Let Justice Roll Down

Falsely Accused priest wins jury damages and returns to ministry.

I follow Fr. Gordon MacRae's blog, Beyond These Stone Walls. Fr. MacRae refused to take a plea deal when he was falsely accused of sex abuse of a minor. Instead of a year in prison, the bribe if he pled guilty (Think of the January 6ers.), he has lived behind bars since 1994 continuing to profess his innocence. His accuser received $200,000; Fr. MacRae continues to dwell in the U.S. gulag despite lack of evidence and inconsistencies in the "victim's" story. You can read about Father's ordeal here.

His post today is about another falsely accused priest, Fr. William Graham, who was finally exonerated after eight long years of being treated by his spiritual father and his spiritual brothers like a pariah: removed from active ministry, sent into exile, no word of support or comfort. In a recent homily he shared some of what he experienced:

I received no justice, no comfort and no word of mercy from the Diocese of Duluth during my long ordeal, and often told the bishop, and the previous bishop, that Psalm 31 speaks to my pain: “I am like a dead man, forgotten, like a thing thrown away.

Fr. Graham's story ends in vindication and restoration as Fr. MacRae tells us:

Father Graham has been restored as pastor to the very parish from which he was removed unjustly eight years ago, and exiled from any priestly ministry, barred barred from even identifying himself as a priest. It comes as a great and triumphant irony that Father William Graham is now restored as pastor of Saint Michael the Archangel Parish, a parish named to honor the Patron Saint of Justice.

Have you ever been falsely accused of something and people believed it because it was "credible?" Let's face it. Most accusations can have a veneer of credibility unless the accuser is a known liar with a history or perhaps, mentally ill. Even then, the accusations might be believed and the good name of the innocent destroyed.

Larry and I have a friend who was accused of molesting a teenager who was one of a long line of foster children who thrived under the compassionate care of his holy Catholic family. The teenage girl who accused our friend had recently had an abortion, came home from school crying, and comforted her with a fatherly embrace like he would one of his own daughters. His wife was in the next room when this supposed "abuse" happened. The teen didn't want to be there and she used this means to get what she wanted.

To add to the disgraceful episode, the girl had falsely accused her own dad and the foster system knew it. Nevertheless, despite years of working with this wonderful foster family, they immediately abandoned them and criminal charges were filed. To avoid a long protracted, family-destroying legal battle, the dad simply succumbed. I don't know if he took an Alford plea; I don't think he pled guilty. But he ended up on the registry for sex offenders. It was a crushing experience for the family. As for me, I could as easily believe my husband did it as believe that of our friend.

Child abuse is a terrible crime that violates innocence and leaves scars. Every guilty abuser belongs behind bars...after a fair trial. But false accusations also destroy lives and damage the innocent. How many falsely accused priests have been hung out to dry because of unsubstantiated, sometimes ancient, accusations? How many dead priests have been added to the list of "accused" without even the adjective "credibly" preceding their names? Spineless bishops willing to sully the names of their dead sons without a shred of proof represent the epitome of shameful cowardice and injustice. It's no surprise since some have been more than willing to do it to their living sons as well. God have mercy on them.

Today on the feast of St. Joseph, the "just man," let us all pledge to work for justice for the innocent, whether it's fighting for the babies in the womb in danger of death or those falsely accused whose reputations are murdered by lies. Justice is one of the cardinal virtues. Both Fr. MacRae and Fr. Graham show us how important it is to fight for justice and in the process show us also how to practice fortitude and charity. May God reward them and all their falsely accused brothers.