Oh No! My Priest is in Big Trouble - Local News...

[readmylips]

Phoenix Catholic official placed on leave over allegation of sexual nature
The Arizona Republic
Dec. 29, 2004 04:45 PM

Monsignor Dale Fushek, founder of the nation's largest Roman Catholic youth organization, was placed on administrative leave Wednesday while his superiors investigate an allegation of a sexual nature brought by a former parishioner.

A spokeswoman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix confirmed for The Arizona Republic that an attorney representing the parishioner alerted church leaders to the allegations Tuesday. "An allegation was brought to us by an attorney whose client claims a repressed memory involving Msgr. Dale Fushek...etc.

...etc...
Fushek, longtime pastor at St. Timothy's Parish in Mesa, founded the Life Teen organization in 1985 to reach out to youngsters who felt the church was irrelevant. Under his charismatic leadership, Life Teen has grown to more than 100,000 members with Masses in 850 churches across the nation each week.

In 1995, the Diocese of Phoenix quietly paid $45,000 to settle a sexual harassment claim brought against Fushek by a former Life Teen employee. There was no indication that the latest allegations involved direct sexual activity by Fushek.

----------------------------------
Father (Monsignor) Dale is so much loved in our church and throughout the community. This is a huge shocker.

[Maple]

1. There is lots of

data on 'repressed memory' stuff being bunk.

But the church is an easy target right now.

[DemBones DemBones]

5. Yes, the Chuch is an easy target right now. It's worse than

being a teacher, to be a priest today. Anyone can make a claim and ruin your career, ruin your life. I've seen it done to teachers.

I hate child molesters but I'm sure some of these charges are fraudulent.

[AngryOldDem]

14. "Repressed memory...."

<<ding,ding,ding>>>

Warning bells going off.

And you're right...no matter what happens, this man's life is, in effect, ruined.

[autorank]

6. Hi there. There is a lot of real research on the complexity of

memory and much by objective researchers that shows sometimes memories are unassimilated and appear to be lost. From Stanford University:
http://news-service.stanford.edu/news/2004/january14/memory-114.html
Interestingly, there was no mention of "repressed memories" in the text above. The church is an easy target because it refused/refuses to stop molesters from practicing their craft. Other churches and organizations are guilty also but the Catholic Church, which I like, is really sloppy about this. The list of verified molestation cases is just stunning, those that the church itself admits (through settlements, apologies, etc.). Any priest who has molested a child should be kicked out, pure and simple. They can be "forgiven" and still disciplined. They forfeit the right to serve when they do this. The church made its own bed.

[autorank]

13. Maple,my appologies, I stand corrected on the meition of

"repressed memories" in the article. Do take a look at the link I provided because that's also correct. Again, my error.

[sherilocks]

20. Repressed memories are not bunk

and I speak from personal experience. I didn't sue anybody or make any profit from it, but the migraine headaches that I suffered with for years went away with the recollections. There's much more, but suffice to say, I was fortunate enough to be able to prove a lot that my family denied.

[autorank]

2. They should be ashamed but they know no shame.

Golly gee, I wonder what this guy's problem was in 1995? I wonder if, given the context of the past 5-6 years of intense examination, they might have kept him away from teens. I'm pro Catholic so save the flames. I just find the hierarchy to be negligent in managing these types of problems. Time to allow married priests. Won't solve all the problems but it will bring some people into the church who actually have experience with some of the key subjects, e.g., sex, marriage, family. Geez, what will it take for these guys.

[DemBones DemBones]

3. That's a funny sort of "pro-Catholic" statement. nt

[autorank]

7. I think the church's social agenda is terrific, support of peace superb.

I don't like the fact that in supporting "pro-life" activists in the country, it negates these positions because that group is solid Republican. I don't like any organizational behavior that protects itself by hiding criminals. Look at the history of this. It's a mess and there was a lot of "transferring problems" much to the detriment of kids all over the country. So, yes, I'm pro Catholic. I wish every Christian denomination had asocial agenda like theirs and a voice for peace like the Pope's, IMHO.

[theHandpuppet]

16. A social agenda such as...

... the aggressive and public persecution of gays around the world? Condemning stem cell research and birth control? The relegation of women as eternal second-class citizens?

Yeah, okay. Whatever.

[Jackpine Radical]

21. A local priest told his congregation that anyone who voted for Kerry

could not receive Communion.

[readmylips]

8. Father Dale follows the Rules and Laws of the Vatican but...

he strongly believes that Priests should marry and have children. He would love to marry and have a family, the Vatican says no and that's what he obeys. We did have one Priest leave the church and marry. I'm sure Father Dale was jealous but he's a man devoted to his calling of the Priesthood.

Our last Bishop, Bishop Thomas is in jail for killing a pedestrian and leaving the scene of the accident.

[autorank]

10. I don't know the facts here. The general problem is created by

past events and how they were handled. I did follow the Bishop Thomas hit & run case a bit and it was very sad. I hope you get some good shepherds out there.

It is particularly difficult when people who judge by our explicit permission then turn around and bend the rules, i.e., Bishop Thomas. For your sake, I hope the Father is innocent.

[RUDUing2]

19. so you automatically assume the priest is guilty. Why?

[InvisibleBallots]

4. "repressed memory" = 100% Bullshit

Time to milk the scandal for all it's worth! Maybe I should call a lawyer and tell him about my "repressed memories" - see if I can make a few hundred thou out of it.

[marcologico]

9. that's really sad.

What can you do about it, probably not much, except pray that the payout doesn't mean selling your church. These days $45,000 is chump change compared to settlements in California. It's pretty much open season and attorneys know it. In fact last year's "Attorney of the Year" was Mitchell Garabedian, the guy that prosecuted the priest who later got murdered in prison.

[Tinoire]

11. The garment torn asunder. n/t

[kodi]

12. why are so many christian ministers sex perverts?

.

[AngryOldDem]

15. Sorry to hear of this...

Phoenix and Mesa have certainly had a number of blows this year; it must be difficult for all of you.

[Bridget Burke]

17. "Repressed Memory"?

If a crime was committed, the victim (or parents) should go directly to the police & file charges. That is the ONLY way that an offender can be taken out of society. The Church gave up its dungeons a couple of centuries ago.

And, by using the court system, there's a chance that any false charges can be tossed out. They do happen--and anything based on repressed memory is highly suspect.

Do people want the real abuses stopped--or do they just want money?

[RUDUing2]

18. why a shocker...huge money involved..a claim that can not be disproven..

a climate in which the person will be believed w/out much effort to verify their reliability...

Doesn't matter if it is true or not..the person doesn't have to prove their claims..priest are considered guilty unless they can prove their innocence..

One case the priest was able to show he wasn't assigned to the parish until a year after the person claims he molested them and that the *overnight* trip the person said the assault occured on was a day trip...and people still believed the priest was guilty.

Just an example of the hidden prejudice agains the RCC in the US..

[Tracer]

22. I have no doubt that sexual offenses have occured in the RCC...

... I say this as a Catholic whose pastor was caught out with 2 illegitimate children and a dead mistress in his bed.

And I'm just as firm in my belief that opportunists are crawling out of the woodwork to cash in with phony claims.

[RUDUing2]

23. exactly.

There are and have been several pederast priest and a few pedophile ones..but there have also been priest falsely accused. My issue is with how eager the press and Mr. and Mrs. average america is to believe any and all claims and how little effort is made to detirmine if the claims are truthful or out of spite.