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JMJ
The CMTV campaign against the SSPX (ie: Not for the victims) is winding down and I think it is time to do a stock take. I originally was going to review the articles, but the volume of FUD and UFFI* makes this a fruitless task - so I'm going to sum up my conclusions.
First, there are actual cases of abuse (neither creepy nor possibly inappropriate behavior qualifies) that have already been addressed in various ways over the years. I would be surprised if there are not active cases that the SSPX is examining. That's why they have instituted the P2P program, to be proactive. I have been involved in the development of early versions of the program and in my opinion it is a good program. Further, I'm happy to see it being implemented in the USA. In addition, to my knowledge Fr. Angles was not involved in the early development of the program.
Second, instead of promoting them, those listed and actually guilty of abuse are, to the best of my knowledge, no longer members of the SSPX. This is a key difference between the SSPX and the situation that enabled McCarrick to rise to the ranks of the hierarchy.
Third, the CMTV 'articles' are poorly written and researched. I found the Kansas City Star (KCS) article way easier to read than the confused CMTV articles and more balanced. Frankly, I found the CMTV video all flash and dash. Thinking about it now I found the KCS refreshing.
Fourth, as noted the CMTV 'articles' string together a number of various allegations and tries to make a case for a conspiracy theory.
One article in particular lays out a string of assumptions (I stopped counting after five) and attempts to make inferences based on this non-existant foundation. In short, the lesson taught to me by a senior engineer still holds:
When you assume something you make an ASS out of U and ME
The fact that no trad media have jumped on the CMTV SSPX Bashing Trad Wagon for me is just confirmation that CMTV's argument that the SSPX is "Sympathetic to Perverts" doesn't stand up to the light. Interestingly, when they realised they weren't getting tracking, Voris et al complain that no one is picking up their story and that trads are bashing them. As my kids would say, "Seriously?"
This campaign has simply made an ass out of Mr. Voris and Ms. Niles.
Fifth, several of the articles are told soley from the perspective of people whose credibility is suspect due holes in their story, their character, mental stability, or simply repeating old (decades) claims. Sadly. one of them is from a person claiming to be a witch.
CMTV seems to operate under a confirmation bias, especially with the Jassy case, where there is real abuse there must be a conspiracy. Recently, som have stepped forward to provide context in the Fr. Abbet case:
Sixth, a number of the stories are locked in time. Either they are old stories of people expelled from the SSPX or they don't take into account that people and circumstances change. One victim couldn't believe that a priest who allegedly abused him hadn't abused someone else in the intervening years.
Lots has changed over the years, in some cases the guilty priests had psychiatric assessments, others were sent to the various isolated houses. Another change is the rolling implementation of P2P in North America.
Finally, the underlying theme is guilt by association in which the conspiracy theory is put forward that the abusers must have great influence in the SSPX. Right, so great an influence that they are expelled etc.
I'm glad that we're not in a communist country where guilt by association is a valid piece of evidence.
My conclusion is that the CMTV campaign has changed neither the situation nor the outcome.
The real investigation was being done by the police investigators, with
whom the SSPX was cooperating prior to the CMTV article. Just like Fr.
Angles cooperated with the authorities when, in the wake of the Waco
crisis, allegations of weapons caches emerged. The SSPX is following the Catholic
principles for handling these situations and crimes, and from my review those who need to know
(those with a responsibility and authority) are involved.
End message: Pray for the real abuse victims.
P^3
* UFFI is my new acronym for : Unfounded Faulty Fabricated Inferences
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