Off My Knees – A Blog by Michael Baumann
Standing up for myself and other victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
A letter by was released by the President of the University of Scranton, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., to the University on August 20, 2018, concerning the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report. It outlines proactive steps being implemented at the "The U" as a result of the findings presented by the Grand Jury. Some of the actions include the… Continue reading The University of Scranton Takes Action
The Pennsylvania Attorney General has released the report on a two-year grand jury investigation into widespread sexual abuse of children within six dioceses of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania and the systemic cover-up by senior church officials in Pennsylvania and at The Vatican. The following links are provided: The Attorney General's Press Release A-Report-of-the-Fortieth-Statewide-Investigating-Grand-Jury_Cleland-Redactions-8-12-08_Redacted Exhibits… Continue reading The Grand Jury Report Has Been Released
Penn Live is reporting that another Grand Jury is about to release a damning report on the Catholic Church's dirty little secrets regarding the rape and sexual assaults on children and vulnerable adults. Will this make the people of Pennsylvania stand up and say it is time to confront this issue and the organization that… Continue reading Another Report Coming on Roman Collar Crime in Pennsylvania
I have a healthy skepticism when it comes to anyone actually prosecuting the institutions that have made it a business practice to support and protect pedophiles that groom, sexually abuse and rape children within that institution. There is a risk calculation, no doubt, that guides these institutions to deny claims of abuse, attempt to discredit… Continue reading Dial the number…
This is from an email that FACSA sent out Yesterday. It was important enough to come out of my self imposed archive. 1-888-538-8541 Last April, the PA Attorney General’s Office established a toll-free phone number for survivors of child sex abuse (who were PA residents, or were abused by someone in PA) to call… Continue reading Action Alert from the Foundation To Abolish Child Sex Abuse (FACSA)
I am writing this from the low country of South Carolina. A break needed to assess where I am and where I am going. I am also working on a project that I will keep under wraps for the time being. The first steps are proving to be very challenging. After the post from July… Continue reading The Answer to “What is it going to take?”
I wrote a blog post in February, 2013 titled "Is there a Survivors' Community" in which I was looking for answers from survivors about our community, our way forward and who speaks for us. In May,2013 I expressed my frustration in another post, "Crickets, Silence on the net..." that I did not hear from anyone in… Continue reading What is it going to take?
This morning I read an article on-line from CatholicCulture.org on the United Nations probe into torture and the Vatican. I find it amusing that the UN, the world’s most ineffective organization, is creating theater of the absurd with the Holy See, the world’s most recalcitrant organization. The piece I was reading, written by Phil Lawler,… Continue reading Reply to CatholicCulture.org’s Misunderstanding of Torture
"The beginning of wisdom is the definition of terms." Socrates An article on the Vatican Radio's Website reported on a request from Pope Francis for forgiveness for the priests who committed sexual crimes against children. During his prepared remarks to members of BICE [International Catholic Child Bureau] whom he received on 11 April 2014 in an… Continue reading A Papal Request for Forgiveness Begs Clarification
An article in the Scranton Times-Tribune online follows up on the story of Carlos Urrutigoiry and his elevation to a position of authority over priests accused of misconduct in a Catholic Diocese in Paraguay. The National Director of SNAP, David Chlohessy, is demanding the Diocese release the files on the Urrutigoiry and the events that… Continue reading Scranton Times-Tribune Coverage of the Urrutigoiry Story
Off My Knees - A Blog by Michael Baumann 