Monday, November 21, 2005

Who can testify in his defense?

So another alleged Fondling Father was arrested in Phoenix. This one has a bit of a twist, though.
The former vicar general of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix was arrested Monday on charges he fondled boys and young men and asked them prying questions about their sex lives that he pretended were part of confession.

Assuming the confessions were valid because of the intention of the penitents, who is there that can testify on the priest's behalf? It's their word against... nobody's. He can't even take the stand himself, because that would violate the seal of the confessional. Even if the confessions were objectively invalid, who can make that determination?

The playing field tilts ever more in this witchhunt.

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