Catherine Deveney…
Same Old, Same Old…
Catherine Deveney, the Observer journalist who broke the Cardinal O’Brien scandal, is nothing if not relentless in her determination to keep the “story” alive.
Here’s how her latest update, dated 18 May, concludes:
The four complainants say an investigation is about justice, not vengeance. “I will give forgiveness if asked,” says one, “as long as the damage has been recognised. At times, we don’t do ourselves a lot of good by throwing pardon around like confetti without a change of heart. I am angry at the system that licked his boots and allowed him to get on with it.”
Ms Deveney is only interested (if she is interested) in the alleged damage to four adults, who kept silent about their “damage” for many years before, curiously, spilling the beans when their “tormentor” had effectively retired.
There is no concern at all, from Catherine Deveney, about the damage caused to the Church by the Cardinal and – if all the intelligence coming to us is correct – the Cardinal’s accusers, who are dissenters to a man. After all, the reason given for the sudden “outing” of the Cardinal, is his vociferous opposition to same-sex marriage, so priests and laymen supportive of same-sex marriage do not fit into the category of faithful Catholics. The damage to Catholicism – and to scandalised souls – is far greater than any damage claimed by the “victims”.
In her tour of the TV news studios, Deveney has been unable to hide her contempt for the Church. Ditto the accusers, who speak about not liking “the system” (i.e. Christ’s Church) without ever distinguishing between Church and churchmen. Indeed, in his CV, if our source is correct, one of the accusers, the former priest now married, dismissed his priesthood as time spent working for a “not-for-profit” organization.
The key point which has passed over the head of Ms Deveney (and every other journalist in Scotland) is that the damage inflicted on the Church in Scotland by Cardinal O’Brien goes way beyond the fallout from the sexual misbehaviour for which he has at least offered a cursory apology. We’re still waiting for an apology for the damage he has done to the Catholic Church in her Liturgy, Catholic schools, and every other aspect of the Faith.
Comments (49)
Er, just for the record its ‘Deveney’
Ed: thanks – typo spotted before I saw this message, but very grateful anyway.
I’d guess that the former priest now working for a management consultancy firm in Dubai didn’t feel able to say that he’d resigned from the priesthood following an appearance at Linlithgow Sheriff Court on five charges of molesting altar boys. Tends not to go down well with the G&T set.
Yes, and to listen to Ms Deveney, you’d like they were all victims instead of scoundrels.
NOT for “outing” the Cardinal, but for being quite happy to live with his hypocrisy as long as they got to undermine and attack the Faith.
Her hatred of the Church is so clear it could be a glass of water.
And notice that not a single journalist, whether from the print media or the broadcasting media, are pursuing her (or doing their own research) for the identities of the “victims”.
Much better, surely, to use their “victim” status to savage the Church.
…and then we have the priest who fled the Aberdeen Diocese, taking with him a significant amount of Church property and leaving behind a six-figure hole in the parish accounts. His Facebook page shows that he’s living in bliss with an Anglican cleric called Alex and developing a keen interest in the TLM.
And the Lavender Hill mob – all two of them – well, one is now in Luxembourg, ministering to English-speaking Catholics there. The other has an equally privileged posting in Lausanne, ministering to English-speaking Catholics in that country.
Being part of Cardinal O’Brien’s ‘inner circle’……..sorry…….being one of Cardinal O’Brien’s ‘victims’ has obviously done certain careers no harm at all.
As for poor Father Despard, however, that’s a slightly different story.
Yes, it’s very clear why these accusers don’t want to reveal their identities. They are about as Catholic as Ian Paisley’s granny.
I’m in Luxembourg so where can I snoop on the exiled priest? The details were on the old blog but I didn’t take them down. Also, I’m off to near Lausanne next week so can I have the details for the priest there too? One thing popped out at me and that is who is supporting the disgraceful cleric who is in a “blissful relationship” with Alex? for that matter, who is supporting the Cardinal?
As for the ex priest in Dubai (no, I’m not going there!!) do we know his identity? Is there a link to the court case?
semperfidelis
Here are the two links for the two priests working in Luxembourg and Lausanne respectively.
http://catholic.lu/parish-priest/
http://zurich.britishresidents.ch/welcome/
Who is financially supporting these clerics? You ask – a very good question to which we’d all like to know the answer.
I’ll leave spiritustempore to respond to your concluding question because, well, she’s got to hone* her research skills if she wants to keep moving up the pay scale…
* no pun intended!
This is a test post…
Thank you webmaster – all your hard work to date much appreciated.
Whingy, hysterical, venomous articles but with threats embedded in them.
James,
To which article are you referring – Mzzzzzz Deveney’s or mine?
Count to ten before you answer that…
I too would like to thank webmaster for all his hard work on our behalf. I am now re-registered for the new-look blog and back in business!
As for this Deveney woman, she should spare us all the sob story about the poor victims. If they were appalled by Cardinal O’Brien’s sexual conduct then they should have spoke up at the time. These historical cases need to be kicked into touch were they belong. They are being brought to light in great numbers today for only one of two reasons, either revenge, as in the case of homosexual adults bitching with each other, or to get a cut of the financial compensation cake at any and all costs. It’s disgraceful and so are the soft idiots who fall for it and feign sympathy for victims who apparently couldn’t bring themselves to speak to anyone about their experiences for decades. It’s not normal!
editor,
You’re absolutely right about Cardinal O’Brien’s damage to the Faith in this country. Bad enough that he was personally immoral together with some accommodating priests at the time, but that pales into insignificance in comparison with the damage he and all the Scottish Bishops have done to immortal souls with their liturgical liberalism, fake ecumenism and general persecution of Traditional Catholicism.
Athanasius,
You really ought to make an appointment with your barber… Like – soon!
editor,
I take it your referring to my avatar? That picture is of my fat Lab Retriever chewing on a plastic spade. Sadly, my replacement avatar, the one I used for years on this blog, went together with my login details. When I re-registered, it was the Labrador picture that appeared. So be it! She’s much more pleasing to the eye than this old mutt!
Athanasius,
All you need to do is go into signup gravatar and download another picture. I decided to change mine, and it was really easy.
I agree that Catherine Deveney seems to have her own anti-Catholic agenda and I think she’s savvy enough to know that educated Catholics are well aware of the fact that dissident priests also have their own agenda. None of this excuses the Cardinal’s behaviour, of course, since two wrongs don’t make a right, but no matter what she says about the accusers not seeking vengeance, that is exactly what they are doing. The Cardinal is no threat any more, so what’s the point of outing him unless they wanted revenge for his speaking out against same-sex marriage?
Athanasius,
I forgot to say that when you sign into Gravatar, (you need your email or username and password) you will see your other picture there and you just select that and resize if necessary and click confirm. It’s really easy.
So as born again bloggers we’ve all been invited to adopt a new name for our new life. Don’t seem to have an avatar yet, will need to get that sorted (if it doesn’t come up with this post).
Resisted the urge to register as Petrus, Paseltanus etc. and shake things up a little. Unless of course I’m one of the purporting to be Crossraguel, so deep undercover I’m hypothesising about the possibility as a diversion to my deviousness. Diabolical disorientation?
Crossraguel,
We’re not suggesting anyone change their username (although anyone is free to do so who wishes) but for technical reasons most bloggers may have to re-register – the old database could not be used. Anyway, glad you’re back complete with avatar, after all!
All Bloggers – For your information…
I have emailed the link to this thread to Catherine Deveney, as a courtesy.
ps the email has just been returned by Mail Delivery Service…
I have to agree with you all about Catherine Deveney. She does seem to be enjoying her five minutes of fame.
She may not be a Catholic but if not it would be interesting to know how she got to know the accusing priests. If she is a Catholic then I would suggest that she is a modern type who criticised Catholic teaching on all the usual moral fronts.
Even so, it is very sad to see how she seems to be gloating at the discomfiture of the Church authorities over the Cardinal’s immoral behaviour.
We should pray for her, and for them, that they come to understand the futility of revenge. There’s an old saying “Before you seek revenge, first dig two graves.” That is to say, nobody benefits from vengefulness, and I agree there is no other purpose to be served by publishing the Cardinal’s behaviour now, at this late stage.
For me, although the sexual accusations are bad enough, what seems to have dropped off the radar is the bullying and blackmailing if they didn’t acquiesce.
priscilla,
Where’s the evidence for the “bullying and intimidation” if they didn’t acquiesce? Given the freedom that the dissenters enjoyed under Archbishop/Cardinal O’Brien’s reign of alleged terror, I wouldn’t be surprised if the “bullying” came from the alleged accusers as they undermined and openly attacked the Faith to the very worst of their ability. And we, at least, at Catholic Truth were joining up the dots and asking if those notorious dissenters had some hold over their boss. Not half, as it turned out.
I wonder if Catholic Truth were to put the names of Cardinal O’Brien’s accusers to Catherine Deveney, would she deny them or say ‘no comment’?
Magdalene,
I think Catherine Deveney would be dismayed if the names were published by newspapers like the Herald (who claimed to know the identities but didn’t publish right at the beginning – odd, eh? Given that newspapers thrive on scoops and exclusives. Makes one wonder, does it not?)
But revealed by Catholic Truth? Would she care? I think she would consider herself so far above us that she wouldn’t even bother saying “no comment”. Heavens my email to her bounced back earlier today, when I was, out of courtesy, not devilment, honest, alerting her to this thread.
Question, would it be sinful or sensible to read the book by Fr Despard?
Michelangelo,
I read Fr Despard’s book after a priest told me that he’d quoted Catholic Truth three times (well, he actually said twice, but – in fact – he quotes us three times) and it never once crossed my mind that it would be sinful to read it. Indeed, since not one priest – not even the Bishop – has publicly denied the allegations made by Fr Despard, a case could be made for saying that we (or at least those of us who live in the Diocese of Motherwell) have a right and a duty to read it. I was glad, for example, when the Catholic Times published Fr John Breslin’s “outing” of himself to his parishioners because at that time he used to occasionally supply in my local parish. I was able to warn the then parish priest, gave him a file of documentary evidence when he purposed to be amazed, and then had the measure of our PP when he continued to permit Fr Breslin to supply. It’s about being armed and prepared for the battle, Michelangelo – do you really want to be bankrolling one of those “outed” priests?
I emphasise that my remarks about the allegations are made in the context of no denial on the public record. Until there is such a denial, there will not be one penny piece of mine going into the Motherwell Diocese.
Editor,
I did not know Ian Paisley’s granny was a Catholic. Wow, you are a mine of information.
Benedict,
Did you know that Ian Paisley supported the Rosary as a Scripturally accurate prayer?
Benedict,
Very funny. I doubt very much if Paisley’s granny was a Catholic, just as I doubt that the Cardinal’s accusers are truly Catholic. Well, you tell me: is it possible to be truly Catholic and support homosexual activity?
Editor,
A very good question. I have thought of this in the past and have come to the conclusion that I would not be truly Catholic, whatever that truly means. I reached this conclusion following an internal reflection of the hypothesis that, as a father, what would I do if one of my children “came out”. Would I stop supporting him/her? Most definitely not! I know of no parent who would do otherwise. I would be most interested to hear the views from other parents with older children.
Now, if that makes me less than desirable to attend your conference full of saints let me know before I book my train ticket.
Benedict,
Of COURSE you would continue to love and support your child if he/she embraced the homosexual lifestyle, just as you should continue to love and support him/her if she robbed a bank.
Should you encourage him/her to rob banks? Would you remain silent if he/she “came out” as a bank robber? Of course you wouldn’t.
So, of course book your train ticket. It’s much too far to walk.
Are we all sure that it is this horrid woman we need to be worrying about. At the end of the day, she has not threatened legal action against the Vatican, John Creanor is, and I trust if he does pursue it, he will be defrocked, laicised and excommunicated. What’s Richard Hollowhead weighing- he supports gay rights, what moral authority has he got? Protestant morons.
Pius X
Who knew that merely accepting Church teaching on sexual morality made one a saint?
Therese,
Don’t be a spoilsport. I’m banking on it…
Editor
You won’t be accruing any interest on that account young lady!….
“Young lady” – you’ve made my day!
The Church of Scotland General Assembly has today approved actively gay men and women in the ministry. Maybe there’s now a career in Scotland after all for our problem priests, not to mention our cardinal …
I second the motion!
I would hope that those Protestant souls who are genuine in their desire to love and serve God will now see the utter falsehood that is Protestantism and return to the true Church. Many Anglicans have seen the light already.
I received the following information this morning, from a reader in England, by email:
I noticed that Fr Despard’s book is no longer available and I tried to send him am email through his parish website and it says email no longer working.
Hope he is ok and not being held hostage by the gay mafia? Are there lay people watching his safety?
I think Bp Devine should be forced out – twitter is full of news about him and covering up gang rape of a small boy in the 1960s. END.
In the light of the Cardinal O’Brien scandal, I think it is all the more urgent for Bishop Devine to issue a statement. The on-going silence from him and from the other Scots bishops is deafening – and, paradoxically, revealing. Without a clear statement from the Bishops, especially the named Bishop (Devine of Motherwell) rumours and innuendo will continue to be broadcast. We’d be delighted to publish a denial from the Bishop and a retraction of anything published on our blog that we have repeated, which is not true.
We have no first hand sources on this and merely publish allegations already in the public domain with the aim of encouraging all concerned, especially each and every Scottish Bishop, to tell us the truth and nothing but the truth, so help them God.
I immediately went to my Kindle to check on the Despard book. When I tried to open it, I got a message saying it wouldn’t open. I was to delete it and download it again from my archive. I didn’t delete it, and tried again. This time it opened, but is Amazon planning to remove a purchase from my Kindle? There’ll be trouble if they do.
Next I checked the Amazon website itself. The book, with all its reviews and comments, has vanished without trace.
What on earth is happening?
pew catholic
I just Googled it and the Amazon entry comes first on page one. On the Amazon site itself the Kindle edition immediately came up without a problem. It is still for sale and I was able to open up the sample pages and read its contents at will. Perhaps you had a glitch on your Kindle. Similarly with the reviews, all in situ, perfectly readable and obtainable.
pew catholic,
My guess is that removal of the book from sale is one of the conditions of not pursuing legal action, whether canonical or civil. Just checked my own Kindle – book still there. Saves me campaigning for a refund.
In the continuing absence of any statement from Bishop Devine or any of those named in the book, I will have no hesitation in quoting liberally (pun intended) from it…
Benedict, you are indeed right about Googling the book. But strangely, if you Google ‘Amazon’, a search on the UK site for either title or author brings up nothing. Also nothing when I look for it in the Kindle Store itself on my actual Kindle – have you or Editor tried that?
Maybe it is a problem with my Kindle. Although a nuisance, that would be better than deliberate suppression of the book.
In the top right hand corner of the Amazon site, reached via Google, I read a statement in small print in the top right hand corner, to say that this book is no longer available to purchase.
Of course! It’s the American site, Amazon.com, that still has some information, although as Editor has noted, they aren’t selling the book. It has just quietly disappeared, with no official statement from Motherwell diocese, or anywhere else. Disgraceful.
Yes, it is disgraceful. The reader who alerted to this lives in England and suggested we forget about Cardinal O’Brien and launch a campaign to get Bishop Devine out of Scotland! She has a point!
“I think Bp Devine should be forced out – twitter is full of news about him and covering up gang rape of a small boy in the 1960s”
I think it’s very dangerous to give too much credibility to stuff on the likes of Twitter or Facebook. That’s the first I’ve read of any such “gang rape” and bad and all as things are, I would find it hard to believe that any bishop would cover up such a dreadful sin/crime. If the reader who emailed that information doesn’t have more documentary evidence for it, I would definitely discount it as mere gossip.
Some thoughts about O’Brien
His being told to leave the country, seems to me to be like part of a ‘Western’ film;
with O’Brien being ordered by the Sheriff to ride out of town by sundown, n’ keep riding till he left the territory. Then it was heard that the Sheriff wanted him to bide away for a while n’spend some time in prayer n’reflection’. Trouble was, O’Brien neever had much time for ole time religion, n’anyway he was more interested in git’n back to the ranch and catching the varmints that grassed him. (to be continued nextime pardners).
Has he played his last hand in the Last Chance Saloon? Or will he come back, under cover of darkness?
Iain Colquhoun
Iain, with thanks to J.T.Edson et omne hoc genus.
A new blogger. I have found that Deveney loves to drag every story that mentions “Catholic”, “Church” & Sex, for what gain I dont know.
In regard to Fr Despard’s book I have not had a chance to read and I doubt I will or want to, however do you know if there is any way of finding out who is mentioned in the book or what is mentioned?
Ed: sorry, I missed this until closing the thread – I think you’d need to read the book to discover that information. I haven’t seen any of it quoted anywhere else.
Comments are closed.