Off My Knees – A Blog by Michael Baumann
Standing up for myself and other victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
But no pledges to fix "The Church." The fire at Notre Dame de Paris was a cultural tragedy. The cathedral is iconic to Paris, to France, to the world. The loss of over 850 years of work by carpenters, stone masons, painters, sculptors, stain glass makers, metal smiths, and untold numbers of other artisans who… Continue reading In just a few days, a Billion $ pledged to fix a church.
I have been struggling with this for weeks. I am trying to make sense of this play by the Diocese of Scranton. They have set a window for survivors to apply for the Independent Survivor Compensation Program (ISCP) that terminates in July for those who have not previously reported their abuse or in September for… Continue reading Filling out the ISCP application
If you are a survivor in the Diocese of Scranton, you will need to look at the Diocese website for the Independent Survivor's Compensation Program. The link is at the end of the news release and is not part of the main Diocesan site. The Bishop also released a video. There is not a lot… Continue reading Diocese releases more information on the ISCP
Author's note: This is my second attempt at this post. I have tempered my approach, but my outrage has not abated. A half-truth is even more dangerous than a lie. A lie, you can detect at some stage, but half a truth is sure to mislead you for long.” Anurag Shourie I have had two… Continue reading A letter from the VAC at the Diocese of Scranton: Independent Survivor Compensation Program
There are only a few days left until the Diocese of Scranton releases the information on the Bishop's Victims Compensation Fund. I am confident that Bishop Bambera will over-promise and under-deliver to victims and their families. If you plan to make a claim against the Diocese of Scranton, watch their news release page for information. … Continue reading Awaiting Details of the Bishop’s Fund and End of the Year Reading
Twas the week before Christmas... The University of Scranton's President, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., has released a message on the University's Website and in an email to the University Community regarding the Maryland Province releasing the names of Jesuits credibly accused of sexual abuse of minors. As Father Pilarz points out, four of the Jesuits… Continue reading The Jesuits
The York Daily Record released a story on Virgil Bradley Tertherow, one of the convicted priests who was listed in the Pennsylvania Attorney General's Grand Jury Report (his story is covered on page 872 in the Diocese of Scranton section). By the looks of the number of search engine inquiries and hits on my… Continue reading Tetherow’s Story Continues
"What hurts the victim the most is not the cruelty of the oppressor, but the silence of the bystander."
It has been a while since I read the Aeneid in which Virgil warned "Timeo Danaos et dona ferentes." I will paraphrase in the traditional English fashion. "Beware of Greeks bearing gifts." Today, the Trojan Horse was rolled out of the Chancery on Wyoming Avenue in Scranton. Just days after the mid-term elections failed… Continue reading Beware of Greeks Bearing Gifts
In a move that took me by surprise back in August, the incoming President of The University of Scranton, Scott R. Pilarz, S.J., directed that the names of bishops of the Diocese of Scranton involved in the Sexual Abuse Crisis would be removed from campus buildings and honorary degrees awarded to those individuals rescinded. This… Continue reading A Letter to the President of The University of Scranton: Show Me Your Good Faith and Resolve
Off My Knees - A Blog by Michael Baumann 