550 Claims of Sexual Abuse at Milwaukee Archdiocese

About 550 people have filed claims for restitution for alleged sexual abuse by clergy in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee — the most of the eight dioceses in the U.S. that have sought bankruptcy protection, a lawyer in the Milwaukee case said Wednesday. James Stang, a bankruptcy lawyer who represents creditors in the Wisconsin case, estimated about 550 claims had been filed by the Wednesday afternoon deadline set by the court. The Milwaukee Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy protection last year, saying pending sex-abuse lawsuits could leave it with debts it couldn't afford. The archdiocese has paid more than $30 million in settlements and other court costs related to alleged clergy abuse.

The archdiocese only had $4.6 million in assets to be applied to claims in 2010. The bankruptcy court will decide the final payout, archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf said. A victim's advocacy group called the number of filings "extraordinarily tragic," but said that represented only a small portion of people abused by clergy. "It's sad and it just shows how devastating these crimes have been on this community but it's obviously far from over," said Peter Isely, the Midwest director for the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. More than a dozen sex abuse lawsuits pending against the Milwaukee Archdiocese have been halted due to the bankruptcy proceedings. They include allegations against a priest accused of abusing some 200 boys at a suburban school for deaf students from 1950 to 1974.

This is disgusting. One thing I don't understand is why there isn't more of an outcry against this stuff. Yes there is some, but it's not nearly enough. These are children whose lives will be forever changed.There is no forgetting from their perspective.

I wonder how many followers Catholicism is losing, given as the years go by we're hearing more and more about sexual abuse, stretching to every corner of the globe. If this were any other part of society I think the uproar would be twice as loud.

What a surprise the Archdiocese is asking for some cases to be thrown out because the statute of limitations has expired. Disgusting. How about showing a little respect for the children and not attempting to get away with sexual abuse every opportunity you get?

news.yahoo.com...

reply to post by MysticPearl


Tax free and trusted by the community.

Surely the only thing left is to chase them out and burn their buildings? Everywhere.

reply to post by MysticPearl

Originally posted by MysticPearl
I wonder how many followers Catholicism is losing, given as the years go by we're hearing more and more about sexual abuse, stretching to every corner of the globe. If this were any other part of society I think the uproar would be twice as loud.

I agree with you but I'm afraid that even within the christian community the uproar will be close to nil.
Only a few, if any at all, will even take notice of these atrocities... just like it was in the past.

reply to post by MysticPearl


This is a recruiting campaign by the Catholic Church. They are seeking new priests to fill the ranks because so many former priests have left to pursue careers as pedophiles and wards of the state.

Originally posted by MysticPearl

I wonder how many followers Catholicism is losing, given as the years go by we're hearing more and more about sexual abuse, stretching to every corner of the globe. If this were any other part of society I think the uproar would be twice as loud.

You cannot leave the catholic church. Surprised.

I recently read a piece on a person who had singed on with scientology had to sign up for something like 10,000 years. I found this a little disturbing. You might think so.

But wait. Some years back an organisation (Count me Out) was set up to help people leave the catholic church. It helped people leave. A small number of people where able to leave. However , quite promptly the church refused to accept anymore applications. It was stopped.
The church said there was some changes being made. The church then changed Cannon Law to prevent people from leaving. The organisation looked at some alternatives including having people being excommunicated. However the church explained that you are not out even if you are excommunicated. Its seems at the moment if you are a member of the catholic church you are now trapped. People think 10,000years of scientology is bad , but it looks like its forever with the catholic church.

I find this behaviour by the church very sinister. Its like they have your soul in their numbers and they will not release it. There are many implications for this. Take one tiny example. What if the Vatican is infact evil and the pope were the anti-christ. If you are a member you cannot leave.

THere is a brief explanation here:
www.countmeout.ie...
countmeout.ie...

I visited a site on the internet a few days ago that explained how you can get yourself de-baptised or un- christened. All you had to do was contact the parish where you were baptised/christened and declare your apostasy - sign a form - get it stamped with an official stamp - and - you are off the register.

You can leave a church any time you want - it is only if they follow you and physically send their minders in but you can ask the Police to stop them from stalking.

Anyone who thinks they cannot leave a religion just needs to break free of the mind control - it can be done!!

I am currently fighting the catholic church over Child Abuse and they are stubborn. I am out of options but as a Teacher I refuse to cover for anyone and I will only ever put the Child and their protection first. Catholic church have destroyed my life but I will die trying.

People who abuse Children, animals, the elderly or anyone vulnerable - are very very sick. No one should be abused but to prey on the vulnerable is truly sick.

Much Peace...

How is it the Archdiocese can file bankruptcy. They are the Catholic church. The Catholic church is richer than many nations. I do not understand how they can file bankruptcy.

My dad receives charity requests from about a hundred Catholic charities each month. He spends several hundred dollars each month on them. I constantly tell him "The Catholic church is rich, they have billions. Why do their own priests have to beg for money from you?"

reply to post by Amanda5


Why even go to that much effort? Most people were baptised when they were children, therefore not willingly baptised. That should make it null and void anyway, both morally and legally.

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
Some years back an organisation (Count me Out) was set up to help people leave the catholic church. It helped people leave. A small number of people where able to leave.

what an absurd thing. People can come and go in the Catholic church all they want. If they don't like it .. they can go down the street to the Episcopal church, or the Lutheran church, or the Jews or the Buddhists, or even no where at all. The Catholic church doesn't tie people up and make them be Catholic. How absurd.

The church then changed Cannon Law to prevent people from leaving.

You don't understand Cannon Law at all.

It is the Catholic SPIRITUAL belief that 'once Catholic always Catholic' ... if you are baptised Catholic then in God's eyes you are Catholic forever. But the Church doesn't ... and can't anyways ... force anyone to worship 'Catholic' or to follow church rules. And if someone stops worshipping in the Catholic church and goes to the Lutheran church, the Lutherans accept that person worshipping with them without any problem ... and there aren't any Catholic cops who come and drag the (now Lutheran) worshipping person back to the Catholic building.

reply to post by MysticPearl


I wonder how many of these are actual molestations, and how many are people jumping on the bandwagon thinking they can get some $$$ from the deep pockets of the Catholic church. We read of a fella who claimed molestation by a bishop ... but then later he recanted and said he needed money because he was dying of AIDS. He asked forgiveness from the elderly Bishop (who died soon afterwards .. the stress of being falsely accused must have weakened his heart).

reply to post by groingrinder


the catholic church is pretty broke.

one example. they took 400million in loans from Allied Irish Bank to pay for sex abuse claims in America. This was to cover 4 diocese. The figure could even been as high as 800million. a goddam bank that the irish public is now the majority shareholder in and has had to bail out and prop up.

Do you have any idea how much the church has had paid over the last few decades.

there is no money left in the catholic church.

www.irishcentral.com...
www.dailymail.co.uk...

reply to post by MysticPearl
What gets me is how parishioners defend their church over these claims,they always treat them like isolated occurences.Like they're insignificant,downplayed and even look at them like well that was back then,as though they didn't know any better.

All of these preists should be made an example and publicly shamed and thrown in prison for the rest of their lives,no mercy.What disgust me even more is they do these acts hidden behind the christian faith,like their shielded by God..they make me sick,perverts..scum of the earth all of them

Originally posted by Amanda5
I visited a site on the internet a few days ago that explained how you can get yourself de-baptised or un- christened. All you had to do was contact the parish where you were baptised/christened and declare your apostasy - sign a form - get it stamped with an official stamp - and - you are off the register.

You can leave a church any time you want - it is only if they follow you and physically send their minders in but you can ask the Police to stop them from stalking.

Anyone who thinks they cannot leave a religion just needs to break free of the mind control - it can be done!!

I am currently fighting the catholic church over Child Abuse and they are stubborn. I am out of options but as a Teacher I refuse to cover for anyone and I will only ever put the Child and their protection first. Catholic church have destroyed my life but I will die trying.

People who abuse Children, animals, the elderly or anyone vulnerable - are very very sick. No one should be abused but to prey on the vulnerable is truly sick.

Much Peace...

Sorry your in this mess with the church,yep you can just walk out the door no one has the right to make your choices for you.

I've been drug in and out of churches my whole life but I always knew that my spirituality was with me anywhere I went.I didn't need a building to connnect to it,nor give money to,to buy my relationship with God.That's what I don't understand about churches,never have,never will.

I hope you find peace with your situation and find speedy healing within your mind,soul,and heart.

reply to post by lacrimaererum

Originally posted by lacrimaererum
the catholic church is pretty broke.[...]

The pope could sell his house for a start. Put the vatican on ebay and let's see what that pile of gold is worth.
I think the vatican archives would also achieve a good price.

reply to post by ColCurious


if thats what you think.

you do realise the catholic church is a charity.

Check out who was advising the bishops on matters of priest sex abuse:

I blogged yesterday on a horrific development, a conference being held to begin the push to “normalize” pedophilia, starting with pressure on the American Psyciatric Association to “de-list” pedophilia as a mental disorder. And while I don’t like having much to do with SNAP, since they seem most interested in suing and using the notoriety so gained to push for their often heterodox agenda, they make a valuable contribution today when they note that one of the speakers at this upcoming pedophile normalization conference was an advisor to disgraced Archbishop Rembert Weakland and many other bishops, apparently, on the issue of homosexual priest abuse of young boys. Not only that, he counseled Weakland and other bishops to keep pedophile priests in service and to cover up their crimes:

Dr. Fred Berlin, [Berlin was quoted extensively in the report on the pro-pedophile conference I linked to yesterday] a chief consultant for decades to the American Catholic Bishops and Religious Order Provincials on sex offender priests, will address tomorrow in Baltimore a controversial symposium sponsored by an organization that calls itself “B4U-ACT”. B4U-ACT advocates the decriminalization and tolerance of persons who have a lifelong attraction and desire for sexual contact with youngsters. B4U-ACT, when describing its core values states: “Individuals who are attracted to children are the focus of everything that we do.”

Not surprisingly, Archbishop Emeritus Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, in a deposition taken in 2008, cites Berlin as the chief expert on pedophilia that the U.S. bishops consulted when faced with the growing sexual abuse crisis. (Locally, Berlin was also hired by at least one major religious order, the Capuchin Franciscans.) [This is incredibly disturbing. The man the bishops entrusted to advise them on how to deal with pedophile priests, is an advocate for the de-criminalization of pedophilia?!? How could such an individual be chosen? While the pedophile "normalization" conference is a frightening event, given the success such push groups have had in influencing the American Psychiatric Association in the past, that pro-pedophile group is still a tiny minority. The vast majority of psychiatrists and counselors would take a very different view. How did he wind up getting selected for this very important role?]

Bishop Accountability.org

reply to post by MysticPearl


Cing* disrespectful religious ones. SAD they go to them for LIGHT and get DARK, smh now wonder the worlds spinning backwards?

reply to post by Flavian


I think it has to do with the paperwork and a person having their name on a register. Some people want their name off the register and to have their departure from the church in a complete and entire sense.

I agree with you totally about being a Child and it does not matter when you are older but I imagine that for some people getting the form and knowing their name is not recorded on anything official is peace of mind. Just think about it in literal terms - as a Child someone else made the baptism/christening choice on behalf of the child and as an adult it is a rite of passage to claim back any control from decisions made on your behalf.

Much Peace...