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He only shuts up when he is writing!

How Bad Could the Blackmail Be?

8/5/2018

 
From the Pastor:       How Bad Could the Blackmail Be?


     If you didn’t read my article in last week’s bulletin, you really should before reading this one as it will help put some things into proper perspective. That said, I promised to continue explaining just what an AH/HA bishop (see last week’s article for an explanation) always threatens to do—and actually does—as often as necessary to keep the “peace” through a reign of fear and intimidation. His own power and “pleasure” (sick though these may be) are his main goals. Not Heaven. Not salvation. Not true love of God or true love of man. Remember that my premise is that an AH/HA priest or bishop has no true Catholic faith. Last week I showed you some of what is in a priest’s file. The bishop has constant control of said file. He alone determines what does or does not go into the file, what might be clandestinely removed from it (see the parable of the unjust steward), and what might be “leaked” from it. The bishop also has complete control over a priest’s assignments, faculties, housing, health insurance, and paycheck, and, to a large degree, his reputation.
     A priest who gets on the bad side of a bishop (and that can happen even with a good priest who has a good bishop but I am referring here to an AH/HA bishop) will get the worst assignment the bishop can conjure up. But how bad could it really be? A young priest who insists on preaching Catholic faith and morals will almost assuredly be sent to an AH/HA pastor to “straighten him out” (a very bad use of words). His AH/HA pastor will berate him both privately and publicly and tear him apart behind his back at every moment with slander, calumny, innuendo, and lies. The young priest will be intimidated and bullied as few have ever witnessed or imagined. The AH/HA pastor has filled his staff with AH/HA lay people and deacons and the young priest has nobody to whom to turn. There is nobody to reassure him that he is not the “bad guy” with the exception of a handful of good, faithful Catholic parishioners whom the pastor and staff have not yet been able to run off. He will not be respected by anyone else except God. The pastor will not allow him to teach. Most of the time he will have the AH/HA deacon assigned to preach for him and he will be forced to listen silently to heretical sermons. He will be assigned all of the “dirty work” and he will be always at everyone’s beck and call for non-priestly duties and always under scrutiny. Word will go out to all pastors that he is a pathetic loser and that they should refuse him as an associate during personnel changes. He will be called down to the AH/HA bishop’s office on a regular basis to be accused of being heartless and a sorry excuse for a priest. He will be threatened to be relieved of his faculties or, at best, assigned as a chaplain at a hospital or nursing home. His file will grow as the bishop waves in his face every anonymous, outrageous, deceptive, unCatholic letter from those following the AH/HA crowd as “proof” of his lack of fitness to be a priest. Everything will be done to encourage him to either engage in immorality, quit preaching against immorality, or just get the heck out. He constantly faces the reality that, after having endured eight or nine years of Pink Palace Seminary, he might be forced out after fewer years of priesthood. He will watch as his friends, those good men ordained with him, “flee the wolves” one after another and he will see his AH/HA seminary associates promoted and rewarded. It’s no wonder so many leave.
     But why would he remain silent after he leaves the priesthood? He knows AH/HA pastors who have boyfriends, who perform same-sex “marriages”, who cook the books, etc. He knows at least some of the immoral activity of his former AH/HA bishop. How can blackmail extend even into his lay life? Remember the file. The AH/HA bishop will do anything to retain control of this man’s life in order to protect and amuse himself. One example is sufficient: A “good” bishop might annually invite all ex-priests and their wives to a dinner. He will show them that he cares about them, wants to be sure their families are doing well, and even, in a roundabout way, let them know he is sorry they felt forced to leave in order to keep their masculinity and morality. An AH/HA bishop, on the other hand, invites them to dinner for sinister motives. He holds out the rotten carrot that maybe soon the Pope might allow them to return to ministry and, as long as they have been “good”, they can return to where they know they belong. He buys their silence. Even worse, the AH/HA bishop is not so subtly telling them, “I know your contact information. I know your family. I know your place of employment. Mess with me or one of mine and I will destroy you. I will pull something from your file (or place something in your file) and release it to the public, to your employer, to your children’s school. You will be an unemployable ex-priest and maybe also an ex-husband and ex-father.” Yes, they are that evil. Starting to understand the silence? More to come next week.


With prayers for your holiness,
Rev. Fr. Edwin Palka

​
Bonnie
8/4/2018 06:43:12 pm

I want you to know that I am so very thankful for your courage and spiritual leadership. I have been terribly upset over the satanic attacks against the Church and find myself experiencing an anticipatory kind of grief over the ONE earthly presence that I never expected to fail. Still,I intend to hold on no matter what the future will bring, with my Rosary in hand. A day never passes that you are not included in my prayers.

Father Palka
8/5/2018 12:10:34 am

Bonnie,
Thank you for the prayers. I am thrilled to hear that, even though you are terribly upset by all of this, you are not wavering in your Faith. Keep praying the rosary, avail yourself of the Sacraments regularly and worthily, and don't let the [expletive] get to you!

Kyleen
8/5/2018 08:01:48 am

Father,

Thank you for taking the time to write these and inform us of the hardship our priests and bishops face. The abuse scandals that have been continually unraveling have been so upsetting and have stolen so much from the Church and from our families.

Your articles addressing the ‘elephant in the room’ give me hope that we can reclaim some of what has been lost. It is comforting to see men stepping out so that we can be assured we still have good shepherds.

I will be praying for you. God bless your ministry.

Father Palka
8/5/2018 04:29:44 pm

Kyleen,
Thank you for your prayers. You are correct in that the abusers "have stolen so much" from us. Now is a great time for all good priests and bishops and all who have directly suffered from the bad ones to stand up and be heard. They can pick us off one by one but we can overwhelm them with the truth if we stand united. Pray, pray, pray!

Mariam
8/7/2018 08:32:22 am

This explains why seemingly faithful priests don’t teach the entire Catholic Faith. And why so many of our Masses are crazy, Protestant, and maybe even sacriligious. Where I live there aren’t any Tridentine Masses. Our bishop is arch gay. I’ve been thinking if going to Orthodox services as I can’t bear the craziness.

Father Palka
8/7/2018 10:16:27 am

Miriam,

Don't jump ship! There is, no matter how bad Her members, only one true Church, only one sure means of salvation. If need be, find the best of the bad Catholic parishes and fulfill your obligation there, even if it means kneeling in the back pew holding your head in your hands and crying. Cry with Our Lord. Cry for Our Lord. You are at the foot of the cross during the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass. Of course it hurts you to see so many people who are irreverent, heretical and blasphemous. It hurt the Blessed Mother, Mary Magdalene and John, too! But they stayed to console Our Savior, who was even more pained than they at the lack of faith, the lack of care, the lack of love. You don't have to receive Holy Communion, either, if it is a circus during distribution, for none of the above mentioned Saints received during the crucifixion, either. But, if it is at all possible, drive, even if it takes hours, to find a holy and reverent Mass. A two hour one-way drive means four hours on the road. Another two hours for Mass and maybe a cup of coffee and a donut, and you have six hours dedicated specifically to keeping holy the Lord's Day. If you spent that much time (and hundreds of dollars to boot) going to a Sunday football game everyone would congratulate you as being a "real" and "loyal" fan. Do it for God and you are a seen as a kook. But what a great way to sanctify the day and glorify the Lord!

Mariam
8/7/2018 04:34:42 pm

I realky don’t understand all the anomosity against the Orthidix. They go back to Christ just as the Western Latin Church does. They have valid sacraments and apostolic succession. Bith gave sin amongst their members but also saints. Yes, there are cultural and linguistic differences. But honestly I am closer to a believing Irthodox Christian than I ever will be to our peronist, marxist, communist unbelieving pope and our faggot bishops. So why all this hatred? I honestly do nit understand.

Mariam
8/7/2018 05:02:50 pm

PS. Going to an Orthodox service does not imply formal conversion. The Western Church is corrupt to its heart, to its being. It denies the Lord of Life. It is a mafioso organization. Why should we support it? Do you honestly think anything will change wuth the unbelieving bishops who have absolute authority over the faithful clergy and the laity? We have been at this since 2002 and NOTHING has changed. Do you think that Christ is not in the Orthodox churches with valid sacraments? Maybe both the Eastern and the Western branches of the true Church had better grow up fast because ISLAM is set to take over and wipe them both out. Enough with territoririalism. Grow up in Christ.

Heather
8/7/2018 02:24:03 pm

Father, I stumbled across this via a group I belong to on Facebook. Oh happy day!

Thank you for your honesty, your directness and your faithfulness. I am troubled beyond words with all that is happening, but somehow oddly heartened that it means we can clean house.

I will hold the Faith no matter how miserably we all may sin, but knowing there are faithful priests such as you ministering to us gives me hope for the repair to the Beloved Body of Christ.

Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:05:00 pm

Heather,
The Body will survive. But it may be a lot different and smaller once the cancer is cut out. But it will certainly be worth it.

Karl Komara
8/8/2018 09:53:12 pm

Hello Fr. Edwin and God bless you for your work. Elaine, my wife and I have been following this crisis and have been convinced that the problem is not only a crisis of faith, but entrenched homosexual networks of priests, bishops and cardinals. We greatly appreciate your expose of the processes that evil and corrupt bishops use. We anticipate a chastisement from our Lord, but I hope a purification will soon occur before that happens. Please keep up the good work. I knew the 2002 response from the bishops was inadequate because it didn’t focus on the homosexuality in the priesthood. Now here we are with the cat out of the bag. We’d like to know how do we get rid of the homosexual priests estimated to be as high as 50 % of all American priests. I’m willing to drive two hours to attend Mass or more. I know that’s what will probably happen to many if the purge ever occurs. Thanks again, Father.

KRISTIN GOMEZ
8/8/2018 09:57:48 pm

Dear Father,

I am most grateful for your candor.I shared this with a relative and the question that came up is : can you share with us how you know this happens ...and if it happens frequently, how do you also know that. It is hard to swallow, reading the sad state of affairs you mention in these important posts. But , of course, when sex scandal after sex scandal erupts in our Church - it seems this is indeed the way things have been moving unbeknownst to all of us who so love the Church and our priests. It is just...so painful. Thank you for your honesty.

Zita
8/11/2018 01:36:53 pm

Father, I assume, knows it happens because it has happened to him, his fellow faithful priests, it is discussed and or confessed in the confessions he hears, and in what diocesan and parish lay people have shared with him through the Sacrament of Reconciliation and or Spiritual Direction.

I am not speaking for Father, (I have never met him face to face.) but having worked, outside this state, in both parish, diocesan, and Catholic ministries, I am not shocked at all by what he says. It sickens me, but I am not scandalized by it: however, it hurts me deeply. I love our Catholic Faith, as you do, and so we march on in Mary's Army, with Rosary in hand, and do as she says...we can be at peace.

So, perhaps this is an answer to your question. Something of which Father may not be permitted to say.

Love, your sister in Christ Jesus, Zita.

Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:06:09 pm

Kristen,
Zita did a great job of answering for me! See below.

Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:06:56 pm

Oops! Rather, see above!

Andrew
8/8/2018 11:15:37 pm

Thank you Father! I am a college student trying to get an undergraduate degree in philosophy. I know that I ought to be careful with what seminary I join!

Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:08:12 pm

Andrew,
Be careful even if you join the best one! But certainly if you have a choice, you are better off improving your odds by choosing wisely!

N.L.A
8/10/2018 09:17:50 am

Thank you Rev.Fr. Palka , for this follow up article as well as the good suggestions you are offering .

The one about receiving absolution of the Old Missal format seems appealing , atleast for yearly use , esp. considering the 'interdicts ' that are possible , one of the conditions getting mention being -
'hatred' against The Church ( please excuse my ignorance , on this as well as other related areas )

True , there can be varying degrees of same, as is the case with the various Orthodox Churches ; a close family member being in one such through whatever negligence might have been in the family , may be one such occasion - as one of the books on exorcism mentions, the enemy being a 'legalist' , thus may be good to ask to cover as many areas as possible and in that process , our own deeper awareness of the depth of our debts and the gratitude we owe our Lord .
The words - 'may the evils you have suffered ...achieve increase in grace..' that too priceless, to help build up trust and endurance , esp. spoke in t he confessional , with a Father's Heart

https://www.sanctamissa.org/en/faq/receiving-other-sacraments-in-the-extraordinary-form.html

Would your own blessing of courage to stand up for the needed cleaning be a witness to the power of such a grace !

Hope one of the recommendations would be that this format be posted in confessionals and laity being allowed to ask for same , may be when priests have enough time on hands ( priests and laity , excess time in football and such , the unholy soul ties may be from the almost idolatrous attention to such, robbing our Lord of time that was to have been spent with Him, in warfare , as mentioned in the good book - In Sinu Jesu , thus becoming like David before his fall , when he left his men in war , to be on the roof top - hope the turmoils would help many to see same too .

Having read how Latin , Hebrew and Classical Greek have special
exorcism power, the 3 languages on The Cross ) hoping that the Eastern Catholic Churches esp would esp. look into bringing back Hebrew into The Church .

Hope that the light that is coming in , even though might be painful at one level , is a sign of hope at all levels , including the topic mentioned in the article .

Thank you again and God bless .



Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:14:16 pm

NLA,
It wasn't until I started celebrating the TLM not as a tiny part of a "regular" parish but as the major part of a parish that I decided to start giving absolution in the old rite. Until then, it never crossed my mind. So while it is now posted in my confessional, if you want to receive this from other priests, you better take a copy with you and find a priest willing to say the Latin (it cannot be said in English).

Maris
8/13/2018 04:29:57 pm

And the laity need to step up, repent, and realize how the sin of contraception (sterile sex for heterosexuals) has been a large part of this crisis.
There is much blame to go around.

Father Palka
8/15/2018 04:11:24 pm

Maris,
How right you are. But right now blaming anyone except the priests and bishops seems a little like passing the buck. Like riding a horse, if you get the head moving in the right way, the rest of him will follow!

Andy
8/16/2018 04:48:38 pm

This is terrifying, and fascinating. Thank you for showing us behind the curtain. Looking forward to the next installment (the solution).

Father Palka
8/17/2018 11:52:39 am

Andy,
You may be disappointed in the next article! There is no solution which can be summed up in a short bulletin article. But stay tuned anyway!

Mary
8/26/2018 03:03:01 pm

So true, I didn’t realize how deep it went, had some idea, but how sad, Jesus said he wouldn’t leave his church. I have certain priests I trust and ones I don’t. I’m very careful, I think our bishop is good. The young priests we have seem to be very good. I’ve increased my Eucharist adoration to several days a week


Comments are closed.

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