YES!
He’s back!
Everyone’s favourite potty-mouthed priest returns!
Hallelujah!
Cursing priest back at pulpit
Shannon Deery
Sunday Herald Sun
May 11, 2008A SENIOR Catholic priest who launched a racist and foul-mouthed tirade at skateboarders is back behind the pulpit. Monsignor Geoff Baron was discovered during the week working at a Caroline Springs Catholic primary school. The revelation came a week after a Melbourne principal requested her pupils’ parents to switch off foul-mouthed TV chef Gordon Ramsay. The disgraced Monsignor was ordered on indefinite leave by Archbishop Denis Hart midway through last year after video footage emerged of him abusing skateboard teenagers outside Melbourne’s St Patrick’s Cathedral. The former dean of the cathedral slipped back into Melbourne three months ago, according to Catholic Church sources, after spending time in Sydney. During the week he was offering mass at Christ the Priest Catholic Primary School in Caroline Springs. It is understood he has also been carrying out pastoral duties, including visiting the elderly and frail. While reluctant to [talk] about the incident, Monsignor Baron said it was good to be back at work. “I’m a Catholic and I’m a happy Catholic with a lot of fulfilling pastoral work to do,” he said…
Typically, Deery’s report avoids mentioning that, in addition to Baron’s racist utterances, he also made a number of rather disturbing sexually-explicit retorts to the devilish little skateboarders who once plagued him: “by all the sperm of these boys that fucked you” was one such remark; “…how’s your arsehole so sore from being fucked by these cunts?” was another. Note that both these remarks were being addressed to teenage boys.
- What got the best reaction?
Every now and then you did a cartoon you were aware hit the button and you immediately got a good reaction from it. Paul Whicker the Tall Vicar was the first one, in 1981, and after that Johnny Fartpants, and when the Fat Slags were launched, they had the same effect, a considerable initial impact and then they fade away…
See also :
Church & State & That’s Entertainment! | July 28th, 2007
Today’s Sermon: And Jesus said unto His Disciples, “Get off the property! Fuck off!” | July 29th, 2007
Very Reverend Geoffrey confesses: ‘Oh fuck, I must look like a right cunt’ | July 31st, 2007
Priests, Rants, Security… & Tabloids | July 31st, 2007
Very Reverend Geoffrey Baron has been suspended (Sky News) | July 31st, 2007
Intellectuals on Stormfront on Geoff Baron | August 1st, 2007
But wait! There’s f@#$ing more! | August 1st, 2007
Potty-mouthed priest is a global media * | August 2nd, 2007
Forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those f@#$ing c%^&s who trespass against us | August 4th, 2007
In other news:
Pressure mounts in Vatican over Catholic church abuse
Garry Linnell
Herald Sun
May 8, 2008THE Pope is set to make a historic apology to tens of thousands of Australians sexually and physically abused by Catholic priests when he visits Australia in July. Church sources say there is mounting expectation that Pope Benedict will use his trip to express his shame and regret over the church’s abuse scandal — and may also meet victims. The likelihood of an apology increased yesterday when one of the Catholic Church’s most senior figures, the bishop of Maitland-Newcastle, Michael Malone, gave his backing for a papal apology. Bishop Malone said the Pope had set a precedent by apologising to American abuse victims on a recent tour of the US and “I would certainly be supportive” of an Australian apology. It is believed the Vatican will consider the wording of any papal apology in the weeks leading up to Pope Benedict’s arrival in Sydney on July 13 for the World Youth Day festivities. Groups representing Australian victims of church abuse said a papal apology was long overdue. “The scale of abuse in Australia has been far greater than in the US,” said Dr Wayne Chamley, a spokesman for Broken Rites. “There are tens of thousands of victims from Catholic-run institutions who were denied education. They were used as slaves. They were sexually and physically abused. “We don’t believe the Pope has been told the full story about the level of abuse here. “The bishops have not briefed him. If the Catholic church was a private company these bishops wouldn’t have a job…”
In 1996, in response to public criticism, the Catholic Church in Australia produced a document regarding the Church’s response to sexual and other forms of abuse committed by its priesthood. Note that while the original “Toward Healing” document was produced in 1996, a subsequent, revised version was produced in 2000, was amended in May/June 2003, and revised again in September 2007 (PDF). Like any other responsible corporation, the Catholic Church has sought to minimise the financial costs associated with the abuse. Unlike a corporation, it enjoys tax-free status.
13 And they brought to him young children, that he might touch them. And the disciples rebuked them that brought them. 14 Whom when Jesus saw, he was much displeased and saith to them: Suffer the little children to come unto me and forbid them not: for of such is the kingdom of God. 15 Amen I say to you, whosoever shall not receive the kingdom of God as a little child shall not enter into it. 16 And embracing them and laying his hands upon them, he blessed them.
Broken Rites on the “Towards Healing” process:
The Catholic Church’s “Towards Healing” process
As a result of the Broken Rites public exposure of Catholic Church sexual abuse from 1993 onwards, the Australian bishops became alarmed about survivors telephoning Broken Rites. Therefore the church established its own telephone hotline to compete with the Broken Rites number.
In 1996, after the high-profile jailings of Catholic priests and brothers, the Australian bishops published a glossy booklet, entitled Towards Healing, promising justice to survivors. The church established its own procedure for handling sex-abuse complaints, to be administered by a National Committee for Professional Standards (NCPS). It also established a Professional Standards Resource Group (PSRG) in each state to do the actual processing of complaints. This process applies in all of Australia’s thirty-odd Catholic dioceses (except the Melbourne diocese) and also in the hundred-or-so religious orders.
Unfortunately, the Catholic Church’s complaints structure is overwhelmingly “in-house”; it has an obvious shortage of non-Catholic members. It is male-dominated and clergy-dominated. The NCPS typically includes a bishop or two, an influential priest or two, a religious Brother representing male religious orders, and a religious Sister representing female religious orders.
Furthermore, the national committee has been headed for years by a nun who has been simultaneously a board member of the Catholic Church’s insurance company – the company that finances the church’s compensation payouts to victims. This woman’s dual role is a clear conflict of interest.
One drawback of this “in-house” system is that a state PSRG is likely to contain a member (e.g., a priest or a religious brother) who is a colleague of the alleged offender in a case. And there is no member representing (or advocating for) victims.
It is usually worthwhile for victims to report their abuse to the PSRG but it is best to consult Broken Rites first. Broken Rites can inform a survivor about his/her rights and also about how to avoid various pitfalls in the PSRG system.
Broken Rites has a list containing the contact address for the PSRG convenor in each state (or for Melbourne diocese’s separate system). Victims can phone us on 03 9457 4999 — or email us — for further information.
Obtaining compensation from the church
Towards Healing is intended as an in-house alternative to a civil court action. In 1996, Church spokesmen promised that Towards Healing will provide compensation to victims. The NCPS foundation chairman, Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, said the Towards Healing protocol “included just and fair compensation for victims” (Courier Mail, Brisbane, 12 December 1996). The NCPS foundation executive director, Father David Cappo, said “compensation would be ‘on the table’ in meetings with victims and no limit had been set” (Herald Sun, Melbourne, 12 December 1996).
Broken Rites is skeptical about the amounts of compensation that are being paid under the Towards Healing process. These amounts are less than the victim would obtain by suing the church for damages in the civil courts. One reason why the Catholic Church established the Towards Healing process was to limit the church’s liability to pay compensation to victims.
When a diocese or religious order makes a payout to a survivor, the victim signs a Deed of Release, acknowledging that this is a full and final settlement and absolving the diocese or religious order from any further damages claims by this victim. This document does not prevent victim from reporting the crime to the police or from talking to the media. The only stipulation is that the survivor must not reveal the payment.
A separate system regarding Melbourne priests
The Melbourne Catholic diocese has procedures which differ from the rest of Victoria and Australia. The Melbourne diocese does not participate in the Victorian PSRG. The Victorian PSRG is confined to religious orders and the state’s three country dioceses.
In 1996 the Melbourne diocese appointed a senior barrister, Peter O’Callaghan QC, to investigate complaints concerning priests and other personnel who come directly under the control of the Archbishop of Melbourne. Generally this means diocesan priests (that is, priests ministering in parishes) – not religious-order priests (in monasteries etc). Complaints about religious-order priests – or complaints about religious brothers – in Melbourne should go to the Victorian PSRG.
Mr O’Callaghan has the power to recommend that the Melbourne diocese suspend or remove an offender, and he has made this recommendation in some cases but not in others.
In proven cases of abuse, Mr O’Callaghan can refer victims to a Melbourne compensation panel which decides how much should be paid to each victim. This is an ex gratia payment, which is a substitute for a court damages action, and it is a smaller amount than would be awarded by the Supreme Court. Amounts so far paid out in Melbourne range from $10,000 up to a rare maximum of $55,000, with a typical amount being about $30,000. To obtain Melbourne’s ex gratia payments, it is not essential for a victim to engage a solicitor.
The Melbourne diocesan payouts involve victims signing a Deed of Release, acknowledging that this is a full and final settlement and absolving the diocese from any further damages claims, but this does not prevent victims from reporting the crime to the police or from talking to the media.
Broken Rites considers that the Melbourne scheme, under Peter O’Callaghan QC, better than the Towards Healing system that applies in the rest of Australia.
Suing a Catholic diocese or religious order
If a victim is not satisfied with the amount of compensation offered through the Towards Healing process (or through the Melbourne diocese process), he/she can reject the offer and then launch a civil action through solicitors, seeking damages from the particular diocese or religious order which inflicted the offender on the victims. The action must be taken against a specific church agency, such as the Marist Brothers or the Diocese of Woop Woop, not “the Catholic Church” as a whole.
These damages claims are not easy. Generally, the church’s lawyers put up a fierce fight, although many such claims have resulted in an acceptable settlement. If a settlement of this kind is made, it is done “out-of-court” — because the church wants to avoid ending up in court.
These civil actions do not prevent the victims from notifying the police about the crimes. In fact, a successful police prosecution helps the victim immensely because, when the offender pleads guilty (as often happens) or is found guilty by a jury, this means that the victim’s damages claim is strengthened.
See also : Penny-pinching justice, Ean Higgins, The Australian, August 14, 2007: “LIKE many victims of child sexual abuse, James Setches kept the horrific memories bottled up inside for decades. But when his brother, the famous jockey Ray Setches, committed suicide eight years ago, he decided to act.” | Speak no evil, Peter Ellingsen, The Age, May 4 2002: “Eventually charges were laid and in 1999 Baker pleaded guilty to 16 charges of indecent assault of boys, and one of gross indecency. The boys were aged from 10 to 12 years. The assaults spanned a 20-year period, the earliest dating back to 1960. Evidence was heard in the County Court that Baker was transferred from one suburb to another after the archbishop was made aware of allegations against him in 1978. This was not so unusual, the court heard. In the past, it emerged, pedophilic priests were moved around with the full knowledge of the church’s hierarchy. In terms of managing predatory priests, it was not a tactic exclusive to the Melbourne archdiocese, as evidence in US courts in recent months has revealed. The mushrooming US Catholic Church sex scandal prompted Pope John Paul to summon US cardinals to Rome last month for an unprecedented crisis meeting. While specific cases against accused priests work their way through the courts, the key concern for the church’s hierarchy is the groundswell of anger from parishioners convinced that not enough was done to protect their children from recognised predatory priests. As in Boston, where the archdiocese has indulged in a cover-up of sexual abuse of children, Melbourne has shielded some pedophilic priests. As in Boston, Melbourne has allowed priests who had accusations of sex abuse against them to continue working with children. And, as in Boston, Melbourne, at least up to 1996 when Peter O’Callaghan, QC, was appointed as an independent commissioner, did not maintain clear records of abuse claims, or necessarily alert police to abuse allegations involving priests.” | Deliver Us From Evil (Director: Amy Berg; 2007).
I’m gonna make me a big sharp axe
Shining steel tempered in the fire
I’ll chop you down like an old dead tree
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
I met my love by the gas works wall
Dreamed a dream by the old canal
I kissed my girl by the factory wall
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Dirty old town
Has this ever happened to Geoff Baron?