Rebuttal : THE MONSTER PELL HAS BEEN CAGED AT LAST

This is a terrible story about your uncle, a real heartbreaker. But did it turn him into a victim for the rest of his days?

There is tragedy here... Children should not be abused by pedophiles. A pedophile is a terrible individual -- I say that again, "INDIVIDUAL", a human being that has run astray of society. He deserves the fullness of whatever the law allows.

But your Uncle's suicide, had more compelling reasons that the church incident, he was a drug addict and he was a homosexual, leading a lurid lifestyle as drag queen in Australia, and a small town in Australia? He was overweight, he was a drug addict who was catatonic from prescription drugs cannabis; he was an alcoholic? And finally he had MS -- a terrible disease. I know that one personally!

"Meanwhile, down at the other end of this heady world of high finance, my uncle was being handed out a [mere] (sic) $3,000 by the Church. Why? As a pay-off for being raped when he was just a little boy by serial pedophile Father Daniel Hourigan.

I am curious of why he did not seek justice for himself, if that was so important. Why he took $3000 to be quiet. Taking hush money always has felt extortive to me in a way -- it is not significant of any justice what so ever. There is no justice in it! And I have been curious why those afflicted would even be concern with this at all..it feels kind of cheap to me to accept money for what they claim is a violation. Why would he not seek the punishment of this pedophile. Why are so many after money?

There are many, many false claims against the church. The church went through a period, were it brought less negative publicity on itself by paying rather than fighting each individual case. Many seek a free life, or see an opportunity to gain wealth easily. It is a highly public and cultural matter.

Studies have shown that there is more sexual assault and pedophilia, going on in the school system than the Catholic church. But being the institution that it is, makes this issue highly flammable in the public's mind. Ephebophilia is a problem, but in a number of cases, this has been consensual, as young homosexuals between 13-19 years old, seek out sexual experience in a what is an assumed clean and very private situation, for catholic homosexuals in the church. There are a number of homosexual clergy. But that in itself is not pedophilia...

For this paltry sum he had to sign a strict confidentiality agreement, [...]" -- Caitlin Johnstone

To sign something for a price so cheap does not seem righteous at all, it is actually a bit low. Why would he sign away his right to speak; his right to, write it down and tell the story for such a low price.

"It tortured him, sure, but his effusive indomitable spirit was far stronger than that." Caitlin Johnstone

You are confusing me here -- I thought he was weak spirited and had a victim personality. Was it the sexual assault 'or' his lurid homosexual lifestyle as a drag queen, his drug addiction and alcoholism, his MS. The priest can't certainly be blamed for that...your Uncle was a victim his whole life, he held a dark secret that was painful for him to disclose to his family, so painful he could not speak it to his family -- his addictions and homosexuality was like an albatross around his neck.

"He drank a lot and smoked a lot of weed, but everyone does here when you’re young [...]" -- Caitlin Johnstone

But that does not make it right! You extrapolate quite a bit here, blaming his future life on the church? His future life was not the church, it was his choice. Sad and tragic as that may be...he choose to live the way he did. He choose that!

"It must’ve been about that time that he received his paltry payout in exchange for his silence." -- Caitlin Johnstone

It seems to me that anybody concerned about justice, as you clearly are in your writings as a SJW (Social justice warrior) -- you or his family would not have advise him on how wrong the decision to take the money and a sign a paper?...

" [...] to his fantastically exotic drag queen lifestyle." -- Caitlin Johnstone

"Another time he invited me to walk with him at the Mardi Gras gay pride parade, [..]" --Caitlin Johnstone

Why is it that gays feel they should have a parade because they are gay. Heterosexuals don't do this, and most keep their sexual politics to the comforts and privacy of their own bedrooms. The intimacy of a man and his wife. Why would anyone care to tell the world of their sexual escapades, it ridiculous.

" [...] suicide due to the highly organized pedophile ring that is better known as the Roman Catholic Church." --Caitlin Johnstone

This statement of yours is a blatant lie as usual from you. You are a consummate liar Caitlin Johnstone, I don't think you know the truth...were are your facts?

"My uncle was smoking so much dope and taking so many prescription meds that he was catatonic most of the time [...]" --Caitlin Johnstone

"The Catholic Church murdered my uncle [...]" --Caitlin Johnstone

...your Uncle was not murdered by the Catholic church. He was tragic individual who it appears was unloved and shunned because of his homosexuality, he was drug addict and an alcoholic, which furthered this pain inside of him. He was overweight, he was depressed and had MS. He held what it seems to him, a dark and terrible family secret.

The Catholic church is a large global organization, and I can understand your hatred of it as an Atheist Socialist. But to condemn the whole church for what a small percentage of priests do is beyond a doubt spurious of you.

"In June 2002, the USCCB ( United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) unanimously promulgated a Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, sometimes referred to as the Dallas Charter." --Wikipedia

The church has been on going in its fighting this difficult church problem. They have instituted a charter in 2002 to have a policy of "zero tolerance" for individual priests...

"The USCCB ( United States Conference of Catholic Bishops) instituted reforms to prevent future abuse by requiring background checks for Church employees."

In a study completed by the church on the problem, estimate put the pedophile priests problem at a 1% of the church clergy ( or 5000) of over 500,000 Roman Catholic priest worldwide.

So that leaves 495,000...yes that's right 495,000 priests, people who do not commit this criminal act, and are in fact innocent of any of this...who give their life to the church and serving mankind.

There is also a witch hunt and many cases are mounting that are fraudulent and a matter of the extent this has gone into the culture of the misnomer of "priests as pedophiles". It might as well be "men are pedophiles". It is untrue.

The 495,000 clergy of the church go about their lives doing good. Baptizing, marrying, burying, and visiting and helping the sick and injured; the dying and insane, the troubled and persecuted, the lepers and the destitute. Can you imagine how many would walk the streets if there was no catholic church?

The Catholic Church is by far, the largest and most wide-spread non-government provider of education and aid, medical services, refuge in the world.

26% of health care facilities on this planet, this world, are run and funded by the catholic church; hospitals; medical clinics; orphanages; and places for the homeless and persecuted. They run asylums and leper colonies in poor countries. It runs and funds thousands of primary and secondary schools, colleges and universities throughout the entire world. The Catholic school system is the single largest non-governmental school system in the world.

Catholic organizations like the CFS (Catholic Relief Services), JRS (Jesuit Relief Services), SSVP (Saint Vincent de Paul Society) aid refugees and they are always there; quietly and stoicly working hard when disaster hits.

The JRS (Jesuit Relief Services) in Venezuela run a kitchen in the La Parada Diocese of Cúcuta. Every day over 1,000 Venezuelans are fed here, and they could do more, but can't...the church they perform ultra sound on pregnant mothers they set up medical clinics that are mobile working tirelessly for the poor.

Prostitutes in Venezuela are having a particularly bad time, the church helps... many Venezuelan women and girls turn to prostitution as a way to eat and earn cash -- the church desperately tries to pull them back from the edge... Venezuelan hospitals are without medicine the church aides this problem. They fight forand service the spirit of people as well as their malnutrition.

You piece talks about a possible 5000 priests out of 500,000 world-wide. Your concern for your uncle, I understand...but you are misguided and carrying an axe to grind! You have an agenda and seek its furthering anyway you can. And that is despicable caitlin Johnstone!

"My message to the priests: [...]take off your frocks and your stupid hats, and go get a real job if anyone will have you."

"Burn it down." -- Caitlin Johnstone

Is that right! And what about those people who gain medical attention, who are feed and find refuge; who are educated and protected against persecution. Who are saved and find peaceful spiritual congress with those of the same. What should the 17.8 percent of the world population, the 1.27 billion Catholics do then if you BURN DOWN their church Cait.

Your starting to sound like a fucking NAZI!....