Self-Policing Seminaries

You are not signed in as a Premium user; you are viewing the free version of this program. Premium users have access to full-length programs with limited commercials and receive a 10% discount in the store! Sign up for only one day for the low cost of $1.99. Click the button below.

See All Plans

CLICK TO WATCH THE VIDEO
 

TRANSCRIPT

Seminaries are committing to new benchmarks for handling sexual misconduct established by Notre Dame's McGrath Institute for Church Life.

But some see the entire enterprise as just more smoke and mirrors.

Forming the McGrath Seminary Study Group in February 2020 with some bishops, seminary rectors and faculty, as well as lay consultants, the institute now offers five benchmarks to which seminaries can publicly commit:

• Systematic training
• Reporting and investigation
• Victim support
• Proactivity
• Consistency and portability

So far, one of the 15 seminaries pledging commitment is Mundelein in Illinois.

Mundelein graduate:

You know, what's so laughable is how woke they're trying to be, and yet, at the same time, not offend anybody. God forbid we mention the word "gay" or "homosexual." The bulk of the issue has to do with people that are not following God's laws; who are not being chaste; who are not keeping their religious promises to God. It's just a bunch of authorities trying to control the narrative, which is fundamentally out of control, and at this point in time, quite laughable. 

Another participating seminary is the NAC, the Pontifical North American College in Vatican City.

The NAC is being sued, along with New York's Cdl. Timothy Dolan, for misconduct against subordinates, abuse cover-up and retaliation against whistleblowers.

Named in the lawsuit are the current rector of the NAC, Fr. Peter Harman, and the current vice rector, Fr. Adam Park.

Anthony Gorgia was a model seminarian at the NAC, who suffered retaliation after witnessing Park inappropriately touching one of the seminarians.

A press release on the lawsuit notes, "Gorgia is only one of hundreds of other seminarians retaliated against for not being complicit with misconduct permeating their seminaries."

Critics of Notre Dame's benchmarks observe there is nothing in them to protect seminarians from such retaliation.

The two main transgressions affecting seminaries — homosexual subcultures and cover-up — are nowhere addressed in the McGrath Institute's study or its five benchmarks.

Without addressing the root stumbling blocks, the McGrath Institute's solution will only serve to perpetuate the problem indefinitely.  

Another one of the seminaries committing to these benchmarks is Sacred Heart here in Detroit, another notorious hotbed of homosexuality and cover-up.

Have a news tip? Submit news to our tip line.

We rely on you to support our news reporting. Please donate today.