Is the following account typical of what we might expect in Cardinal Wuerl's "season of healing"? George Neumayr smoked this out.
Seven years ago in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, a Carmelite priest was arrested after he touched the buttocks of an 18-year old man. The perp-priest's name is Father Emmanuel Betasso (legally Patrick Anthony Betasso). He admitted to doing so for a "cheap thrill". He was 45 years old at the time and had just been named pastor of a parish - and was teaching a workshop for new pastors. I shudder to think of what that workshop syllabus contained, but I digress. The archbishop revoked his priestly faculties and the Discalced Carmelites suspended him.
Fast forward to the present. How in the name of heaven is Betasso on a "priest prayer list" for the DC province of the Discalced Carmelites? His name is number 10 in the "October" column. Given his history, how was he deemed fit by the Archdiocese of Washington to be granted faculties here? According to Cardinal Wuerl, all this abuse happened "decades and decades ago". Newflash! Seven years is NOT "decades and decades ago". Any adult male who gets a "cheap thrill" out of touching the private areas of anybody is a pervert. For the sake of his own soul, let alone the welfare of potential victims, he should not be in a position of trust that could allow him opportunities for abuse.
This "season of healing" promises to be quite the trial.
What does this have to do with Wuerl? The incident happened in Milwaukee, and the charges were dropped because the victim didn’t want to pursue them.
ReplyDeleteThis list is from third order Carmelites. Betasso is on it because he is a Carmelite priest, meaning Wuerl has no jurisdiction over him. And there is no evidence that Betasso is even in D.C.
Wuerl definitely has some things he has to answer for, but he has nothing to do with this priest.
Whether or not the victim pressed charges is irrelevant to the fact that Betasso admitted to the crime. He is on that list because he's associated with the DC province. Yes, any bishop has oversight into who holds himself as a priest, religious or not.
DeleteNo, these priests are not all in DC. One example is Msgr. J. Bruce Jarboe, who is in the Baltimore Archdiocese under Archbishop Lori. If you look at their website, you will see that the OCDS covers several states, a lot more than just DC. Do you know for a fact that Betasso is in DC? I don’t find him anywhere.
DeleteWhile I certainly don’t excuse Betasso’s actions, there is nothing to indicate that he has ever actually abused anyone. He touched a guy’s bottom, That is nasty but do you think he should be thrown out of the priesthood for that? A pattern of actions is one thing, but do you believe that a priest should be defrocked for one slip?
A bishop can give or revoke faculties in his diocese, even to religious. So ....
DeleteI see comments like "So-and-so is a Jesuit/Carmelite/Franciscan, and therefore Dolan/Wuerl/O'Malley has no jurisdiction over him" all the time.
DeleteWhere do people get these notions?
No priest can function without faculties from the local bishop.
What in the wuerld is going on in our Archdiocese?
ReplyDeleteIt is completely vile but within the realm of "natural" for a man to touch the buttocks of an 18 year old woman, in the sense that at least a man and women are made for natural relations with each other.
ReplyDeleteIt is vile and utterly disordered for a man to touch the buttocks of an 18 year old man "for a cheap thrill". When a man finds another man sexually appealing, such that he is unable to control himself and touches the younger man's buttocks, this act is depraved, certainly deserving of a swift punch in the chops. In neither case is the man fit for the priesthood, but in the second instance he is less desirable, he is a homosexual predator, most likely to have a career of molesting boys or young men. He is not fit, not FIT, for the priesthood! This is the problem, these homosexuals have no business being made priests or continuing to be considered priests in the Catholic Church.
I abhor violence, but I believe a few teeth on the floor may cure some of these men of their inability to control their disgusting urges. As long as perverts like this are considered "priests", we are going to see our church in decline.
Southern child, if anyone touched your private areas "just once", would you call that abuse? If it happened to me I certainly would and I would press criminal charges. Yes he should be defrocked for that one slip. How many victims do there need to be for you to think the same?
ReplyDeleteI have had that happen to me, by a judge. When this priest was arrested, the Carmelites suspended him, That was 7 years ago. If we believe in anything as Catholics, we believe in mercy and forgiveness. We don’t know what duties this priest has now. He could have been placed in a position where he will not be tempted. But there was no cover up here, the priest admitted what he did. Have you never made a mistake? Or do you believe that some people should never be forgiven.
DeleteThe bottom line is I don’t think this has anything to do with Wuerl. The Carmelites restored the priest’s faculties, and Wuerl has not interfered. We don’t know any more than that, and it is wrong to make judgments without facts.
Abuse such as the one committed by Belasso is more serious than a mere "mistake". It is the antithesis of true mercy to put him in a position where he can harm another, for that person also has claims on our solicitude. As someone else already stated here, Wuerl has authority to determine who functions as a priest in his diocese.
DeleteIt does seem that SouthernChild simply cannot grok "faculties."
DeleteThat said, if Belasso is confined to a convent as chaplain and janitor, then perhaps the Carmelites have found the correct solution. This whole thing about "forgiveness/one offense/not rape" is a challenge for any Catholic, especially since it was some of our Bishops and seminary rectors which created the problem by ordaining homosexuals. I wish I had a perfect solution aside from tossing the guy into a ditch.