Molestation Watch
This is CNN:A priest accused of molesting a teenage boy has pleaded no contest in the case, but argues that he committed the acts in question for spiritual reasons and not sexual gratification, his lawyer said Sunday.
Matt's Chat
I wonder where he (the priest) learned THAT... This is a cancer afflicting Catholicism and it should not be tolerated by the faithful. There is no excuse for this. None.I mean, THIS is not an acceptable form of penance:
During an investigation, authorities learned that Jablonowski [the priest] regularly took men to the church basement, asking them to strip naked before they were gagged, blindfolded and hung upside down from the ceiling, Platte County prosecutor Eric Alden told The Denver Post in Sunday's editions.I don't see that ANYWHERE in the Bible, nor do I recall reading it in the catechism. Quite frankly, it is EVIL. And evil should not be tolerated; particularly by clergy.
According to Alden, the men's genitals were manipulated to induce pain while they prayed. He could not be reached for comment Sunday.
Laird [the lawyer] said his client could not talk about the rituals, citing an oath of confidentiality concerning prayer and confession.
The activities were not sexual, and were tied to a legitimate practice of penance and redemptive suffering, Laird said. Several people testified they found the prayers spiritual -- not sexual -- in nature.
