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Front Page Archives 6 (June 2023)


Ahead of her "SNL" appearance, O'Connor had "been pissed off for a few weeks" after "finding brief articles buried in the back pages of Irish newspapers about children who have been ravaged by priests but whose stories are not believed by the police or bishops their parents report it to," she wrote in an extract of her memoir "Rememberings" that was published by Rolling Stone in 2021.

Sinead O'Connor Condemned Church Abuse Early. America Didn't Listen.
July 28,2023
Prominent Americans, including celebrities like Madonna and Joe Pesci, denounced her. Protesters brought a 30-ton steamroller to crush her cassettes in Rockefeller Center. Catholic leaders were outraged, including some who were forced to resign years later for their roles in covering up abuse.

Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, who resigned in 2002, said at the time that her actions were "a gesture of hate."
A spokesman for Cardinal Roger M. Mahony of Los Angeles, who was removed from public duties in 2013, called her actions "just another example of anti-Catholicism."
♦ more... www.nytimes.com

July 28,2023
Following the announcement of Sinéad O'Connor's death aged 56 Wednesday, her life and music with all their complexities and convulsions have been put back into the spotlight.

The Irish singer was known for her pure and crisp voice, paired with exceptional songwriting abilities that evoked her views on politics,
spirituality, history and philosophy, but it was the moment when she tore up a picture of Pope John Paul II on "Saturday Night Live" in October 1992 that has defined public image.

As she reached the end of an acapella version of Bob Marley's "War," O'Connor held up a photo of John Paul II while singing the lyrics,
"We have confidence in the victory of good over evil," her crystal-clear voice interrupted only by the sound of paper tearing.

She ripped up the picture, threw the pieces toward the camera, looked straight into its lens and said: "Fight the real enemy,"
before taking out her earpiece and walking off the stage, the shards of her protest seemingly piercing the silence in the studio.

At first, the act drew widespread condemnation, but in subsequent years this eventually gave way to admiration as the Catholic Church
acknowledged and apologized for the sexual abuse perpetrated by members of the clergy, often toward children.
♦ more... edition.cnn.com


June 10, 2023
The funeral service was held yesterday.
A man who was a barrister and a talented musician but struggled throughout his life with the effects of being sexually assaulted at Burke Hall.

His life came to a crisis point with many things falling apart and he could not find or see any way to resolve them.

He had considered making a compensation claim to the Society of Jesus but did not have the strength to do it.
That is understandable, the process is unwelcoming and staffed by unqualified people whose main job is to defend against claims.

Xavier College itself does not welcome survivors or have any support service in place.
Xavier College has in place an agreement with In Good Faith Foundation (IGFF) to accept Xavier survivors as clients.
IGFF provides a client support service by a case worker, they do not provide psychological services or counselling services.

This man did contact IGFF and was disappointed with their response and took it no further.
Perhaps he did not explain himself fully, perhaps the IGFF person was not skilled in understanding if a person is in crisis, or know how to read the signs and how to talk to a person in crisis.
This underlines how completely wrong the Xavier-IGFF deal is, it is wrong morally and ethically.
Xavier College has given more money to IGFF to relieve them of the nuisance of talking to survivors, than to any and all survivors.

He could not reach out to Xavier College, they would tell him to go see IGFF.
He could not reach out to the Society of Jesus, they do nothing to support survivors.
He could not reach out to the Old Xaverians Association, they also do nothing to support survivors.
The simple message is we don't want to know you, we don't care if it was one of our priests or brothers who ruined your life, please go away.

A cynical person might say, why didn't he call Lifeline (or another support service).
This cynical person understands nothing about trauma and depression.
This man needed a lot more than someone to talk to on the telephone.

The great failure and disgrace is that there is nothing in place for a survivor in crisis.
It is my personal opinion that if Xavier College actually welcomed survivors and had a qualified psychologist on staff or to call in when needed, and sent the message that we are truly contrite and want to help you, it would have made a big difference to this man.

When the school responsible (vicariously, failure of duty of care) for the abuse is in denial and acts immorally and dishonestly, the trauma is compounded.
If Xavier College had in place things we have been asking them to do for years this man's life might have been saved.
Even if the Society of Jesus had a properly qualified trauma psychologist to be the contact person instead of a former Federal Police Officer, this man's life might have been saved.
(another request we have made that's been ignored)

Is Xavier College and the Society of Jesus responsible for this man's death?



Well I made it through the year without a defamation suit.
This little website is still telling the truth, which is why among the avid readers are lawyers from Tony Hargreaves and Partners looking for anything that would be a breach of a Deed of Release. Hi guys!! merry Christmas!

How much did Survivor X receive in compensation? He can't tell you, its a term of the settlement!

This year's Simon and Garfunkle Sounds of Silence Award can only go to Fr. Quyen Vu SJ, the Jesuit Provincial, who since starting the job on January 01, 2021 has not said one word about historical sex abuse by Jesuit priests, brothers or employed lay teachers.
Even after a settlement he won't talk to the survivor.

There was a lot of competition for this prestigious award. Second place was rightfully earned by Xavier College Principal Bill Doherty and the Xavier Board for steadfastly refusing to comment on Eldon Hogan's money when the story hit the Age newspaper.
♦ story here....

Pope Francis: 'It is not truly Christmas without the poor'

Christmas must not be distracted by decorations, gifts and other forms of consumerism, but instead, find concrete ways to help out the poor.
The pope was joined by some 25 cardinals, 15 bishops, 200 priests and an estimated 7,000 mass-goers inside the basilica
"As always, the principal victims of this human greed are the weak and the vulnerable."
a world ravenous for money, power and pleasure does not make room for the little ones


There's a lot to look forward to this coming year.

End of the World – May 21, 2023
President of the Family Radio Christian network, Harold Camping, warned the world of the approaching apocalypse, as per the Bible.
He claimed that the rapture and the Judgment Day would occur on May 21, 2011, the day Christians would ascend to Heaven. He also declared that the end of the world would take place five months after that, on October 21.
♦ End of the World Day on May 21

December 20, 2022
Fr. Marko Rupnik is at the center of a complicated, and still unfolding, set of allegations in Rome.
The global leader of the Jesuit order on Wednesday told journalists that Fr. Marko Ivan Rupnik SJ, was (briefly) excommunicated in 2019 — two years before he faced allegations of spiritually abusing religious sisters in the priest's native Slovenia.

Rupnik victim speaks out

Fr. Marko Rupnik SJ
1993
Another abused novice nun reported Rupnik to her Superior. was temporarily removed from the community for the summer.
In confession I then started to tell Rupnik's spiritual advisor, Father Tomáš Špidlík (who was later created cardinal deacon in 2003) about the abuse, and he stopped me, saying that those were my things and that he did not want to listen to me.
He also advised me to write a letter of resignation, a letter that he then wrote himself , that there were no specific reasons for my request to be released from vows, only a generic tension that I was no longer able to bear.

Her complaint was ignored by her Superior, Rupnik's Jesuit superiors and Archbishop Šuštar.
A meeting to discuss the matter between Rupnik, her Superior and the archbishop was deliberately hobbled and nothing was done.
Rupnik was removed from contact with the nun's community.

At a nun's community meeting she was silenced and told she was under the influence of the devil.
1994
The Church and the Jesuit order knew about the facts since 1994, when I personally brought my request for a dispensation of vows to the Archbishop of Ljubljana, in which I denounced Father Rupnik's abuse.

1996
Another sister spoke in 1998 with Father Francisco J. Egaña, delegate for the international houses of the Society of Jesus in Rome. He listened to her but did nothing.

2019
Rupnik was excommunicated, following a 2019 complaint, for absolving in confession a woman with whom he had a sexual relationship

June 2022
I wrote an open letter, addressed to the Jesuit General Father Sosa, in which I repeated my complaint against Father Rupnik. The copy included, among others, Cardinal Luis Ladaria, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Cardinal Vicar of Rome Angelo De Donatis, Father Johan Verschueren, Father Hans Zollner SJ, the director of the Aletti Centre Maria Campatelli and other members of the Society of Jesus and the Aletti Centre. I have had no reply from any of them.

October 2022
the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith closed an ecclesiastical investigation into Rupnik in October 2022 because it considered that the facts were beyond the statute of limitations.

2022
The Society of Jesus delegate in Rome, Father Johan Verschueren, has said that Rupnik is not accused of sexual abuse but of 'transgressive behavior' during confession.
♦ full story....... media articles about this scandal



November 22, 2022
Leading Catholic boys' school Xavier College has been accused of unfairly awarding school prizes, miscalculating grades and poorly maintaining academic records.
The father and mother of a year 12 student were dubbed "tiger parents" by one state official after they complained about the subjective nature of the elite school's academic grading and award system.
The parents have complained to the Independent Broad-based Anti- Corruption Commission about how
the Victorian Registration and Qualifications Authority failed to hold Xavier College to account for
alleged failures in record-keeping of grades and its handling of complaints.

They have also complained to the Victorian Ombudsman and the Office of the Information Commissioner
as a result of their treatment by a range of church and educational organisations.
The state official from schools regulator the VRQA denies they used the term "tiger parent".

Issues emerged in 2020 when the student – substantially an A and A+ achiever –
was not awarded a special distinction prize at the end of year 10, and again in year 12.
This led to his parents raising concerns with teachers over the awarding of marks for individual as well as group assignments,
along with the lack of procedural fairness and transparency associated with assessments and prize-giving.

The family argued there was a lack of transparency and objectivity in the way the school "determined gradings, rankings and alleged 'academic' awards".
In a letter to the school board, the parents said: "This complaint started off as merely my family seeking clarity
on the outcomes of my son's results and the rationale for the outcomes of the 2020 Award Giving. In the process,
my interactions with the relevant staff members have uncovered material process and governance failures which potentially jeopardise the school's registration".
The parents said they had spent $180,000 on fees and should be "treated fairly as with any other company providing a service".

The school could not substantiate their son's results, which had detrimental effects on his mental health.
The parents are also concerned about privacy, alleging protected information including about
their son's mental health was shared between the principal, some staff, the Society of Jesus and others in violation of the Privacy Act.

A VRQA spokesman said the Catholic Education Commission, as the approved review body for Catholic schools, investigated this matter at the request of the VRQA.
"The investigation identified some opportunities for Xavier College to strengthen its complaints policy," he said.
Xavier College declined to comment. It is understood to be supporting the student.
IBAC was contacted for comment.
♦ www.heraldsun.com.au


(when things are bad they can only get worse I suppose)

November 23, 2022
Hackers have threatened to publish the personal information of current and prospective students of Xavier College online after a cyberattack, the school says.

The hack took place in June, but the school waited until this week to inform the families after it deemed that the number of people whose information had been stolen was much greater than it first thought.

The Catholic boys' college said that when a key administrative staff member was hacked four months ago, it believed just 45 students were exposed, but it confirmed on Tuesday that more than 100 students or their family members had sensitive information, including birth certificates, visa applications, parenting arrangements and financial information, stolen.

The college said it initially kept the security breach secret from the wider school community because it had no evidence the stolen data would be misused or publicly disclosed.

"Then, in late October, it came to our attention that an unauthorised third party may disclose details of these mailbox contents," a school spokesman said.

"The college has now taken steps to re-assess the original data and re-evaluate the risk parameters to consider whether any further individuals have been affected.

"As we did in June, immediate notification to specific individuals is occurring, while our wider school community has also been informed. The college network, learning and database systems remain secure."

Members of the school community received a warning on Tuesday that their information might have been compromised, with the hacker gaining access to an email account that includes information relating to students' and families' finances, admissions, fundraising, scholarships, pastoral care and – for a small cohort of individuals – health information.

The school said no academic data was stolen.
♦ 20221122_Notification_Letter_to_Old_Xaverians.pdf
♦ www.theage.com.au



National Survivors' Day aims to
Acknowledge the profound harm caused to Survivors and the community by sexual assault and institutional abuse

Support efforts towards de-stigmatisation, and public acceptance of the work undertaken by Survivors and advocates

Work to improve responses to Survivors and all those impacted by Sexual Assault and Institutional Abuse
♦ www.nationalsurvivorsday.org.au
♦ Sexual abuse survivors launch national day to encourage others to speak up

In Good Faith Foundation (IGFF) and LOUD Fence Inc. have committed to the creation and establishment of A National Day of Recognition for those impacted by Sexual Assault and Institutional Abuse.

The Day will serve to commemorate the courage and journeys of Survivors of sexual abuse, their Supporters, and Whistle-blowers across Australia.

One of the FOUR Loud Fences ripped down by Xavier College.




Again this week the Society of Jesus shows that is has no genuine remorse or conscience.
As compensation for sex abuse a survivor was offered about the what a 1930 penny is worth, $60,000.

This was rejected out of hand of course.

This is the game. It is a game and the only thing the Society of Jesus is interested in is paying as little as possible.
Its all about the money.

This disgraceful treatment of survivors is being driven by Simon Davies, the Jesuit's Director of Culture, Risk and Professional Standards.

October 21, 2022
Parents have lashed the elite school for failing to disclose a long-serving teacher is at the centre of stalking and sexual harassment allegations.

Xavier Teacher Stood Down
A long-serving teacher at Xavier College has been stood down and is under internal investigation by the elite Kew school.
It is understood 11 past and present female staff members have made complaints of sexual harassment, stalking and inappropriate professional conduct against the man.
Camberwell police have confirmed they have "received several reports of stalking involving a number of victims via social media
alleged to have occurred between 12 and 23 of September".

"As the investigation is in its infancy and ongoing, we are not in a position to provide further comment at this stage," a police spokeswoman said.
The teacher is accused of sexual harassment, stalking and inappropriate professional conduct.
The school is not believed to be aware of the police involvement and said they were engaging in an independent investigative process after receiving complaints from staff.

The teacher, who formerly taught at Mount Scopus Memorial College, and held several senior positions at Xavier College,
is still registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
The Herald Sun has been contacted by a representative of the group of women, who have been asked to sign confidentiality agreements by the school.
She alleges the man's wrongdoing goes back more than a decade.

"Women have been deeply traumatised by him," the woman said. "He has been contacting them online under alias accounts".
The women have told the school the man would "routinely target women, especially new female staff members, groom them, gaslight them, make them feel special, and then offer them a lift home for 'safety'".

"When he felt the time was right and they were alone together, he would kiss them, try to touch them, say sexually explicit things to them," she said.
She said the actions made the women feel "shamed and sexually harassed".
"This has been going on for more than a decade," she said.

It seems that e really does equal mc squared and time slows down as you approach the speed of a Xavier College response to abuse so that 10 years becomes one second.

"Jump in my car, I wanna ta-ake you home
Mmm, jump in my car, it's too far to walk on your ow-own
No thank you sir-ir
Ah, c'mon, I'm a trustworthy guy
No thank you sir-ir
Oh little girl I wouldn't tell you no lie"
Ted Mulry Gang
♦ www.heraldsun.com.au

October 22, 2022
A senior private school teacher is being investigated over sexual harassment and stalking claims— with the principal asking staff not to discuss the matter.
Xavier College principal Bill Doherty has asked staff not to discuss the school's investigation of a senior teacher following allegations of sexual harassment and stalking.
He said this was in order to protect the women involved in the probe.

As many as 11 female current and former staff members of the school have raised complaints against the long-serving teacher, who has been stood down.
The police are also investigating stalking allegations against the man.
Earlier, parents expressed their fury over the news of the college's internal investigation into a year 12 teacher over the alleged stalking and sexual harassment of female staff.
The long-serving staff member who is the subject of the school's probe was a senior staff member and head of house.
Many parents were at a mother's lunch yesterday and were still out when the story broke on the Herald Sun website on Thursday evening.
"We haven't been told anything by the school – our son's year 12 maths teacher left without explanation at the start of the term and we were told nothing, " one parent said.
Students who inquired about their missing teacher were told by other teachers: "legally we can't comment".
Staff were called into a briefing with Mr Doherty on Friday morning.

Mr Doherty reiterated to both staff and students that the "protection, safety and care of all members of staff is a priority, as it is for our students".
He told parents it was "unfortunate" he needed to contact them in light of the publication of details about the investigation in the Herald Sun.
The principal told staff and parents the Herald Sun story was "inaccurate" but did not detail in which way.
But the Herald Sun stands by its original report.
Mr Doherty also said the conduct did not relate to the safety of children.

The letter to parents said the school will "always communicate with you on relevant staffing matters if and when it is appropriate.
"If there is anything you wish to raise with the College, you are always welcome and encouraged to do so through our established communication channels ," he said.
He assured staff that any matters raised would be investigated according to "sound processes that accord procedural fairness" and involve the appropriate authorities when and where relevant.
The teacher is accused of sexual harassment, stalking and inappropriate professional conduct.
"The College remains resolute in our commitment to upholding the respect, dignity and integrity of all staff and our staff working environment.
This is particularly the case for our female members of staff in matters of the nature alluded to in the reporting," he said.

Mr Doherty said he was mindful of the impact of the report on the women who raised the complaints and that the school is doing "do all we can to protect and care for women involved".
"We are also mindful of the privacy and right to procedural fairness for the member of staff that has been referenced, noting that the reporting and commentary is incredibly unhelpful for an established process being undertaken and for the people who are connected to this investigation," he wrote.

Mr Doherty said he was "not able to and will not make public comment on a matter that concerns a member of staff and that is currently under investigation"
It is understood 11 past and present female staff members have made complaints of sexual harassment, stalking and inappropriate professional conduct against the man.

Camberwell police have confirmed they have "received several reports of stalking involving a number of victims via social media alleged to have occurred between 12 and 23 of September".
"As the investigation is in its infancy and ongoing, we are not in a position to provide further comment at this stage," a police spokeswoman said.
The school is not believed to be aware of the police involvement and said they were engaging in an independent investigative process after receiving complaints from staff.

The teacher, who formerly taught at Mount Scopus Memorial College, and held several senior positions at Xavier College, is still registered with the Victorian Institute of Teaching.
The Herald Sun has been contacted by a representative of the group of women, who have been asked to sign confidentiality agreements by the school.
She alleges the man's wrongdoing goes back more than a decade.

"Women have been deeply traumatised by him," the woman said. "He has been contacting them online under alias accounts".
The women have told the school the man would "routinely target women, especially new female staff members, groom them, gaslight them, make them feel special, and then offer them a lift home for 'safety'".
"When he felt the time was right and they were alone together, he would kiss them, try to touch them, say sexually explicit things to them," she said.
She said the actions made the women feel "shamed and sexually harassed".
"This has been going on for more than a decade," she said.
♦ www.heraldsun.com.au


William Doherty, Xavier Principal

Xavier College's Term 4 started on Monday October 3, 2022.
So, back then the staff must have made a complaint to Mr. Doherty and the teacher was stood down.
Three weeks later why did they feel it necessary to tell the Herald Sun the story?
Are they unhappy with the school's response?

The school is engaged in an "independent investigative process". Who is that?
Could it be Safeguarding Services Pty. Ltd. (ABN 56 617 975 407), a company owned by Simon Davies, the Director of Culture, Risk and Professional Standards for the Society of Jesus?

The school really must disclose who is doing the investigation, that's one of the primary tenets of trust and transparency.

The teachers are forbidden talking to students and others about the matter probably by a clause in their employment contract.

Mr. Doherty loves his "communication channels".
These are designed to control the information flow so it ends up where you want it and is kept away from other parties.
"channels" are also used to deflect queries into a dead end street.
Once when I pressed for an answer on the morality of taking money from a sex abuser's trust (Eldon Hogan) Mr. Doherty repeatedly said there are channels, meaning go and talk to the Society of Jesus, I will not answer that question.

Allegedly this teacher's behaviour went on for ten years.
Staff other than the victims would know about it.
Is there a culture problem in the school where women are afraid to make a complaint?
Was a complaint made earlier and was it "managed" and shut down?
(strong similarities with historic sex abuse complaints).

A relative of Patrick O'Sullivan has objected to this report.
read about it here.... ♦ MWP Diary - Patrick O'Sullivan


JESUIT WASHING
According to this gaggle of Jesuit priests Patrick O'Sullivan was a wonderful man, a great spiritual advisor and friendly to all and very well liked.


Patrick O'Sullivan SJ Death Notice
O'SULLIVAN SJ, Fr. Patrick Neil
On May 31st 2022 at Campion House, Kew, Victoria

Concelebrated Requiem Mass in Thanksgiving for the life Fr. Patrick Neil O'Sullivan SJ will be offered at the Immaculate Conception Church Burwood Road Hawthorn on Tuesday June 14th at 10.30am
The burial will take place on Thursday June 16th at 11.00am at the Melbourne General Cemetery, College Crescent Carlton.

Alleged abuse of adult woman Noreen Wood.
♦ Patrick O'Sullivan SJ biography
♦ See the Noreen Wood story.

Former Jesuit Provincial Patrick O'Sullivan SJ
"He's telling me about his ejaculations and drinking. He pushes me against the wall and tells me in explicit language what he'd like to do to me." Noreen Wood