Fingerprinting everyone but illegals
Remember the Archdiocese's order the priests, religious, employees and volunteers who work with children have to be fingerprinted for background checks?
It turns out, says the L.A. Times today (click on this post's title), that since last year the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange quietly have not been applying that order to parish volunteers who are illegal aliens. Officials of the dioceses say they let the "undocumented" work with children, but only under supervision.
The Times says that from anyone who cannot supply a U.S. government photo ID, the Archdiocese of L.A. asks only for an affidavit that they have not been convicted of any crime, and the Diocese of Orange asks for an affidavit plus two character reference letters.
The Times says that the two dioceses together have fingerprinted more than 70,000 priests, employees and volunteers. Not illegal alien parish volunteers, though.
The Times quotes Rita Mills of SNAP: "If someone can't prove who they are, they shouldn't be volunteering."
It turns out, says the L.A. Times today (click on this post's title), that since last year the Archdiocese of Los Angeles and the Diocese of Orange quietly have not been applying that order to parish volunteers who are illegal aliens. Officials of the dioceses say they let the "undocumented" work with children, but only under supervision.
The Times says that from anyone who cannot supply a U.S. government photo ID, the Archdiocese of L.A. asks only for an affidavit that they have not been convicted of any crime, and the Diocese of Orange asks for an affidavit plus two character reference letters.
The Times says that the two dioceses together have fingerprinted more than 70,000 priests, employees and volunteers. Not illegal alien parish volunteers, though.
The Times quotes Rita Mills of SNAP: "If someone can't prove who they are, they shouldn't be volunteering."
posted by Quintero at 9:45 PM
8 Comments:
That goes especially well with this:
http://wnd.com/news/printer-friendly.asp?ARTICLE_ID=50441
Folks you better be warned that the children and money these dioceses are risking are YOURS...
I'm not surprised about this policy. Children don't even make it to today's list of "protected classes." Not PC enough I guess.
The MSM will give the sexual attac of a puppy above-the-fold attention. But mind you, if the victim had been a child, I doubt the perpetrator's legal status would have been an issue.
Children are important. But I think this type of criticism is unwarranted since I don't think the children are in danger, because the people the SNAP folks are screaming about are people like you and me.
Sorry, I think they're wrong. I don't see a great risk to the children with the type of volunteers and I have two young'uns who are involved with my church and school. I have my own post over at the Digital Hairshirt on this, so if you want to leave critical comments - <*shrug*>
To Digihairshirt: Predators who are looking for at risk children would specfic gravitate to places where authorities are not making background checks.
JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO SAYS
This goes far beyond the phenomena of homosexual priests, child molestation or immigration. At its root, it goes to a fundamental ethos within the Church that is unwise. That ethos can best be described as "compassion ueber alles," especially for the "poor" and "vulnerable," without regard to the impact on others (particularly the innocent). Such an ethos accurately describes the Church's views on immigration, its revisionism on capital punishment and its general moral confusion.
At a deeper level, it also reflects the isolation of the bishops and their bureaucrats, an isolation that stimulates the arrogance of believing that the normal rules of life and common sense do not apply to them or to their practices.
This is far more serious than anybody realizes. This episode says that our bishops not only are corrupt, but stupid. Somehow, I think God is trying to tell us something.
"All About Touching" - we're not using it, I'm on the school board.
A "postee" on Megan's List - California's on-line sexual predator databse - is a member of the parish and a Eucharistic minister . . . or I should say, was a Eucharistic minister because as soon as it was pointed out to the pastor, he asked that person to step down. Our pastor is concerned more about our kids, thank you.
Anonymous - predators have an easier time in non-Catholic institutions. If an illegal immigrant wanted to molest children, there are far more opportunities down the block at Templo Bethel or at La Iglesia de la Luz del Mundo. You can be sure SNAP doesn't bother with them, or with Calvary Chapel.
JOSEPH D'HIPPOLITO SAYS
Mr. Fisher, if what you say about Brown is true, then Catholics in the Orange Diocese (especially at St. Mary's By The Sea parish) must get together, hire a canon lawyer, file a class-action suit charging Brown with episcopal malfeasance and take their case to Rome -- even if they have to make a perpetual nuisance of themselves.
Do you know any canon lawyers willing to take such a challenge upon themselves? Can you organize Orange County Catholics to such action?
I ask you because you seem to have the organizational ability, contacts and dedication for such an enterprise.
Dear Janice,
Thank you for the suggestion. E-mails and snail-mails are good. I should mention that many Angelenos and others for years have written such letters, made phone calls and even made personal visits to Rome, but without success so far.
This does not mean that such messages do not register with some officials, though; so I think people should keep sending them.
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