki Wells. I stayed with her, her partner Paul and son Preston age 6. later joined by Emma, a survivor and little girl aged 11, pauls daughter. A family home was a joy as a single, live alone peson. Preston delighted me and teased me about poisonous spiders, of which I am paranoid about. Needless to say he was to alert me to a real funnel web spider that had entered after a heavy storm. this I bravely killed as Preston murmered "(the spray kiler) won't kill him", I said perhaps I could knock him out!" . He was right it took ages to immobilise it and then to mash it with my slipper, then put the deceased outside in the garden. The mozzies again liked me and I got bitten mega. Even under my eye marring my beauty for a time.
Yes Australia is some place and this was some conference. The first day survivors were welcomed to a programe of distinquished presenters (I'm included)such as Tom Doyle, the American Dominican, with a big heat and much wisdom, who for so long has been a thorn in the side of the Vatican, ditto Bishop Geoffry Robinson.A man of integrity, warmth and spiritual depth who has been cruelly treated by his 'conferes in christ' (a joke) sidelined and rejected. A Bishop survivor of Sexual abuse who put his head above the parapet like Tom. These men bring hope to us, hope of decent clergy amongst the rotten apples in the barrell.
Their talks were 'Truth to Power' and empowered us greatly. (see 'Catholica' site for parts of their talks) and video therein.
I gave my talk on 'Clergy sexual exploitation of Adult women' and promptly was approached by two former nuns and a lay woman all sexually abused as adults by clergy. This always happens. The adults sexually abused are as sidelined and abused again by the rejection of their stories by all and sundry. Take for example the journalist of the Sydney Morning Herald who told me she could not do an article on the issues or my research as it was not 'Australian' and added the paper was not there to help people but to print stories to sell. mmmmnnn...well there we go I suppose.
Nevertheless I had the privilage to go on an Abc religious programme with Tom Doyle (can be found online) and took phone calls from the public. I hope we were able to help.
The next day was for professionals. Mostly the same speakers and equally powerful.
Talks were filmed by Cathlica and Toms & Geoffrey Robinson's are on that site.
What was most interesting was to Discover Australia is so behind in many respects to the rest of the world. The Archbishop who came into much criticism and vitrole was 'Pell'
, survivors spoke of him as almost evil. The stories I heard about his response to abuse were horrendous. Why should the australian survivors have to suffer this man?
I also discovered that survivor groups all criticise each other. no unity of purpose and it seems some dodgy dealings, collusiveness with the Church or taking cuts in money from survivors compensation for help given.
This was hugely disappointing, but replicated in Ireland also. We are not here to gain personaly. Not here to cause harm or disunity. Not here to set up kingdoms, be territorial, isolationists, preaching our own 'take' on the issues. Survivor groups need to work together. This is what Nikki Wells hopes.
Just as gary Bergeron & McDaide in rome called ALL survivors to unite, nikki and others do too. there is now an international coalition of survivors. more anon I hope. There is a realnd growing sense that groups are better united, better with integrity and beyond reproach and more professionally structured and organised.
gone are the days of simply being a survivor and calling for change. survivors need to learn the ropes of collective challanging in more effective ways than just 'screaming' 'I was abused' . Strategies are called for. planning and focus demanded.
This is what I learned from the Australian conference.
The individual story is of course powerful and necessary but the impact is transitory. Its impact to change nebulous.
What is needed is direct, specific demands based on justice and truth.
We must get these together and all sing from the same hymn sheet as they say. The common goal.
Australia was good. meeting brave fighters of survivors. Emma who favoured 'direct action' such as entering the bishops residence, sitting on his throne in church and basically creating embarrassment and havoc necessitating court appearances and being locked in a cell. Emma who pushed me in my wheelchair, Emma who cucified me in massage! Emma the 'one off - unique lovely peson'. Marco, the sculpturer, full of righteous anger, who stormed Vatican meetings desguised as a journalist and asked difficult questions, who stormed meetings with the Australian prime minister and did Ditto there. Marco who travelled Europe meeting survivors and travelled to Verona to meet the deaf survivors. Marco, wounded by clergy sexual abuse, using his own money to reach out and challange . good old Australian marco.
Nikki, intent on unity of purpose in the Australian survivor movement, who with Paul her partner want to set up a centre for survivors (something I long to do in Ireland) and education of professionals on survivor trauma.
Yes australia is moving.
and of course I had my treats there...whale watching...awesome...shopping...which i can't afford and generally exhausting myself. But it was a great experience and I hope I contributed in some small way to their understanding a form of sexual abuse not yet acknowedged. Clergy sexual abuse/exploitaion of adult women.
My powerpoint presentation is available if wanted . (magsken57@gmail.com)
May australian Survivors be supported by their 'colleagues in suffering' the worldwide survivor community. keep up the good work.
Margaret
rome protest
A line or two about being part of 'the survivor's voice' protest in Rome. I always felt that Rome was the beginning of all child abuse. It was Rome who allowed it to continue, who facilitated huge numbers of sex offender clergy moving from place to place thus creating a massive victim population. Rome devastated rather than saved vulnerable children . Rome was not our pastor but our devil. Harsh words but true.
I needed to go to Rome, to the heart of the fire of hell, to the heart of power and disintegration of children's lives. To the corrupt centre of it all.
Now was an opportunity. In wheelchair I travelled and arrived. my lodgings were a small flat let out by an Italian couple two streets away from St Peters. ideal.
On the sat before the protest we gathered at the bottom of the spanish steps. A group of about 15-20 survivors representing Ireland, UK , Holand, Italy, America,Australia...friends, relatives were with us. We wore T-Shirts with 'Enough' emblazoned on them in different languages. Black text on white..symbolic.
TV crews from around the world gatehered too and I got an opportunity to say something which I belive was on the BBC & bsKyb.
I carried a T-Shirt for my twin sister , herself abused by a catholic priest who received not justice but threats from his order. The Marionists America.
The next day sunday we gathered in a room reminisicent of the upper room the apostles were in when Jesus appeared after his resurrection. It felt vey holy, very symbolic as we too waited for justice, spoke about pain, suffering and abusiveness from perpetrator AND church officials.
We were joined by a coach load of 42 deaf survivors from verona school for the deaf. They used sign language and had an interpreter. The interpreter translated their signed italian into spoken italian and another italian translated it into english. Commincation perfecto!
Stories of sexual abuse were shared, solidarity cemented, unity of purpose established. TV crews helped in conveying all worldwide. The presence of approx 150 survivors in Rome itself a new departure in survivors voices being heard.
later we went to our meeting place Castel Sant'Angelo. which sits on one end of a road where the other end stood St Peters.
As we arrived so did the plain clothed and armed uniformed paramilitary police. I was briefed on who were the plain clothed police. We gathered and heard speeches from Gary Bergeron and Bernie McDaide (see website www.survivorsvoice.org for full transcripts) . very powerful, very right.
By then we noticed that there had built a police cordon all around us. We were not allowed move off the piazza of the Castel. we were penned in, contained, emprisoned. We were persona non grata. We were not wanted. In other words the Italian police perceived us as dangerous agitators, intent on criminality, distubance, rabble raising hooligans, nonesence...we were the hurt, defiled, angry and abused children of Rome. Yet like many families were were resoundly rejected for saying so.
lombardi arrived from his vatican office...no warning, no planning...into the frey...he was mobbed...and found himself surrounded by angry deaf victims. He retreated hastily saying to the press "it was too difficult" dead right, too firey for him, too uncomfortable, too challanging, too honest. Agreed it was 'rough' for him but he was at no harm, could he not have stayed the course and heard and experienced that pain. he later saw some picked survivors privately. Again managed private secret meetings. When do we have anything in public.
Well at least he made the effort, but frankly what we wanted was to lay a cairn of stones on St peters ground. In memory of survivors/victims who walked this way and were harmed.
We lit candles and sang and held hands. But were penned in. Chaos reigned and word went round we would be let through one by one if we took off the T-shirts and put down the candles. so Brendan Butler and myself (in wheelchair) complied and got through, only for a female plain clothed police officer spot us and realising we were 'them' tried to stop us...I said to brendan...."keep going, keep going"...we got to the second cordon at St Peters and got through. I put my two stones, one for myself and one for my twin on a pilar and we turned to leave. At that point we were surrounded by both plain clothed and uniformed ITALIAN police who were working on Vatican territory. This shocked us. We were asked for our passports and these were taken away for nearly an hour. Meanwhile police hovered...we were not likely to flee...me in my wheelchair with no passports. I asked a woman police officer if she want to mass, she did, I asked why they were doing this, she said "its our job"...yeh, yeh...their job to harrass victims of clergy sexual abuse. To make us feel threatened, to contain us, to surround us..on the Holy Ground of St Peters...essentially OUR spiritual home...not THEIRS...ours.
After they let us go....without explanation..we were interviewed by reuters outside the parimeter fence.
An american survivor who was also 'detained' spoke of his utter anger at this treatment.
The day was over, I got into a taxi and there lost my camera.. a real blow and I was heartbroken.But I was also heartbroken and dismayed by my own Church being so 'bully-boyed' with armed police blocking my way from St peters. what does this say of the numerous apoligies the Pope has given in each country he visits. It says: 'hypocrisy'. It says 'PR' exercise, it says...'you don't get it!". it is meaningless in the face of total rejection of survivors in Rome. you rejected us. you said "go away"...you said "i don't want to know...to hear..not on your terms anyway...pharasees. Pharasees.
Yet we had prevailed...some survivors got through, defied the pope, Rome, Officialdom, police and harrassment. Left our mark, left our feelings, spoke of our degradation, defilement, injury and betrayal in ROME. at the heart of this infection, at the heart of this christian priestly 'sexocide' of children . By this I mean the killing of children's sexuality, beauty and body and soul by sex...distorted, violent, perverse and wholley devoid of care or protection/safety.Enabled by the vicar of Christ...huh!?
it was and still remains an act of brutal 'crime against humanity'. the humanity of thousands of children.
'sexocide', 'innocent-ocide''trust-ocide''love-ocide' 'soul-ocide' and so much more.
We prevailed and we will return..next year...in greater numbers join us then..
margaret
I needed to go to Rome, to the heart of the fire of hell, to the heart of power and disintegration of children's lives. To the corrupt centre of it all.
Now was an opportunity. In wheelchair I travelled and arrived. my lodgings were a small flat let out by an Italian couple two streets away from St Peters. ideal.
On the sat before the protest we gathered at the bottom of the spanish steps. A group of about 15-20 survivors representing Ireland, UK , Holand, Italy, America,Australia...friends, relatives were with us. We wore T-Shirts with 'Enough' emblazoned on them in different languages. Black text on white..symbolic.
TV crews from around the world gatehered too and I got an opportunity to say something which I belive was on the BBC & bsKyb.
I carried a T-Shirt for my twin sister , herself abused by a catholic priest who received not justice but threats from his order. The Marionists America.
The next day sunday we gathered in a room reminisicent of the upper room the apostles were in when Jesus appeared after his resurrection. It felt vey holy, very symbolic as we too waited for justice, spoke about pain, suffering and abusiveness from perpetrator AND church officials.
We were joined by a coach load of 42 deaf survivors from verona school for the deaf. They used sign language and had an interpreter. The interpreter translated their signed italian into spoken italian and another italian translated it into english. Commincation perfecto!
Stories of sexual abuse were shared, solidarity cemented, unity of purpose established. TV crews helped in conveying all worldwide. The presence of approx 150 survivors in Rome itself a new departure in survivors voices being heard.
later we went to our meeting place Castel Sant'Angelo. which sits on one end of a road where the other end stood St Peters.
As we arrived so did the plain clothed and armed uniformed paramilitary police. I was briefed on who were the plain clothed police. We gathered and heard speeches from Gary Bergeron and Bernie McDaide (see website www.survivorsvoice.org for full transcripts) . very powerful, very right.
By then we noticed that there had built a police cordon all around us. We were not allowed move off the piazza of the Castel. we were penned in, contained, emprisoned. We were persona non grata. We were not wanted. In other words the Italian police perceived us as dangerous agitators, intent on criminality, distubance, rabble raising hooligans, nonesence...we were the hurt, defiled, angry and abused children of Rome. Yet like many families were were resoundly rejected for saying so.
lombardi arrived from his vatican office...no warning, no planning...into the frey...he was mobbed...and found himself surrounded by angry deaf victims. He retreated hastily saying to the press "it was too difficult" dead right, too firey for him, too uncomfortable, too challanging, too honest. Agreed it was 'rough' for him but he was at no harm, could he not have stayed the course and heard and experienced that pain. he later saw some picked survivors privately. Again managed private secret meetings. When do we have anything in public.
Well at least he made the effort, but frankly what we wanted was to lay a cairn of stones on St peters ground. In memory of survivors/victims who walked this way and were harmed.
We lit candles and sang and held hands. But were penned in. Chaos reigned and word went round we would be let through one by one if we took off the T-shirts and put down the candles. so Brendan Butler and myself (in wheelchair) complied and got through, only for a female plain clothed police officer spot us and realising we were 'them' tried to stop us...I said to brendan...."keep going, keep going"...we got to the second cordon at St Peters and got through. I put my two stones, one for myself and one for my twin on a pilar and we turned to leave. At that point we were surrounded by both plain clothed and uniformed ITALIAN police who were working on Vatican territory. This shocked us. We were asked for our passports and these were taken away for nearly an hour. Meanwhile police hovered...we were not likely to flee...me in my wheelchair with no passports. I asked a woman police officer if she want to mass, she did, I asked why they were doing this, she said "its our job"...yeh, yeh...their job to harrass victims of clergy sexual abuse. To make us feel threatened, to contain us, to surround us..on the Holy Ground of St Peters...essentially OUR spiritual home...not THEIRS...ours.
After they let us go....without explanation..we were interviewed by reuters outside the parimeter fence.
An american survivor who was also 'detained' spoke of his utter anger at this treatment.
The day was over, I got into a taxi and there lost my camera.. a real blow and I was heartbroken.But I was also heartbroken and dismayed by my own Church being so 'bully-boyed' with armed police blocking my way from St peters. what does this say of the numerous apoligies the Pope has given in each country he visits. It says: 'hypocrisy'. It says 'PR' exercise, it says...'you don't get it!". it is meaningless in the face of total rejection of survivors in Rome. you rejected us. you said "go away"...you said "i don't want to know...to hear..not on your terms anyway...pharasees. Pharasees.
Yet we had prevailed...some survivors got through, defied the pope, Rome, Officialdom, police and harrassment. Left our mark, left our feelings, spoke of our degradation, defilement, injury and betrayal in ROME. at the heart of this infection, at the heart of this christian priestly 'sexocide' of children . By this I mean the killing of children's sexuality, beauty and body and soul by sex...distorted, violent, perverse and wholley devoid of care or protection/safety.Enabled by the vicar of Christ...huh!?
it was and still remains an act of brutal 'crime against humanity'. the humanity of thousands of children.
'sexocide', 'innocent-ocide''trust-ocide''love-ocide' 'soul-ocide' and so much more.
We prevailed and we will return..next year...in greater numbers join us then..
margaret
loving oneself.
After my trip to rome and Australia I can truly say what a blessing. I discovered Bishop Geffrey Robinson's new book 'Love's Urgent Longings' published by John Garratt publishing. As a survivor of abuse himself Bishop Robinson has had to fight the demons too. And this shows in a deep spirituality and deep wisdom. He chanced upon a book by
John Powell SJ (Happiness is an Inside Job, Tabor Publishing, Valencia, CA, 1989)what a winning combination Robinson & Powell.
Both feel that there is a spirituality in 'loving oneself'.That there are ten Life Tasks towards attaining deeper happiness and a genuine spirituality.
As a survivor of sexual abuse/clergy sexual abuse and one who'childhood mantra was 'you are not worthy' these ten tasks would have helped me years ago.
i pass them on because I believe many are suffering the legacy of awarped christianity that simply told us we were evil and needed God's redemption. I'm aware of my sinfullness and wrong doings but I ain't about to grovel to God. He/she loves me or he/she doesn't but I happen to believe he/she does.
So these are the SPIRITUAL mandates of God...and its a wonderful feeling
1. I must learn to accept myself as I am. Self-liking people are at peace with themselves and free to move out towards others, self-hating people are not.
2. I must accept full responsibility for my life, for growth begins only where blaming others ends
3. I must try to fulfil my needs for relaxation, exercise and nourishment.
4. I must make my life and act of love. Most people have a question that they instinctively ask in each new situation. It might be "How can I make the most money here?" or "How can i have the most fun?", or any of a hundred other questions. In pursuing true happiness, he suggests the best question is the one I have already mentioned, "What is the most loving thing to do here?"
5. I must stretch myself by stepping out of my comfort zone.
6. Without being naive, I must learn to look for what is good in myself, in others and in the world around me rather than concentrate all the time on the negatives. A study of 100 happy people found that this simple attitude was what contributed most to their sense of happiness.
7. While I seek growth, I must not set up impossible standards and feel a failure when I don't achieve them.
8. I must learn to communicate as effectively as possible, for "we are as sick as we are secret", and I will be healthy and happy when I can give freely and receive gracefully.
9. While avoiding excess, I must learn to enjoy the good things in life
.
10. I must daily and consciously seek the spritual in my life and in the world around meinson & Powell.
Look after yourself, love yourself and deveop a deep spirituality ....it can be done. sermon over!
margaret
John Powell SJ (Happiness is an Inside Job, Tabor Publishing, Valencia, CA, 1989)what a winning combination Robinson & Powell.
Both feel that there is a spirituality in 'loving oneself'.That there are ten Life Tasks towards attaining deeper happiness and a genuine spirituality.
As a survivor of sexual abuse/clergy sexual abuse and one who'childhood mantra was 'you are not worthy' these ten tasks would have helped me years ago.
i pass them on because I believe many are suffering the legacy of awarped christianity that simply told us we were evil and needed God's redemption. I'm aware of my sinfullness and wrong doings but I ain't about to grovel to God. He/she loves me or he/she doesn't but I happen to believe he/she does.
So these are the SPIRITUAL mandates of God...and its a wonderful feeling
1. I must learn to accept myself as I am. Self-liking people are at peace with themselves and free to move out towards others, self-hating people are not.
2. I must accept full responsibility for my life, for growth begins only where blaming others ends
3. I must try to fulfil my needs for relaxation, exercise and nourishment.
4. I must make my life and act of love. Most people have a question that they instinctively ask in each new situation. It might be "How can I make the most money here?" or "How can i have the most fun?", or any of a hundred other questions. In pursuing true happiness, he suggests the best question is the one I have already mentioned, "What is the most loving thing to do here?"
5. I must stretch myself by stepping out of my comfort zone.
6. Without being naive, I must learn to look for what is good in myself, in others and in the world around me rather than concentrate all the time on the negatives. A study of 100 happy people found that this simple attitude was what contributed most to their sense of happiness.
7. While I seek growth, I must not set up impossible standards and feel a failure when I don't achieve them.
8. I must learn to communicate as effectively as possible, for "we are as sick as we are secret", and I will be healthy and happy when I can give freely and receive gracefully.
9. While avoiding excess, I must learn to enjoy the good things in life
.
10. I must daily and consciously seek the spritual in my life and in the world around meinson & Powell.
Look after yourself, love yourself and deveop a deep spirituality ....it can be done. sermon over!
margaret
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