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Kayla
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 05:02 pm |
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Apparentally, for my theology course, I am to complete a research paper and then present my findings on a Father Tom Doyle, O.P. I have done a quick google search, but I can't seem to find anything that states explicitly what it is he does or has done. From what I can gather from different exerpts is that he once worked in the Vatican, is well-versed in Church-law, but now works as a lawyer for victims of sex abuse claims? I'm having a hard time seeing exactly where he is... Most articles refer to him simply as Tom Doyle and the one picture I saw of him did not show him in clerics. It also appears he has written a book (can't find the title again) and many essays on the sex-abuse scandal.
Has anyone, out of curiosity, heard of this priest? I'm just trying to get some sort of bearings on him before I begin my official research. Thanks.
____________________
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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Therese Z
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 06:12 pm |
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I googled "dominicans thomas doyle" and found a lot. He disagrees with the Bishops over how they handled the "Long Lent of 2002" (the sex abuse scandal), but I didn't spend much time seeing if he did it charitably and in obedience, or with a big old mouth.
Try googling that way and you'll have a lot to read.
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 06:33 pm |
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Yes, Kayla, I’ve heard of him. Thomas P. Doyle, OP. He’s quite well known as a social activist, and he has written a number of books; see this list. (I googled “Thomas Doyle” to get this info, plus an interview and a number of other tidbits. You may have used “Tom,” which would yield different results. Using his full name, with middle initial, avoids many irrelevant links, but could also miss a number of vital sources which do not use the middle initial.)
Doyle has been lionized by such organizations as the Voice of the Faithful (definitely dissident) and SNAP (perhaps not dissident, but still rather extremist), the National Catholic Reporter (a dissident weekly, not to be confused with the excellent National Catholic Register) and other activist groups. After the well-known Vatican incident of 1985, he took a post in the military chaplaincy, from which he was fired and his faculties were removed by Archbishop Edwin O’Brien, then of the Archdiocese for the Military Services.
All told, he reminds me quite a lot of the late Berrigan brothers (Jesuit anti-nuclear activists of 40 years ago).
Good luck on your assignment.
David
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Luke12:48
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 08:28 pm |
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This site has a variety of links included as well as biographical info.
http://p218.ezboard.com/fcatholicreformationfrm30.showMessageRange?topicID=25.topic&start=1&stop=20
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Kayla
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Posted: Tue Nov 13th, 2007 08:44 pm |
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Thanks for all of the help... Heh, putting in his full-name seems like a no-brainer, eh? Oops.
I should've guessed he would be quite unconventional, considering the professor who assigned him to me. This'll be a test for me; how to present him in a positive light. Granted, I'm only partially into my research, I probably ought not to make any judgements on him yet. Still... -sigh-
____________________
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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CajunRick
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 03:07 am |
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Let me throw a monkey-wrench into the works.
First, I am not familiar with Fr. Doyle at all. However, I noticed the reference to an abuse case in Lafayette, Louisiana. I am pretty familiar with that case, as he was the pastor of my parents' parish at the time he was 'busted'. The priest had been an active molester for a very long time, and the abuse was blatantly covered up by moving him from parish to parish. The heirarchy of the diocese was aware of his activities and used strong-armed tactics to silence the accusers. In Cajun culture (and this is the very heart of Acadiana), a priest walks on water in the minds of the faithful. This case did a lot to destroy that image.
Much of the image of the Catholic Church as a result of the abuse crisis has been unfair. Most of the cases have involved priests who sought treatment and were pronounced "cured" by psychiatrists, and bishops followed medical advice that turned out later to be wrong. This was not one of those cases. This guy was a predator, and the diocese actually ended up facilitating his abuse. I'm not saying the intentions of the diocesan officials were not good. I'm saying their actions were wrong, and they later admitted it. This case, and others like it, went a very long way in giving the Church the very bad reputation it has as a result of the sex abuse crisis.
So if Fr. Doyle is in fact the "whistle blower" who was willing to take on the Church over this particular case, God may well consider him the martyr who led the Church to admit this crisis and deal with it. Of course, I really don't know the answer to that. I just wouldn't automatically class him as a "dissident" just because he was willing to confront the Church. In the Lafayette case, they deserved it.
I did a little research on him today as well, and more than once I found the term "brilliant theologian". Even if he ended up as a dissident over the sex abuse crisis, that does not necessarily mean his theology (especially his early writings) are necessarily bad. Some of Martin Luther's early works are quite good. Tertullian ended up a heretic, but his early writings are often included among the Church Fathers. So definitely approach this with an open mind, Kayla. You might be pleasantly surprised.
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TotusTuus
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 11:49 am |
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Kayla,
I would encourage you to keep an open mind about Fr. Doyle. I believe characterizing him as something like the "Berrigan brothers" is unfair.
Keep in mind that in 1985 he was encouraging (no begging) the NCCB to treat sex abuse cases as criminal matters (instead of merely disciplinary cases). If they had listened to him then, the Church would have been spared a whole world of hurt. Instead, it took a hostile and opportunistic media to bring the Bishops to their knees and admit that the best course of action is to alert authorities whenever they have credible allegations of sexual abuse by one of their members or employees.
Who knows how many vocations, conversions, and ferverent Catholics have been lost as a result of this crisis. However, thanks be to God that the Church is emerging purified, stronger and more focused her mission.
Even if you discover you disagree with some of Fr. Doyle's methods or positions, it is a decent academic exercise to present the full story in a balanced and reasoned way. I'd be interested in hearing what you discover.
All the best!
Last edited on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 11:51 am by TotusTuus
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CajunRick
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 12:03 pm |
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TotusTuus wrote: I'd be interested in hearing what you discover.
We all would, Kayla. I hope you'll share it with us.
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Credo Catholic
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 01:03 pm |
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| This is a great topic and I look forward to reading what Kayla finds. The issue of sexual abuse by the clergy is one that gets brought up to me by the family from time to time. It is joked about by comedians. I would like a few candid and fair answers to them.
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 04:03 pm |
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TotusTuus wrote:I believe characterizing him as something like the "Berrigan brothers" is unfair.
I think you’re right. He has the reputation (i.e., what I reported is available in black and white), but it may not be deserved. I’m very interested in what Kayla finds out.
David
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TotusTuus
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 04:53 pm |
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If he has been lionized by dissident groups for confronting the Bishops on the issue of their misguided response to the child sexual abuse crisis, that is not really surprising (as they would rejoice in ANYTHING they perceive as anti-establishment), nor indicative of the true merits of Fr. Doyle's case. Just because they champion him as a whistle-blower does not mean he shares all their values or that he's really "one of them".
Also, let's remember that Fr. Doyle was actually working FOR the Bishops conference as an advisor on this issue because of his expertise on Canon Law. So he was not simply some random protestor who injected himself into the debate. In fact, as far as I know he's still a Dominican Priest in good standing (and former chaplain to our armed forces serving in Iraq). I haven't heard otherwise.
I think some work has to be done before any conclusions are reached on this one ...
Last edited on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 05:01 pm by TotusTuus
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Kayla
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Posted: Wed Nov 14th, 2007 10:20 pm |
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| I am inclined to agree with all of you, and I do hope to keep an open mind about him as I do my research. Thanks for all of the replies and I will share my findings. Last edited on Wed Nov 14th, 2007 10:24 pm by Kayla
____________________
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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Kayla
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Posted: Mon Nov 19th, 2007 05:40 pm |
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Well, this morning when I arrived to class, my professor asked if she could speak with me. She asked if I had started my research project as of yet; I told her that I had done nothing more than some google searches, and then she said that she wanted to change who it was I was researching.
So, now, instead of Fr. Doyle, I will be researching Thomas Merton.
She didn't tell me why she wanted to change my person. Now I kind of wish I had asked her.
____________________
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon Nov 19th, 2007 10:21 pm |
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Kayla wrote: She didn't tell me why she wanted to change my person. Now I kind of wish I had asked her.
Maybe she did a little research herself and found out about his recent activities. Not to judge him, but it would draw attention from his writings and lend itself to a referendum on his affiliations with dissident groups.
It would be hard to do a paper one someone so controversial without ending up writing about his affiliations. Sounds like a wise decision.
I hope you will ask her, though, for your own curiosity if nothing else. And then, of course, you can share with us! 
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Kayla
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Posted: Mon Nov 19th, 2007 10:37 pm |
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CajunRick wrote:
Maybe she did a little research herself and found out about his recent activities. Not to judge him, but it would draw attention from his writings and lend itself to a referendum on his affiliations with dissident groups.
It would be hard to do a paper one someone so controversial without ending up writing about his affiliations. Sounds like a wise decision.
I hope you will ask her, though, for your own curiosity if nothing else. And then, of course, you can share with us!
Funny enough, I saw her again tonight, so I did decide to ask her... She said, "I just thought that this would be a better match for you."
Now, perhaps she realized I may have been uncomfortable with Fr. Doyle or, now that I have looked Thomas Merton up a bit, it may just be that he's the perfect one for me to research. He was a zealous convert (converted during college) who became a Trappist and apparentally a great Catholic author.
Either way, I'm certainly much more pleased with this prospect.
____________________
I believe, Lord, help my unbelief.
Jesus, I trust in You!
There's not a lot of job security for us after death. I suppose that's one advantage of being a philosopher. - Peter Kreeft
http://kayla23mount.blogspot.com/
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CajunRick
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Posted: Mon Nov 19th, 2007 11:18 pm |
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Kayla wrote: Now, perhaps she realized I may have been uncomfortable with Fr. Doyle or, now that I have looked Thomas Merton up a bit, it may just be that he's the perfect one for me to research. He was a zealous convert (converted during college) who became a Trappist and apparentally a great Catholic author.
Thomas Merton is quite famous. You will enjoy the research and I agree, this project will be a much better fit for you.
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TotusTuus
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Posted: Tue Nov 20th, 2007 12:56 am |
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CajunRick wrote: Maybe she did a little research herself and found out about his recent activities.
What activities are you talking about Rick?
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CajunRick
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Posted: Tue Nov 20th, 2007 01:31 am |
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TotusTuus wrote: CajunRick wrote: Maybe she did a little research herself and found out about his recent activities.
What activities are you talking about Rick?
It is mentioned earlier in the thread that he has become associated with dissident groups representing the victims of the sexual abuse scandals in the Church. It is quite possible that he is not a member of these groups or associated with them in any way except that he worked to expose and end the scandal (which, in itself, is laudable), but (in my opinion) he would be a controversial subject for a theology paper, and Thoms Merton is a much better choice.
Let me stress again that I am not making a judgment on Fr. Doyle, because I simply don't know enough. However, in a college paper on theology, his activities in the scandal would tend to overshadow his earlier writings, thus making him a poor subject. From what little I read about him, he is not closely involved with dissident groups in any way except by a common goal, and that is to see that those responsible for damaging the Church and harming so many victims are punished. He is apparently an early "whistle-blower" who helped to expose the scandal, and he was reprimanded for it at the time. Some day he may well be known as a hero, but probably still not a good subject for a theology paper.
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brian
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Posted: Wed Nov 21st, 2007 03:27 am |
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David W. Emery wrote:
the National Catholic Reporter (a dissident weekly, not to be confused with the excellent National Catholic Register)
I found a good link from this source the other day regarding a paper written by the secretariat for the USCCB. The rest of the site did not seem all that dissisdent. Should I not trust this site? I did find one article arguing that ordination of women could be possible, but it was not doing so in a way that seemed rebellious so much as seeking ways this could come about within the context of proper authority. I am not saying I agreed with the article, but much of what I saw on their website seemed to be articles that presented church teaching or that debated current issues. They seem to quote and list documents from the Vatican often. Is there an example of what makes them a dissident source? And if they are, is it less dissident or more subtle than directly in opposition to the Church?
Brian
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David W. Emery
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Posted: Wed Nov 21st, 2007 04:18 am |
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brian wrote:the National Catholic Reporter (a dissident weekly, not to be confused with the excellent National Catholic Register)
I found a good link from this source the other day regarding a paper written by the secretariat for the USCCB. The rest of the site did not seem all that dissisdent. Should I not trust this site?
Regarding its orthodoxy, one could compare the Reporter to, say, the St. Anthony Messenger Press, which produces a number of periodicals as well as books. Not every word they publish is objectionable, but enough of it is that it vitiates the whole of their work. Their tone is subtle. They prefer to undermine the faith by insinuation rather than blatant denial, much as the serpent in the garden seduced our first parents. A soft, subtle voice can win many friends.
You found an article that favored women’s ordination. Not strongly worded, but heretical nonetheless in a Catholic context. It plants a seed in the hope that one day the seed will grow into a doubt. I remember some 30 years ago when articles in the Reporter were a lot more shrill. They were easy to refute just on that account. But the more gentle tone of today looks innocent enough and will deceive many.
Do not be fooled. The Reporter has direct ties with many dissident groups such as Call To Action and Voice of the Faithful. Four years ago, the publisher sent reporters to my diocese to back busloads of professional agitators from Call To Action. These agitators targeted a certain parish to mount a protest against a newly assigned pastor who had been appointed by the bishop to clean up a scandalous mess caused by another priest who had disobeyed the bishop and overstepped legal bounds.
The weeks of public demonstrations and the lawsuits that were filed against the parish and the diocese embarrassed the bishop, sapped the diocese of funds and caused a furor that was then trumpeted nationwide in the pages of the Reporter as if it were a matter of social justice. In reality it was fake “news” created by dissidents to further their cause. The innocent suffered, and the priest who had caused the original scandal was reassigned to my parish. Needless to say, I found another parish.
The end result was that the actions taken by the guilty priest were legally forced upon the diocese by civil court action, and to this day that parish is in a questionable canonical status. This is the direct result of the dissident group and the backing given it by the publishers of the Reporter.
David
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