Bishop resigns amid scandal *The Record* July 25 2002 p 12

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of a South African bishop who came under fire for participating in a gay priests' Internet newsgroup that included sexually-explicit material.
The Vatican announced the resignation of Cape Town Auxiliary Bishop Reginald Cawcutt, 63, in a one-sentence statement on July 17 that cited a Church law provision for "illness or other serious reason."
In a statement Bishop Cawcutt said he was resigning because he did not want to be "the cause of any further divisions in the Church." Acknowledging that he had made mistakes and that his ministry was sometimes controversial, the bishop apologised for having "offended and angered some (people)."
But he said he could not ask forgiveness for trying to be "a priest reaching out in love and compassion to those to whom Jesus reaches out."
"I tried to be close to all of God's people; and certainly no one prepared me to face the intrigues of people who misjudge and those who cannot see that truth is not the thing one sees at face value," he said.
Bishop Cawcutt, who was active in ministry to gay and lesbian people and people with AIDS in his country, said he would "continue serving the good Lord with a lower profile."

REFERENCES (many headings modified)
1985: Arising from the U.S. Fr Gilbert Gauthe trial and publicity, three professionals including U.S. Dominican Fr Thomas Doyle (a canon lawyer at the Vatican Embassy) wrote a report in 1985 urging the U.S. R.C. bishops to form a national policy to stop clergy sex-abuse. Fr Doyle's career prospects declined when he kept publicly calling for the reforms. See Aug 2 02 The National Catholic Reporter www.natcath.org/ NCR_Online/archives/080202/080202a.htm
A: Guidelines for handling clergy abusing children; www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/nonmarital.htm Feb 19 2002
!!!: Father Kelly's escape to Belgium stymied by 77 more charges The West Australian Feb 28 02
F: Paying for sins of the fathers; Anglican, Catholic, United and Presbyterian Churches in Canada face child-abuse compensation of $C1000m; Australian Anglicans face ruin The Weekend Australian, Mar 2-3 02
B: Fathers would make the best "Fathers"; how to select clergy; Mar 4 02
K: Hoopmann, Queensland Lutheran Pastor, denies sex charge The West Australian Mar 6 02
L: Father Geoghan -- Deal close on $60m U.S. sex payout The West Australian Mar 7 02
!!!: Polish archbishop quits over sneaking down tunnel to seminary dormitory The West Australian Mar 30 02
@: Priest abuse and abortion woman gets $2m payout in Los Angeles area - Fr John Lenihan; The West Australian April 3 02
!!!: Irish Bishop resigns over boy-sex cleric Fr Sean Fortune; tried everthing but dismissal! The West Australian Apr 3 02
@: Scandal keeps lawyer Stephen Rubino busy with 250 clients in three continents The West Australian Apr 3 02
@: Abuse of Trust: Child Sexual Abuse and the Australian Churches with world background, more than 100 clergy from the Australian Catholic and Anglican Churches have been convicted of child sexual abuse in the past five years, ABC Background Briefing http://www.abc.net.au/rn/talks/bbing/stories/s531384.htm Apr 14 02
@: Teachers jailed, Victorian husband and wife - John Alexander, Elspeth McKenzie - seduced 14-year-old Wesley College girl; The West Australian Apr 20 02
@: Priest was evil one, says cover-up victim, Fr Paul Shanley said he kept silence about cardinal abusing him in seminary, hierarchy conspiracy to allow Fr Shanley access to youth since 1967, Cardinal B.Law's secret trip, all 8 US cardinals off to Rome, Victim's broken; The Weekend Australian Roy Eccleston, Apr 20-21 2002
@: U.S. cardinals stop short of 'zero tolerance' bluff at Vatican, CNN 2002/WORLD/europe/04/24/pope.talks/index.html Apr 25 02
@: R.C. priest Paul Shanley talked up boy-love, bishops had evidence but did not dismiss; The West Australian, Apr 27 02
#: ABC Radio talk about RC priests' problems with celibacy, some go visiting prostitutes, and there's been a decade of sex-abuse charges. Books discussed Cassocks in the Wilderness Sex, Priests and Power and Celibacy, a Way of Living, Loving and Serving May 03 02

!!!: Confessional rape? Accused U.S. priest Paul Shanley may be jailed for life for rapes in confessional; Boston diocese backs out of settling for $A75m for 86 John Geoghan victims (already paid $28m for 40), more victims The Sunday Times May 05 02
#: Priest Maurice Blackwell shot by accuser in US sex case; Fr Don Rooney suicided Apr 4 The West Australian May 16 02
#: Catholic Church admits hush edicts on victims of sexual abuse, despite denials [for about 10 days] by Sydney Archbishop George Pell [joined by Melbourne Archbishop Denis Hart] The West Australian Jun 10 02
#: New Zealand R.C. bishops apologise to sex abuse victims; 9 convicted since 1990 The Record Jul 11 02
@: Priest Paul Shanley denies Massachusetts 1979-1989 child rape (Gregory Ford case); insurance premiums skyrocket, firms win Minnesota case not to pay $1m because R.C. officials knew priest there had 15-year abuse history The West Australian Jul 12 02
@: G-G Hollingworth may face police probe, Anglican Bishop Shearman's 'affair' with 14-y-o, allegation re 10-y-o, Church inquiry The West Australian Jul 22 02
@: In rift with Cardinal Law, agency to accept lay group's funds , USA's Voice of the Faithful offer, laypeople in both camps resist Law's orders The Boston Globe www.boston.com July 24 02
!!!: Internet homosexuality? South African Bishop Cawcutt resigns amid scandal over writing to homosexual priests' newsgroup; The Record Jul 25 02
@: Furore at Pell's view that child abuse is less serious than abortion The West Australian Jul 30 02
!!!: Canadians charge two U.S. priests with soliciting boys while Pope was there on World Youth visit! Victims claim U.S. priests still abusing and still employed The West Australian Jul 31 02
@: Pell in defence of abuse remarks; Brisbane Anglicans re-making rules while holding inquiry The Weekend Australian Aug 3-4 02
@: Pell accused of molesting, ABC radio news www.abc.net.au/news/2002/08/ item20020820180852_1.htm Aug 20 02
@: BOOKS include Religious life without integrity Dr Barry Coldrey 2001 82pp $17.95 P & B Press P.O. Box 81 Como 6952 Tel 08 9450 2513 pbpress@iinet.net.au http://members.iinet.net.au/~pbpress
@: BOOK Betrayal, by The Boston Globe about the Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, http://www.boston.com $US 23.95
Perpetrators List: of campaigner Clare Henderson www.pip.com.au/~chenderson/perplist.htm
Broken Rites Australian support group for abused people http://brokenrites.alphalink.com.au
Advocates for Survivors of Child Abuse (ASCA), Australia: www.asca.org.au Tel 1300 657 380
Prof. Patrick Parkinson, Australian child protection specialist www.law.usyd.edu.au/staff/p_parkinson_pub.htm
The Linkup, Survivors of Clergy Abuse, North America www.thelinkup.com
S.N.A.P. - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (and other Church people) USA: www.survivorsnetwork.org/
Call to Action (U.S.A.) to clean up the Catholic Church: www.cta-usa.org/responses/sexabuse_resources.html

South African Bishop Cawcutt resigns amid scandal, on homosexual priests’ internet group