He was put on paid administrative leave after the diocese “found reasonable grounds that he sexually abused a minor 30 years ago.”
Obviously I can’t say whether or not he’s guilty, but in light of the church’s recent history putting him on paid leave seems like a perfectly reasonable course of action. I’m Catholic myself, and have a great deal of respect for the clergy, but I’m sure many of the priests who later went to jail were never suspected by most of their parishioners of being serial molesters. I would think churchgoers would realize the importance of taking these allegations seriously. But many still want to turn a blind eye, as evidenced by this post left in the comments section of that story:
" As I was leaving the parish this evening after supporting the survivor who so bravely came forward to expose Father Rodino. I was met by an elderly parishioner who told me that there was a bunch of hogwash going on inside the church, referring to the diocesan meeting on Father Rodino’s removal. I shook his hand and told him who I was and that I supported the survivor who came forward and he immediately called me the devil and began to swear at me with obscenities and vulgarity. When I told him that I too was a survivor of clergy sexual abuse, he said very blatantly “YOU PEOPLE DESERVE TO BE RAPED”. These parishioners couldn’t care less that someone was sexually abused, They only want their priest back regardless of whether he has a deviant past. Blind Mary was emphatic that she knows “for a fact” that the allegations aren’t true. Yet the Diocese removed this priest for a good reason! When will these blind Catholics wake up! "
The same thing often happens in a family when someone is accused of sexual abuse. You know this person, like them, and think they’re a good person. It’s a lot easier to believe that the person who said they were raped is lying than it is to wrap your head around the idea that someone you know and trust did a horrible thing.
But even if it is true, there’s forgiveness, counseling, and not putting the offender in a position where he has access to kids. He may still have something to offer the parish.
But apparently the policy is zero tolerance and I can respect that too.
Bearing in mind, one hopes, the relatively high recidivism rate among pedophile predators. They may be forgiven, but hopefully not put in a place where they have access to children.
Who’s place is it to do the forgiving; the victim, the Church, or the state? To be forgiven he must repent. He can say whatever he want’s to his confessor, but until he confesses his crimes to the state and willingly accepts it’s punishment he’s not really repentant is he?
The church and the victim each have their own responsibilities to forgive, for the wrongs done them separately. But the responsibility for people to forgive does not carry a corresponding requirement of repentance. Repentance is the responsibility of the perpetrator. It might further healing, either of a relationship or the victim, but it is not required for forgiveness. The command for me to forgive those who trespass against me is not conditional. It’s ultimately between my soul and God.
I don’t think the state has any real business worrying about whether he’s repentant. They have a stake in making sure he is punished for crimes committed, and trying to prevent further crime. Other than that, repentance and forgiveness are outside of their purview.
I would hope that his confessor would require him to come clean with the state and take the consequences, but again, if it has anything to do with the state of his soul, it’s not the state’s problem.
Curious about something, and it never came up when I called myself a Catholic, so I dunno: Priest in prison for kiddy-diddling – does he remain in Holy Orders? Is it common for such a prisoner to be permitted to minister to his fellow inmates?
I can see where the prison administration might be a little uneasy about having him hear confessions.
Holy Orders, once conferred, can never be erased; they leave an indelible mark on the soul.
However, a priest can be excommunicated, suspended, interdicted, or censured as punishment. All of these act to prohibit the celebration of the sacraments (with censure containing an exception for an emergency, near-death situation) as long as the penalty lasts.
A priest may be laicized, or permanantly dismissed from the clerical state, as a penalty for certain grave offenses.