A story has been making the rounds in the last few days that purports to demonstrate that Presiding Bishop Katharine Jefferts Schori knew that the Bede Parry, a former Roman Catholic monk, had sexually abused minors and was likely to do so again when she received him as a priest into the Episcopal Church while she was serving as the Bishop of Nevada.I'm sorry to have to address the matter again, but groups who are generally considered not to be especially friendly to the Episcopal Church are referencing the matter, not necessarily unfairly, with links to Patrick Marker's post at Conception Abbey Abuse. Thus, those of us who who care deeply about sexual abuse and the Episcopal Church must also pay attention.
Jim says further:
In Crisis Communications 101 (a course that exists entirely in my head) one is taught rules for governing the release of bad news: tell it yourself, tell it all, and tell it quickly. These rules apply with special force to organizations whose moral credibility is their stock in trade. I don’t know that the presiding bishop has bad news to deliver, but either way, she would be well advised to put the facts of the Parry case before us. (MY emphasis)Jim is exactly right. The opportunity for the Presiding Bishop to tell the story quickly is past and gone, but the two remaining bits of advice still apply. The time is now. We need to hear from Bishop Katharine in her own words. What we do not need is more passing the buck for commentary to the present bishop of the Diocese of Nevada, Dan Edwards, who was not the bishop who admitted Bede Parry to the priesthood in the Episcopal Church.
Two of my earlier posts on the Bede Parry matter are here and here.
This is seen with political scandals as well. It's not the original event that is the scandal, it's the coverup.
ReplyDeleteAs my mother used to say, just 'fess up right away if you make a mistake, clear the air, and move on. Otherwise the thing just festers and you know what THAT looks like.
IT, exactly. It's the cover-up (leaving out the epithet). If there's nothing to cover-up, then speak plainly about what happened. Why do persons in positions of power find this so hard to understand?
ReplyDeletePerhaps there are too many lawyers involved?
ReplyDeletesusan s. probably. See how nicely that worked out for the Roman Catholic Church.
ReplyDeleteIn the beginning, I thought it best not to dignify the whole thing with too much of a response, as some of our adversaries are known to make mountains of scandal out of mole hills of innuendo.
ReplyDeleteLooks like they have anyway.
And, will continue to. No matter what is said. Or, not.
Sigh and ugh.
Elizabeth, this may well be a molehill, but we need to hear the entire story from the PB. What did she know, and when did she know it? Where is the transparency that was supposed to be present in all matters associated with sexual abuse?
ReplyDeleteThis whole business saddens me greatly. I rejoiced when KJS was elected PB. She was my favorite. I take no pleasure in writing about the Bede Parry situation, but the story will not go away so long as serious questions go unanswered.
I gess I am behind in the news - did this priest molestagain after he entered the TEC?
ReplyDeletenij
Nij, not so far as is known. Bede Parry was not permitted to work with children in the Episcopal Church. Who monitored him 24/7?
ReplyDeleteIn TEC, the policy is one strike, you're out. Why was Bede Parry allowed into the Episcopal priesthood?