JTO had this exchange in the comment section of Journey To orthodoxy: Does ROCOR "Fear God and Care What People Think?" Perhaps They Should:
Commenter: Sorry, this is just wrong on many levels. I will not participate in public bashing of our Metropolitan, it is just not in my DNA to do that.
JTO: Anon @ 12:09 am : Have you asked yourself what is in your Metropolitan's DNA that allowed a sexual predator to run rampant in his flock? What was in his DNA to know of the allegations of FMW's sexual abuse, rape, and molestation, as early as 2019, and fail to follow ROCOR's own PUBLIC Sexual Abuse Policy? Had your Metropolitan's DNA been pure, he would have removed FMW six years ago perhaps preventing the sexual abuse of his own children. They have DNA also and are forever marred by your Metropolitan's lack of a pastoral heart. So, what is in your DNA? Do you just have it in you to deem public exposing of a sinful shepherd, "bashing?" Since your DNA won't allow you to stand up for the weak, helpless and abused but rather defend the wolf in sheep's clothing, comments such as yours here just expose your own perverse heart.
Commenter: I never said I have not and will not continue to voice my concerns to our Metropolitan. It is just your method and Tactics that I will not support.
JTO: Anon. You didn't answer the questions. Nevertheless, are you aware of how many have "voiced their concerns" directly through private communication and documentation? Numerous priests and bishops have brushed off such communications and, like you, seem to have a propensity to attack and vilify the tactics and methods rather than deal with the real issue of Sexual Predators in their midst. I wonder if you have read the articles that list the many players who have vilified the mother of the raped 15-year-old girl. Over six years JTO has been communicating to the Metropolitan as did the mother of the rape victim many years before that. So, no. You do not get to enter late to this discourse and malign the open exposing of these priests and Bishops who are failing the body of Christ. The day of allowing them to give the silent treatment or the brush off to these very real issues is over. Please take the time to read all of the articles related to this issue. JTO and other public forums will continue to expose sin in the body of Christ until it is weeded out, sinful Metropolitans included. That should be in every Christian's DNA. You are certainly in the minority in advocating keeping all of this quiet and private. You are a good sheep. FMW raped his 15-year-old goddaughter, molested his own daughters, was improper with adult women in his church and your esteemed Metropolitan and others have known of his character and conduct for 10-plus years! Not only did they allow FMW to remain, but they awarded him for "long and faithful service." Please let JTO know when you deem it okay to call them out on their ungodly conduct. Did you see the movie Spotlight, about the Roman Catholic systemic sexual abuse case? Your attitude of squelching information is not new. You sincerely think you are supporting the church and its leaders (DNA) and honoring God, but unfortunately, you are an enabler.
Anyone has the prerogative to participate in open discourse or to choose not to participate, however maligning those who publicly expose the enabling of sexual abuse in the church as being "wrong on so many levels", should be rebuked. To be consistent with this detestable ideology one would need to demand that public forums such as Orthodox Christian Sexual Abuse | Facebook, RAINN | The nation's largest anti-sexual violence organization, and a myriad of others be removed from public view. Handle all things quietly, out of the public eye, you know, sort of like the Roman Catholics do it? A resounding, NO! It's just not in my DNA to do that.
I would like to know when the police will investigate Fr Matthew Williams and if he is found guilty, will ROCOR continue to shelter him at Jordanville, which currently serves as a place of pilgrimage for women and children? Also, as bystanders, how can we help the victims? Thank you.
ReplyDeleteTo piggyback onto this comment: does the monastic community in Jordanville really need a child molesting priest to be within its community? Let’s not forget that there is a Seminary on the grounds as well. What sort of message does this send to students who are looking to pursuit a clerical ministry???
DeleteRapist and incestuous child molester.
DeleteI do not think the police will ever make contact with FMW. I do not think his wife will ever file a formal complaint, nor do I think there will be any cooperation from his victims. I think he walks on all of this.
DeleteAnon 3:28.. Talk to them. Check in on them. Protect them. That is what they need. Don't make their reaction to the abuse they endured be the issue. Acknowledge them.
Delete11:39 we are past that. Enablers require accountability.
DeleteThe family isn't his only victims. There are many being marginalized who were victims of Pastoral Abuse. Thise are the victims anon 11:39 is referring to, certainly not Elizabeth.
DeleteNathan, I certainly didn't mean for you to be so upset over my concerns of how we communicate with our Hierarchy. I simply said I couldn't. I never said you shouldn't I just said I can't. Maybe you are just stronger than I am. I am Pretty weak and broken. I appreciate you fighting the fight we who are too weak to continue with this. Never once did I mean you shouldn't express yourself any way you choose to do it. Please do not take my Comments saying I don't agree with your methods, as disapproval of your message. This is simply not the case. Thank you for your courage and Strength.
ReplyDeleteNot upset. Too seasoned for that. Did need to be quite frank in my response. Thank you for your kind words and for walking back your comment, however, when you say "this is wrong on so many levels", that you disagree with JTO's "tactics and methods" and call the JTO expose' "bashing", that is a little more than "simply said I couldn't." That is not entirely true, is it? In any case, if you misspoke or regret your comments you are forgiven. I understand the pain this entire event has caused. Unfortunately, allowing anonymous comments does not always allow JTO to know a person's full heart or motives. JTO can only respond to the words written.
DeleteAnon @ 5:32 : The fact that you offered a conciliatory comment says volumes about your character. I am truly grateful.
DeleteForgive me if my words were inappropriate. Not what was intended. Sunlight is definitely the best disinfectant, I just was praying that a full on public bashing was not needed, and they would do the right thing. I am sure this is not something anyone wants to do, but I guess I understand that you think it is the appropriate time to do this. God gave you free will for a reason. I was hoping for a different resolution, not sure what that would look like. I just really love my faith and this is just disheartening for me.
ReplyDeleteFrom Rape and the Holy Man, “Elizabeth did say that she should have known better than to have a teenaged girl in her home.” Speaking of DNA, what did Elizabeth know about this man’s DNA to make her say this? What else has he done and she and the hierarchy been aware of and kept quiet about? This is all disturbing and quite filthy to the core. The Williams ghosts have come out of the closet and the harm to their daughters makes the past claims all the more viable.
ReplyDeleteIt will be a very long time until we know the totality of the damage this family has done to the faithful entrusted to them. If any of them had a shred of decency they would quickly get their belongings out of our church, clean up the disgusting mess they have left in that home and just go away. But she won't. She is determined to destroy what she can not control, so we are all being held hostage by her mear presence.
DeleteWhile true Anon 9:42, It is still troubling that so many comments are directed to the Williams family and very few to the Bishops who knew and allowed this to happen. What kind of fear have the bishops and priests or the Orthodox culture bred into your psyche? There should be a groundswell of confrontation and the implementation of the Biblical instruction: "Do not accept an accusation against an elder EXCEPT ON THE BASIS OF TWO OR THREE WITNESSES. Those who persist in sin, reprove in front of everyone, so that the rest will also be afraid of the consequences." It this isn't done there will be future FMWs and the same coverup. Your beloved Metropolitan needs to be removed if he knew six years ago and failed to act. Who will stand up and obey the scripture without fear? JTO is currently getting 30- 35 thousand readers a month. Can even one be found faithful?
DeleteEditor at 11:40
DeleteIt is absolutely right to hold our church bishops accountable and face the rightful consequences when they knowingly allow abuse to continue. However, it’s also important to recognize that the Williams family, as firsthand witnesses, were in the best position to report directly to law enforcement. They shouldn’t have relied solely on the hierarchy to do their civic duties and clean up the mess they were living. This leads one to believe many things and ask questions why they never sought help initially outside the church.
The deeper issue here is the institutional mindset that discouraged going outside the Church. When someone is deeply conditioned to believe that involving civil authorities is a betrayal of the faith, it creates a negative feedback loop that allows for silence and coverups. But the hierarchy is just as responsible, if not more so, because they had the power to act and failed. Both the mindset of keeping issues only in church and the clerical failure must be confronted if we want real accountability.
Removing compromised leaders is necessary, but it won’t be enough unless we also challenge the culture that enables coverups.
Scripture calls for sin to be rebuked publicly so that others will fear (1 Tim 5:20). That fear should be directed toward actively seeking justice not toward shielding leadership and corrupt clergy and their enablers at any cost.
There have been many more comments about the family because they are still actively trying to destroy what they can not control, and people are seeing the truth and are outraged!
DeleteThe key word is an "inordinate" amount. And it seems the bishops and priests are satisfied that the focus is not yet on them. Lack of focus on the bishops and priests who allowed this family to actively destroy for years is to ensure the hierarchy's status quo regarding sexual predators in ROCOR and the continuation of the cover-up ethos.
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