Fucking Outrage

Yeah, we all know about the scandals involving Catholic priests and child molestation... I grew up a Catholic, in New England, so the whole Boston archdiocese story was never too far removed from my life. But this is waaay too close to home...

This is the town I grew up in, these are churches and places I know, and my father was a firefighter in West Hartford and I spent plenty of time hanging around the station. And this fucker was at the top of his game in the mid '70s—did I mention I'm 39?—putting me smack in his wheelhouse.

This truly seems to be a case of "there but by the grace of God, go I..." *

Seems this particular fucking predator piece of shit used his stature as Fire and Police Chaplain as his angle to entice and molest young boys. Preying in particular on kids who dreamed of serving the public by becoming police- or firemen, this Foley animal always drove a specially equipped car with lights, sirens, radios, etc.

The victims all told a version of the same story - they were impressed that Foley was the state police chaplain because they could ride in his police car right up to accident and fire scenes. Along the way, Doe said, Foley plied them with Yukon Jack and Southern Comfort from a fully stocked bar he kept in the back. He even had special fire jackets made up that said "Chaplain's Assistant" on the back.

One accuser told investigators that Foley would come to his house at all hours of the night, sometimes rousing him out of bed, "under the premise of taking him to a fire scene, when in reality the reason was for some sort of sexual contact."

Others said Foley would invite them to spend the night with him at Christ the King church rectory in Bloomfield for the purpose of responding to scanner calls and but would then fondle and masturbate them.

And as you would expect, it now comes out that the church knew all about it, moved this guy around and covering the whole thing up. Eventually giving him NO parish, but allowing him to continue his duties as fire and police chaplain, and even allowing him to continue to drive his Crown Vic to this day!

There appear to be all kinds of shenanigans regarding various State Police investigations over the years of this guy, too. Obviously, they have an interest in this as well.

The fact that idealogues and people in power seem to be able to justify any action (or inaction) soley based on the cost/benefit to their interests never ceases to amaze me. There is no possible moral justification for this, yet it was a systematic problem for the church for years, and apparently remains one to this day.

I might actually have to let my fury over this story steep a little longer before I consider this post wrapped. Right now I am so angry I actually have a problem wiith my dad for still going to church.

Disgusting.

* No, the irony of using a religious quote is not lost on me.

UPDATE: Colin McEnroe follows up:

The only thing the Archbishop has proven is that the Archbishop doesn't like being in the middle of a crapstorm. His response to a lot of bad publicity has been to do what he would have done a long time ago, if he were the hard-nosed sheriff he wants us to think he is.

[...]This is nonsense. The Archdiocese hadn't even taken Foley's Pedomobile away. So how were they controlling him?