Dave wrote on Apr 27, 2007 3:14 AM:The Bible clearly teaches that restitution goes hand-in-glove with forgiveness. $95 million is inadequate; $200 million is adequate. Unless the bishop authorizes appropriate restitution, there will be no Biblical basis for forgiveness.

lionel wrote on Apr 27, 2007 4:37 AM:1800 years of sexual abuse by catholic priests, and we are told by Dave Van Hoomissen to forgive and forget ? Victim/Survivor 1948

Catholic Cathy wrote on Apr 27, 2007 5:03 AM:What a self serving load of bullcrap! Brom is an absolute disgrace and should resign as soon as possible. "Courageous public admission?" Good God, this is 2007, not 2002 when it all hit the fan in Boston. Where has Bishop Brom been for the last five years, under a rock? He has been in lying denial, protecting pedophiles by not reporting them to the police and to the people in the parishes. I put him in the same catagory as Bishop Wilton Gregory who after a year or so, I think it was 2003, made the grand statement at the USCCB meeting that the "sex abuse scandal is now behind us." Good grief, get a life, Mr. DAVE VAN HOOMISSEN and BISHOP BROM. Van Hoomissen, you do not speak for me and I doubt that you speak for many catholics either at St. Timothy's in Escondido or the Diocese of San Diego. You should be aware, since you say you are involved in Peace and Justice, that there can be no reconciliation before there first is justice. Both you and Brom seem to skirt over that fact. Forgive and forget! What nonsense! And the money? The money is going where it belongs, to the medical, psychological, and spiritual welfare of thoese who were RAPED, SODOMIZED, MOLESTED BY PEDOPHILE PRIESTS, CRIMINALS WHO SHOULD BE IN JAIL. You, sir, are a disgrace.

A MAN wrote on Apr 27, 2007 5:21 AM:Good article, great thoughts, and hopefully a great healing in the future! The Church has to long placed themselves above us. That is just a symptom of the times. Our government does it each and everyday as do many of our charitable organizations. Thank you Sir, I hope your efforts make a huge difference!

hier wrote on Apr 27, 2007 6:07 AM:Talks cheap and Bishop Brom is a cheap talker. he needs to learn the practice of truth in his actions. Like filling out Federal Forms under penalty of perjury: telling the truth there for a start and everywhere else, for a finish. "The truth shall set you free" some old guy said. Not revolution theology just christology. Too bad Brom has lost his bearings. He needs a course in Christianity 1 A. Oh and the other old outmoded verse about people who lead lirttle nes astray: "millstones around their nechs and thrown into the sea." For the mighty who live in their episcopal palaces despite all their word worming it is still only a short hop from the Palacae in Alcala Park to the depths of the La Jolla Deep. Repent Brom or Perish!

Patriot wrote on Apr 27, 2007 7:00 AM:Forgiveness might be possible at some later stage...much later. But before we shower BROM with accolades of which he currently is undeserving, we must hold him--and the corporate entity to which he apparently pledges his allegiance--to task. Moreover, not only is $95 million inadequate, it is an insult. $200 million is also inadequate as is ANY amount of monetary compensation because some damages cannot be quantified, but at least it is in line with the average settlement amounts elsewhere in the state.

A Abuse Survivor wrote on Apr 27, 2007 9:38 AM:Dear Mr. VAN HOOMISSEN, THANK YOU ! Your words are heard above the winds of anger, your spirit is strong, and your faith in God true, for true Christians like yourself are what the Bishop of San Diego has cloaked himself in, and it is this moment that you awake and see the wolf amongst you. Why Stand with him? He must be cast out, and denounced for his crimes, and only when he admits to his failures, shall the forgiveness and healing begin. I am in a position of knowing more than you about what Bishop Brohm has been really doing, and if the truth be told, it would shatter the Catholic Church to the door step of the Holy See. But it is healing I seek, from justice denied for the many sexually abused children of God. Be true to your words, and seek out those amongst you whose convictions are alike, and profess the truth be told, that justice be given to those deserving in this lifetime, those children of God that he has risen in one voice, to confront the evil within the church, it is your time to act, to join the Angels, and remove what has become a false hood in the name of God. It is your voice and those of others like you that will end this crisis, bring healing, and faith back to the church, that has many God fearing people deserving of much more. You have risen from the mist, and I accept you, and join you in seeking peace. God Speed and God Bless.

Identt wrote on Apr 27, 2007 10:27 AM:Appreciate your statement Mr. Van Hoomissen. You have risen above the mire of those who in justified support of the victims nevertheless resort to unsustantiated accusations, unjustifiable insinuation, and plain angry attacks. The crimes of sexual abuse were committed decades ago - those were the crimes. We are all sad, dissappointed and angry about that. The amount of compensation each victim will receive now is a matter which the court must eventually decide. The Church's effort to argue for amounts it can afford to pay are part of the process and are no less ethical than the demands of the plaintiff's attorneys. It would behoove all to adopt an approach that can truly be life-giving to everyone involved. For those whose life is money, well...

paul wrote on Apr 27, 2007 1:03 PM:"95 million DOWN THE DRAIN"? Jesus said "woe unto him who harms one of these little ones who believe in me, it would be better for him if a millstone were hung around his neck and he were drowned in the bottom of the sea" I would say the only thing the author of this piece has in common with the scriptures and christ and the bishop is the word hypocrit

People like him wrote on Apr 27, 2007 1:12 PM:are why my family and I left the Catholic Church!

Alter Boy wrote on Apr 27, 2007 3:36 PM: Your commentary on abuse said to make the victims whole again at any cost. Dave let me tell you about the fix part with the victims in making right the wrongs. Imagine your sole being stolen at the young age of Seven Years. And what the pedophile leaves you with or replaced your sole with is a vacuum of dead air nothingness. Ultimately your trust is in question forever because the last time you trusted in higher authority you were screwed. You jump from job to job like most people change their socks daily. You jump jobs because you’re fired for never listening to the people in authority around you. But you can’t listen to anyone and you know why. Last time you listened it hurt. Self-value is at an all time low for you and you blame yourself for what happened as a Seven year old child. The result here are countless damages in personal relationships that 98 million could never buy back. Trust is the center for a relationship. Most victims will never have children. Complete transparency is the only starting spot. Money is a distant second.

George wrote on Apr 27, 2007 4:13 PM:I agree with Altar Boy. So many of our people (The Victims) need both physical and psychological care. Unfortunately, these are the things that only money can buy. Parents of some of the Victims have depleted their savings and even lost their homes trying to pay for their childrens care, when the church should have taken responsibility. I think David Van H. is a good man....But I also think he is looking at the church with the eyes of a child. Do you know anything of the sufferings of the Victims, David? Have you ever heard any of their stories? The stories that the Church and Bishop Brom do not want you to hear? Great evils have been committed in rectories, sacristies, parked cars and churches. This is much more than men and women succumbing to the sins of the flesh. This is a matter of human beings who have lost their humanity and sunk to the level of beasts. And, with GOD on their lips the anointed of our church raped and sodomized little children. The Nationl Review Board said it best, THE SMOKE OF SATAN HAS BEEN ALLOWED TO ENTER THE CHURCH. No Truer Words Were Ever Spoken.

Thomas wrote on Apr 28, 2007 6:57 AM:Notice how no one uses their real identities to respond to the Brom bankruptcy. Van Hoomissen might have adifferent opinion if his child was molested by a priest.

Thomas wrote on Apr 28, 2007 7:03 AM:How do you respond to the Brom bankruptcy? Van Hoomissen might have a different opinion if his child was molested by a priest.The Church in America may have more bankruptcies daown the road.

Mike wrote on Apr 28, 2007 8:51 AM:How do you explain 5 Dioceses in the U.S. going bankrupt? Is it financial as well as moral bankruptcy? When will American Catholics wake up & smell the coffee? Not only is Bishop Brom the problem so is Van Hoomissen. No one has the right to sexually molest someone and go their merry way. Van Hoomissen congratulates Bishop Brom for his courage to declclare San Diego Diocese bankrupt. What nonsense.

William wrote on Apr 28, 2007 11:30 AM:Who's Van Hoomissen kidding? How can he justify the actions of Brom? He may think that he trusts his church and the leadership of Bishop R. Brom. That is his problem. God help the Catholic Church of the U.S.

Mary wrote on Apr 28, 2007 11:39 AM: Dave Van Hoomissen living in the Middle Ages. Sexual predators are not always with us. They are not in all walks of life and they certainly shouldn't be in any church. He claims sexual predators will always be with us. With that attitude I can see why he comes to the defense of Brom. Brom's secretive actions regarding the Diocese of S. Diego are disgusting, just like Van Hoomissen's drivel.

Rita wrote on Apr 30, 2007 6:39 AM:I do not understand the logis of Van Hoomissen. He says'" WE HAVE TO FORGIVE OURSELVES WHO HAVE SEEN OUR HUMAN WEEKNESSES WREAK THE SPIRITUAL & MATERIAL HAVOC WE NOW STAND AGHAST AT". I didn't commit any crimes, be they sexual or financial. Why does he say WE?

June wrote on Apr 30, 2007 6:53 AM: Escondido resident Dave Van Hoomissen's last comment speaks for itself. He says, " And The $95 Million going down the drain is a staggering blow to our plans to educate our children in an environment of trust and love".Does that mean more Catholic school or church closings in the future? Dave can stand by his bishop all he wants. The damage has been done. Public appologies and financial payouts to victims can soften the pain of victims. Bishop Brom should resign be replaced. This scandal may not be over.

Mario wrote on Apr 30, 2007 7:09 AM:Dave Van Hoomissen says "By not speaking out against cover-ups and unjust censorship we have contributed to the suppression of the truth". He can speak for himself

Joan wrote on Apr 30, 2007 7:24 AM:Dave says "But we could have done more about the coverups, Denials & censorships " WHAT IS THIS WE BUSINESS?

Jim wrote on Apr 30, 2007 7:32 AM:Van Hoomissen sayid " And we could have done more with the hide and seek with the truth that has nutured the growth of this scandal" I never knew the seriousness of this scandal untill I read about the 5 bankrupt U.S. Catholic dioceses. What more could I have done? Why is he blaming everyone for the actions of those like Bishop Brom? Why is Dave Van Hoomissen coming to the defense of Bishop Brom?

Identt wrote on Apr 30, 2007 11:53 AM:Notwithstanding all the anger and vilification of Bishop Brom in the above comments, I've not heard of the man being convicted by a court or accused by a law enforcement agency of any wrongdoing in this matter. All the fodder used by his critics is attorney-generated for the sake of lining their own pockets. Are any of the plaintiff attorneys involved known for their pro-bono work for the sake of justice when there isn't a pot-of-gold at the end of the rainbow? I'll wait for the list. One critic bemoans the anonimity of the supporters. What about the truth and sensibleness of the critiques?

Patriot wrote on May 1, 2007 8:52 PM:Identt, FYI: The statute of limitations expired for CRIMINAL charges and the Supreme Court decided that it was unconstitutional to lift it in such cases (criminal). However, the same is not true for CIVIL suits. So, the fact that there is no law enforcement agency prosecuting BROM for criminal charges is not indicative of his innocence by any means. It was precluded by the Supreme Court's decision. I don't like it, but I think the Supreme Court's decision was constitutionally sound and the Justices were correct. That said, one can not logically conclude that the absence of criminal charges being brought against BROM is exculpatory under the circumstances. Moreover, a better indicator of his guilt is the fact that he will not allow any cases to go to trial! As for your accusation that plaintiff's attorneys are lining their pockets, you are sorely misinformed, in my opinion. The attorneys are spending hundreds of thousands of dollars, and hundreds--if not thousands--of man hours in labor with absolutely no guarantee now or in the future of reimbursement, let alone profit from their efforts. They have been, and continue to be, more than generous by anyone's standards. You are out of line. They have done their very best to level the playing field so that the victims would have a fighting chance to get their day in court (of course, the diocese prevented that by filing for bankruptcy). The diocese is spending millions of dollars defending their position, NOT defending their innocence! They have admitted wrong doing and guilt, but they continue to fight full disclosure, accountability, and compensation to the victims. And then they have you...to defend their acts, to divert attention to the plaintiff's attorneys, to deny, deny, and deny some more. A pity.

Frank wrote on May 2, 2007 5:07 AM:Gabrielle Azarro's response to Dave Van Hoomissen's diatribe is right on target. Something is fishy with the finances of the Diocese. It appears as if something is being covered up just like the whole sex scandal.

Identt wrote on May 10, 2007 11:03 PM:Patriot's suggestion that my comments are 'out of line' is an opinion that he/she may well hold. However, Patriot's information and "logical" conclusions are incorrect and possibly disingenuous. I am quite clear about the distintion between the differing criminal and civil statute of limitations and the suspension of the latter. But I repeat, the crimes in question are indisputably those of priests years ago and Patriot's suggestion that Brom has any culpability in them is speculative at best but mostly misguided and unsupportable. Furthermore, the assertion that the diocese has admitted wrong doing is vague - the diocese has admitted that there were priests in the past who committed the crimes NOT that the current administration's actions have at any time been wrong. The assertions that it continues to "fight full disclosure, accountability and compensation to the victims" is inaccurate - I suggest you inform yourself by reading the actual documents and transcripts of the proceedings. The contention at the moment is not whether the church will conpensate the victims but how much it will compensate them. Your insistence on these other points appears to be an underhanded effort to garner support for larger sums. Or would you like to deny that?

Patriot wrote on May 19, 2007 4:30 PM:Indeed the sums should be larger, but that was not my point. Like I said, then they have you...to deny, deny, and then deny some more. Pathetic.

Patriot wrote on May 19, 2007 7:01 PM:On a related subject, up in Washington the diocese is petitioning the parishes for about $10 million to help settle the claims. Whether or not this is "good or bad" is unknown. However, I think that this is an experiment for the church in that the idea--of having parishioners directly pay with current dollars for settlements of clergy childhood sexual abuse claims--has never really been tested. The question of whether or not "the man in the pew steps up to the collection plate" in these matters has not been seriously asked until now. Unfortunately, it has the potential of unfairly pitting the survivor/victims of clergy sex abuse against the average parishioner in an already adversarial environment. This success of this solution is mostly dependent on the persuasiveness of the priest in the individual parishes; his ability to call upon the people of the church to live up to one of its truest and most fundamental of missions. Rather than the church continuing to build its mission on past sins, it is now called to remove the log from its own eye before removing the speck from anyone else's.