One hates to assume the worst of people, but when one see The Pillar sternly and repeatedly attacked on grounds of "journalistic ethics" by Catholic journalists who one can't recall ever having broken a major story, one begins to wonder how much of the "concern" is actually driven by jealousy and professional envy more than anything else.
One hates to assume the worst of people, but when one see The Pillar sternly and repeatedly attacked on grounds of "journalistic ethics" by Catholic journalists who one can't recall ever having broken a major story, one begins to wonder how much of the "concern" is actually driven by jealousy and professional envy more than anything else.
After the extreme stance you've taken so far, are you going to call for Fr. Michael Lane, the parish priest who threw Fr. Martins under the bus, to be investigated as well for putting his hands on a girl's shoulders *at the same event*? Should he be suspended and have the police called on him? Why was he let off and Fr. Martins reputation trashed?
Well Danny, the first place I would start with that is to look at the Diocese of Joliet's Standards of Behavior policy (linked at the bottom of this comment)which enumerates a number of examples of appropropriate physical contact between adults and minors. Since they specifically include on that list "Pats on the upper back" and "Arms around shoulders", it seems reasonable that placing hands on shoulders is acceptable under the diocesan policy. So no, based on what you have shared at this time, I do not see any reason why Fr. Lane should face discipline.
Now, looking at the original incident, even the most charitable interpretation of events would seem to me to place the kind of hair touching that Fr. Martins committed in a grey zone of ambiguity between "definitely acceptable" and "definitely unacceptable". And there's the rub. It is simply not good enough merely to refrain from "definitely unacceptable" actions. All adults, cleric and lay, have a grave duty to refrain from entering the grey zone in their interactions with children. This is an essential part of maintaining a safe environment, and anyone who is negligent is their duty in this regard is in need of stern correction.
One hates to assume the worst of people, but when one see The Pillar sternly and repeatedly attacked on grounds of "journalistic ethics" by Catholic journalists who one can't recall ever having broken a major story, one begins to wonder how much of the "concern" is actually driven by jealousy and professional envy more than anything else.
Mr. Gannon,
After the extreme stance you've taken so far, are you going to call for Fr. Michael Lane, the parish priest who threw Fr. Martins under the bus, to be investigated as well for putting his hands on a girl's shoulders *at the same event*? Should he be suspended and have the police called on him? Why was he let off and Fr. Martins reputation trashed?
https://roddreher.substack.com/p/child-touch-for-me-but-not-for-thee
Well Danny, the first place I would start with that is to look at the Diocese of Joliet's Standards of Behavior policy (linked at the bottom of this comment)which enumerates a number of examples of appropropriate physical contact between adults and minors. Since they specifically include on that list "Pats on the upper back" and "Arms around shoulders", it seems reasonable that placing hands on shoulders is acceptable under the diocesan policy. So no, based on what you have shared at this time, I do not see any reason why Fr. Lane should face discipline.
Now, looking at the original incident, even the most charitable interpretation of events would seem to me to place the kind of hair touching that Fr. Martins committed in a grey zone of ambiguity between "definitely acceptable" and "definitely unacceptable". And there's the rub. It is simply not good enough merely to refrain from "definitely unacceptable" actions. All adults, cleric and lay, have a grave duty to refrain from entering the grey zone in their interactions with children. This is an essential part of maintaining a safe environment, and anyone who is negligent is their duty in this regard is in need of stern correction.
https://catechesis.diojoliet.org/documents/d/child-protection/doj-standards-of-behavior-for-those-working-with-minors-and-vulnerable-adults-rev-12-20-2023-_with-transportation-policy-pdf