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English & Welsh Bishops Receive Comboni Missionaries Abuse Document

Posted on by gerambo

Conference of Bishops

Members of the Conference of Bishops of England and Wales have a received a copy of Brian Hennessy’s Document on the Comboni Missionaries Reaction to Clerical Sexual Abuse accusations.

The contention of this document is that the Comboni Missionary Order has committed hierarchical victimisation of a group of ex-seminarians by failing to report paedophile priests of their Order to law enforcement agencies:

–  have failed to follow the procedures of Nolan, Cumberlege and safeguarding procrdures,

–  have failed to follow the instructions of Canon Law and

–  have failed to follow the Order’s own Code of Conduct.

In doing so they failed to acknowledge the suffering of Victims and refused to have any dialogue with them and have even been openly hostile to some victims even knowing that at least one of those victims was suicidal.

La Repubblica

The leading Italian newspaper La Repubbluca has reported these incidents on both their TV and copy news outlets and are now in the process of lobbying the Vatican on these issues.

In the United Kingdom the story has already been covered by the BBC, Channel 4, the Telegraph and the Times – and an hour long documentary film is in consideration of being made for a major tv news outlet.

The document calls for action at many levels: CDF at the Vatican, the Pontifical Commission on Child Abuse, the Bishops Conferences of England&Wales, Scotland and the Republic of Ireland, and at national and Regional civil/political levels.

The Group of ex-seminarians have also been represented on the Home Office Committees that have contributed to establishing the format and TORs of the forthcoming committee into the conduct of institutions in relation to child abuse – and will be participating in the forthcoming Inquiry.

Comboni Missionary Order

There should be no doubt that the Bishops of the British Isles will be challenged by the media for their views on these matters and any lack of clear decision or direction will meet with a degree of derision.

This would be unfortunate given that the Bishops’ conferences have given such a clear and outstanding lead through Nolan and Cumberlege and the consequent safeguarding procedures now in place.

Regrettably the Comboni Missionary Order have ignored every guidance and rule that pertains to child abuse.

The Bishops of the British Isles are called upon, therefore, to make an example of the Order and take action in accordance with the recommendations in Chapter 10 of the attached document -or otherwise be held to account by the British public for any inaction or obfuscation.

by Brian Hennessy

Comment

I think that most people will agree that Brian has produced a fantastic, and very detailed, document which gets to the heart of the matter. It shows how the Comboni Missionaries have not followed their own procedures nor those of the Catholic Church.

It documents all the incidents of abuse that he can and all the abusers. It will be a powerful document in the coming days.

It will be very useful when the Home Office Panel for Organisational Clerical Abuse sits and this document is presented to them.

We owe a great debt of gratitude to Brian for taking the time out of his life to put all of this together in support of Mark Murray’s achievements and of others.

Comboni Missionaries Abuse Payout Not Admission of Guilt says Order’s Rep

Posted on by gerambo

Daily Telegraph

After La Repubblica’s article and video on Mark Murray’s trip to Verona to find his abuser Father Romano Nardo. the Daily Telegraph published an article on it along with an interview with Mark Murray.

The article is here British Man Confronts Catholic Priest He says Abused Him

Mark told the Daily Telegraph:-

“The Pope talks about cracking down on abusive priets but his message is not filtering down to the lower levels. It’s a form of secondary psychological abuse that compounds the original sexual abuse,” Mr Murray told The Telegraph.

“Nardo should be in a court of law and should go to prison. The missionary order have shown total disregard for the victims. It makes me very angry.”.

Abuse Payout by Comboni Missionaries

Last year, Comboni Missionaries paid out between £7,000 and £30,000 to 11 boys who said they were abused at Mirfield to a total of £120,000.

The comments on the abuse to the press by the Comboni Missionaries Order, certainly in the UK, seem to be softening a little. According Father Martin Devenish, the No. 1 Comboni mIssionary in the UK, as said to the Daily Telegraph:-

“It was with great sadness and regret that the Verona Fathers learned that a number of allegations of historical abuse had been made relating to our former junior seminary, St Peter’s, located in Mirfield, West Yorkshire.

“We condemn unreservedly any action which causes harm or distress to others, particularly children. We know that anyone subjected to abusive behaviour will experience suffering and we are dismayed to think that such suffering may have been caused to youngsters who attended our junior seminary.

“If that is the case, we are deeply sorry to anyone who was hurt whilst they were in our care at Mirfield and our thoughts and prayers are with them and their families.”

Although there are still  ‘ifs’ and ‘allegations’ in his statement this is a lot softer than previous statements he has made. Indeed, he told Mark Murray, when he called him, that he would get the police on him. Maybe things are gradually chaning in someparts of the Order.

Kathy Perrin of Catholic Church Insurance Association

However, according to Kathy Perrin of the Catholic Church Insurance Association, a Comboni Missionaries spokesperson, the payout wasn’t an admission of guilt.

She told the Daily Telegraph “The order chose to come to a settlement because they could not trace their insurance for the period in question so they would have faced a huge legal bill had it gone to trial,” she said.

“Everything happened an incredibly long time ago and two of the priests who were accused are now deceased. My clients simply don’t know what happened at Mirfield and don’t feel that it can be established now.”

There are three other current legal cases involving the Comboni Missionaries and ex-seminarians of theirs at Mirfield.

Ben’s Pilgrim’s Journey

Posted on by gerambo

Pilgrim’s Journey

Hi Everybody

I am hoping to return to the UK in 2017-18 from Australia. The purpose of this visit is to walk along the pilgrim’s route which takes you through England, France and Italy. I would be very interested to catch up with anybody who would be interested to meet with me on this journey. Just getting my ducks in a row on this end and then onto what I think will be a marvelous experience. I am anticipating that it could take about 3 months. Not intended to be a religious experience. Have had enough of them.

Ben Berrell

berrel7@bigpond.com

A Very Arrogant Man – by Mark Murray

Posted on by markmurray1

A man who thinks he has God on his side.

 

A met a very arrogant man this week

He told me: “In  a life of seventy five years –  I was the first person that had ever called him arrogant.”

He refused to look.

He refused when I asked him to look.

He could not look at me.

He was too arrogant to look at me.

…or maybe he was too frightened to look at me

 

There’s a thin line between Confidence and Arrogance… Its called Humility. Confidence smiles. Arrogance smirks. – Unknown

John Mc Garry

Posted on by markmurray1

John, I  am glad that you found the Mirfield blog,  and you have now been able to leave  a message for your friend Martin – who  was also a seminarian  at Mirfield.

Which Martin is it, although your comment has been posted, I could not find it and I do not know the Martin in question.

John, I do not recall  you at Mirfield.  I think you may have been at Mirfield before my time.  However, there are, I am sure, many who will remember you – if so I am sure they will make contact with you through the blog.

Best wishes John,

Mark

send comments to John through the blog

“I shall continue to remember you and your family in my prayers.”

Posted on by markmurray1

“I shall continue to remember you and your family in my prayers.”

How dare you pray for me Devenish. How dare you offer me your prayers. You, Father Martin Devenish, were given the opportunity to meet me. To meet me in a way that was based around an honesty and a truthfulness that now seems to be beyond your understanding. You have no idea of the importance that that meeting would have been to me and my family. You chose the way of the weak and the frightened. You did not choose the way of the committed Christian. And yet, Father Martin Devenish, you are still a holy priest. You still  think you are in a position where you can pray for me. I, unfortunately do not get that.

….a reminder of what I wrote, and a reminder of the responses from you and your confreres.

……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………….

When I wrote to Bishop Giuseppe Zenti, the Bishop of Verona, in 2010 to inform him about Nardo living in the Comboni Mother House in Verona, I had a similar reply that you had – not from the Bishop, but fromhis Vicar General, Giuseppe Pelligrini.
“Assure you of our prayers” and “the people involved fall within the competence of the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries,” was his response. In other words: ‘nothing to do with me.’ Terrible really.
I took the advice of Pelligrini, the Verona Vicar General, and wrote to Father Enrique Sanchez, the Superior General of the Comboni Missionaries.
Sanchez’s response was: “Please be assured of my continuing prayer,” and “at the end of the day, Mark, we are all in the hands of God. May He go with you always.”
My reply: “where were the hands of god when I was being abused by the hands of a priest.”
I received a similar response from the Verona Bishop, Flavio Roberto Carraro in 2002. Carraro’s Vicar General, also offered to say prayers for me and, yes, he also said: ‘nothing to do with me.’
I am not short of people praying for me!
When I wrote to Father Martin Devenish, the Provincial of the Comboni’s London Province, in 2001, he, also offered prayers: “I am sorry that I can do no more in the circumstances, although I shall continue to remember you and your family in my prayers.”

I wonder if the above are still praying to their god for me now.

Mark Murray

Christianity is not a religion – it is a way of how to live your life.

Posted on by markmurray1
 I have been asked to repost this posting.
We can communicate till the ‘cows come home’  between ourselves about our abusive experiences,   and the Comboni Missionaries will – as has been demonstrated numerous times  –  not give one iota of a thought or concern to the pain and suffering of many. Pain and suffering  caused by their past actions,  and now by their inaction.  The Comboni Missionaries that i am talking about,  seem to be concerned more with safeguarding their Order, their priests and their way of life.
Listening, showing compassion, empathizing,  and  taking the first step –  yes, just the first step – towards those that have been abused,  is an anathemas to the Comboni Missionaries. The Pope is talking about forgiveness and listening to victims of abuse. The Combonis, some Combonis, and they know who they are, not only,  not listening, but they are making abhorrent statements,  such as: “they are all in it for the money;”   “we will pray for you.”
How dare you. How dare any one of you,  offer me their prayers. It is an insult.
Since 1995, all i have had from the Comboni Missionaries is their prayers. It is not right,  that you write in your many replies to me, that:  “I will pray for you.”  If saying prayers for me,  somehow – in a way i do not understand – makes  you feel better and closer to your God, by all means say them; but please do not insult me by writing to me, and telling me,  you are praying for me and my family. I do not wish to know. Your prayers do not cost, and your prayers seem to be devoid of action and love.

 Some of you seem to live a way of life,  that does not seem to be the Christian way of life. What use are your prayers if they are not accompanied  by truth. What use are they if they are not accompanied by action. What use are they if they are not accompanied  by a fight – a fight that wants justice to prevail, what are they if they are not accompanied by love.
Your  bible states this very clearly in 1 Corinthians  13:1-3
‘If I speak in the tongues of men and of angels, but have not love, I am only a resounding gong or a clanging cymbal. If I have the gift of prophecy and can fathom all mysteries and all knowledge, and if I have a faith that can move mountains, but have not love, I am nothing. If I give all I possess to the poor and surrender my body to the flames, but have not love, I gain nothing.’
 Father Robert Hicks, Father Enrique Sanchez, Father John Frazer, Father  John Clark, Father John Downey and Father Martin  Devenish,   as well as  many more, had an opportunity to talk   and to take part in honest dialogue – they have chosen  not to. They have their own reasons for choosing to do that – reasons that i do not understand.
Why will they not respond and write something in their defence. I may have a distorted view. I may be so biased that i am completely wrong in what i am saying. If that is so,
please write to the blog and post your comments on the blog. I somehow think that it will not take place. However, i live in hope; hope that i will be proved wrong.
“Christianity is not a religion,  it is a way of life:” is a comment Father  Robert Hicks said to me many years ago. I have,  on many occasions,  used that comment when arguing about religion with pious and religious Catholic  people.
Clericalism, unfortunately,  can blind even the most astute and intelligent  person.
How terribly sad.
 Mark