Ninety-Nine “Resign”s on Cupich's Wall

Yesterday Cardinal Cupich (or some poor millennial entrusted with managing his Twitter account) made another somewhat innocuous tweet, this time about his "remarks" on capital punishment at an American Bar Association event.

Within 24 hours it had received 99 replies. With the exception of a set of extremely strange tweets from a woman who appeared to have a bee in her bonnet about Mafia infiltration (Sicilian not Lavender) in the Church, every reply was critical of Cupich (virtually all, strongly critical, to put it mildly).

Every. Single. Reply.

Even the pictures.

Is there not one Cupich partisan willing to defend him on his Twitter feed? Not one?

Maybe he should ask Antonio Spadaro if he can spare a few sock-puppets.

Perhaps two or three of the reply tweets were exclusively focused on the topic at hand - capital punishment - or in one case, on Cupich's views on communion for pro-abortion politicians. But 95% referenced the Vigano accusations implicating Cupich as a beneficiary and possible collaborator in the McCarrick sex-abuse scandal and Cupich's bizarre interview responding to them.

"Resign" was the word cloud winner, I think.

In that same interview Cupich played the "Latino" race card, no doubt desperately attempting to reach out to his perceived Chicago Hispanic base. Comically, he is now receiving the same responses even to his Spanish tweets.

"Renunciar!"

For posterity, and/or for the time when Jack Dorsey bans all faithful Catholics from Twitter, I preserved most of the 99 tweet replies here. See below for the raw data.

But keep checking Cupich's account. I have a feeling it's only going to get hotter for him.

Is the right to life conditional or unconditional? Read my thoughts on capital punishment here:

I'm not listening to a word you have to say until the Illinois Attorney General finishes her investigation. I hope she subpoenas every last rabbit hole there is to follow in Chicago. 

And don't forget his time at the Josephinum 1989-1996. 

Thank you @LisaMadigan for your commitment to a thorough investigation of the @archchicago. 

Resign 

We don't need to know your thoughts on anything else, but when you will step down. At least Judas knew when he put his foot in his mouth and returned the 30 pieces of silver. 

Nail on the head! Stop Insulting our intelligence- IT IS OVER! 

Resign 

Resign 

"The Pope has a bigger agenda. He's got to get on with other things, of talking about the environment and protecting migrants and carrying on the work of the church. We're not going to go down a rabbit hole on this." We’re definitely going down a rabbit hole on this. 

Exactly! I was wondering...how does he think the victims feel hearing that the environment is more important? Bishops like this need to go! And it isn't soon enough! 

No one cares about your thoughts on the DP!!! You, Tobin, Farrell, and McElroy were elevated by McCarrick’s influence for the purpose of the “big agenda” which is trying to claim that SODOMY no longer a mortal sin. You can’t change the subject!!!

 So the abuse scandal truly doesn’t mean anything to you does it? The Catholic Church administration is criminal. They need to oust bishops like you. Sadly it’s probably most of them. 

Deflection, @CardinalBCupich ? Desperate to try anything to get people to ignore the damning testimony of the courageous Archbishop Viganò? The laity isn't having it. Resign. 

DEAL WITH The Insidious EVIL OF THE LAST 100 years! You have ZERO CREDIBILITY WITH GOD RIGHT NOW or with we the Faithful! Our Blessed Mother is Cleaning house and you can run but you can’t hide! Buttering my popcorn 

Resign. 

What about justice for those sexually abused at the hands of the clergy? When will they be important to the church and the @Pontifex? 

Nice try. 

I have a religious question: what is the floor of Hell paved with? 

When YOUR COMFORTABLE MANSION IS FILLEDMIGRANTS AND PEOPLE ON DEATH ROW... Then and ONLY THEN will you HAVE any RIGHT To TELL ME OR ANYBODY ELSE WHAT we SHOULD BE DOING- GOT IT????! ## youaregoingdiwn # REPENT 

Respectfully, you should be focused on addressing sexual harassment, sexual abuse and identifying those who enabled it in the Church. 

The environment is a greater concern than the rabbit hole that exists of Church hierarchy that has been molesting, and covering up the molestation of children... You should be forced out based on these comments ALONE. 

Show human decency and Resign! 

Resign please 

The scandal isn't going away. The "rabbit hole" indeed. 

Will the last person leaving the American Catholic Church Please turn out the lights? 

Ahhh yes big topic of the day 

Well, he’s ensuring he doesn’t get the death penalty once he’s finally convicted of whatever he’s been hiding. 

What are your thoughts concerning reliable accusations of the institutional coverup of sexual abuse? 

Nobody gives a sh** about your thoughts on capital punishment. Stop trying to change the subject. You are a danger to children, a stain on the Holy Catholic Church and a worm, "having the form of godliness, but denying the power thereof." Resign in disgrace! 

I’d rather hear your thoughts about why you think the pope has a “bigger agenda” to worry about instead of getting to the truth of all the abuse & coverups, & justice for victims. Or is that too much of a “rabbit hole” for you 

@CardinalBCupich I am HORRIFIED that you would say the pope has more important things to worry about than a corrupt hierarchy visiting sexual violence on children, adults, and particularly YOUNG MEN seeking the Priesthood. Are you KIDDING ME?? I am horrified. This can't stand. 

"Quite frankly, they also don’t like him because he’s a Latino." Apparently wanting to investigate someone because he allegedly covered for a sex abuser makes someone racist. Wow. Also, he's not even Latino. His family is from Northern Italy. 

If people criticize you is it also because they don’t like Latinos? 

Resign 

Repent and resign. 

Since you guys have zero moral authority what you or the others say on these issues is worthless. 

I’m so close to leaving. You’re making it easier. 

Time for you to resign after your most recent comments!!! You are a social justice warrior (SJW) and you hold your political agenda above your flock. Outrageous!!! We need the full TRUTH from @Pontifex, @USCCB & all involved in the Viganò dossier. 

“Regarding Cupich, one cannot fail to note his ostentatious arrogance, & the insolence with which he denies the evidence that is now obvious to all: that 80% of the abuses found were committed against young adults by homosexuals who were in a relationship of authority..” -Viganò 

Saying there is a bigger agenda than the protection of children entrusted to the church is the craziest thing I’ve ever heard in my life 

I can think of a more fitting term than "crazy." What he said is nothing short of diabolical. 

Yes. Agreed. Pure evil. 

#Resign, your corrupt leadership has gone on too long. 

Uh, what about priests raping/molesting kids and robbing them? 

 It's just a rabbit hole, Caiaphas. 

The rabbit hole is here, can't avoid it. I feel all the people who worked under your church that molested all those boys should be examples of why capital punishment is a necessity. 

Resign ! 

Both you and @Cardinal_Wuerl should publicly confess do penance and then resign. #RabbitHole 

Hey, your *eminence*, There are hundreds, perhaps thousands, of NGO’s dedicated to protecting the environment and migrants; and I’m happy that the Church is dedicated to those issues... But your BIGGEST agenda is the salvation of souls You’ve convinced me you’ve forgotten that 

No more of your deflection! Resign! 

How did u even become a cardinal? The Pope is Italian not Latino (rolls eyes). U demonstrated what kind of person u are by attacking those who only want zero tolerance like the pope himself said. U played the race card on people who are the same race as the pope. #ZeroTolerance 

Permit me to tell you, Eminence, that given the other pressing issues that ought to concern you and your social media accounts at the present moment, that you have very odd priorities. 

What are your thoughts on how someone who was born to two people from Italy becomes “Latino”? That’s what I’m really curious about. 

Who gives a f**k about that in this time 

Capital punishment for all child-molesting clergy and co-conspirators! PS: my local priest at Old St. Mary's in Cincinnati (Fr. Jon Paul Bevak) met McCarrick in seminary and the seminarians were warned "do not let yourself be alone in a room with McCarrick." EVERYONE KNEW, liar 

Resign and apologize for your remarkably tone deaf and moronic statements to your local NBC affiliate ... shame 

@Pontifex has a bigger agenda than the victims of sexual abuse & removing predators from the clergy? Trees & illegal immigrants...seriously?! Your words alone give Viganò’s statement all the credibility in the world. God have mercy on you hypocrites! What a disgrace. 

I am down for protecting the sacred lives of those who were disturbingly abused by priests. May God have mercy on you. "More important things." How can you call yourself a Cardinal of the Church and talk of protecting lives with stuff like this. #resign 

The only thing we care about is seeing you resign. Along with Wuerl, Tobin, Ferrel, McElroy, and Bergoglio. Not immigrants, not climate change. The church is not an NGO. Pope's own words. You are a cancer plaguing our church. 

Who cares what you think you have no moral authority at this point 

You obviously feel like climate change is more important than your flock being attacked by its own shepherds! You are no shepherd! You should resign along with all your ilk! Leave the church to those that love their flock! 

O please. And please resign you despicable fraud.. 

I’m perfectly fine with the Death Penalty, as long as child rapists go to the front of the line. And yeah, as a survivor of pepophile priests and lay school staff who silenced and intimidated me into silence as a teen I do have a say! Screw the environment, screw the immigrants. 

CONDITIONAL. Now resign you fruit loop. 

Talk about abortion now you hypocrite 

The faithful are sick of your gaslighting sneering condescension for those who simply want their Church back. Resign. Let someone else who believes in the teaching of the Church take your place 

Is it right for priests to rape children and then have cardinals play the race card and say ‘move along’? You have to resign cardinal - your thinking has been systematically institutionalized in a manner that makes excuses for pedophiles 

Resign 

How many boys have you molested? If I had to place a bet, I'd wager heavy on +5. You are, and will always be remembered as, a disgraceful pervert. 

What are you hiding, Judas? 

Resign 

I would rather hear your *honest* thoughts on the allegations. 

YOU HAVE NO MORAL AUTHORITY LEFT. Hey clueless, nobody cares what you or Francis have to say. Resign. It’s not your church. It’s not your money, not your property, not your doctrine. And we aren’t going to be abused by you people anymore. 

What Church teaching will Francis change next to distract from the man's filthy crimes? 

Yeah, what about abortion? Oh that’s right, you don’t like it when priests protest in front of the EVIL Planned Parenthood. Instead, you are buddies with that EVIL McCarrick. You should RESIGN NOW and turn in your red cap too. You are a disgrace to the Church. 

Wait, i thought you were more concerned about climate change 

Why would you post this now? It speaks of desperation. 

It reeks of evil. 

You say people oppose the Pope because he is Latino???Really???So Latinos don’t care about child molestation? 

Nice one, suggesting people are disgusting with Francis because "he's latino", even though he's an italian who grew up in Argentina, you airhead in a robe. You're a cardinal because a serial homosexual molester and pedophile endorsed you. And now, we all know. Resign. 

"If anyone causes one of these little ones--those who believe in me--to stumble, it would be better for them to have a large millstone hung around their neck and to be drowned in the depths of the sea." Matthew 18:6 

Our Lord Jesus Christ recognized the right of the State to execute him! Please don't tell us that it was because "he was Latino" too. LOL. A "prince of the Church" using the race card. Hipócrita. 

Is the right to not be raped by a priest, and then called a liar by the hierarchy covering it up conditional or unconditional? Is it secondary to a "bigger agenda"? Read Luke 17:2 and Matthew 18:6. Then prepare your neck for that millstone. 

Show additional replies, including those that may contain offensive content 

You're pathetic. Resign. "Rabbit hole" my ass. If that's not clericalism, what is 

God made sodemy a sin for a reason. Who gives a damn about global warming? Are you stupid or crazy? 

I don't give a rat's @$$ about your "thoughts" you conniving POS. You have NO business, let alone any credibility, to be speaking on matters of morality. Do us all a favor and just GTFO. 

After listening to your interview.... you need to resign. You are disgusting.

 

Clock Ticking? Cardinal Cupich Tweets about Peace - 11 out of 12 Replies Say "Resign!"

All Chicago's Cardinal Cupich did in a Tweet of August 24 was quote John Paul II on peace and mention a "Sunrise Mass". Why would anyone have a problem with that?

Maybe no one did. But 11 out of 12 people who replied had a problem with Cupich himself.*

The very first reply in the queue summarizes things quite nicely:

"RESIGN!"

Most of the replies came after the  explosive Viganò statement released Saturday afternoon in which Cupich was named as a beneficiary of Francis' attempts to ignore and cover up the sex-abuse allegations against Cardinal McCarrick. But at least two were issued before.

In truth, for some time, I have noticed Cupich getting progressively more and more savaged on Twitter. It's sort of embarrassing. The only time he doesn't get beaten up is when he tweets in Spanish.

I almost feel sorry for him.

I said "almost".

And, as far as I can tell, he or the person or persons on his media team assigned to Twitter, never directly respond to the torrent of negativity, nor do they ever block people.

Then again, he/they are not great ones for tweet interaction, using the "Like" button only 66 times in four years. Two of the "Likes" were for his own tweets.

I suspect that the Viganò statement will only make things worse, driving the critical quotient in Cupich's tweet replies to near unanimity.

Does this mean that 92% of Chicago Catholics think Cupich should resign? Well, it depends on what you mean by "Catholic". In terms of merely baptized Catholics, Mass going or not, I suspect 92% of them don't know who Cardinal McCarrick even is let alone have heard of the Viganò statement.

But in terms of faithful Catholics, especially faithful Catholics who follow Catholic news, Cupich is almost universally despised.

92% is too low.

The 11:1 negative tweet ratio doesn't prove it, but I think it tracks it.

As the exposure of clerical vice and corruption blast wave expands outward, is the clock now ticking on Cupich? I think so. Whether or not he is an official "practicing" member of the Lavender Mafia, he has clearly been allied with it and benefitted from it. Indeed, Viganò's statement implies that he owes everything to it.

Cupich's rapid response to the statement in which he mainly threw non-sequiturs at Viganò while pointedly not defending Francis seemed to me a little desperate. 

Just recently it appeared that Cupich was all-powerful: he might ruin innocent priests at will and threaten traditionalist orders and parishes with destruction. Just because he could.

I think things have changed.         

*I said "11 out of 12" and not "12 out of 13" because I suspect that one of the replies - "Stfu you pedophile priest!" - was not so much anti-Cupich as it was anti-Catholic. Just a feeling I have.  

Vatican Source: "the news of Archbishop Viganò has hit the Curia like an atomic bomb" - Former Nunciature Official: "Viganò said the truth."

Carlo Maria Viganò

Only hours after the release of former nuncio Carlo Maria Viganò's statement implicating Pope Francis in the Cardinal McCarrick sex-abuse cover up, more and more sources are confirming its believability.

Among other things Viganò related the "stormy conversation" between then-nuncio Petrio Sambi and Cardinal McCarrick in 2011 when McCarrick was informed that Pope Benedict XVI had imposed sanctions on him:

Monsignor Jean-François Lantheaume, then first Counsellor of the Nunciature in Washington and Chargé d'Affaires ad interim after the unexpected death of Nuncio Sambi in Baltimore, told me when I arrived in Washington — and he is ready to testify to it — about a stormy conversation, lasting over an hour, that Nuncio Sambi had with Cardinal McCarrick whom he had summoned to the Nunciature. Monsignor Lantheaume told me that "the Nuncio’s voice could be heard all the way out in the corridor."

Catholic News Agency contacted Msgr. Lantheaume:

[We] requested an interview with him to discuss the account attributed to him by Archbishop Viganò. Lantheaume, who has now left the Vatican diplomatic corps and serves in priestly ministry in France, declined to give an interview, and said he had no intentions of speaking further on the matter.

“Viganò said the truth. That’s all,” he wrote to CNA.

The internationally known Fr. Carlos Martins of the Companions of the Cross and the head of Treasures of the Church sacred relics ministry wrote on his Facebook page:

I just spent the last two hours on the phone with a friend in the Vatican Curia. He said that the news of Archbishop Viganò has hit the Curia like an atomic bomb. Two things are universally noted regarding Viganò: 1) He is highly respected as a professional, and 2) His Curial positions gave him clear access to the damning information he reported. In other words, he is not a hack, and he is not relying on rumor. This makes his report absolutely worthy of belief...

In the words of the Curial official I spoke with this afternoon, what Viganò has reported “makes the Borgia popes look like saints.” The feeling in the Curia right now is that the response of Viganò’s enemies will to try to discredit him personally, both because of the impeccability of Viganò’s character and the impossibility of his having interpreted the facts incorrectly. Their only hope will be to try to take energy away from the perversion and corruption that he uncovered. They will likely state that he is a bitter man who is seeking personal aggrandizement after having been exiled from Rome. When this occurs, don’t buy into it. Viganò is retired. He has nothing personally to gain from this [h/t Vox Cantoris].

Rod Dreher tweeted a few hours ago:

US Catholic priest e-mails re: Pope Francis: "He's dead to me. A total fraud now. All these years he has been hammering priests and bishops and now he is shown to be a hypocrite. ... I'm hearing from Rome that Vigano's letter is absolutely credible. No doubts."

And against the attempts by Cardinal Cupich (who Viganò claimed owes his red hat to McCarrick) and others to cast doubt on the very existence of the sanctions against McCarrick, the moderate to liberal Catholic academic and commentator C. C. Pecknold tweeted:

I’ve been hearing all day from reliable sources claiming high-ranking prelates and Vatican officials have confidentially confirmed that private sanctions were in place against McCarrick. It now appears that the Vatican will not dispute this if they go on record.

The response from Francis and his allies to Viganò's statement has been in hindsight predictable, tracking the strategy employed against the dubia and the dubia cardinals. He cannot confirm the claims, obviously, since that would be tantamount to admitting grave crimes that Francis himself has strongly and repeatedly condemned.

Indeed, a few commentators (including this mischivious one) noted how Viganò's bombshell document was released only a few hours after the scatologically-prone Bergoglio had publicly referred to those who covered up clerical sex-abuse as "caca".

But any denials run the risk of being exposed as lies.

Thus, the "no comment" of yesterday's papal plane interview.

But at the same time, Bergoglio's minions are going after Viganò with verve and viciousness:

Massimo Faggioli: Viganò is a "terrorist".

Austin Ivereigh: Viganò is engaged in a "crude putsch" for "Team Burke".

National Catholic Reporter's Michael Sean Winters: Viganò is the conservative Catholic Oliver Stone (!) - "a trafficker in conspiracy theories who mixes fact, fiction and venom..."

And so on.

I hope they're terrified.

Twenty-four hours ago, I judged that Francis could easily survive this. He didn't rise to the top for nothing. Now I am not so sure.

"Beautiful Morning," Hilary White wrote, attaching a video: "Ding Dong the Witch is dead."

She hope she's right.

Catholic Publisher, Author, Speaker and Columnist Cited in Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report as Ex-Priest Who Abused 17-Year-Old Female High School Junior

Faith Meets World by Barry Hudock

Note: this is a somewhat revised version of a post I wrote a few days ago. Though there were no inaccuracies in the original post, this takes into account some information acquired in the interim, clears up some ambiguities and features somewhat different commentary. For reasons I do not wish to go into, instead of editing the first post, I elected to delete the original and put up this "new" post instead. Those who read the first post, can wade through this one if they have the patience. It's not that different. But the changes are arguably important. I hope readers will indulge me and forgive me for this. 

In 1996, Barry M. Hudock was a 27-year-old assistant priest at St. Peter's Cathedral in Erie when a sexual relationship was initiated with a female 17-year-old high school junior at Erie's Mercyhurst Preparatory School.

According to the Pennsylvania grand jury report (p. 416):

This sexual abuse occurred in several different locations within the victim’s local parish community, as well as in different states. In 1997, the Diocese of Erie assigned Hudock to The Catholic University in Washington, D.C. Prior to that appointment, Hudock, the victim, and another high school student traveled to Washington in the summer of 1997. Trautman documented that Hudock and the victim had engaged in kissing prior to the trip in the church rectory. He also wrote that a “major episode occurred” in a hotel room where the three stopped to stay for the night. Subpoenaed Diocesan records revealed that Hudock groped and kissed the victim on numerous occasions. It was also reported that Hudock showed the victim pornographic videos, undressed her in his rectory and sexually assaulted her.

The report does not explicitly say when the diocese became aware of these events, but a source close to the investigation indicates that it was not until 2008, after Hudock had left the priesthood (see below).

It appears that diocesan officials acted on the information swiftly and appropriately.

BishopAccountability.org notes that Hudock vanished from the Official Catholic Directory in 1998 and 1999 but then turned up again as the sole priest at St. Anne's in Wilcox, Pennsylvania from late 1999 to early 2001. This may have been due to Hudock being assigned further studies at Catholic University, outside the diocese. 

Shortly thereafter, Hudock was laicized. Though I can't confirm this, I suspect it was voluntary.

Up to now, the only unusual thing about this case, one of hundreds in the grand jury report, is that Hudock's victim was female.

But what makes's Barry Hudock's story notable is that after being laicized, the ex-priest would go on to carve out a career in Catholic publishing. He perhaps unsurprisingly attempted to keep his past a secret.

Soon after leaving the priesthood, Hudock started writing on Catholic themes, publishing at least five books under the pen name "Barry Michaels" for Pauline Books and Media. These first books appear to be mainstream volumes, three of which are analyses of documents released by John Paul II and Benedict XVI. There was also Saints for our Times: New Novenas & Prayers and a 32-page biography of Saint Damien.

During this period, Hudock appears to have quickly married and either fathered or inherited through his wife, seven children.

He also found full-time work, notably, as a teacher at a coeducational Catholic high school.

But his past would soon catch up to him:

In 2008, the victim was having a difficult time dealing with the psychological issues stemming from her victimization at the hands of Hudock. She had been seeing a professional counsellor in Texas when she contacted the Diocese of Erie. The Diocese agreed to pay for her medical bills and provided her with airfare to be seen by the team at St. Luke’s Institute in Suitland, Maryland.

Trautman notified Hudock’s then-employer, Christian Brother Academy, a Catholic Preparatory high school in Syracuse, New York. Hudock was working there as a teacher. Trautman also notified the Bishop of Syracuse and Hudock himself. Soon after this notification, the school terminated Hudock. Trautman also notified the Erie County District Attorney’s Office.

Christian Brother Academy would later claim that they were unaware of Hudock's past. There currently appears to be no evidence that Hudock acted inappropriately in any way in his teaching position.    

It is unclear whether legal action was ever contemplated or initiated against Hudock, though what he did would seem to be liable for prosecution under either Statutory Sexual Assault or Corruption of Minors. It might be that the authorities just missed the twelve-year statute of limitations window for these offenses.

After being terminated from Christian Brother, Hudock would work with two non-profits in Appalachia, becoming Executive Director of one of them, according to his own biography. 

He also ratcheted up his career in Catholic writing and later publishing. Eventually he would became the Publisher for Parishes at Liturgical Press, with a consequent moderate profile on social media.

Liturgical Press is a leftist Catholic publisher affiliated with the Benedictine St. John's Abbey in Collegeville, Minnesota. The catalog of the Press features some useful translations of classic Catholic works, but it primarily contains 1970's style offerings that one might argue verge on parodies of Catholic heterodoxy. For example, there is Wisdom Commentary, a “fifty-eight-volume feminist commentary on every book of the Bible,” - with each book (all fifty-eight) authored by a feminist (and female) author. The Liturgical Press truthfully presents it as "A Significant Milestone in the History of Feminism and the Study of Scripture."

Through Liturgical Press, Hudock authored under his own name four books: The Eucharistic Prayer: A User's Guide, Faith Meets World: The Gift and Challenge of Catholic Social Teaching, Struggle Condemnation, Vindication: John Courtney Murray's Journey Toward Vatican II and Easter, Season of Life and Fire (Alive in the Word).

While it appears that these volumes were far from best-sellers even within the Catholic community, they were quite favorably reviewed by readers and critics. His volume on John Courtney Murray, especially so.

He also translated from the Italian: Will Pope Francis Pull it Off?:The Challenge of Church Reform and The Mind of Pope Francis: Jorge Bergoglio's Intellectual Journey.

Hudock put together Living Laudato Si for Our Sunday Visitor, which is now also now featured on the website of the Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace.

With what some might call chutzpah, the ex-priest also managed (according to his own website) to pen a number of pieces for OSV's The Priest magazine whose Vision is "To build up the Body of Christ by fostering a holy and healthy clergy with strong morale and deep fraternity who will continue the work of Christ with a servant’s heart."

Hudock also advertised on his blog and website, Faith Meets World (now Private), that he was available to give talks at parishes, schools and the like on such topics as catholic social justice and the "preferential option for the poor, powerless and the marginalized."

Finally, Hudock wrote numerous columns for various publications including America, Commonweal and Sojourners.

One recent article for America was titled, "When my daughter whispered to me, 'I wish girls could be priests,' I didn’t know what to say."

Predictably, this article created a minor kerfuffle on social media, featuring much praise as well as some criticism. 

*************

That Hudock was an accused sexual abuser became at least quasi-public at least as early as May 15, 2018, when his name was added to the BishopAccountability.org site.

Presumably as a result of this he resigned from Liturgical Press on June 15, 2018. It also appears that Liturgical Press pulled the books that he authored, though not those he merely translated, from its catalog.

He also announced a new venture, IdeaHouse. According to the website's About section:

IdeaHouse is a Minnesota-based contract/consulting business for book publishers, other media organizations, and writers. I have particular interest in projects related to theology, spirituality, and pastoral ministry, as well other humanities-related subjects like history and literature. 

My experience runs deep, and my track record means you can be confident about the results. I thrive on offering creative services and solutions that help great companies and great writers do better work.

When the Pennsylvania grand jury report became public a few days ago, his name was featured in a number of articles that made note of his termination from Christian Brother. Last Thursday, Ruben Rosario wrote about the Hudock case for Pioneer Press in the Twin Cities. He presumably did so because Hudock and his family now reside in Minnesota.

Hudock did not respond to requests for comment by Rosario. After I messaged Hudock, he blocked me on Twitter, protected his Twitter account and changed the status of his blog and website to Private.

As far as I know, he has not yet commented publicly on the recent revelations.

But it is unlikely any of the publications he has recently written for are now unaware of them. Five days ago Our Sunday Visitor wrote an Editorial titled "Naming names: For any coverage of this painful story to be complete, and for any healing to begin, full transparency must first exist". Among other things, it announced that

Barry Hudock, a former priest of the Diocese of Erie, has done freelance writing for various publications of OSV for the past seven years. He is no longer is affiliated with the company in any capacity.

One interesting question is whether any publications that featured his material were previously aware of them. I suspect they were not, though they may have been aware of his status as an ex-priest.

*************

What are we to say about this?

As a priest, Barry Hudock committed moral and potentially legal crimes. I say that not to pass judgment but to describe facts that no one would dispute. As stated above, his actions potentially fell afoul of at least two statutes.

In the eyes of the Church he compounded these by getting civilly married before the laicization process had run its course.

The grand jury report obviously leaves a quite negative impression, with references to showing the young victim pornography, sexual activity in the rectory, and sexual activity in a hotel perhaps with the knowledge or participation of one other unidentified person.

There may be another side to the story. But it is unclear whether Hudock or anyone else will ever publicly tell it. It's also unclear that it can or should be told.

But it should be said that whatever Barry Hudock did or was accused of doing, it's in a completely different category from the lurid tales of ritualized sodomy with altar boys and the like now emerging from the report.

As a priest he had a sexual relationship, possibly consensual, with a young woman who by one measure was not underage.

I think he was entitled to try to build a new life, arguably free from permanently wearing a "sex abuser" label.

He at least partly succeeded in that, becoming a husband and father, and a successful writer.

But much of how he did that is potentially troubling. After the incident, it presumably became obvious to Hudock that he was unsuited for the priesthood. But this realization was notably belated. One might question why Hudock himself decided to remain a priest for four or five years after the events, ministering to, and presumably working with teenage women in his two posts. And why did he then, even after being laicized, see fit to take a teaching job at a co-educational Catholic high-school?

On the other hand, priests and ex-priests often fall into the category of "over-educated", relatively unemployable in skilled jobs other than teaching, writing and the like. There is no evidence that Hudock was what might be termed a serial predator. I suppose only Barry Hudock and God can answer whether, given the circumstances, he made the appropriate choices in the first years after the events. 

Should priests or ex-priests, involved in scandal and then laicized, be barred or bar themselves from any kind of Catholic work or writing? I do not think so. But for my part, for someone with Hudock's particular "secret" to insinuate himself into writing articles for, among other things, The Priest, advising priests, of all people on Catholic matters without reference to his past is somewhat dishonest. Would he advise them to break their vows and get civilly married if it suited them?

And that Hudock has increasingly enthusiastically advocated for and participated in the current popular watering down of Catholic moral teachings is to my mind creepy. You would think an actually changed man would put a premium on holding the line.

Or not. Maybe he honestly believes in the new theology of "discernment" as Francis and others have defined it.

Two weeks after his resignation from Liturgical Press, he Tweeted a picture of himself reading Change in Official Catholic Moral Teachings as a beach book.

And what some could term Hudock's failure to judge what might or might not be wise or appropriate when it comes to self-reference has its comic side. On his Faith Meets World website he listed Scent of a Woman at the front of the list of his favorite films.

Maybe he just liked the movie.

There's a well-known phenomenon of ex-religious creating and then clinging to a status of public commentary on things Catholic. Is that laudable or is it tragic? I tend towards the latter view.    

It's also well known that Catholic dissent often stems from self-justification. But one can always turn it around, at least up to a point.

Does Barry Hudock still need to?