Another vatican invasion!

pope in the USA!

As the smiley faced vatican snake and his minions invade the USA today, I am sending love to all my brave clergy abuse survivor friends over there, 
and the love and support of the TWENTY THOUSAND people who marched in London in protest against the last incumbent invading OUR country!

It was a life changing event for me, to see how many of my fellow countrymen and women came out in absolute revulsion of that visit, I have never seen anything quite like it. I was terrified but very honoured to make the rallying speech to begin that amazing  march, and they dedicated it to the survivors of catholic clergy abuse!

But we came for many reasons - in solidarity against the vatican’s appalling attitude to LGBT rights, especially as Benedict had said that “Homosexuality was as damaging to the World as destruction of the rain forests!! (WTF!)

Didn’t Sir Ian McEllen  put our thoughts about  that  so beautifully!

We came to protest at their dreadful and ignorant attitude towards women and their rights- Who could forget Kate Smurthwaite’s  “delicate" refrain :

“Get your rosary’s off our ovaries”! or the “gentle” melody  “Keep your hands off our eggs-Benedict”!

We also came as taxpayers, incensed that we should be expected to pay for this pantomime, and for rolling out the red carpet for such hypocrites and criminals.

There were many people to thank for that day, the wonderful Peter Tatchell as always, and many more,  in fact everyone who marched and contributed.There had been much  planning and organising I am sure.

BUT the man who made this all possible was the wonderful, beautiful and humble Marco Tranchino, I wonder if he realises how he helped to change the World? He certainly changed mine! 

As the last pope flew into our country to be feted and grovelled to he had the nerve to say that he felt he was “flying into a moral wasteland”!!!

And one of our very creative banner makers had the perfect answer to that!

"Nobody Came"

Just back from a week on Jersey! Beautiful island, and one we have been visiting for thirty years.

Gez booked this as a sort of “rest cure” for me after being so poorly!

Needless to say we had a great time, good food, great weather lots of walking with Buddy and wonderful scenery.

But don’t worry I am not going to show you my holiday snaps or bore you with all of the details!

I am mentioning it because even on holiday the childhood abuse issues never leave me.

I was chatting to two elderly Jersey born  ladies near the beach one day, and after they told me how fed up they were with the freezing in pensions and the rent increases etc. the subject turned to childhood abuse.

Hardly surprising when there has been a lot of dreadful abuse history on that island, specifically in the children’s home  “Haute de la Garenne” and and the  “Sacre Coeur” orphanage.

The ladies did not know anything about me or my involvement with this cause, so it was good to listen to unguarded reports from local people who know a lot more than the media

They told me that it was “common knowledge” that certain “celebrities went over to the island and abused children, that it was “well known” that the nuns were prize bitches and were cruel and abusive to the children, and the priests sexually abused them.They talked about children who had “gone missing” a similar story heard in  other parts of the world. They said they were terrified that their own children and grandchildren were sent to be “educated”  in certain schools because of their appalling reputation, and they told me of a book :

"NO-ONE CAME” written by Robbie Garner a survivor of these dreadful creatures, which is NOT AVAILABLE to buy on Jersey!! (one of them had discovered Amazon and so had got it that way!) They say it is banned on their Island! the implication being that there are still people who want this all covered up.

They talked about Jimmy Saville’s crimes and how he was a prolific offender on Jersey, and they said how all of this was always a very guarded and covered up affair.They mentioned other names too.

They suggested that people were only “coming forward” now after Saville because of money! And this  is a view held by many people who don’t understand why coming forward often takes decades and more often than not never happens. Money is very rarely  the catalyst, but even if it were, it would be perfectly  acceptable to expect proper redress from the criminals and their protectors that have caused lives to be destroyed. 

But It was at this point that I  had to declare myself! , what I do and why this is an erroneous and unfair  assumption. What exactly it takes to speak out and why it often takes so long, what actually has happened to that human being and why they deserve a voice.

This is one of the reasons why we survivors need to talk about our “stuff” - who else is going to set these records straight? We are, after all, the only ones who really understand the issues, although plenty of people have opinions!.

We talked for a long time, they were both mothers and grandmothers and actually quite delightful.They realised the issues were a lot more complex and difficult than they had thought, and made me promise to buy this book and tell others about it.

It was a lovely connection, and I said I would look them both up next time I was there.

This is a beautiful island, and close to my heart. But I can see how easy it would have been for predatory pedophiles to abuse children who were so isolated, and quite often in the grip of the church! Similarly I grew up in an isolated seaside community, a vulnerable child in an isolated community is always a sitting target!

I hope as survivors we can continue to shine a spotlight into these dark and sinister corners and bring all this filth out into the light where it can be seen and where decent ordinary people like these two grandmothers will feel such revulsion that they will join our cause and make these criminals pay for their crimes and make sure future children are protected. I had a good holiday!

http://www.amazon.co.uk/Nobody-Came-appalling-brothers-cruelly/dp/0007287968

Dead from "Natural causes"!!

Archbishop Josef Wesolowski leads a Mass in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic, in 2013  Photo: AP

Wesolowski, who was due to stand trial on charges of paying boys to perform sexual acts, downloading and buying paedophile material, and offending Christian morality, appeared to have died of natural causes, the Vatican said in a statement.

"In the early hours of this morning S.E. Mons. Jozef Wesołowski, a papal nuncio, was found deceased in his Vatican residence," the Vatican said.

The statement suggested his death was a result of natural causes. "Vatican authorities intervened immediately for first verifications, which indicate his death was due to natural causes."

Well well well!  theres a surprise!

You could almost write the bloody script!

How "natural " was this very timely demise?!! It certainly wouldn't be the first that has been dubious!

But then what the hell DOES  this  church know about "natural"?

They have the sickly audacity to refer to gay marriage as "not natural" and yet they seem to think that enforced celibacy is "natural"??

They say that constantly giving birth to endless children in poverty is "natural" 

They would have us  believe that eating the body and blood of a crucified man is "natural" 

They like to tell us how to "naturally" use our bodies, our minds and even our money!

They congratulate themselves (naturally!)  for eventually (just this year!) recognising child abuse as a crime?

They still, however,  believe it is ok to brain wash and terrify children form birth -How  bloody "natural" is that!

How "natural" is it to tell children that their only purpose in this life  is to serve god and wait for   their reward in the "next life" To keep them terrified of exclusion and hell fire and damnation? 

How "natural" to abuse their innocent bodies and assassinate their spirit?

How "natural" were the suicides  of all of those people abused in their childhood by pedophiles like this man and the subsequent degradation of being dismissed or even called liars  by this dreadful organisation.

How "natural" is it to have our lives destroyed by them?

How "natural" to have sustained brain damage and have a shortened life span because of them?

How "natural" is it to receive this life sentence for no other reason than being vulnerable, in the wrong place at the wrong time and easy prey for these creeps.

With what this church knows about "natural" I think someone should have insisted that this Post Mortem was carried out by a SECULAR independent body just to see exactly how bloody natural it was! 

Because with their track record, most of us (quite naturally) don't believe a word they say!

Dear Steven Fry

Dear Steven Fry,

You are a very much loved “National Treasure” (don’t you just hate that phrase!!)

But in your case it is true, you are respected and admired by thousands, including me, In fact I  have a great fondness for you, love your wit and humour , read your books, and support most of your views and thoughts.

I know that thousands of people listen to your opinions and in that way you have a great deal of influence. I am also pleased that you are a fellow Humanist and embrace that movement.

So I am saddened to hear from many of my very angry fellow Australian Survivors of catholic clergy abuse , that you went on Australian Television this week  and said you thought that francis was a “ good pope” !(an oxymoron if ever I heard one!) ????

 Surely this cannot be true? Hopefully this is yet another case of misquotation? Perhaps taken very much “out of context”? Maybe even “Chinese whispers”?

Surely you couldn’t possibly have fallen for the francis PR roadshow? 

I know you are not a gullible man, and I know too you are honourable, so this can’t be right?

I cannot either believe you prescribe to the “Two blokes in the pub” way of forming opinions? 

Do you not know what this man has been, and continues to be responsible for? I am sure you can’t otherwise you would not have made such a faux pas. It just is not like you!

My fellow survivors have asked me to point out these facts to you, and they begged me to try and get their thoughts to you personally which I will also do.

These are some of the things they want to tell you, I could add many  more too! francis has MUCH to answer for - right back to Argentina!

 One Survivor, a good friend of mine said this

 “Fry has got to know Francis is the worst pope, he hides this evil under a caring facade. If anything I'd rather the others such as Benedict, as he just can't help to show his evil. PLUS, Francis has protected Pell in the Vatican.”

http://www.ntnews.com.au/news/national/pope-francis-has-not-shown-leadership/story-fnjbnvyj-1227496721601

http://www.smh.com.au/national/vatican-rebuffs-justice-peter-mcclellan-on-sex-abuse-files-20140705-3bf51.html

Monday August 24, 2015  Media Statement by Nicky Davis, Leader, SNAP Australia (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests)  Damning evidence of church/police corruption, and popes, including Francis, neglecting duty of care Evidence today at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse from retired Bishop Geoffrey Robinson delivered admissions of high level Catholic Church collusion with a former NSW police commissioner, which resulted in priests being above the law; and callous neglect of child safety by senior Vatican officials, including all recent popes. Survivors are stunned that any Bishop, even a terminally ill one, would reveal some of the truth that most church officials work so hard to conceal, but not really surprised by the contents of those revelations. Among Bishops Robinson’s revelations are: A church enforcer colluding with the police commissioner on the orders of the cardinal to obstruct and undermine our laws and ensure priests corruptly escape being held accountable for their crimes. A series of popes up to the present day unable or unwilling to protect children and more concerned with enforcing their religious rites than preventing a lifetime of suffering or even suicide death being imposed on millions of innocents around the world. Australian church officials whose priority in dealing with these crimes is PR, hiding evidence from scrutiny and avoiding scandal, with zero consideration to the harm suffered by victims and our families, and almost zero concern for protecting additional children from harm. A very high level Vatican meeting on abuse in 2000 largely featured those with minimal or no expertise in this area, and which exposed a serious lack of appropriate responses to these crimes. Bishop Robinson’s evidence supports the position of SNAP in 2014 that questioned the suitability of declaring JPII a saint, when as pope he enjoyed more than a quarter of a century of absolute power and extreme wealth, yet lifted not a finger to prevent or assuage the suffering of millions of sexually violated children. Today’s evidence also informs the question of whether anything has actually changed under Pope Francis’ rule, and whether anything is likely to change in the near future. Unfortunately based on Bishop Robinson’s evidence the answer to both is no. Today’s evidence will hopefully raise serious questions about the need for more detailed investigation into these many crimes and their cover up than the Royal Commission can provide, and the need to reconsider the suitability of the Catholic Church and other abusive institutions to provide social services to vulnerable populations, or receive taxpayer funding.  
   
I could go on! 

So please Steven, if you really want to know how "good" this PR pope is- talk to us, or better still listen to us! 

PLEASE don’t be added to the list of people who are taken in by the marketing hype of the smily faced snake in the vatican! 

You are in a position to say so much to so many, I do not believe you would want to damage those  many people who have already been so badly damaged. 

You,  along with Chris Hitchens  admirably and forcibly won the debate when you opposed the motion “The catholic church is a force for good” 

You knew it was not then, and it IS not now, nothing has changed. This man is NOT what he seems - PLEASE make sure you get this one right. It matters so very much to so many of us.

I do not want to take you off my list of heros!

Same Shit Different day!

I never know wether to laugh or cry when I hear yet another ridiculous outpouring of utter crap from the catholic church.

I am sickened yet again by their  arrogance and inability to comprehend the damage that they have  actually caused to survivors of clergy abuse.

The Scottish church, and the McLellan enquiry once again, sidelining the issues and desperately trying to come out of the shit smelling of violets.

Here are their  “ recommendations”

2. The Scottish church had to make support for victims of abuse “an absolute priority”, including a full public apology. (WTF! WHY OH WHY DO THEY STILL THINK THAT THESE MEANINGLESS AND POINTLESS “APOLOGIES” ARE ANYTHING OTHER THAN OFFENSIVE????  WHY, OH WHY, DO SOME “VICTIMS”  EVEN STILL SETTLE FOR THIS PATRONISING DISMISSAL ? 
3. The church should set up a fund to pay for counselling for abuse victims. (WTFFFFFF!!!!! THE IDEA OF “COUNSELLING” BEING THE ANSWER TO EVERYTHING  HAS REALLY GOT TO BE CHALLENGED! SURVIVORS OF ABUSE HAVE SUFFERED GRAVE AND PERMANENT DAMAGE, IN OUR BRAINS, IMMUNE SYSTEMS AND EVEN METABOLIC SYSTEMS.THAT DAMAGE CAN EVEN BE PASSED ON TIO THE NEXT GENERATION AND THE NEXT..... RESEARCH HAS SHOWN THAT WE HAVE A SHORTENED LIFE SPAN, AND ARE LIABLE TO COMMIT SUICIDE, WE HAVE MANY PHYSICAL PROBLEMS AS WELL AS THE UNDERSTATED MENTAL AND EMOTIONAL DIFFICULTIES, WE OFTEN HAVE DAMAGED RELATIONSHIPS, INABILITY TO DEAL WITH AUTHORITY, MISTRUST, PARANOIA FEAR , SHAME AND INAPPROPRIATE GUILT.WE HAVE OFTEN HAD OUR EDUCATION INTERRUPTED OR ABANDONED, WE MAY HAVE SKETCHY WORK HISTORIES, RARELY HAVE PENSIONS OR SAVINGS, AND STILL WE HAVE SURVIVED!!!!WE HAVE STRENGTH, YES WE HAVE “ HYPER-VIGILANCE”  BECAUSE WE HAVE HAD GOOD REASON , BUT WE ARE SURVIVORS! AND WE HAVE SKILLS THAT OTHERS CANNOT BEGIN TO IMAGINE! SO SET UP YOUR “FUND” BY ALL MEANS, BUT MAKE IT FOR THE HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF POUNDS THAT YOU OWE TO EACH SURVIVOR TO MAKE AMENDS , NOT FOR A FEW QUID TO SALVE YOUR CONSCIENCE AND TO APPEAR COMPASSIONATE OR  FOR SOME CONDESCENDING DO GOODER TO BECOME A “LISTENING BUDDY” NOR FOR YET ANOTHER OF THESE WRETCHED  CHARITIES TO SKIM OFF SOME INCOME FOR THEMSELVES, BUT TO MAKE AMENDS FOR LIVES DESTROYED!!!!!  IT MAY WELL BE THAT SOME PEOPLE WANT, AND PERHAPS NEED THERAPY, BUT THAT SHOULD BE THEIR CHOICE! PERHAPS THEY WOULD PREFER TO SPEND THEIR TIME AND THE MONEY LYING ON A BEACH OR DRIVING A PORSCHE! IF I HAD BEEN GIVEN WHAT WAS REALLY DUE TO ME MANY YEARS AGO I WOULD HAVE DRUNK MYSELF TO DEATH BY NOW.BUT THAT WOULD HAVE BEEN  MY CHOICE, MY RIGHT TO GET IT WRONG AND MY RIGHT TO TELL THESE DUPLICITOUS NARCISSISTS TO SHUT THE F... UP!

2. The church had to stop pretending that different dioceses and religious orders were autonomous when it came to upholding its rules on abuse. (NO SHIT SHERLOCK! )
3. The duty of bishops in protecting and helping victims needed to be explicitly set out in the church’s guidelines on “awareness and safety”.(OH PLEASE! )
4. The church needed independent, external scrutiny of its safeguarding policies and their effectiveness to end the practice of the church policing itself. (AND THAT MUST BE SECULAR!)
5. The church had to be far more rigorous in making sure all its priests and staff had the correct training in preventing abuse and safeguarding.(BY WHOM? THEMSELVES? OR SOME TAME -IN THE PAY OF THE POPE -"VICTIM" GROUP?)
6. Bishops and priests had to stop appearing to blame victims for their abuse.(APPEARING? APPEARING? WTF ! THAT HAS BEEN THEIR FIRST AND CONSISTANT RESPONSE TO MOST SURVIVORS!---ALL OVER THE WORLD!)

The report stated: “Justice must be done, and justice must be seen to be done, for those who have been abused and for those against whom allegations of abuse are made.” (JUSTICE FOR THOSE WHO HAVE ALLEGATIONS AGAINST THEM? WTF!! THIS IS NOT A COLLABORATION!!! JUSTICE NEEDS TO BE DONE FOR THE VICTIMS OF THESE CRIMINALS! END OF!)

It added: “There are clearly parishes in which commitment to safeguarding is still resisted because of complacency and lack of interest.” (AND ARROGANCE AND NARCISSISM)

McLellan said three things had to happen. “First, and most important, a beginning will be made to heal the hurt and address the anger which survivors feel,” he said. (PATRONISING, CONDESCENDING CRAP! THESE CREEPS CANNOT BEGIN TO UNDERSTAND THE HURT OR THE ANGER! AND THE CHURCH CAN PLAY NO PART IN HEALING-THEY ARE THE PERPETRATORS!!)

“Second, the Catholic church in Scotland will confront a dark part of its past and find some healing for itself. Third, a significant step will be taken in restoring public credibility for the Catholic church. (THIS IS THE BIT TO LAUGH AT! IT HAS NO CREDIBILITY!! HEAL ISELF???? HEAL ITSELF?? BUT  OF COURSE, THAT IS WHAT IT’S ALL ABOUT! )

I have decided that crying is more appropriate!

SMILE!

                                   SMILE!!

There’s no doubt that humour is one of the best medicines we have. It is a bit like our brain having it’s own pharmacy! It releases endorphins and serotonin, natures own “feel good”  to numb pain and lift our spirits.

Laughter provides a good “workout” - nothing like a good belly laugh to exercise the diaphragm, contracts the abdominal and shoulder muscles and is even a good workout for the  heart!

We sometimes use it as an antidote to negative emotions like anger and guilt, even better than just a distraction.

research shows us that using humour gives us a better perspective to life’s challenges,making things seem less threatening.

But more than anything the brain can’t distinguish between a real smile or a fake one ! so fake it till you make it!

So even if at the moment we don’t seem to have much to laugh  about,we can hijack the brain’s natural pharmacy and make use of nature’s very own balm! 

Just firming your muscles of your face into the shape of a smile will make a difference to your mood.The brain will respond to that muscle change as a signal to release those “feel-good” chemicals.
I sometimes do this when I am driving my car! I get some strange looks from other drivers!But it helps ME!

So even if you feel silly, start to put a big grin on your face , tell your brain you need some happiness and it will send you some medicine. And it is Free!!

Its a GOOD day!

I am struck by the  unintended consequences of posting things on Facebook! Who knew that doing such a thing  could teach me so many lessons ( if I choose to learn them!)
I tend to have a rant a day, usually about the wretched church and it's crap, but  I find that if I leave that as the last thing I think of, it stays with me and I dwell on it, (feeding the bloody narcissists again!!)
So I do try and counterbalance my ravings by posting a picture of my garden or my grandchildren, something beautiful to transform the shit! 
  I get far more "likes" when I post something beautiful, than all my supposed words of wisdom!!! That should be teaching me something!
It is easy to forget what drives you when faced with a daily deluge of pontifical bullshit, and the like, but it is nice to be reminded! So thank you to all my FB friends who unwittingly (perhaps!) remind me what is important to me!
I have to go to two hospitals today! One in Oxford, one in Warwick, for different conditions, and  I couldn't sleep dwelling that and  my self pity for the sate of my old body!
I hate maudlin sentimentality, I grew up with it and it still nauseates me! So I am not going to tell you that I had an "awakening" to the fragility of life and the precious nature of each human being! 
Instead I will remind myself of something I posted a few years ago, when I was in a better frame of mind! Might get me back to where I was at, which was grateful! Today will be a good day!

I think it is difficult to think of anything as vast as the Universe, or indeed as small as a sub atomic particle, we don't operate in those  enormous, or incredibly tiny Worlds.

Our own planet is so enormous  it's hard to envisage or imagine how we can protect it.

But imagine  the World was  only a few hundred yards in diameter floating a few feet above  a field somewhere, I wonder if we would think about it differently? 

It would be the  biggest and most intriguing "Wonder of the World " and we would guard it with our lives!

I suspect we would be in absolute awe of it, it's oceans and mountains, forests and lakes.

We would fiercely protect it and nurture it, and people would come from all over this planet just to look at it.

To marvel at it's colours and perfumes, its winds and snow, and rain and even it's storms.

We would be in awe of the diversity of it's people, their cultures and their languages, their skills and their laughter.We would know that each one played their part in the intricate web.

We would know that this World needs so  much diversity in its  people,  it's nurturers and carers , gardeners,  entrepreneurs, scholars, planners, builders, artists dreamers,

We would be amazed by all the myriad  of  different living creatures that we could see, and never tire of gazing at them.

We would guard this amazing globe  with such a passion, because we would know how incredibly rare and precious it was.

We would grieve for every animal that died or became extinct, we would fight for every human being that was a part of it's wonders,

And we would be horrified to see any conflict or wars among it's peoples , knowing how fragile this wonder was, and how easily damaged. We would be shocked  if any group of people tried to subjugate another group, or an individual , especially because of their own unique and irreplaceable part.

We would hardly be able to believe the layers of fluffy clouds around it, and the varying seasons and climates.The richness of the rain forests ,the barren expanse of deserts.

We would stay up all night just to watch the sunrise and sunset upon it, and we would  even dream about it when we finally slept! 

We would feel honoured and humbled to be the custodians of such a wonder.

If only it were a few hundred feet in diameter floating above a field somewhere.