A letter, reportedly from Elizabeth Willaims, wife of Father Matthew Williams, has been made public. JTO is releasing the content here: Note: This letter has not been verified as having been sent or received. Void of a signature, it cannot be authenticated.
Monday, October 28, 2024
Your blessing!
Things are continuing to deteriorate as Fr Matthew will not respect my daughter and my
requests for space. In very clear words, I asked him not to come to the farm/house today as we
were emotionally exhausted after he took [Child A] without my consent and slept with her alone
in his car in the middle of the night at a rest stop and the various other ways in which he
disregarded Fr John's directives to not be alone with the girls or to come around us without my
explicit permission.
Disregarding my requests, and Fr John once again reminding him to get permission, on the
contrary, he arrived at our house this morning and tried to get in. I messaged him asking him to
honor my and [Child Victim]'s explicit requests for him to not be there (for one day only!), but he
proceeded to work on repair projects under the house and waited until the children woke up and
let him in.
Father, I am trying to avoid a scene in front of the small children, so I did not say anything when
he came in, but quickly left the property with the children.
I messaged Fr John and he sent Fr Matthew a text asking him to leave and not return without
my permission.
With Fr John's blessing, I am now applying for a restraining order as he will not listen to his
spiritual father, or his family.
My daughters have made it clear that they will report him to child protective services if he does
not stop putting their little sisters at risk by being alone with them sleeping in cars, in bedrooms
(he took Lucy from me the other night at his mother's and snuck off and lay down in a bed alone
with her), etc.
I'm afraid that this is where we are. I do question his mental stability at present. He has a history
of violence towards me and towards himself when I don't submit to him and I am concerned for
my, and the children’s safety at this time.
The restraining order will bar him from speaking to the children or entering the property until a
court date.
He is spreading rumors to the [Names] and others that I am mentally unstable and seeking
extramarital affairs. As God and my spiritual father as my witnesses, there is absolutely no
foundation in those accusations. These are projections of his own sins. That I have been
extremely emotionally and physically drained by all of this drama and revelation of abuse, with
this, I would wholeheartedly concur. Trying to care for and educate five children single-handedly
is absolutely exhausting. Adding in trying to be an emotion support to parishioners as a
matushka, along the grief of my spouse's many betrayals would tax anyone.
Those who know me and spend time with me on a regulate basis (this excludes the [Names])
can testify to my mental stability better than I, and I would encourage anyone concerned about
such to simply ask our joint spiritual father or family members on both sides which of the two of
us has a history of mental instability. I confess and have sought guidance from Fr John on a
nearly weekly basis for the twenty seven years I have been in the Church.
I put my trust in God, and ask your prayers!
Please feel free to share this with the metropolitan at your discretion.
In Christ,
Elizabeth
Note: Via: http://frmatthewwilliams.com
How many times does the same pattern have to play out before folks stop pretending it’s some big mystery? Elizabeth has said her piece. Some of us actually believe women the first time.
ReplyDeleteWhat pattern has played out the , do explain.
DeleteSeeing as to how in the last post that is actually confirmed to be real. Unlike this word document with no publishing timestamp, anyone can just type up a letter with a random date as a header. Let’s assume that this is real.
DeleteElizabeth knew of her husbands problems in 2012. That’s still more than a decade of letting an unmedicated bipolar man, and according to Elizabeth, has a history of violence, to be rector.
If any pattern shows here, is that they’re still lying. Let’s use that big brain the Lord has given us and not just believe everything that has been spoon fed to us.
Speaking as if the moral high ground is to trust a family of liars is the most ignorant thing to do.
It seems like the last letter gives the lie to the notion that she knew in 2012.
DeleteI was wondering why Fr. Serge came to town randomly...
ReplyDeleteElizabeth is not the one deciding what the hierarchs allow her husband to be or do. His ordination was contested by quite a few. The hierarchs did what they wanted anyway. The Church has been aware of every single failing of Matthew Williams since his issue with the girl many years ago. The Church hierarchs decided to ordain him anyway. Elizabeth has reported every single one of his many infractions to the hierarchs and she trusted them to care for her, her children, and the Church. They failed at every step. They continually abused their spiritual authority over her and told her to forgive and keep quiet and that they knew what is best. You see this with the Metropolitan's response "she shouldn't be telling the Church what to do." (Note that clearly he thinks *he* is the Church). And when she finally realized their corruption and lack of care for the parishioners, they did exactly as we might expect...Punished her and threw her under the bus. The woman entrusted the Church entirely, and believed the hierarchs were wise and good and knew better than she. Turns out, they're just a good old boys club and protecting themselves over the victims....which include her (suffering decades of his abuse, all of which was reported to church leaders who are mandatory reporters but failed in their duty, time and time again), their ten children (God help them!), and the parishioners who have learned their hierarchs care more about protecting themselves than women and children. The Rocor hierarchs and the perverted man are the real perpetrators here.
ReplyDeleteThen why does Elizabeth continue to slander Carole? Ironic she is in the same situation Carole was/is in.
DeleteWhat if Carole is getting things wrong?
DeleteThat’s not an answer to the question. This deflection again. The original question is there to make an example of the hypocrisy that is being laid in front of you.
Delete"Then why does Elizabeth continue to slander Carole? Ironic she is in the same situation Carole was/is in."
DeleteDo you have an example of this continued slander? I haven't seen anything besides comments here alluding to it, and I'd like to see the evidence so I can be correct and not promote rumors and hearsay.
Someone tried to put the examples of what was being passed around her, the editor censored it out to stop more of it passing around. Look back a couple posts.
DeleteWhat is Carole getting wrong then? That a known sexual predator hurt her daughter? A man whom was known by his wife and the hierarchy to be unfit was allowed to be around children? Is that what she’s getting wrong? Please do tell.
ReplyDeleteIn her second email, she mentions the investigation from 2004 being closed because of "the victim's insistence that the allegations were false."
ReplyDeleteThis is not true.
There was never any statement from the 2004 victim; only her unwillingness to come forward. If there were such a statement, it would certainly have turned up by now. Someone accused would want to be waving that like a flag!
So, while there is no official statement that the claims are true, there is no evidence whatsoever that they were not true.
Please provide evidence that this is not true.
DeleteElizabeth proof of innocence is not the accusers burden to bear. I see what is happening now.
DeleteIf you want proof the documents being given to us is proof in itself that the Williams are deceptive and manipulative of the parish.
The proof you are asking for is spread all over this website. Not in the comments but what is published by the editor. What the OP is doing is pointing out the holes in the story that is constantly being fed to us.
The lies are falling apart and are getting harder and harder to keep straight.
I see what the defense is resorting to by trying to mimic what the accusers are asking for.
In a court of law the burden of innocence is on the defense. While Elizabeth has attempted to address the current mess with the website that I can only guess an in law made. She has not properly addressed the accusation of knowing for at least a decade. All of this while continuing to slander Carole Stephens and her daughter.
How unbelievable is it that the Williams bullied and harassed the Carole’s daughter years after because now it is on her to report the sexual abuse.
You want to speak about BWS but constantly forget to apply the symptoms of silence on the rest of Elizabeth and Matthew’s victims.
Once again the defenses hypocrisy rears its ugly head.
If this was a court of law the jury would have already convicted her, just solely based off of how the people in her defense are arguing for her innocence.
To add to this because now we have hard back tracking on this website.
DeleteDec 19 2024 everything comes to light and everything is put into question.
It is Elizabeth that insists that the victim says that “it was all false”
Well in Carole’s letter her daughter was harassed by Elizabeth causing here to not even come forward.
So which is it. Did the victim not come forward so there would be no statement or are these claims that Elizabeth quotes the girl that “nothing happened”?
Even after all this is it now so hard to believe that Matthew did rape her? And if he did wouldn’t Elizabeth have reported it?
Inb4 another BWS arguement.
It's true the absence of evidence is not evidence of absence; however,
DeleteIf the victim truly insisted that the allegations were false (like Elizabeth says), where is that statement from the victim?
It makes no sense to leave it to gossip if the victim actually stated the allegations were false. Why not simply show her statement and put it to rest?
You're concerned about protecting Elizabeth when she has suffered so much. Understandable. But people should be allowed to feel betrayed if she participated in squashing down Matthew's dark past.
There're also people casting aspersions on Carole, when the only evidence we DO have points to her being right.
> In a court of law the burden of innocence is on the defense.
DeleteActually, the burden of proof is on the prosecution. This is very basic information.
Elizabeth’s previous role in 2004/2012 in silencing Carole’s daughter undermines her credibility now, as it shows she may have suppressed accusations in the past. The decades long silence clearly indicates a pattern of protecting FMW until it affected her personally. Her current claims may still be true, but her past actions make it harder to trust her narrative without concrete evidence (no victim statement from the victim.) The case was closed due to the victim’s unwillingness to come forward, which is not the same as her recanting.
DeletePost proof of that role. The only evidence so far is the mother's word, and the actual victim won't even speak to her.
DeleteProvide evidence or get thee behind me.
So which is it. Is it that the Stephens girl declined to step forward at all or did she come forward to the church and say she lied?
DeleteAnd it’s on Elizabeth’s word saying she didn’t coerce or harass the victim. So?
DeleteAnd it’s on Elizabeth’s word saying she didn’t coerce or harass the victim. So?
ReplyDeleteYall realize this arguing in the comments isn’t helping anything? The Ukase is given. The hierarchy has made their decision.
ReplyDeleteFighting it now and causing more noise will only delay Matushka family from being allowed to come back.
I read the website linked in the post. The hierarchy is trying to cover their ass for covering this up. I don't think the Williams will ever be allowed to come back, not that I think they ever would have been.
Delete"Yall realize this arguing in the comments isn’t helping anything? The Ukase is given. The hierarchy has made their decision.
DeleteFighting it now and causing more noise will only delay Matushka family from being allowed to come back."
They will likely never allow them to come back now that they have posted all those screenshots.
I think what's important now is that they've just shown how ROCOR is covering for a pedophile priest. And people here are still arguing over whether Elizabeth is culpable or not.
I don't care about an ukase anymore. I've seen enough to never want to set foot in a Russian church. If I were ROCOR, I'd be demanding to know why they're covering up abuse?
“Especially emphasizes that putting Fr. Matthew under monastic obedience would solve the problem of his behavior without legal intervention“
ReplyDeleteWhy wouldn’t you want legal intervention on a man who kidnaps a child, molests your daughters, steals firearms…What is this? Yeah let’s just send him to a monastery to walk freely and continue his influence in the community.
Anyone who knows him, knows he wanted to be a monk before he was a priest so why give him exactly what he wants? This makes no sense to not involve law enforcement especially considering MULTIPLE sexual abuse claims from his own children. How can you defend this? Christian forgiveness? Stockholm syndrome? Make it make sense.
DeleteShe also supposedly reported to civil authorities 3 months after her having knowledge of his abuse. Very timely and persistent.
ReplyDeleteIf Elizabeth knew about serious misconduct but waited three months to go to law enforcement, she knowingly left children in danger during that time. Waiting three months could be considered a failure to report in a timely manner, which in some states can result in criminal charges.
DeleteIs this satire? If someone was hurt 3 months is not at all fast enough to report especially if the allegations were this serious
DeleteExactly the point. According to the frmatthewwiliams web page they were timely and persistent but this doesn’t add up with what information they are providing with their timeline.
DeleteAnd the hierarchy being mandated reporters never reported to civil authorities. This is all unacceptable from Elizabeth to the Church.
ReplyDeleteMolested her children, stole a weapon, Kidnapped a child and off his medication not sleeping in an obvious mental crisis and she calls his boss and not the Police? Just one person here tell me they would have called anyone other than the police.
ReplyDeleteCalling his Boss is on the list of course but it isn’t the top priority to call. As a U.S. citizen, Elizabeth is subject to U.S. law first, even when dealing with a religious matter. By her attempting to keep it “in house” she is perpetuating the “good ole boys” club they now claim have failed them.
Delete****The priest in a parish is abusive to his family, and minorly to some parishioners.**** really? Please tell me how a Priest can MINORLY abuse someone. Really R.P. please explain that statement
ReplyDeleteYeah really, way to minimalize an abusers actions.
Delete