www.byzcath.org Forums News & Events Church News Here we go again: another cover-up of another priest scandal

Here we go again: another cover-up of another priest scandal.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo, Ohio, U.S.A. is admitting that one if its priests, Fr. David Nuss (who till recently had been the diocese's vocations director), had an "inappropriate, consensual relationship" with a woman. However, the real scandal is in the diocese's cover-up of the matter and in the fact that the diocese admitted the affair only months later and only after being confronted with it.

Fr. Nuss had the affair at least in the Autumn of 2006, perhaps longer. According to the Diocese of Toledo, he allegedly reported it to his bishop in January, 2007; and he allegedly ended the affair at that time too. (However, according to another source, he may have continued it through mid-February, 2007.)

However, the diocese said and did nothing publicly about the matter from January 2007 till 22 July 2007. Instead, Fr. Nuss was allowed to continue to serve as a priest and as the diocese's vocation director. He was also still scheduled to become a pastor in July, 2007.

It wasn't until 22 July 2007 --after the bishop was confronted about the matter three weeks earlier-- that the diocese publicly admitted to the affair. According to the diocese's statement of that date, Fr. Nuss has been put on a "brief sabbatical" to which he is "entitled," and he will be assigned "pastoral ministry" later.

For the news report, see:
http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070723/NEWS10/307230012

for the Diocese's statement (page 1), a letter by SNAP (page 2) and the original email (page 3), see:
http://www.toledoblade.com/assets/pdf/TO23963723.PDF

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This makes me so ANGRY !

I am not so much angry about the affair. That is bad, but sexual sin can take down anyone in a moment of weakness. The people involved need prayer and counseling more than punishment.

Instead, I am angry at the diocese for covering this up. After the recent, copious scandals involving sexual misconduct by priests and bishops covering it up, the response of the bishops was supposed to be zero tolerance for sexual misconduct and openness when charges were made.

Well, precisely the opposite happened in this case. According to the diocese's own press release, the bishop knew about the sexual misconduct of Fr. Nuss in January, 2007 by Fr. Nuss' own admission. Yet, the bishop said and did nothing about this till he was confronted by three people on 2 July 2007. And then, the diocese only publicly admitted to this on 22 July 2007. Hence, instead of reform, there's just more tolerance and cover-up for sexual misconduct by the clergy.

Also, I am amazed --at either the chutzpah or idiocy, I can't decide which-- of the diocese's assumption that this matter would just quietly go away. In the era of the internet and in the wake of worldwide scandals involving the Catholic Church, it was stunning stupidity for the diocese to stay quiet about this. The bishop should have been brought this matter to the public's attention forthrightly in January, 2007, when the priest admitted his guilt to his bishop; and then the priest should have been publicly dismissed from his assignment for a lengthy leave of absence and penance and counseling. If that had happened, perhaps the priest would be half way to the point of returning to productive work by now. Instead, we have the beginning of another scandal.

Finally, it amazes me that the woman involved was the widow of a man for whom this priest gave a funeral. That means the woman involved was probably emotionally vulnerable, and that vulnerability was probably exploited by the priest, which means that she is probably due some damages . . . at least for counseling. Etc. And that means more money will be spent by the diocese on cleaning up a scandal instead of serving the Church and the needy. Why doesn't the Church just go ahead and sell all of its church property now and give the money to the trial lawyers and the psychological counselors ?

Oh, this is so STUPID ! So WASTEFUL ! So DESTRUCTIVE of TRUST !

Lord have mercy.

Again, I'm not so much mad at the affair -- that's bad, but things like that can happen. Instead, I'm outraged that the Church hierarchy is still practicing cover-ups after all the recent scandals and after all the promises of reform.

Also: I am NOT against the Church or the Faith, and I'm not trying to weaken anybody's faith. This scandal has NOTHING to do with the Gospel of Jesus Christ or the truth of the Church. Also, this scandal has NOTHING to do with the very many good men and women who dedicate their lives to serving God and neighbor by being members of the clergy. Instead, this scandal is about human weakness and human stupidity in the Church's very human hierarchy.

Anymore, I think the only way in which the Church hierarchy will shape up is when the laity stops giving it money. And yes, that will hurt some of the good as well as the bad. But, apparently, financial losses and public scandals are the only things which the Church hierarchy understand and respond to. That's true, I'm sad to say, for the hierarchy of the Orthodox Church in America. It's also apparently true, I'm sad to say, for the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church.


In Disgust,

-- John

John,

I don't know if this will help, but sometimes I am helped by reflecting on the history of corruption among Christians. It helps me because then, at least, I realize that this is just more of the same and things probably will not get better in the future. All one has to do is read Dante's Divine Comedy to get an idea of how corrupt the highest officials of the Church can become. But, on the bright side of things, it does motivate me to pay attention to my own life more and battle sin. If such scandals inspire us to more fervent faith and attempts at holiness, then it is good (not good in itself). At least, God brings good out of evil.

Joe

John:

Hierarchical machinations are deplorable but bunching this Toledo "cover-up" with those involving sexually abused minors may not be as tactful.

The Toledo incident involves two consenting adults and the priest has broken disciplinary measures and his vows but there is no indication of criminal wrong-doing. Toledo's Bishop may have been investigating the matter before it became public.

Yes, both types are sexual misconduct but the zero tolerance policy adopted by the USCCB was directed at the sexual abuse of (assault on) minors by clergy. The sexual relationship that developed between the Toledo priest and a widowed parishioner is "scandalous" but not predatory.

Discretion should be the better part of valor!

This title seems a bit inflamitory for several reasons which I would like to offer below.


If the personal sins of a Priest weren't disclosed where is the scandal in that? Don't get me wrong I in no way am condoning the breaking of the vow of celebacy which by the way is not biblical but prudent church policy. However, though were not in their shoes you yourself acknowlege the relationship was between consensual adults.


How do we know this sin wasn't under the protection of the confessional? Aside from that who are we to say this Priest may have been reconsidering his calling to the Priesthood in lieu of married life. Not so uncommon an occurance. Should we really be privy to the personal discernment of such matters?


Again, not our place to judge as no civil crime was committed.


Understandable. But your not angry because of the sin but how the Bishop handles it?



Thank you.


This sounds like an assumption and may not be true at all.



No civil laws were broken that were aware of right?


How do we know the Priest wasn't repentant?


Pure speculation. We don't know the circumstances. For all we know the woman exploited the Priest or both were in moments of weakness. Is she pointing fingers or was the Priest the one who brought it to the Bishops attention?


All I can say is thank God my sins from the confessional are kept private and that Jesus blood washes me of my repented sin.


If this is as you say I am unclear of why you're angry about human weakness? How can any sin not entirely have everything to do with the truth of the Gospel of Jesus?

Joe,

Your post helped a lot; and I thank you. This incident has actually spured me to make a decision that I have been putting off. I'm going to work with my spiritual director to take my praxis to a new level of personal discipline. As Christ said, "Unless you do penance, you likewise shall perish." This incident brought that home to me.

Be well.

-- John

AFTER ALL A COUPLE OF MONTHS WOULD BE NECESSARY TO CONCLUDE THE INVESTIGATION, UNLESS AFTER ALL WE CONDEMN HIM WITHOUT FINDING OUT IF THE ACCUSATION WAS TRUE.
STEPHANOS I

I am not sure how else Bishop Blair should have handled this. Called a press conference to announce one of the priests in the diocese had sex with an adult woman and let everyone know about it?

He wasn't hiding some pedophile, or paying out hush money or bullying the victim and the family.

We really don't know the circumstances of this matter, but to assume off the bat that this woman was victimized... Well we don't know that.

I just don't understand why this sin should be a matter of public scandal at all.

The priest sinned. Ok, so do we all. He brought the matter to his Bishop, and it was apparently being resolved without scandal months before the "story broke". The real scandal here is that a private sin has been trotted out for public display and public defamation. This is not abuse of a minor; this isn't the abuse of anyone except for the two adult souls involved, and they are their own victims.

Let's stop for a moment and think about the scenario of OUR sins being trotted out for public display. We are no better than this priest, and some of us may be worse. What scandal is here except the scandal of abusing adults who are apparently repentent and seeking spiritual guidance from their Bishop?

Peace and God bless!

Dear John,

May God's blessings be upon you now and ever and forever. When I read your post's title, I feared the worst for another pedofile report. After reading the content, while my heart is now somewhat broken for those involved, I cannot bear indignaton, righteous or otherwise, for those involved.

It truly breaks my heart to "hear" the anger in your post. This particular case concerned 2 adults in possession of their faculties. True, one shattered his vows, the other her memories. However, they were adults. Neither incapable of saying no to the temptation.

When finally their consciences led them back to the Church, the wheels within the diocese began to spin in the only way they knew how. And now both of them, in what would be a private matter for any other man and woman, has become public fodder. If that is not the beginning of pennance, what is?

How can she raise her head on the street? At Mass? Christ dearly loved Mary Magdalene whom we call Equal to the Apostles. Will you give this woman the chance to reconcile herself publicly? Will you give her the chance to become more than she has been through her one public mistake? My prayers are for her.

And what about the priest? How can he hold the Holy Body and Precious Blood in his hands without wondering am I worthy of the sacrifice? How can he look pre-nuptial couples in the eye for counselling? What of those in need of marital counselling? Or another grieving widow? These situations will forever be difficult for him and he will need strength and grace to fulfill his ministry. His heart and mind now hold a knowledge of something he will never be able to erase and under his vow he will never be able to have again. I beg you to have mercy on him. Such a knowledge of intimacy with those restrictions must be a difficult thing to bear.

What they did was wrong. There is no other way to state it. The diocese has a process for investigations that does not move with the speed of light in situations such as the one with Fr. Nuss so that the interests of all can be served. I pray that you will find it in your heart to find mercy for those involved. I think they really need it. I hope that you haven't read my post as preachy. My tone really isn't. I am heartbroken, for them...and you.

Take care and God bless,
Missy.