slackbastard

Update : The story of the racist, potty-mouthed priest from Melbourne has now also been picked up by Reuters: Catholic dean on leave after YouTube outburst. The story itself is typically garbled but, given the recent treatment of Indian national Mohammed Haneef by Australian authorities, no doubt of interest to an Indian audience in terms of establishing the racial climate in Australia…

CNN too.

BBC also.

See also : Intellectuals on Stormfront on Geoff Baron | Very Reverend Geoffrey Baron has been suspended (Sky News) | Priests, Rants, Security… & Tabloids | Very Reverend Geoffrey confesses: ‘Oh fuck, I must look like a right cunt’ | Today’s Sermon: And Jesus said unto His Disciples, “Get off the property! Fuck off!” | Church & State & That’s Entertainment!

Priest in new swearing footage
Herald Sun
August 1, 2007

MORE footage has emerged of Melbourne’s priest cursing and abusing skateboarders.

Last night, Monsignor Geoff Baron was stood down as dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral following his racist and obscene tirade against a group of young skateboarders who had abused and threatened him. Catholic Archbishop Denis Hart suspended Monsignor Geoff Baron indefinitely. Shortly after the church made its announcement, new mobile phone footage of the priest abusing young skaters emerged…

Skater Kyle Brophy, 18, said the priest had a terrible temper and had recently chased him down the street with a broom. “I wasn’t even on the church grounds that time. I was just skating past on the footpath,” Mr Brophy said. The Lilydale man said the priest had used foul language on other occasions, and in front of teenage girls. But he said his friends never wanted Monsignor Baron to lose his job. “I do feel sorry for him. I’m not happy that he’s been suspended and I don’t think any other skater wanted that to happen. I think it’s very sad,” Mr Brophy said. “He’s obviously got some problems in his life that he needs to deal with.”

Another skater, Eltham teen Matt Leigh, told how his own encounter with the priest turned nasty. “He asked us kindly to leave, very rationally,” Mr Leigh wrote on a skater website. “Then as we were walking away he just became possessed, yelling ‘Get the f— off the property’. “He ran at me and tried to hit me over the head with a magazine.”

“The three-minute and 20 second video Priest Kickout attracted 43,118 hits. Last week it appeared on other video sites and blogs, including the Australian forum in white supremacist website Stormfront, where members praised the priest for racially abusing Asians among the skaters. One member called Bloodraven likened the priest’s actions to “Jesus cleansing the temple”.” ~ Priest regrets outburst but won’t say sorry, Barney Zwartz and Chris Johnston, The Age, August 1, 2007

Barney and Chris also note that the video has been removed from YouTube; failing to note that it has re-emerged, both on YouTube but also elsewhere (for example, Break and LiveLeak). For better or for worse, the genie is well and truly out of the bottle.

Update (July 31) : YouTube, presumably bowing to pressure from the Church, has removed the offending video. The Good News (so to speak) is that it’s still available via Live Leak; you can even download the video if you want…

News of Geoffrey’s resignation and the preceding incident has reached the UK, appearing in an article in The Guardian (Barbara McMahon, Priest suspended over foul-mouthed outburst) and The Observer. The Guardian article contains two errors. One, that the teenagers accuse him of being a paedophile does not, in fact, appear on the video; it is an accusation made later on radio by Monsignor Baron. Two, the video was not posted recently, but over a year ago (July 2006). What is new is the video receiving corporate/state media attention. The video to which The Guardian article links is (at least) the second time it has appeared on YouTube.

Priest suspended
Updated: 17:46, Tuesday July 31, 2007

A Melbourne priest, who was caught on camera screaming abuse at a young group of skateboarders, has been put on official leave by the Catholic Church after a second video surfaced.

The Archbishop of Melbourne, Denis Hart, relieved Reverend Geoffrey Baron of his duties, as Dean of St Patrick’s Cathedral.

The latest video, believed to have been filmed a month ago, shows the priest using abusive language, in an attempt to disperse a group of skateboarders.

Today, the Monsignor is remaining tight-lipped about the latest incident, refusing to provide any comment.

Yesterday, however, he hit talk-back radio, claiming the initial exchange was a ‘one-off’, and apologised for his actions.

In the first video, the Monsignor is goaded by youths who were skateboarding on the Cathedral grounds, until he explodes with a racist torrent of abuse.

Update (July 31) : YouTube, presumably bowing to pressure from the Church, has removed the offending video. The Good News (so to speak) is that it’s still available via Live Leak; you can even download the video if you want…

Bloody hell. Tabloid hack Nikki Protyniak has come out firing in support of beleagured potty-mouthed priest Geoffrey Baron today, claiming that ‘hundreds’ of messages on YouTube threaten the Very Reverend with… well… nothing really. Instead, according to Nikki, some anonymous person (or persons) has threatened to again skate on Church property, while Nikki recalls others’ opinion that the skaters should have assaulted Geoffrey.

This is a highly misleading account of the many hundreds of messages (over 2,200 at last count) left by anonymous viewers on YouTube. speccy501, for example, writes “Those kids need to be taught a good lesson. Pass the shotgun…”. mick6885, on the other hand, expresses the view that “i would have shot the little fuckers.” Loomis666, perhaps picking up on something Geoffrey said, writes “I hope they get raped by a police baton in jail.” fkotz also appears to believe that happiness is a warm gun, exclaiming “bring out the pump action shot gun.” Finally, dempas — who may also, I suspect, be in need of some anger management classes — is most upset: “i wanna find out who those cunts are n kill the lil fuckers… THEY ARE FUCK ALLL… FUCKEN THIER DADDIES CAUSE THEY ARE JUST INBREAD FUCKS THAT BRANCH FROM A FAMILY OF PUSSYS THAT I’D RAPE ANYTIME OF THE DAY! i dare you lil kids… who ever was involved in that shit.. add me to msn!!! [email protected] lets catch up lil fuckers.”

Etcetera etcetera etcetera: with rare exceptions, the commentary as a whole is marked by rank abuse, making it less Greek agora and more public (male) toilet wall.

Further, I may have missed something, but I don’t recall, as Nikki appears to, the priest being spat on. Secondly, Geoffrey is certainly pushed in the shoulder by one skater — but only after the priest has struck another across the head, and the skater who does push Geoffrey demands to know “Why’d ya fuckin’ hit him?”. Finally, while it’s true that a skater appears to throw (what I believe to be) an empty plastic bottle at the priest (it misses), this occurs immediately after Geoffrey enquires about a “little foreigner” with er, ‘unusual’ coloured hair and eyes, and before that racist taunt enquiring of another skater “…how’s your arsehole so sore from being fucked by these cunts?”

Curiously, facts missing from Nikki Protyniak’s article.

And people were bringing children to him that he might touch them, but the disciples rebuked them. When Jesus saw this he became indignant and said to them, “Let the children come to me; do not prevent them, for the kingdom of God belongs to such as these. Amen, I say to you, whoever does not accept the kingdom of God like a child will not enter it.” Then he embraced them and blessed them, placing his hands on them. ~ Mark 10:13–16

Priest’s rant sparks security fears
Nikki Protyniak
Herald Sun
July 31, 2007

SECURITY has been upgraded at St Patrick’s Cathedral after a showdown between a Catholic priest and a gang of skaters. Hundreds of angry messages attacking the church’s dean appeared on internet site YouTube yesterday. The threats follow the posting of a video of Monsignor Geoff Baron swearing, and making racist and sexual slurs against the gang while trying to evict them from the grounds of the East Melbourne landmark. The monsignor’s foul-mouthed outburst — and the skateboarders’ equally vile reaction — has been viewed almost 40,000 times.

“Might go skate the church tomozz (sic) and cover the place in wax and grind the steps down and throw some rubbish all over the place,” one angry skater posted. Another threatens to turn the picturesque cathedral into Melbourne’s “next skate park”. “I’m gonna round up some bike riders and scooter riders and beat-boxers and . . . have a competition down the stairs there,” the post said. Another wrote: “Let’s all go skate St Pat’s and see if he’s calmed down a bit !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!” Dozens of other messages suggest skaters should have bashed the priest to “teach him a lesson”.

The footage — taken almost a year ago — shows Monsignor Baron losing his temper and swearing profusely before slapping one of the teens. It also shows the priest being spat on, pushed, threatened and baited by the skateboarders, who repeatedly throw things at him. The church official said skaters had been a problem at the cathedral for some time. He said the church would investigate the threats but refused to comment further.

Monsignor Baron was not speaking to the media yesterday but offered a public apology on radio. “The shame that I feel and the embarrassment, I can’t really describe,” he told 3AW. “It was outrageous behaviour. I let myself down terribly badly, quite clearly, and I’ve also brought scandal and shock to other people. I wish I could take it back, but I can’t. I’ve got to live with the consequences.” He described the teens as “jackals and hyenas”, who had started things by calling him a pedophile and provoking him. “When you’re pushed to the limit, you lose control. All that rubbish, that filth which I said, just came to the surface. They were laughing and carrying on, which made me even worse.”

Monsignor Baron apologised to the public for his blasphemous outburst, but not to the skaters. But one of the skaters, who gave his name only as Adrian, said the priest had sworn at them before, on catching them trespassing on church grounds. He said some of his mates “got a little bit too excited” this time but blamed the monsignor for stirring them up. “He’s notorious,” Adrian said. “We shouldn’t have been there . . . but he has no right to swear profanities at us. “It was the furthest thing from our minds, to cause trouble. It’s a Catholic priest saying homosexual, racist remarks. Who wouldn’t be upset?”

But other YouTube visitors praised the priest. “The kids should have their butts kicked for provoking and breaking the law in the first place,” one person wrote. Another wrote: “I know this priest and he is the nicest, calmest person — it freaks me to see him like this.” Monsignor Baron said he would not offer to resign.

Update (July 31) : YouTube, presumably bowing to pressure from the Church, has removed the offending video. The Good News (so to speak) is that it’s still available via Live Leak; you can even download the video if you want…

Oh dear.

Provocative teenage boys have once again got under the skin of a Catholic priest. In this case, by calling one — of all things — a paedophile. While the priest in question claims not to be able to watch the video in question, according to the Very Reverend Geoffrey Baron (Dean of St. Patrick’s Cathedral, Melbourne), “The only thing I did see was me being surrounded by these kids and I looked like a kind of a hunted animal being yapped at by jackals and hyenas“. The boys, in other words, were highly intelligent, carnivorous pack-animals; whereas Geoffrey was… graceful.

Y’know… like an antelope?

Predictably, Catholic News provides the most sympathetic account, one titled ‘Priest succumbs to skateboarder taunts’. This follows on from the Vicar General of the Melbourne archdiocese, Monsignor Les Tomlinson, initially claiming that Baron had been provoked: “Could you imagine yourself being subjected to the abuse and the pushing that he was subjected to and be confident that you yourself would not react in a way that perhaps you wouldn’t if you weren’t provoked? And if any human being is under siege like that, they may well react in a way they wouldn’t do in another circumstance.”

Aside from the fact that the video reveals Baron to have been pushed — once — but only after having struck one of the skaters, Tomlinson apparently believes that asking a teenage boy why he’s been stained by the semen his friends have covered him in after they’ve “fucked” him, then asking another how sore his “arsehole” is after these same friends — “cunts” — have “fucked” him falls within the realms of the range of ‘natural’ reactions someone might display who discovers a group of teenagers skating on his or her property.

Um… really?

Of course, such utterances did not come from the mouth of, say, a politician, but a Catholic priest. As to why that might be considered more serious, here’s what the Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane has to say about these men with a mission:

Priests are called to be forthright messengers of hope, strong community leaders and spiritual guides for both the lost and the faithful.

Messengers of Hope:

Jesus Christ has had an incredible impact on the world. His teachings have shaped many values held by our society, and his love has transformed countless lives. A critical part of a priest’s mission is to tell Christ’s story of hope. That story brings comfort to those who are weak and without a voice, and encourages and activates those who have the power to make the world a better place. Jesus’ message of hope is not always popular; people have suffered for preaching the Gospel, but it is a powerful message that must be told.

Community Leaders:

One of the most satisfying things about being a priest is being part of a faith community and being a pastoral leader. This occurs on a number of levels, including presiding over communal worship of a faith community and joining with families at big moments like weddings and baptisms. Priests are often called upon to enter the lives of people when life is darkened with sadness and difficulty. Even in these difficult moments, a priest can experience a profound satisfaction that he has been an instrument of God.

Spiritual Guides:

The priest of the future will need to continue to assist people in developing their spirituality. Nourishing the Catholic community with the Body and Blood of Christ is a vital role for a priest. He also needs to explore ways of helping people make spiritual sense of their lives in a dynamic and changing world. Before speaking into other people’s lives, priests need to be students of prayer themselves. A priest develops his personal relationship with God, to learn the ways of God and to lead others on those paths.

In Baron’s defence, however, Monsignor Tomlinson claims that “groups of skateboarders gathering around the Church have been a long-standing problem”. Baron himself further claims that “I have the impression that that particular gang of skateboarders, they take a particular delight and joy in reducing people to grovelling measures as I was, that’s their goal, that’s their aim, so I don’t think I owe them an apology as such…”

So, not just skateboarders, but evil, malicious skateboarders — jackals even; hyenas! And the “abuse” Baron directed at them was not “abuse”. No, by telling the boys to go away (hitting one across the head) and to fuck off; calling them fucking cunts, fucking fools, foreigners who don’t belong and four eyes… this, apparently, was — by Geoffrey’s rather odd definition — ‘grovelling’. But in any case, even if we assume that Tomlinson is correct, and that the presence of skateboarders on Church property was indeed “a long-standing problem”, this would suggest that Church authorities have in fact had some time to develop a solution, one which doesn’t consist of a tirade of abuse from the Dean.

As for media reportage of the Very Reverend’s irreverent outburst, it’s worth remembering that in October 2006, it was revealed that Sydney-based Muslim cleric Sheik Taj Din al-Hilaly gave a highly-controversial sermon, in which, among other things, he made an infamous comparison between (what he considered to be) inappropriately-dressed women and uncovered meat. Not surprisingly, his comments sparked outraged denunciations from both Muslims and non-Muslims; soon-to-be-ex Prime Minister John HoWARd described the remarks as “appalling and reprehensible”; the Islamic Council of Victoria called for his resignation.

And Geoffrey?

According to the ABC, the Very Reverend Geoffrey defended his actions on radio today, stating that “If I could take it back I would, if I could walk around the city in sackcloth and ashes I would, but that’s not going to happen… I can only express from the depth of my heart [that] it’s out character with me. But because of the situation I was in and the nature of the territory that’s there, it’s a sacred space, I just found it appalling that they had so little regard there and that reduced me to the level of all that rubbish that I said. I was shocked too when I saw the whole thing and I was shocked when it happened. When I was pushed to the limit something snapped inside me and I was out to say as much as possible to hurt and humiliate these, as you call them, thugs.”

thug (thŭg) pronunciation
n.

1. A cutthroat or ruffian; a hoodlum.
2. One of a band of professional assassins formerly active in northern India who worshiped Kali and offered their victims to her.

[Hindi ṭhag, perhaps from Sanskrit sthagaḥ, a cheat, from sthagati, sthagayati, he conceals.]

What a wanker.

Potty-mouthed priest ashamed of outburst
Kellee Nolan
Herald Sun [AAP]
July 30, 2007

A SENIOR Catholic priest says he feels indescribable shame over the verbal abuse he hurled at a group of teenagers taunting him on his cathedral steps in Melbourne.

Reverend Monsignor Geoff Baron, the Dean of Melbourne’s iconic bluestone church, St Patrick’s Cathedral, was caught on video swearing at and racially abusing a group of teenage skateboarders.

The incident happened a year ago and video footage recently surfaced on the YouTube website.

Monsignor Baron said he wished he could take back his “outrageous behaviour”.

“The shame that I feel and the embarrassment, I can’t really describe,” he said on Southern Cross radio.

“It was outrageous behaviour, I let myself down terribly badly, that’s quite clear and I’ve also brought scandal and shock to other people.”

He said he had been provoked when the teenagers, who were skating on the cathedral steps, called him a pedophile.

“I can’t excuse it, I wouldn’t even try to, I don’t know why I said those things. It might be linked up in some way that so many priests are considered to be pedophiles and here I was being called one.”

He said he could not bear to watch the footage.

“The only thing I did see was me being surrounded by these kids and I looked like a kind of a hunted animal being yapped at by jackals and hyenas,” he said.

“All they were doing was provoking me and making it worse and worse. I have never in my whole life got as angry as that, never.”

He said he would now have to live with the footage of his outburst being beamed around the world “all the days of my life”.

The language came from the depths of his heart, when something “snapped inside”, he said.

He said the outburst was out of character and he was “utterly embarrassed”, apologising to all who were offended, but not to the teenagers he abused.

“I have the impression that that particular gang of skateboarders, they take a particular delight and joy in reducing people to grovelling measures as I was, that’s their goal, that’s their aim, so I don’t think I owe them an apology as such, I apologise to all who were scandalised by my behaviour.”

Monsignor Baron may now seek help in dealing with anger issues and will have to discuss the incident with Archbishop Denis Hart.

Update (July 31) : YouTube, presumably bowing to pressure from the Church, has removed the offending video. The Good News (so to speak) is that it’s still available via Live Leak; you can even download the video if you want…

A reading from The Book of Geoffrey. For more details on Reverend Monsignor Geoffrey Baron‘s Biblical exegesis, see below: “In a not entirely unexpected development, local Church authorities, in the person of the Vicar-General of Melbourne, the Reverend Les Tomlinson, have defended the actions of a local priest, who last July provided local youth with an impromptu sermon on the need to respect Church property…”

The Cathedral

St Patrick’s Cathedral is the mother church of the Catholic Archdiocese of Melbourne. The Centenary of its official opening and Consecration was marked in 1997; however, the first Mass was celebrated on the site in February 1858 in a former partially completed church, some of which was incorporated into the south aisle of the present building; by 1868, the completed nave of the Cathedral first served the needs of the community for regular worship and prayer.

Designed by William Wardell, St Patrick’s is regarded internationally as the finest ecclesiastical building in Australia and a pre-eminent example of the Gothic Revival style. The austere facade gives little hint of the glorious interior with its ethereal golden light of mesmerising beauty.

The Cathedral’s highly regarded organ and exceptional acoustics ensure its popularity with leading musicians and choral groups, as a favoured setting for concerts of sacred music. The splendid ambulatory and chapels which partially encircle the sanctuary, provide space for occasional exhibitions.

Nevertheless, it is the spiritual fire of prayer and daily worship which gives the building its heart, ensuring that it is more than just an architectural monument. The Cathedral is a place of beauty and peace. During the course of a year, the Cathedral is the environment for the major liturgies of the Catholic community as well as the venue for significant civic celebrations embracing the wider community. The staff is also responsible for the daily pastoral care in all of the nearby hospitals; many people from the wider community seek solace and help within its walls.

Through prayer, praise and creative liturgical celebrations, the elements of stone and glass, artistry, craftsmanship, colour and sound, coalesce to filter the divine presence of our Creator God.

Ah yes. St Patrick’s Cathedral: Glorious interiors. Ethereal golden light. A place of mesmerising beauty and peace. And last July, the scene of a very ugly incident. Curiously, thus far, (almost) all media reportage has deliberately avoided making any reference to what, to me, is the most shocking aspect of the behaviour of the Dean of the Cathedral, and that is his use of sexually-explicit language when addressing the teenage boys skating on Church property. The ABC Radio report of July 27 by Samantha Donovan — in addition to mangling the actual content of the video — makes no reference to this, or to the fact that the Reverend strikes one of the boys, and neither does the AAP report, whether in the Sydney Morning Herald or news.com.au. Only Mark Russell in The Age makes reference to ‘the Dean appearing to make several sexually and racially abusive comments, including telling one boy that he was “stained by the sperm of all these boys that f— you”‘ — but not The Holy Man’s later, presumably related enquiry “…how’s your arsehole so sore from being fucked by these cunts?”

Scene 1.

Outside Saint Patrick’s Cathedral. Reverend Geoffrey Baron accosts a number of young male skaters.

Baron, walking, pointing away from Cathedral: Move.
Skater, off-camera: Do we have to go?
Baron: Move.
Skater, off-camera: Yes or no?
Baron: Now. Now. Off the property.

Scene 2.

An apparent continuation of the previous scene.

Baron, to skater: …stained [?] by all the sperm of these boys that fucked you. Get off the property. (Baron then appears to smack a skater across the head) Get off the property.

(Gasps. Laughter. Voices)

Skater off-camera, to Baron: Calm down mate.
Skater struck across the head: Oh you fucking cunt. Oh what the fuck? I oughta [I’m gonna?] fuck you up.
Skater, off-camera, to skater struck by Baron: Don’t don’t don’t… No no no…

(Many voices. Baron walks away)

Baron: Get off the property. Get off the property now.
Skater, pushes Baron on shoulder: Why’d ya fuckin’ hit him?
Skater, off-camera: Don’t. Just go.
Skater two, off-camera: What the fuck’s the problem cunt? What’s the fuckin’ problem? Huh?
Baron: Move. Move.
Skater, off-camera: We’re going.

(Many angry voices)

Baron: Fuck off!

(Laughter)

Another skater: Fucking idiot.
Skater, off-camera: We’re going. We’re going. Calm down. Just calm down. We’re going. We’re going.

Scene 3.

An apparent continuation of the previous scene.

Baron: Get off the property you fucking cunts. Oh yeah… get back to where you come from you… sfool. You don’t belong in Australia.
Skater, off-camera: Stop being a fuckin’ racist prick ya fuckin’ faggot.
Baron: You don’t belong here.
Skater, off-camera: Don’t touch me you prick.
Baron: Get off the property. Move. You fucking fool.
Skater, off camera: Are you a priest? Are you a priest? What sort of a priest is racist? What type of priest is racist?
Skater to Baron : …calm down mate.
Baron: Get off the property you fucking fool.
Skater, off-camera, to Baron: Don’t touch him you fucking idiot.
Skater to Baron: Say it don’t spray it you fucking idiot.
Baron: Oh get off the property.

Scene 4.

Most of the skaters having made their way off the church property, the conversation continues as a number occupy the footpath outside of and adjacent to it (possibly Cathedral Place).

Baron: Arsehole.

(Two skaters appear to run on to the grass lawn in front of Baron)

Baron: Get off the property.

(Laughter)

Baron, addressing a skater on lawn: …how’s your arsehole so sore from being fucked by these cunts?

(Laughter)

Skater, off camera: Ah you’re a jerk [joke?] you fucking dickhead.
Baron, pointing to skater on footpath/road: …little foreigner there look at the sleepy [?] eyes black hair sleepy eyes…

(Baron waves as something indistinct, possibly an empty plastic bottle, appears to have been thrown near his head)

Skater, off camera: At least he’s got hair you fucking bald prick. Gay cunt. Faggot.
Baron, apparently to camera: Look at you four eyes.
Skater, off camera: Oh you’re a joke fuckhead… faggot.
Baron, to skater on lawn: Fool. Fool.

Scene 5.

An apparent continuation of the previous scene.

(Baron appears to knee a skater standing on the lawn)

Skater, off camera: Why don’t you calm down, just calm down.
Baron: Fucking cunt. Get off the property.
Skater: You get off the property you fucking cunt.
Baron: Get off the property. Get off the property.

(Baron appears to kick an empty water bottle in the direction of skaters)

Skater, off-camera: Stop being… does he have to be so aggressive?

(Laughter)

Scene 6.

An apparent continuation of the previous scene.

Unknown woman, presumably another church official: …the police, so go.
Skater, off-camera: For fuck’s sake just go back to your fucking church.
Another skater, off-camera: Okay so you’ve phoned the police, we’ve got footage on here of him [Baron] hitting him [skater].
Woman: Good. Good.
Skater, off-camera, to Baron: Don’t touch me you fucking freak.

(Baron, stooping, appears to pick up an item and to throw it at skaters)

Skater, off-camera: So is he [Baron] in the right? Is he in the right?
Woman: Yes because you are trespassing. I’ve phoned the police…
Skater, off-camera: Okay you’ve phoned the police…
Woman: …you’ve been identified…
Another skater, off-camera: So when they come, when they come we can tell them that the priest assaulted one of our friends…
Woman: You will say what you like…
Skater, off-camera: We’ve got evidence we’ve got evidence.

(Baron gestures as what appears to be an empty cardboard box is thrown)

Woman: And I’ve been filming it too from inside…
Skater, off-camera: Okay well we’ve got it right on here, we’ve got it right on here…