Using the scandal to attack O’Malley

As I said yesterday, some people will take the appointment of Archbishop Sean O’Malley to the College of Cardinals as a stamp of approval on every decision he’s made.

Thus, abuse victims are put up by their money-grubbing lawyer (i.e. the aforementioned Mitchell Garabedian) to criticize the archbishop. Garabedian has new sex-abuse cases he’s bringing against the archdiocese so he trots out victims who have already received settlements to complain:

He hasn’t kept his word to the victims,” said Alexa MacPherson…. “You can’t just heal people by opening up your wallet, writing a check, and passing it on to us,” she said. “I feel like he’s being promoted for a job not well done, just as Cardinal Law was,” said MacPherson’s lawyer, Mitchell Garabedian.

Nobody at the archdiocese said a check was going to heal people, so why was it that the lawyers and plaintiffs fought tooth and nail to make sure the $85 million settlement was as high as possible? Why is Garabedian claiming that current settlement offers are too low? Certainly, the archbishop has met with victims and families and even appointed some to diocesan committees advising him on abuse. Are their expectations too high?

“From a survivor’s standpoint, he doesn’t deserve this stamp of approval,” said Ann Hagan Webb, a psychologist and New England coordinator of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “He’s put the Mother Church first, and that’s what he’s being rewarded for.”

Ah yes, SNAP and Ann Hagan Webb. Webb is a close associate of the Voice of the Faithful/Call to Action people who want to undermine Church doctrine. Her “analysis” doesn’t even make sense. O’Malley protected the Church at the expense of the abused? He sold off millions of dollars of archdiocesan property to fund and $85 million settlement. If that’s protecting the Church at the expense of victims, he didn’t do a very good job of it.

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