Latest news with #MaristBrothers
The Guardian
03-07-2025
- The Guardian
Letter: June Walker obituary
When June Walker arrived at the school in Zomba, Malawi, where I was a 21-year-old VSO teacher in 1970-71, she brought a welcome freshness, contrasting with the reserved Marist Brothers in charge. In the late 1980s, on a trip with my wife, Christine (also ex-VSO), and our two young children, we visited June at her Lake Malawi home. Although we arrived unannounced, the 'bush telegraph' had alerted her in advance. We were generously entertained, with the children allowed to gather custard apples. When we left, she give us a copy of The Malawi Cookbook, which she had written to make the most of local foodstuffs – a gesture typical of a considerate lady.
RNZ News
11-06-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Call for Pope Leo to issue abuse zero tolerance policy
Newly elected Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Robert Prevost of the United States, appears on the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on May 8. Photo: Stoyan Nenov/Reuters via CNN Newsource A Fijian abuse survivor is urging the new head of the Catholic church to adopt a zero tolerance policy for child sex abuse. Felix Fremlin was seven years old when he was molested by a New Zealand Marist Brother at his primary school in Suva. Although he had received a written apology and FJD$15,000 (approx US$6,680) in financial compensation from the Marist Brothers Order of New Zealand and the Pacific, Fremlin said it's not enough. Speaking to Pacific Waves , Fremlin said culture and faith prevents many people in the Pacific from speaking out. "It's a Pacific island thing, everybody looks upon the church as messengers of God, and so for people to talk about it... it's a taboo thing," he said. Seeking mental health support is also a struggle for Fremlin. Photo: Supplied "So here, we don't have any specialists where survivors can go to for counselling. The church here has offered counselling but the counsellors here belong to the church itself. So when you go for counselling, you report back to the church." Fremlin also expressed his dissatisfaction over Pope Leo's appointment as the new pontiff, claiming the former cardinal had allegedly concealed abuse cases of three women while he served as a bishop in Peru in 2022. However, Fremlin said the onus is now on Pope Leo to stand with abuse survivors, calling for him to enact the zero tolerance law. The newly elected Pope Leo waves from the balcony of St. Peter's Basilica on Thursday. Photo: Francesco Sforza/Vatican Media/Reuters via CNN Newsource An earlier attempt was done in November 2024 when former Jesuit priest, Reverand Hans Zollner, joined abuse survivors at a press conference in Rome urging Pope Francis to apply the zero-tolerance law throughout the entire 1.4 billion-member church. The law would effectively remove any priests guilty of abuse from the ministry. For Fremlin, it's about taking concrete steps in protecting the most vulnerable. "When survivors tried to seek or converse with the church, the church gives them the runaround, and always the lawyers," he said. "My experience in Fiji is that they bring up the lawyers and then they hide behind the lawyers you know, so I wish the pope would come on this - it's just something that he can put into law that the survivors can go to, without the church giving them the runarounds." In a statement sent to RNZ Pacific, the New Zealand Catholic Bishops Conference said significant work has been undertaken to "promote a culture of awareness and vigilance". An immediate risk assessment is carried out once a complainant in New Zealand comes forward. Any risk identified would result in the accused priest to step down. For those convicted of abuse, the conference said the policies in place would permanently remove them from the ministry. The conference also said that abuse survivors can seek a mental health counsellor of their choice. "If they don't have already a counsellor, the church can provide them a list of counsellors to choose from - with some or all being people without ties to the church." Even if Pope Leo was to eventually adopt a zero-tolerance policy, Fremlin said it'll do little to restore his faith in the church. "It's like asking the cow to jump over the moon. It's very hard for [the survivors] to come out openly. "We're just hoping for something concrete you know, written in black and white, that states they're doing something about it." A general view shows Pope Leo XIV leading a Holy Mass for the Beginning of his Pontificate, in St Peter's square in The Vatican Photo: AFP / TIZIANA FABI A long-standing advocate of Pacific abuse survivors said they deserve more justice. Dr Murray Heasley, who was instrumental in Fremlin's case, said the payout that Fremlin and his brother John received is "outrageous". "It's about dignity; it's about human rights," he said. "How can you be paying a fraction of the money to a Fijian survivor abused by a New Zealander in Fiji, particularly if you take into consideration some of the notion of the colonial background and the assumption of superiority of Western culture at the time... The colonial mentality seems to still be in place. "If you happen to be a Fijian survivor that got sexually molested by a New Zealander, you're worth less as a human being? Than a Pasifika abused in New Zealand? Why the differentiation? "It's absolutely outrageous and it has to be revisited now. The FMS Marist Brothers have massive resources." The New Zealand Bishop Conference said each case that the church considers is unique and so is each response. Part of the response can include an ex gratia payment to a survivor as part of the 'healing process'. However, they also said that "comparisons cannot be made between different cases across the various components of each process". Last year, New Zealand journalist Pete McKenzie broke the story in the New York Times of how the Pacific was used as a 'dumping ground' for accused priests . Heasley said it was a 'standard procedure'. "It's extremely common to shift predators around. It was called the geographic cure. It didn't cure anything. "The worst predators were those who were fluent in the local language, Fiji and Samoan and Tongan, because parents trusted them. They used the language to predate and groom." The New Zealand Catholic Bishop's Conference responded with a statement they had issued last year in response to McKenzie's story. "We were given 10 or 11 specific names and NONE had any record of allegations of abuse before they were assigned to ministry in the Pacific. It was anything but 'common practice', the statement said. "Catholic priests and religious [orders] have regularly been appointed to the Pacific Islands to support the faith life of communities there. For many religious orders, the Pacific is part of the same province as New Zealand. "There is no record of any of the nine men about whom [McKenzie] enquired being accused of abuse before the order of diocese appointed to them to the Pacific. Allegations against some were not received until after their death." Photo: ALBERTO PIZZOLI As for Pope Leo's alleged handling of abuse cases in Peru, Heasley said he's concerned. "We've seen pushback from people inside the Catholic Church calling these women 'liars'. It's an astonishing thing where you have so-called advocates of women's voices, the silence of women's voices coming in behind the pope who they see as a fellow Peruvian because he has joint citizenship ." He said canon lawyer Brendan Daly has called the sexual abuse of children the greatest threat to the Catholic church. "None of these folks are dealing with this, and even to this point, with this new pope has yet to say anything except to deny the accusation. He has not reached out to sexual survivors, and without that, he is not an acceptable pope." The New Zealand Catholic Bishop Conference said there are many first-hand reports "including from victims and survivors of abuse" that have shared their appreciation for how well then-Bishop Prevost handled the cases in Peru. "He played a pivotal role in having a religious community shut down - which is a rare and severe course of action," the statement read.
RNZ News
01-05-2025
- Politics
- RNZ News
Man assaulted by NZ Catholic brother wants say in election of new Pope
Cardinals walk to take their places ahead of the late Pope Francis' funeral ceremony at St Peter's Square at The Vatican on April 26, 2025. Photo: AFP/MANDEL NGAN A Fijian man sexually abused as a boy by a Catholic brother says he has a right to lobby the conclave in Rome over who it chooses as the next pope. "I'm afraid that the new Pope that's going to be picked is tainted in some way and may not fully commit to ending sex abuses and not survivor friendly," Felix Fremlin told RNZ. Assaulted as a seven year old by a New Zealand Marist brother at his Suva school, Fremlin has now joined an international group that has set up a database, Conclave Watch, aimed at vetting cardinals and posting details online. "From a survivor's point, you know it's always good to put up history of cardinals so that, you know, we hope that the right choice is made," Fremlin said. He demands a say - though he is not a Catholic any more - even if believers protested at this as interference. "From my history of being a Catholic and my history of being abused by Catholic priests and the Marist Brothers, I have a right to speak out to protect the children that's coming up." He was among abuse survivors banding together and speaking up to a greater extent than at past conclaves. Behind the watch database was the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), which said the response had been overwhelming. "Survivors and advocates from around the world continue to send us critical information," said spokesperson Sarah Pearson. Fremlin said conclaves were too secretive and should be open. "To be honest, I can't do much, but all I can do is just to make sure that from small country we try to just raise our voice up." Cardinals have discussed clerical abuse in pre-conclave talks, the Vatican said on Monday. One who took part, Jean Luis Cipriani Thorne of Peru, was secretly disciplined in 2019 following allegations of sexual abuse - he denied wrongdoing - but has defied various orders from the late Pope Francis. "This man has no place there," Pearson said. Cipriani is too old (over 80) to take part in the election once the conclave begins on 7 May, however, Catholic news site Crux said how the cardinals handled him now was an immediate "litmus test" . Fremlin said the problem was of tainted cardinals doing the choosing, as well as who they might choose. "We can't stop them choosing whoever they want to choose, but we're just hoping that common sense can prevail and they choose someone who can make a fresh start." Francis, like some other popes before him, had said the right things but not gone far enough, he added. Fremlin did not like how New Zealand cardinal John Dew had handled abuse allegations, contrasting that with what he said was more openess from Tonga's cardinal Soane Patita Paini Mafi.
Chicago Tribune
05-04-2025
- Politics
- Chicago Tribune
Letters: I don't need religion. I have the Golden Rule.
Regarding the op-ed 'Famous atheist's pivot doesn't surprise me as a pastor' (March 29): Wow! This pastor must live in a compartmentalized little world. I stopped fantasizing about my 'invisible friend' when I reached the age of reason in second grade. I owe my education to 18 years of instruction by the Ursuline Sisters, the Marist Brothers, the Sisters of Mercy and the Sisters of Charity of the Incarnate Word. My two graduate degrees and doctorate, however, were earned in public institutions of higher education. The former 18 years required religion classes. I found the Bible stories fascinating, even the incestuous ones. I have three copies of this Iron Age plus Roman colonial era literature, plus other such tomes, including a Jesuit version of the Catholic Catechism. The more I learned, the less I believe in the supernatural. The Golden Rule, which is centuries older than Christianity, that's all-encompassing for little old me. — Carlos Valle, retired professor, Laredo, Texas Return to patriarchy Which society is more irresponsible? A bloodthirsty, primitive society for which the sight of a man nailed to crosswise timbers was routine? Or a modern society routinely placing statuettes of this man before its innocent children? As a child, I could never understand how Christians were blind to the sadistic atmosphere established at their church altars and in so many of their homes by the display of Christ on the cross. Of course, it can be very useful to have a population trying to atone for its 'original sin' by doing as it is told. I do not claim an established religion, having been raised by a former Catholic and a former Muslim to follow the Golden Rule. And as an adult, contrary to Pastor Mike Woodruff, who crows about atheist Richard Dawkins noting that religion is 'useful,' I find even less reason to do so now. What Woodruff, President Donald Trump and the religious right are celebrating is a return to patriarchal authoritarianism. These people adhere to the idea that the common person is weak, undisciplined and unable to decide things for himself or herself. Very handy view if you want to be a dictator, a king or a pastor. Unfortunately, this authoritarian nature predominates in American Christianity, despite the New Testament-zakat and sadaqah-tikkun olam kindness demonstrated by the Chicago faith leaders in their recent op-ed 'Millions of Illinoisans with criminal records deserve a clean slate' (March 30). The many, many generous, kind, faith-based Americans whose collective energies and wealth are directed toward charitable goals are being stymied today by this repressive religio-political alliance. I see religion being used, still, and most everywhere, as a tool of unethical, power-hungry individuals and states. I see it being used to destroy the humanity of peoples whom the current ruling structures see as threatening to their power and self-image. (Witness the current Israeli and American administrations.) I see it being used here in our once-relatively light-spirited country to stomp underfoot the dreams of brown and Black people and, of course, the Palestinians. As if doing so will uplift the rest of us. — Zenat Vakili, Naperville Religion's usefulness The question will never be between religion and no religion. So long as humans cannot live merely to eat, sleep and be merry, they will always gravitate toward one religion or another. Religion alone can offer them a purpose, a reason to live. People who love science, including me and far brighter heads such as Richard Dawkins and Bertrand Russell, might tend to lose themselves in science, the wonders that science illuminates and the application of the scientific method. For people like us, science is a blast. But, for that very reason, it can distract us from science's inadequacies. One thing science cannot do is to offer that sense of purpose that everyone needs. Pastor Mike Woodruff's op-ed states that self-avowed atheist Richard Dawkins has recently come out as a 'cultural Christian.' It may be that, even though he continues to detest organized religion in general, he has recognized that some religions are better than others and that, as far as religions go, Christianity is not too bad. If that is the case, I'm surprised it took him so long. Compared with the fundamentalism of al-Qaida or Hamas, the doctrines of the Bolsheviks, the nationalism of the Nazis or the sun god worship of the Aztecs, Christianity does indeed seem not too bad. My point, though, is that insofar as people fall away from one religion, they will gravitate toward others. They will always need religion. Some religions are better than others. Now, as for the question of whether Jesus really was who he said he was, why not look into it? According to Dawkins, it would appear, there are worse ways to spend your time. — Michael W. Drwiega, Wilmette Treatment of elderly The Illinois drivers service facility for senior citizens in suburban Westchester is the responsibility of the Illinois secretary of state. Driver's license renewal at that facility is the definition of irresponsible public service for senior citizens. After I waited a half hour on the sidewalk in the freezing cold, the rest of the process took a mere three hours. 'Where does this place store its victims when it rains?' asked the lady behind me. A month before my visit to this elderly-only facility, my wife's complaints of her experiences at the Westchester facility took on new clarity. It is unconscionable for a public service office, the Illinois secretary of state, to treat its senior population this way. The secretary of state himself will become a senior citizen and then perhaps realize how elderly people savor their final days. Three hours at a drivers service facility is not a distinctive choice. — William O'Neill, Chicago Bowling memories Thanks to Rick Kogan for the insightful article 'When billiards and bowling were all the rage' (April 1). My grandfather established the Hyde Park Bowl on Lake Street in the 1920s, with a pool room at street level and two upper levels of bowling alleys. In the 1940s, my aunt, who had been a Ziegfeld Follies girl working with Fanny Brice, ended up employed there, taking in the tickets and handing out bowling shoes. My father took over the Hyde Park Bowl and established the popular Bryn Mawr Bowl at 71st Street and Jeffery Boulevard, which had an open pool room on the upper level. In my high school years, I worked every Saturday behind the bowling counter, with friends begging me to put them higher up on the alley waiting list. Once, I set pins for the children's league, then went home and slept off that exercise. In all the decades, I remember that the guys who bowled or played pool were all respectful of the game, the equipment and our employees. Pickleball is fun, but it will never rise to the enjoyment of decadeslong camaraderie and laughter emanating from the South Side bowlers, the clack of the eight ball in the side pocket or the sound of the 15-pound ball knocking down all 10 pins. — Richard J. Aronson, Highland Park
