Saints fight to avoid disclosing emails in Catholic abuse crisis (MERGED) (2 Viewers)

[Saint Jack]

Did we have to take our name literally?

Name off of what? Change the Saints name? That isn’t happening.

 

[FootballLady]

Sorry to steer this towards a religious discussion, but that Catholic Church has been concerned about its image since the early 00s when the first cases came to light.
Being at a Catholic elementary school at the time, there was a big notion of “Say nothing and ignore” going on at the time.

I agree wholeheartedly. I am (and struggle to remain) a practicing Catholic so when these stories present themselves I speak as someone whose heart has been repeatedly broken by the Church. It pains me that I am unable to give them the benefit of the doubt.

 

[Saint Jack]

I agree wholeheartedly. I am (and struggle to remain) a practicing Catholic so when these stories present themselves I speak as someone whose heart has been repeatedly broken by the Church. It pains me that I am unable to give them the benefit of the doubt.

I became non practicing when I found one of those priests were moved to my elementary school when I attended.
Before anyone asks, Nothing happened.

 

[sfidc3]

"The advice was simple and never wavering. Be direct, open and fully transparent, while making sure that all law enforcement agencies were alerted. The New Orleans Saints, Greg Bensel and Mrs. Gayle Benson were and remain offended, disappointed and repulsed by the actions of certain past clergy. We remain steadfast in support of the victims who have suffered and pray for their continued healing."

That is an excerpt from: https://www.neworleanssaints.com/news/statement-from-the-new-orleans-saints

Ok, still not sure the Saints are not guilty of anything but very bad judgement here but the line "actions of certain past clergy" rubs me the wrong way....as Saint Jack alluded to, it seems to smack of "say nothing and ignore" right now and all of this bad stuff is in the past....maybe that's just me?

Read the statement...still very disappointed that the Saints went into the relationship. It was stupid...regardless of their role or their intentions. They've bought this heat. I doubt anything legally will come of this...but it still is yet another black eye for the franchise.

Totally agreed here....

 

[26ISTHEMAN]

I find it laughable that people jump to drastic conclusions without even knowing what advice the Saints gave. The team statement seems to suggest they told the Archdiocese to be forthcoming, which is the best advice they could have given. IMO this will blow over soon.

 

[insidejob]

Name off of what? Change the Saints name? That isn’t happening.

I don't think he's suggesting that anyone is going to make us change our name. He's joking about us being named the Saints and helping the Catholic Church with PR because of our name.

 

[insidejob]

I find it laughable that people jump to drastic conclusions without even knowing what advice the Saints gave. The team statement seems to suggest they told the Archdiocese to be forthcoming, which is the best advice they could have given. IMO this will blow over soon.

I agree. That AP story shouldn't have even been written. It says nothing and has mouth breathers nationwide now thinking the Saints were culpable in the church sex scandal and in covering it up when it appears to be just the opposite.

 

[insidejob]

Ok, still not sure the Saints are not guilty of anything but very bad judgement here but the line "actions of certain past clergy" rubs me the wrong way....as Saint Jack alluded to, it seems to smack of "say nothing and ignore" right now and all of this bad stuff is in the past....maybe that's just me?



Totally agreed here....

I don't see how you get that from them being disappointed in the clergy who are guilty of sexual abuse of kids. They said "certain past clergy" so as not to indict all priests everywhere since it was only certain past clergy who were outed in the 2018 release of all their names. A lot of them already dead. What about that makes you think it smacks of "say nothing and ignore" since that's the complete opposite of what happened in 2018 when they released the names, defrocked and charged those who had claims made against them?

 

[Saint Jack]

I don't see how you get that from them being disappointed in the clergy who are guilty of sexual abuse of kids. They said "certain past clergy" so as not to indict all priests everywhere since it was only certain past clergy who were outed in the 2018 release of all their names. A lot of them already dead. What about that makes you think it smacks of "say nothing and ignore" since that's the complete opposite of what happened in 2018 when they released the names, defrocked and charged those who had claims made against them?

Because since the original accusations came out in the early 00s, there has been a movement in the Church to either discredit, ignore, or suppress the victims and their stories.
Instead of removing the priests and turning them over to police; they just moved them around in order to avoid a scandal. And that tactic failed. Miserably.
This was the Church trying to protect its PR and image.

 

[DerrickB]

Read the statement...still very disappointed that the Saints went into the relationship. It was stupid...regardless of their role or their intentions. They've bought this heat. I doubt anything legally will come of this...but it still is yet another black eye for the franchise.

Patriots got a bunch of black eyes.

 

[insidejob]

Because since the original accusations came out in the early 00s, there has been a movement in the Church to either discredit, ignore, or suppress the victims and their stories.
Instead of removing the priests and turning them over to police; they just moved them around in order to avoid a scandal. And that tactic failed. Miserably.
This was the Church trying to protect its PR and image.

Right. But ultimately, they finally came out and did the right thing and that's what this was about as far as the Saints are concerned. If these were communications from 2002 between the church and the Saints, ok then. They were still covering up and shuffling priests around so that would be something to be skeptical of.

But with the 2018 dump of all the names and the following charges being filed because of it, the Saints were obviously advising them to do what's right. Which they finally did. That doesn't mean they wouldn't want to find out how to go about dumping that info in the most responsible way possible that protects both the church (and its good priests) and the victims, which is what they did.

Also, either none or close to none of the New Orleans cases were recent. Most of the priests involved are already dead. There was a lengthy EE thread about this.

 

[keefresh2]

So....vicodin, bounties, and now what, altar boy-Gate? My hell, the jokes will practically write themselves.

 

[SaintJ]

So....vicodin, bounties, and now what, altar boy-Gate? My hell, the jokes will practically write themselves.

Especially if we draft any Penn State players.

 

[sfidc3]

Because since the original accusations came out in the early 00s, there has been a movement in the Church to either discredit, ignore, or suppress the victims and their stories.
Instead of removing the priests and turning them over to police; they just moved them around in order to avoid a scandal. And that tactic failed. Miserably.
This was the Church trying to protect its PR and image.

Exactly what I was alluding to....

Right. But ultimately, they finally came out and did the right thing and that's what this was about as far as the Saints are concerned. If these were communications from 2002 between the church and the Saints, ok then. They were still covering up and shuffling priests around so that would be something to be skeptical of.

But with the 2018 dump of all the names and the following charges being filed because of it, the Saints were obviously advising them to do what's right. Which they finally did. That doesn't mean they wouldn't want to find out how to go about dumping that info in the most responsible way possible that protects both the church (and its good priests) and the victims, which is what they did.

Also, either none or close to none of the New Orleans cases were recent. Most of the priests involved are already dead. There was a lengthy EE thread about this.

You are assuming this may not be still going on....I don't trust it is not....I do hope it is not....

 

[sammymvpknight]

Agreed. I think the franchise should be kept separate from the religious institutions or anyone’s beliefs.

I'm a religious person myself. This frustrates me on many levels. It frustrates me that the Saints went into the relationship. It frustrates me that it yet again reveals hypocrisy within religion which drives people away from God. If my Church sought outside secular help to smooth over a HUGE ethical/legal error, I'd find another church. The whole thing just stinks.