Priest's trial in death of nun will include talk of rituals, cults

[Algorem]

http://www.cleveland.com/crime/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/news/1144831242135580.xml&coll=2&thispage=1

Wednesday, April 12, 2006
James Ewinger

Toledo-

...Robinson's murder trial begins Monday, the day after Easter 2006, when a Lucas County Common Pleas judge begins empaneling a jury under the glare of national - and quite possibly international - media attention...

There are intimations of a ritual killing, satanic cults, organized sexual abuse and an institutional cover-up...

Hoolahan had doubts about the satanic and ritual abuse until three people with no connection were saying roughly the same things. Two were her clients, and both linked Robinson to ritualized abuse...

There has been testimony and extensive reporting about how the Toledo Police Department had people to whom the diocese could turn when priests were acting inappropriately. The goal was to handle the situation away from public scrutiny, possibly to spare the reputation of the church...

[Dufaeth]

1. Why satanic? Maybe Jesus told him to do it.

[DoYouEverWonder]

2. Actually

they are followers of Paul of Tarsus. They are certainly not followers of Jesus.

[xchrom]

3. do you ever get frustrated that people don't see the paulist effect

on christianity?

[LostinVA]

4. Yes! It drives me crazy

My Mom is one of the few people I know who do -- she literally ignores anything that Paul said -- she calls him a big sexist who had some issues with women....!

[xchrom]

5. i'm with ya!

[LostinVA]

6. My RC Mom has started talking about going to a Unitarian Church

OMG!!!

[Stuckinthebush]

7. Cool!

We have a lot of self described recovering Catholics in UU churches. Interesting people with some amazing insights.

[LostinVA]

12. I've been to the local UU with a friend, and enjoy it immensely

But, I still have that RC love for ritual... so the Neo-Pagan path drew me.... but, you can be both, so...

[TrogL]

30. So come over to the dark side - Anglican/Episcopalean

[BoneDaddy]

32. Ex-catholic here

and a growing Unitarian. Many of the founding fathers were deists and unitarians. Perhaps this is the true way to have religion.

[BiggJawn]

8. "Some" issues?

I always thought Paul was a big Closet Queen. Him and Augustinian, both.

[LostinVA]

11. Well, I agree... I was trying to not throw a snake on the table

[BiggJawn]

18. That's OK, I LIKE snakes.

Used to work with a guy who played with them in his church...

The funny thing is that Augustinian started out fairly "normal", then got his wierd Paul-ish ideas about sex and relationships.

LOT of self-loathing goping on with that bunch!

[LostinVA]

19. He was a major partier in his youth, remember.... hmmmm...

[WePurrsevere]

9. I tell Paulians to pick up a red letter Bible and learn what the person

they claim to follow, Jesus, actually taught like his Sermon on the Mount for one. Also they should learn the history of that time period and the one where the Christian church was built as well... to me, an eclectic Unitarian type, it makes it all that much more interesting and real.

From what I've read about "Paul" I believe that he merely changed his tactics from just killing and torturing Christians to destroying it from within. He used just enough "sweetness" (like the "love chapter") as bait to drink his anti-Christian "kool aid".

[LostinVA]

15. An interesting theological viewpoint is that Paul was a mole,

Intent on destroying Christianity from within... or at least diluting some of the core tenets enough to make it more acceptable to the patriarchal Roman authorities.

[WePurrsevere]

22. Yes, that's basically what I said. If I remember correctly there was

some concern within the original disciples that Paul was doing something like that as well. Wish I could remember where I read that... it was years ago and is now buried rather deep in the grey matter.

[LostinVA]

23. I know, me too... I think there was a book about it also

On maybe Bishop Spong just wrote about it in one of his books....

[WePurrsevere]

27. There may be some ref to this concern in the New Testament too...

many years ago I did a lot more reading on this type of thing... I should find, unpack and drag out my books are re-read them. Hmm... maybe it's mentioned in the Gnostic books too? I only read a couple and it was years ago.

Although I've heard of Bishop Spong I haven't read anything by him yet.

[colorado_ufo]

29. Interesting, but as I recall

Paul performed some miracles, including making the blind see. Perhaps they could be discounted, but it seemed as though the persons benefitting from them did not know Paul previously. This may or may not be relevant to the discussion.

[WinkyDink]

10. Yes, especially when I tried to 'splain this to high school EDUCATORS.

Not to mention that many students were shocked to hear that Christ was not a "Christian"!

[xchrom]

14. indeed he wasn't!

but that's too complex a topic in Fundy America.

[Bridget Burke]

25. Well, the Church was built on the bones of St Peter.

So Paul was not the only influence.

And it's too bad that some Protestant denominations rejected various bits of Catholicism but KEPT Paul's teachings.

[powwowdancer]

13. pettifogging & satanic ritual abuse

I can remember reading a very brief and surprisingly engaging legal discussion of "Satanic Ritual Abuse" which I obtained from the law library of Eastern Kentucky University. It was a Reagan-era response to the shrill, hysterical right-wing-nut obsession with fears of same. It's form was that of a primer for new law enforcement officers on how to deal with claims of suspected satanic ritual abuse. Quite frankly, I was surprised at the lucidity and intelligence of the work. Basically, SRU is a boondoggle that is two parts mass-hysteria and one part urban legend. It even addressed the difference between satanism and Wicca, to clarify how an officer should respond to "witch" accusations which may accrue to them as a result of suspected SRU. (Wiccans, be advised, the law according to this book sees you as, and I paraphrase, "a harmless nature religion which is wholly independent of Christianity, and therefore satan, whose members only proclivity for unlawful activity of a religious nature might on very rare occasions be public nudity "). The conclusion reached was that since "self-styled" satanists tend to be misanthropic loners and very, VERY individualistic, they don't work together. (Also, it pointed out, since "the common good" or "the good of the whole" was anathema to Satanisms "Strong-rules-weak" ethos, this wouldn't make sense). It went on to illustrate that actual, "church of satan" satanism was public (thereby not a secretive cult) and that their published "rituals" did not include ritual murder. AND, since actual, well-documented cases of satanic cult ritual abuse are nigh on non-existent, it was likewise concluded that what was suspected as being SRU was, most of the time, nothing more or less than some lone nut-burger whose homicidal insanity took the form of he or she believing that satan made 'em do it. This behavior is by no means the exclusive intellectual property of satan. The paper also pointed out how that since Jesus and/or God have "told" people to kill from time immemorial, that looking for a "Satanic Cult" behind a sick murder instead of a sick individual was like rounding up Christians when a similarly bizarre murder lands on their God's doorstep. The priest involved, if he is guilty and if anything satanic is involved, is nothing more or less than a lone, delusional nut. And there you have about $17.62 of my .02 cents worth.

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[LostinVA]

16. There still hasn't been one real instance of this as IDed by the FBI

People who cry "Satanic ritual abuse!" don't know a damn thing about Satanism... or Paganism, for that matter.

[Bridget Burke]

24. Since a murder occurred, that's bad enough.

The authorities need to investigate the crime, not the possible trappings. Although the trappings do sell more papers.

Perhaps "Satanic Ritual Abuse" means improper use of Satanic Rituals?

[LostinVA]

26. I mean the whole "Satanic Panic" thing that the cops went so nuts about

in the 80's... and which still pops up. And, it ticks me off that the "primers" on this totally confused Paganism and Satanism... TOTALLY difefrent... literally a 180 from one another.

[powwowdancer]

33. OUCH!

I hurt myself laughing at that idea! Whatever must one do to to "abuse" a satanic ritual? Help a nun across the street? Sing "Kum-ba-ya?" Perhaps feast on Hebrew National kosher hot-dogs? Mid-pronounce "satan" as "Stan?" It boggles the mind!

Thanks For The Laugh,

:dem:
powwowdancer out

[ShortnFiery]

17. Whoopee! Meanwhile, in Iraq, Pakistan, Italy, France, UK?

This inane distraction combined with "missing upper-class white woman" and "Duke's LaCrosse team's troubles" should keep the American Sheeple hypnotized well into the late Spring? :P

[LostinVA]

21. We can talk about more than one thing

[genieroze]

20. Holy Toledo!

[saigon68]

28. HERE IS THE BIG GUY WITH HIS COLLAR ON

http://toimages.us.publicus.com/apps/pbcsi.dll/bilde?Site=TO&Date=20050220&Category=NEWS08&ArtNo=502200352&Ref=H2&MaxW=500&title=1

Bishop places Father Robinson on Leave of Absence


The following is a statement released by the Diocese of Toledo:

Bishop Leonard Blair made a pastoral visit to Father Gerald Robinson this afternoon in the Lucas County jail. Bishop Blair and Father Robinson discussed Father's canonical status given the allegations against him in the 1980 murder of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl. Bishop has placed Father Robinson on Leave of Absence with the following restrictions; namely, that he is excluded from public ministry; may only celebrate Mass alone with no one present; may not celebrate the other sacraments.

It was alleged in the request for the search warrants that the church's Code of Canon Law would have not only required the church to conduct an investigation, but would have required the chirch to keep a secret archive which can be accessed only by the bishop. Based on those laws, investigators sought to find any concealed or hidden evidence in the church offices regarding the murder of Sister Margaret Pahl or any investigation of Father Robinson.

Robinson, 66, was arrested last April in the slaying of Sister Margaret Ann Pahl during Easter weekend in 1980. Her body was discovered in a chapel at Mercy Hospital, covered by an altar cloth. Robinson, who is free on bond, is scheduled to go on trial October 17.

[LiberalHeart]

31. Here's another report on this case. Court TV will cover it.

Priest Charged With Murdering Nun Goes On Trial Next Week

TOLEDO -- The State of Ohio versus Father Gerald Robinson is a trial that's sure to bring national attention to the Lucas County courtroom where it'll be heard. The sensational case of the Toledo Catholic priest charged with murdering a nun 26 years ago is now just days away, and attorneys and court security officers are getting ready for an event like no other in the court's history. Court Security Supervisor Mark Lair says, "I've been doing this a little over 20 years and this probably is the highest profile case we've ever done."

More:
http://wtol.com/Global/story.asp?S=4757318

(There's also a video link included with the text story.)

[Algorem]

34. Feds investigating Cleveland Catholic Diocese financial officers.

http://www.clevescene.com/Issues/2006-04-12/news/firstpunch_full.html

The Reason Pilla Left?
Feds investigating Catholic Diocese financial officers.

Article Published Apr 12, 2006

When Richard Lennon was named the new bishop of Cleveland's Catholic Diocese last week, a Plain Dealer headline noted that "Lennon has always said yes when asked to do tough jobs." His new job may be his toughest yet.

Though Lennon, a Boston auxiliary bishop, was in the midst of that diocese's massive pedophile scandal, he'll face a new round of problems in Cleveland: the impending indictments of church financial officials.

The U.S. Attorney's Office is reportedly in the midst of an investigation that may involve significant improprieties. Church officials have been accused of creating off-the-book accounts -- some as large as $400,000 -- for their personal use. They also allegedly asked outside contractors to overbill the diocese, then redirect the excess payments to church officials and their designates.

Finally, there is speculation that certain contracts may have benefited the relatives of church leaders, and that "lady friends" of priests were supported by church money, though this could not be confirmed...



A new bishop for Cleveland
Tuesday, April 11, 2006

http://www.cleveland.com/politics/plaindealer/index.ssf?/base/opinion/1144744222117160.xml&coll=2

Richard Lennon, the auxiliary bishop from Boston chosen by Rome to replace retiring Cleveland Catholic Bishop Anthony Pilla, comes to town with a reputation.

His admirers call him a loyal son of the church. So do his detractors. In these troubled times of priest scandals and priest shortages, loyalty to the church is not a trait universally praised.

Plus, Lennon comes from the Boston Archdiocese, perhaps the epicenter of priest sexual abuse scandals, which will dismay those upset by church leaders' see-no-evil cover-up.

But Roman Catholics here should keep an open mind as Lennon becomes this diocese's 10th bishop. He will have plenty of opportunities to make his mark. Judge him on what he does here, not on his tenure in Boston...