Statement from VOTF-Dayton Regarding
Mgr. Daniel Pater
Prepared by Kris Ward, Mike Knellinger ,
Co-Founders/Co-Chairs
We agree with Pope John Paul II’s statement, “There is no place in the priesthood or religious life for those who would harm the young.”
Our question is - Why are they still there?
It is now painfully apparent the Vatican knew that a priest who abused a 14-year-old girl was serving in its diplomatic ranks. The Archbishop of Cincinnati knew that a priest who abused a 14-year-old girl was serving in the diplomatic corps of the Vatican and rising in its ranks.
Our question is - Why was this allowed to happen?
We call upon Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk:
to bar Monsignor Daniel Pater from any active ministry in the archdiocese and
to immediately begin the canonical process to remove him from the priesthood.
Our question is - If Monsignor Pater is a priest in good standing, what constitutes a priest in bad standing?
Bishop James Harvey, who heads the papal household:
had a responsibility to make known to Cardinal Angelo Sodano, the Vatican Secretary of State the knowledge he had concerning Monsignor Pater who served in the ranks of the Vatican Secretariat of State.
He had an even greater responsibility to make his knowledge known to Pope John Paul II whom he served on a daily basis.
Pope John Paul II has called sexual abuse by clergy a “crime” - and it is.
Our question is - Why are those who have committed crimes judged worthy to stand at our sacred altars and to serve in the ranks of the Vatican?
We call upon priests who have abused or who are abusing children and teenagers"
to come forward and
end this saga of sorrow in the local and universal Church.
We call upon all priests of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati who have even a shred of knowledge that a priest is or has been a sexually abusive priest:
to bring that knowledge before the Archbishop and the civil authorities.
We encourage: any member of the Church and
any member of the general citizenry who has knowledge that a priest is or has been sexual abusive to bring that knowledge before the Archbishop and the civil authorities.
We call upon: all pastors to open their churches throughout
this week so that the faithful may come before Almighty God to pray for the
Pope, Archbishop Pilarczyk, Bishop Moeddel, all bishops, priests and survivors
of clergy sexual abuse and for all of the Roman Catholic Church.
All non-essential meetings in parishes should cease to allow for a concentration
of prayer.
We call upon:
all pastors and associate pastors to address the clergy sexual abuse scandal from pulpits and to allow parishioners the time, the facilities, and the atmosphere of sincerity and respect to speak openly in this crisis in the Church.
We extend our support most particularly today to Daniel Pater’s victim/survivor and to her family. We offer our support to all victim/survivors of clergy sexual abuse and their families and to the families of those who committed suicide because of sexual abuse by clergy.
We express our gratitude to Monsignor Lawrence Breslin for the actions of a priest of integrity.
We will continue our efforts to fight against clergy sexual abuse until every child and every parent can be free of the fear that the Church continues to harbor sexual offenders in its priesthood.
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