Welcome to the Weekend Roundup! – News & Views – 4/13/19

• Alleged victim of former Bishop Kearney teacher invited to join religious order if he kept secret

Too close for comfort: Headlines of sexual abuse by predatory Catholic religious are rather abstract for most of us, but this recent headline hit close to home for me. Brother Salvatore Ferro (photo above), a member of the Irish Christian Brothers and a serial abuser, taught at Bishop Kearney High School while I attended there in the early 1970s. Thankfully, I never had any classes with Ferro, but I do vaguely remember him. Other members of the same religious order who taught at Bishop Kearney and have been named as abusers include John Chaney, John Heathwood, Andrew Hewitt, and John Walderman. Postscript: John Chaney? Wait a minute, that name rings a bell. Yup, after doing some googling, I now remember Brother Chaney was one of my teachers. Another close call. I also knew Brother Heathwood, although he preyed upon the girls at Kearney rather than the boys. The name of Brother Hewitt was also vaguely familiar, so I googled him and, yes, he taught at Kearney while I was there, but I was not in one of his classes. While these five men are publicly cited, be assured other predator brothers were also abusing the students at Kearney. It was like shooting ducks in a barrel. The Irish Christian Brothers filed for bankruptcy in 2011 because of the numerous abuse claims filed against the religious order.

     

Left to right: Serial abusers, John Chaney, John Heathwood, and Andrew Hewitt

• Catholics are evangelizing on campus, trying to bring back the ‘nones’

Seriously, what do Catholic “evangelists” have to offer anyone? Become indoctrinated into Catholic legalism, be “good,” and try to merit your way into Heaven? That’s bad news NOT good news, folks.

• Pope Benedict blames Catholic priests’ pedophilia on free love era

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI is trying to blame the pedophile priests scandal on the “sexual revolution” of the 1960s. Absolute nonsense. Catholicism’s mandatory rule of clerical celibacy both attracted and fostered deviancy multiple centuries prior to the 1960s.

• Nuns sexually abusing minors could become next Catholic Church scandal, experts say

Up to this point, we’ve generally only seen headlines of abuse by Catholic priests and brothers, but the whole truth is now coming out.

• French priest’s 150-year-old heart being venerated in NYC

Catholicism is so enmeshed in superstition. Imagine making a journey to a church in another city to “venerate” a body part of a man who died 160 years ago. John Vianney is the “patron saint” of parish priests.

• Evangelicals Show No Decline, Despite Trump and Nones

The recent General Social Survey (GSS) indicates that “evangelicals” make up 22.5 percent of the U.S. population, but only God knows how many souls have genuinely repented and accepted Jesus Christ as Savior by faith alone. Catholicism continues its steady decline, which will only be exacerbated by the current priest abuse and cover-up scandal tsunami.

• Arroyo’s EWTN show is anti-Francis, pro-Trump propaganda
• MSNBC kicks off new series with interview of pope Francis critic, conservative Steve Bannon

There’s certainly lots of internecine in-fighting going on between the conservative and liberal camps of the Catholic church and most of it revolves around pope Francis’ progressive reforms. I’ll make sure to tune in tomorrow night to MSNBC to watch conservative Catholic gadfly, Steve Bannon, criticize his pope.

• Catholic University President Demands Buffalo Bishop’s Resignation

On a segment aired back on October 28th, CBS’ investigative journalism show, “60 Minutes,” exposed Catholic bishop of Buffalo, N.Y., Richard Malone, as a serial abuse-enabler, yet almost six months later, he still retains his position. Now, the president of St. Bonaventure University, Dennis R. DePerro, is speaking up and calling for Malone to resign. Politics aside, in any other organization, someone like Malone would have been gone long ago, but the cesspool that’s Catholicism is so deep that no one, including pope Francis, is fit to play traffic cop.

• Slim Jim Takes A Stand For Body Positivity With New Full-Figured Jim (satire)

Yes, Conagra brands must get with the inclusivist agenda!!! I grew up loving Slim Jims and other savory sausage products. Not a nutritious choice these days, especially with my doctor constantly inquiring about my food selections.