> In connection with another post, Gilbert Lawrence wrote.... > It is always enjoyable to read some factual informative stories about Goa > rather than > the never-ending posts on ABSOLUTELY non-Goa related topics.
Dear Gilbert: You are right, Goa-related topics are important. Please offer your comments on the Goa-related topic below. Not on the specific Ribandar case as that matter is working its way through the legal system, but your comments on the overall situation in Goa vis-a-vis your experience of this situation in the USA. We can benefit from your insights. Regards, George --- Aires Rodrigues <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > George Pinto wrote, > > Aires > > I believe you wrote at least once there are other cases of sexual abuse by > the clergy in Goa. I had written to the Archdiocese twice and did not get a > response. Is there a formal study done in Goa regarding this issue? I hope > the Goa church is not turning a blind eye or burying their head in the > sands. In the USA, we witnessed the tremendous harm done to the victims and > innocent priests two years with a similar scandal. The Church's silence and > denial finally took the issue to the courts and matters are now settled with > huge monetary sums - some of it could have been avoided. Just today, > another settlement here in California. > > I hope the Goa Church is not going down the same path. I notice very few are > asking for transparency and a public report. This way everyone can avoid > speculation and gossip. When the Church sex abuse scandal first broke in the > USA, innocent priests were walking around "convicted by association" simply > by being a priest. It is not fair to the priests or the victims. I am hoping > there is formal investigation and study in Goa and the findings made public. > The laity have a right to know if the problem is pervasive or isolated or > non-existent. > > Regards, > George > > --------------------------------------------------------------------- > Dear George, > > After the details of the Ribandar Church molestation case were made public > I have received a lot of written and oral complaints about grave sexual and > financial improprieties going on in other Parishes across Goa. I requested > that all these complaints be sent directly to the Archbishop's palace. > > As you now the Church is very powerful and unresponsive to the people's > pulse. Till date instead of attempting to fix the problem the Church seems to > do > everything possible to cover its unholy acts. And for this they shrewdly use > the services of a cotorie of some wise lay people that evolves around the > Church to do the dirty job of damage control. > > I took up the Ribandar Church molestation issue after deep thought and > ascertaining all the facts. Before we went public on the issue I pleaded > with the Co-ordinator of our Ribandar Parish Council to call a open meeting > of all parishioners so that this issue could be discussed and the facts be > faced dead on. This they dared not do and expected that the truth could be > supressed and that they would be able to hush up the matter. > > Early this year I personally met the Archbishop Rev. Filipe Neri Ferrao and > pleaded his intervention on the Ribandar issue. The spokesman of the > Archbishop made a public statement a few days later that the Archbishop was > seized of the matter and that an inquiry had been ordered. > > That's all we have heard. Till date the findings of this inquiry have not > been made public. And the not so suprising silence and inaction on the part > of the Archbishop is solely to be blamed for allowing this issue to be > dragged into the Courts and public domain. > > Turning a blind eye is no solution to a serious problem. It only aggravates > the issue and this is exactly what is happening in the Ribandar Church > molestation case where on Dec 24th last year before the X'mas midnight mass > Parish priest Fr. Newton Rodrigues is accused of allegedly taking a > 13-year-old Ribandar girl to a room in the church on the pretext of taking > confession and molesting her. > > Aires Rodrigues > Ribandar
