By KHRISNA VIRGIL
Tribune Staff Reporter
kvirgil@tribunemedia.net
A BENEDICTINE monk who once served in the Bahamas is facing sexual abuse allegations, according to a Minnesota newspaper.
The claims surfaced on Thursday after a lawsuit was filed against St John’s Abbey in St Cloud, Minnesota, which accused the religious body of fraud, the San Francisco Chronicle reported.
The lawsuit also notes that at least three abbots of St John’s Abbey knew that the monk had faced such allegations, but continued to assign him teaching roles in other places in the United States and the Bahamas, according to another daily, the St Cloud Times (SC Times).
A former student filed the suit and alleges that the abuse took place during the early 1980s.
According to the SC Times, the lawsuit mentions that the monk was sent several times to treatment for sexual offenders along with alcohol abuse between 1960 and 1983.
The suit comes almost one month after claims surfaced in New Providence that a Benedictine monk left the island several days before his scheduled departure over accusations of sexual abuse.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Nassau, however, denied that any monk serving in the church in the Bahamas was facing that type of allegation.
Archbishop Patrick Pinder told The Tribune that the Benedictines had a long-standing and distinguished relationship with the Bahamas, which has lasted for the past 120 years.
“They have done a tremendous amount of good for the religion and social development of this community, particularly in education,” said the archbishop.
“It is most unfortunate that there are some members of their Order against whom allegations of sexual abuse have arisen. This casts aspersions on their colleagues, the vast majority of whom were men of excellent character and exemplary virtue.
“This is a sad development. Yet, I remain hopeful and prayerful that all the necessary healing and reconciliation can be achieved.
“To my knowledge, at present time, there is no one in ministry or in any service of this Archdiocese against whom any allegations of sexual abuse exists.”
Archbishop Pinder said he would never tolerate any abusive, or sexual behaviour in the Bahamas Archdiocese.
Comments
proudloudandfnm 11 years, 9 months ago
Bishop Pinder is powerless, the Catholic church insists on covering up sex scandals involving it's preists. Ergo the Catholic church CANNOT be trusted. Every monk and preist in the Bahamas needs to be investigated and if the slightest hint of sexual deviance is shown then throw that monk or preist out of the country forever. We cannot trust the Catholic church to do the right thing and we must protect our children.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
the catholic church has pratice phedophlia for decades ,come on the leader wears a white dress ,purple veivet slippers and a pointy hat ,can anyone in their right mind not see they are a bunch of old queens ..want ur boys safe ,don,t send them to the catholic church ,want your girls safe ,don,t let them come anywhere near a so called man of God for consuling ,,and keep um all away from bishop eddie long ,or any bishop for that matter
MartGM 11 years, 7 months ago
It's amazing that you say that. We can't trust the priests (there are about 10 Catholic Bahamian priests left in the Bahamas) and we can't trust the monks (there are NO monks left in the Bahamas). Now, what do you say about the bishops and deacons and ministers (or whatever they're calling themselves these days) of other denominations. What you think these people are taught this in seminary...you think the Catholic church BREEDS these people? You think it's our (yes, I'm Catholic) goal to produce child molesters???
To whom much is given...much is expected. Being the largest Christian religion in the world, of course you'll ALWAYS hear about what happens in the Catholic Church. The molestation is totally wrong and I pray we're able to sift these people out before they become priests/monks/deacons. But let's be VERY clear. The Catholic church does not BREED these types of people. These are MEN and any man of any denomination or lack there of can exhibit these tendencies. It's rather ignorant to believe that this is only a "Catholic" problem...run a google search or read other newspapers...this happens everywhere. It's just up to us to make sure it doesn't happen in our communities. Talk to your children! At the first sign sound the alarm and don't wait until some "man of God" has touched 10 little children. Too many parents don't want to see it or ignore their children when they come to them. Nip it in the bud. Watch for signs of misuse of power. Trust your children.
And for goodness sakes, don't believe this is ONLY a Catholic issue!!!
Arob 11 years, 9 months ago
Friends, it is very difficult to comment on an incomplete news report. Perhaps, the Tribune's legal counsel advised not to use the name of the monk and instead recommended the cited the sources: The San Francisco Times and the St. Cloud Times.
If you were to visit the St. Cloud Times you will read the original article. In the US, there is no statute of limitation on sexual abuse.
"The lawsuit was filed on behalf of a former student at St. John’s Prep, where [Rev X] taught English. Identified in the lawsuit only as John Doe LP, the student was sexually abused by [Rev X] in the early 1980s, according to the lawsuit."
Rev X is a member of the Order of St. Benedict and reports to The Abbot of St. John's Abbey, Collegeville, Minnesota.
TalRussell 11 years, 7 months ago
I strongly feel there may still be local church superiors and parishioners who wish to ignore the sins of these pedophile priests, while Rome approved the quiet shipping off of the priests to afar congregations where they MUST have known the sexual abuse against children WOULD continue.
Unfortunately, this sexual abuse is not limited to the Catholic Church. It will never be erased completely but it MUST be quickly acknowledged and swiftly sent for prosecutorial review., including when committed in our schools.
Rome has a lot of work to do over their ignoring complaints about pedophile priests. Paying lip service is not a positive sign. In many instances, accused clerics were and are still quietly bundled off to distant congregations where they could prey 'anew' upon the children of unsuspecting parishioners.
This practice of denial and concealment has been so consistently pursued in diocese after diocese, nation after nation, as to leave the impression of being a deliberate policy set by church authorities.
Comrades is is not if they a pedophile will re-offend, it is WHEN and WHERE they will drop their drawers. "Pedophile" the worst ten words little children live in fear of.
Comrades that's my unbending position.
by TalRussell
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
i feel badly for good god fearing catholics ,but i agree w/ Talls ,there really is no defense of the catholic church .i am niether for or againts homosexuality .thats a personal thing btw/ someone and their God . i just find it ironic that the churchs here and abroad that make so much anti gay rehtoric ,seem to have large numbers of gay people even in the pulpit ,and the straight revs,pastors ,bishops use the choir as their personal haram ..remeber when they ran down to protest the gay cruise ,i saw soft dudes holding placards ,,lmao
TalRussell 11 years, 7 months ago
My dear Concerned citizen I do not accept the common knee-jerk viewpoint that somehow "pedophilia" has a damn thing to do with one being gay.
I know many gays, some in and out da closet, and good enough to know that it's an insult to even remotely assoicate their lifestyle with men, and sometimes women, who are sexually attracted to "little" children. Little children means they carry-out their exclusive sexual interest in prepubescent children, with their ages generally being 13 years or younger.
This disgusting act also runs rampant among grown men, married with their own children. Not a damn thing to do with one's lifestyle.
concernedcitizen 11 years, 7 months ago
i know being gay and pedophlia are to totally different things ,child molestation is a crime and a abomination ,being gay is a lifestyle matter between consenting adults .i was trying to point out the hypocracy of the church running around saying no adam and steve when many of their members and leaders ,revs ,priest etc are gay ..
Katerina 9 years, 5 months ago
I don't understand one thing, if the abuse took place during the early 1980s why he took attitude so lately. I'm sure that not every religious face is acting according to their faith but if something is wrong anybody has to take action in that precise moment. http://trataremonturi.wordpress.com/">Katy
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