Although the good people of Massachusetts were revolted by the behavior of Catholic priests with (mostly) teenage boys, and they sent Cardinal Law packing to a sinecure in Rome for having tolerated such an orgy, they seem to have had (perhaps not unreasonably) lower standards for congressmen.
In 1983 Congressman Barney Frank of Massachusetts took under his wing a young homosexual, Greg Davis (also known as Steve Gobie) who had been in trouble with the law. Davis responded to the Congressman’s generosity by running a prostitution business from Frank’s bed. Frank found out and kicked the bum out. So far, so good. If the Congressman wanted to play Pygmalion, it was his own business.
However, in researching an abusive priest, Fr. Gabriel Massaro, I came across newspaper stories about another Gabriel Massaro (I think that he is a different person, although in this demi-monde one can never be sure) who also had a connection with Davis and Frank.
Davis’s troubles with the law, it seems, were “four felony convictions in 1982: possession of obscene material, production of obscene items involving a juvenile, oral sodomy, and possession of cocaine.” Franks had met Davis through an ad in a gay paper, paid him for sex, and wrote letters on congressional stationery to Davis’ probation officer, all to help a convicted child pornographer.
Gabriel Massaro, a principal, of the Chevy Chase Elementary School, also met Davis through a friend and met Frank at a meeting at the congressman’s apartment with Davis’s probation officer.
While having a relationship with Frank, Davis was also having a relationship with Messaro. Messaro responded by letting Davis use school facilities to run his prostitution business, including servicing clients in the school’s offices.
When asked whether Davis had been involved with any children at the school, Messaro responded “Oh God no. He couldn’t have. I don’t think so. No.” However, seeing the handwriting on the wall, Messaro resigned from his position as principal.
Frank brazened it out, and is still in Congress, representing the people of Massachusetts. But after all, Gerry Studds had been reelected by the people of Massachusetts after being censured by the House for a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old House page. In fact, the Washington Post reported
Rep. Gerry E. Studds (D-Mass.) was greeted in this secluded resort [Martha’s Vineyard] tonight with two standing ovations from several hundred residents and summer visitors who turned out for the congressman’s first town meeting since he was censured by his House colleagues for sexual misconduct with a 17-year-old male page.
While I think that its right to hold priests to higher standards than politicians, (as Mark Twain remarked, our only native criminal class), I also think that the rather low standards of behavior to which Massachusetts voters held their officials perhaps led bishops to believe that the people of Massachusetts wouldn’t mind a little corruption in the Church as well.
My guess is that many of the “good people of Massachusetts” identify more with liberalism than with Catholicism. Then again, a lot of “good Catholics” in Massachusetts ignored the clerical sex-abuse scandal, as well. That tells me that the problem is the focus on ideological group loyalty more than anything else. It’s this collective ideological mindset — whether liberal or conservative, religious or secular — that makes excuses for “our guys” simply because they’re “our guys.” Perhaps an even better example is the Hollywood Establishment’s near-universal defense of Roman Polanski.
Then again, a lot of people hide behind the collective ideological mindset because 1)they have no moral courage 2)their own lives would not bear much scrutiny, so they choose not to make waves concerning others.
Joseph, you are exactly right. Some people will defend their group no matter what. I was horrified to hear that priest who is interviewed on ABC defending Roman Polanski by attacking the victim’s mother for not being with her daughter on the day the daughter was attacked. Let these events be a warning to the naive.
I also agree with Joseph. How often have people on the political left overlooked, denied, or even defended the crimes committed by communist regimes? Meanwhile, political conservatives have described brutal militias in Latin America as “freedom fighters” simply because they are anti-communist.
In the ecclesial world, “liberals” talk a lot about pluralism and tolerance, but in practice only extend these to other liberals. Their “conservative” counterparts criticize the post conciliar popes and bishops, but seem to favour the old “pay, pray and obey ” role for the laity when and where clerics to their liking are in power.
Father Michael Koening , right on.