ROMAN Catholics in Nova Scotia are said to be in a state of shock after Bishop Raymond Lahey, 69, of Antigonish, last week turned himself into police in Ottawa to be fingerprinted and interrogated by investigators.
He was charged with possession and importation of child pornography after his computer was seized at the Ottawa airport last month, and has resigned from his post. He has been released on bail.
Raymond Lahey resigned as bishop after his kiddie porn arrest
The child pornography charges laid against Bishop Lahey, according to this report, were a shocking blow to Roman Catholics in Nova Scotia, who saw on television the once-exalted member of their community surrender himself to police.
Once hailed as a brave advocate for survivors of child sexual abuse, ex-Bishop Lahey faces one count of possession and one count of importation of child pornography, after the discovery of images on his laptop computer at Ottawa’s airport while he was returning from a foreign visit on September 15.
In August of this year, the bishop went to great lengths to treat victims of sexual abuse compassionately, and reached an historic $15-million settlement with those victims so, in part, they would not have to suffer the indignity of a public trial.
Following the arrest, the archbishop of Halifax, Anthony Mancini, expressed “frustration” and issued an impassioned plea to his parishioners to keep their faith as they grapple with the scandal.
Mancini said the church had had enough of charges of sexual abuse and impropriety.
It was the first time parishioners attended a Sunday mass since word of the charges against Lahey became public. Many appeared fixed on Mancini as he read the two-page letter under the soaring ceiling of St. Mary’s Basilica.
Mancini said, as one woman wiped away tear:
Enough is enough! How much more can all of us take? Like you, my heart is broken, my mind is confused, my body hurts and I have moved in and out of a variety of feelings, especially shame and frustration.
Without naming Lahey, Mancini called on parishioners to understand that priests are people and should be entitled to forgiveness.
People, priests, bishops are human and failure to see, recognize and care about this will continue to produce inhuman expectations. In spite of sin in all its forms, mercy is stronger than anger, forgiveness more powerful than rejection.
According to this report, some parishioners were pleased with Mancini’s words, but remained perplexed at how the church would get past this latest unproven allegation against a Roman Catholic priest.
Said Hugh Webb, after he heard the archbishop’s letter:
Until the church modernises and women find a little bit more of their place in the church, and until we get rid of the men’s club, we’re in trouble
Hat Tip: John Draper (the Cobourg Atheist)
Charges like this aren't usually brought, especially against a member of the clergy, unless the cops have a pretty solid case. Of course, it's right on the outer rim of possibility that there is a good explanation. I know I shudder at the thought of innocent people being charged with this crime. In our day and age it's thought worse than murder. His life is ruined, guilty or not.
When this story first broke I had a look at this guy's website, and was ready to share its wonders with all you good people at the appropriate time, "Oops! This link appears to be broken"! Well – what did one expect really? Suffice to say that the site showed him to be another pompous, self-important, pretentious prelate, who seemed more intent on promoting himself than his Blessed Saviour! (There was an enormous photo of him at the top of the page, believe it or not.)"How are the mighty fallen"!!
Earlier this year, one response to the Magna Carta of Catholic priest paedophilia reports was an "atheists are the real evil" outburst from near the top. Now, self-restraint to not download child porn is lumped in with "inhuman expectations". I wonder what other gems this two-page letter of Mancini's contained if the theatrical self-pity, shifty and ludicrous blame diversion and talk of forgiveness don't already sum up the whole thing.
Those who confided their past experiences of molestation to the bishop might now be wondering if is it not a distinct possibility that he was using them to get his rocks off.
Yes. Priests and bishops are only human, so they are forced to download child porn from the net. That figures!
Have others noticed that the two girls who jumped to their deaths in the Clyde were being "cared for" at a Roman Catholic establishment (The Good Shepherd Residential School)? There have been demands for an enquiry into how they were able to abscond in this fashion, with such tragic results.
I see that my comment has "disappeared" already! I said that, being human like the rest of us, priests and bishops are therefore forced to download child porn from the internet. No one can argue with the logic of that!
"Enough is enough! How much more can all of us take? "
What hypocrisy! How much suffering were the children expected to "take"? The attitude seems to be that the victims would "get over it" – if only we would all shut up and go away.
Where is the anger, the indignation and outrage, the sense of having sinned? They just appear to be fed up about finally having to face secular ideas of justice.
According to the Mail Online, the school "aims to create a stable and safe living environment for residents". And, surprise, surprise, there were allegations of abuse last year, but the institution was "exonerated"!
Yes, I noticed that the day after the Irish report on CPSS was published, a Catho topgun was blasting away at Richard Dawkins, as if he had anything to do with it! I hope that such a transparent bid to divert public attention was noticed.
Yep. "Mercy is stronger than anger, so stop your whining – you haven't been hurt as much as we have, in any case!"
SIN!!!! It was the Devil made him do it. Tempting him with delicious pics/vids of kiddies… what is the weak-willed to do? Maybe a few more Jesus wafers for sustenance? Kind of like a Scooby snack, but for pedos?
Wait, wait, wait! Why is the Canadian govt persecuting the Catholic church? What right had they to even look at the Bishop's computer? It looks like a witchhunt, plain and simple. When is the Vatican going to get on this and sue Canada for this injustice? The poor little Catholic church is being persecuted by those non-Catholic Canadians! It is anti-Catholic!!!!