OK, I know many of you have been waiting with bated breath for news of what exactly transpired yesterday afternoon between Fr. Roy Bourgeoise and Fr. Ed Dougherty during the "Due Process" mediation for which Roy had appealed as is his (Maryknoll) Constitutional right.
I hasten to scoop NCR on this breaking story:
They talked. Face to face. For a couple of hours.
Although Roy was accompanied by his canon lawyer, Fr. Thomas Doyle, Ed had no such legal representation, nor was there any need for it. This was not a canonical procedure. Instead, with Fr. Wayman Deasy as mediator, the two men spoke about their respective positions. They spoke and listened.
I did not presume to ask what, precisely, they talked about, but rather asked each man his impression of the exchange.
Roy seemed delighted. "We talked, openly and honestly. There were no threats or ultimatums." He gave Wayman high marks for keeping the discussion moving and on point. Roy was not asked to utter the two words he said he could never say: "I recant."
Doc, too, said they had a cordial and frank exchange.
So to answer some questions that have, indeed, been circulating over the salad bar:
Nothing was decided.
Roy is still a member of Maryknoll.
He still receives his personal allowance and health coverage from the Society (Sr. Joan Chittester and other advocates' published assertions notwithstanding.)
The School of Americas Watch recently received a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Region.
Roy has not been silenced (to my knowledge) by Maryknoll, although I did confide to him that my personal objection to his very public actions and speeches have less to do with content and everything to do with our Society being dragged into an ecclesial controversy which we had not discussed, agreed to nor prepared for.
I doubt any of this will get out to those people who withdrew support for Maryknoll, denounced us or think less of us because of perceived injustices. But here in all its unadorned glory is the truth.
I hasten to scoop NCR on this breaking story:
They talked. Face to face. For a couple of hours.
Although Roy was accompanied by his canon lawyer, Fr. Thomas Doyle, Ed had no such legal representation, nor was there any need for it. This was not a canonical procedure. Instead, with Fr. Wayman Deasy as mediator, the two men spoke about their respective positions. They spoke and listened.
I did not presume to ask what, precisely, they talked about, but rather asked each man his impression of the exchange.
Roy seemed delighted. "We talked, openly and honestly. There were no threats or ultimatums." He gave Wayman high marks for keeping the discussion moving and on point. Roy was not asked to utter the two words he said he could never say: "I recant."
Doc, too, said they had a cordial and frank exchange.
So to answer some questions that have, indeed, been circulating over the salad bar:
Nothing was decided.
Roy is still a member of Maryknoll.
He still receives his personal allowance and health coverage from the Society (Sr. Joan Chittester and other advocates' published assertions notwithstanding.)
The School of Americas Watch recently received a $10,000 grant from the U.S. Region.
Roy has not been silenced (to my knowledge) by Maryknoll, although I did confide to him that my personal objection to his very public actions and speeches have less to do with content and everything to do with our Society being dragged into an ecclesial controversy which we had not discussed, agreed to nor prepared for.
I doubt any of this will get out to those people who withdrew support for Maryknoll, denounced us or think less of us because of perceived injustices. But here in all its unadorned glory is the truth.
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