What do you get when you mix religious authority, an immigrant population, and lack of oversight? It's simple really. You get abuse.
Representatives of the Latino community, however, said the lapse speaks more to what they called the victimization of a vulnerable population, one that is taught to respect members of the clergy and that fears ramifications — primarily deportation — of going to the police.
The priest in question is Rev. Richard Ordonez from Ecuador. He's alleged to have touched a woman sexually against her will. He pleaded not guilty. Ordonez has been suspended.
This case raises a few questions about oversight. I often wonder if there is any oversight at all. Who looks over the shoulder of the man representing god? Somebody should. And what about a code of conduct? When a priest requests time alone for private counseling with a woman (or heck, with priests it could be a man too), it should set off warning bells. But nobody watches a priest. People must come forward to speak against them. When victims come forward, they often find themselves speaking against the Catholic church too It is a perfect environment for abuse.
More than one woman has complained.
One woman told the case manager the priest forced her to have sex with him, and another said he tried to force her to have sex. A third said she left her husband after falling in love with the priest and entering a consensual sexual relationship with him, which she later deeply regretted. A fourth said the priest touched the top of her legs “in a very fresh way,” according to the case manager, who would speak only on condition of anonymity in order to protect the identity of her clients, some of whom are undocumented immigrants.
I’ll be following this case closely.
Hat tip Volly
