Are we a church to act pastorally or a corporation to act legalistically? Isn't that one of the things many of us criticized our Roman cousins for?

On the other hand, there is a reason, grounded in justice, for statutes of limitation. If what is alleged is true, a terrible wrong has been done. But before we will invoke the power of the state to right a wrong, there has to be a fair proceeding, with both side allowed to fairly present evidence. How can there be such a proceeding if all the accused are dead?

Mr. White has been seeking justice from the church for years -- his case is one that fell before we did anything about sexual abuse - I hope he finally receives his day in court and I hope the church does the right thing by him. Unfortunately we are still perpetrating abuse by protecting the church over those who have suffered at the hands of our leaders

What is the equally, in depth, known personal history of The Reverend Gibson Bell?

Mr. Naughton:

Your posting and comment are well below your journalistic training. A casual glance at the posting on the website of the Diocese of Pennsylvania demonstrates that Mr. White's complaint has all the earmarks of a dubious claim (compare the complaint against Cardinal Bernadin and the Tawna Brawley scandal)

It is demonstrably false to state: "it [the diocese] appears to concede that Mr. White was repeatedly raped and his property appropriated by a priest" (appears to whom?)To the contrary, the "apparent concession" is merely the repeating by the diocese of Mr. White's claim.

Please do your homework and post the appropriate corrections.

What a blot on your normally estimable website.

Spencer Ervin, Bass Harbor, Maine

I have added a link to the statement of the diocesan standing committee. As Mr. Ervin says, the diocese does not concede the facts I have said that they concede. Neither, however, does it contest them. I have no way of knowing anything about the merits of Mr. White's case. Neither, from anything he has shown here, does Mr. Ervin. I am arguing that most of the public will learn about this case via the mainstream media, and that the diocese comes off extremely poorly in these stories.

Ralph White is a brave and caring man who has been severely mistreated by a pedophile Episcopalian priest and a callous church hierarchy. We commend him for having the strength to expose his predator and other wrong-doers, and hope he achieves the closure and healing he deserves.

David Clohessy
National Director, SNAP
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
7234 Arsenal Street
St. Louis MO 63143
314 566 9790 cell

Not surprisingly, this article is also a headline on the SNAP website today:
http://www.snapnetwork.org/
I do understand the temptation for Episcopalians and others to discount clergy sexual abuse as largely a celibate, Roman Catholic problem. What is embarrassing and infuriating is seeing Episcopal brass impugning the motives of an alleged victim.

I've been told many times how TEC now has a clergy sexual abuse policy with credibility and compassion for the alleged victim, as opposed to “window-dressing”.

Well, does it or doesn't it?

Haven't we learned anything from the ongoing catastrophe in the Catholic Church? Is anyone paying attention to what's going on in Ireland? Earlier this week 5,000+ Irish marched through Dublin while even now The Dáil debates the findings of the Ryan Report.

As for Mr. White in PA, while the specifics of clergy sexual abuse are always different for each individual, the symptoms and life-long trauma he describes from his abuse sound all too disturbingly familiar. As for the comment by the lawyer: '(We express) our sorrow for Mr. White's pain, and hopefully this will be resolved speedily with justice for everyone and we can move on.' I’m sure church bureaucracies are quite eager to 'move on' - out of the spotlight, however "moving on" is an incredibly slow and painful process for a survivor.

Jesus, Mary and Joseph - where the hell is Christ's Church in all this? Are SNAP people the only ones ministering to this sick, old ex-Episcopalian?

John Iliff
Bloomington, Illinois

I don't know enough about this situation to make a judgment, but I pray the church is not circling the wagons to protect itself instead of seeing that justice is done. As Jim says, the diocese doesn't come out of this looking good.

This statement by Bishop Michael does neither him nor the diocese credit:

"One wonders, 60 years on, whether Mr. White is driving this boat, or perhaps his attorney."

June Butler

Are there documents, accounts, statements, etc. from the Episcopal Church or Rev. Bell that confirm Mr. White's alleged abuse? Was Rev. Bell implicated in other abuse claims? If so, are Mr. White's claims similar to those of others? Are there documents, statements, etc. from Mr. White's mother? From her lawyers? From the mental health facility where Mr. White was sent? Are there newspaper or other contemporaneous media or third party accounts from that time period that tend to confirm Mr. White's allegations? If the answers to any of these questions is "Yes," then the Episcopal Church should respond pastorally and give Mr. White some form of justice. However, it is difficult to assess the truthfulness of an allegation of abuse that is supposed to have occurred over 60 years ago, especially when all the accused and other potential witnesses are dead. Rev. Bell is dead. The bishop from that time is dead. Mr. White's mother is dead. Her lawyers who set up the transfer of her estate presumably are dead. Staff and doctors from the mental health facility where Mr. White was taken presumably are dead. Did the mother give over her estate to Rev. Bell because she believed in him and belieeved he would use her largesse with good judgment to help others, but believed her son to be unstable and perhaps unable to properly and responsibly receive her estate? Or, did Rev. Bell manipulate Mr. White's mother? Without more information and reliable evidence, these questions are almost impossible to answer. It cannot be that the standard and measure of truthfulness in such matters is the existence of an allegation in and of itself. This is especially true when current generations of churchgoers and recipients of church charity and services are asked to "foot the bill" for something that is alleged to have occurred over six decades ago. I would say that--even if the allegation were proved false--the Church should minister to Mr. White as a man much in need of help. Nevertheless, remember that justice must be coupled with truth. A Christian church should extend charity and kindness to people such as Mr. White because he is a human being who is in need. The Church should respond to him because it has a responsibility to him and to others like him. However, the Church also has responsibilities to others, to truth, to justice, etc. The "right thing" in this case should not be dictated by people or groups who assume that all such claims are always true. The Church should not be a part of a process that does not have the discernment of truth as its goal. Without truth--or at least verifiable facts--justice is illusory. God bless Mr. White and all who are affected by this.

(Moderator's note: Please use your full name next time, Michael.)

Ralph White has written to me and I have spoken with him on the phone. I have no reason to doubt the truthfulness of his statements.

Mr. White's mother may have fallen under the spell of a Svengali type individual in the Rev. Gibson Bell. At some point her son is committed to an asylum and but for a judge who found the commitment illegal, White might still be there.

The continuing sexual abuse problems in the Catholic Church in the United States, in many, many other countries around the world and now is Ireland have shown the depth and breath of the problem which is really one of the abuse of authority by clergy and the egregious cover-up by enabling church officials including bishops.

The comments made by Episcopal church officials and the Diocese of Pennsylvania are appalling and lack a modicum of charity and pastoral concern.

What is not surprising is how like the official responses of the Catholic hierarchy the official statements of the Episcopal church are.

Attack the individual, the possible victim, no matter what, seems to have been the order of the day for a number of religious denominations including both Catholic and Episcopal.

The Diocese of Pennsylvania has a obligation in charity and justice to investigate this as much as humanly possible WITHOUT trotting out the "he and his lawyer just want to get on the gravy train" accusations.

It's disgusting and it is certainly not what Jesus would have done.

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com

There is plenty of evidence but the church has shut its ears and heart to Mr White over and over - all parties are dead - but he, like the persistent widow, continues to offer the church a chance to do justice.

God grant the Church the Serenity to accept the things it cannot change,

The Courage to CHANGE the things it can,

And the Wisdom to know the difference.

Prayers for Ralph White, Jr.

JC Fisher