SSPX Press Release on Fr. Arnaud Rostand sexual abuse trial - tried to delete

[MatthewCI]

https://www.cathinfo.com/sspx-resistance-news/sspx-press-release-on-fr-arnaud-rostand-sexual-abuse-of-boys-trial/

[Geremia]

Communiqué of the Society of Saint Pius X
April 15, 2024
Source: District of the USA
     
The American and Canadian districts of the Society of Saint Pius X are deeply affected by the conduct of their former District Superior, whose actions have wounded many souls and scandalized countless others.
On 4th April 2024, appearing before the criminal court in Gap (France), he admitted to sexual offences against minors, which occurred in France between 2003 and 2006, as part of his work with young people, and then again in 2013 and 2018 in a private context, also in France.
As far as we know, no crime was committed by this priest in the United States or Canada.
The Society of Saint Pius X does not have words strong enough to condemn these acts, which have irreparable consequences. It wishes to express its profound compassion for the victims, who it intends to support and help, as much as possible. It deeply regrets not having been able to protect the children entrusted to its care, and having placed its trust in this priest.
In 2014, after ambiguous and inappropriate attitudes were brought to their attention, the Society's Superiors withdrew the incriminated priest from the apostolate, entrusting him with administrative tasks without any responsibility, and under appropriate disciplinary supervision, firstly in Switzerland and then in Canada from 2019.
After his arrival in Canada, the Society's Superiors became aware of the existence of offences, under the jurisdiction of the courts, and they immediately reported them to the judicial authorities, in accordance with the norms in force in our society, and strengthened his disciplinary framework. Following this report, the necessary investigations were launched, culminating in the recent trial.
At no time and in no way were the actions of this priest covered-up by his Superiors.
Deeply distressed by this affair, the Society of Saint Pius X reaffirms its unwavering determination to do everything in its power to prevent the tragedy of pedophilia, and in particularly where priests are concerned. Its plan of vigilance for the protection of minors is the subject of regular reminders.
The Society of Saint Pius X also asks that we pray for the victims, who have been permanently wounded, after having their trust betrayed. It also asks that we pray for priests and for the Catholic Church, which has been tarnished by this new scandal.
sspx.org - 04/15/2024

[Kephapaulos]

It is interesting that Fr. Rostand's name is not mentioned in the SSPX USA article and that it is said that the superiors did not cover up the situation.

[Bonaventure]

It is interesting that Fr. Rostand's name is not mentioned in the SSPX USA article and that it is said that the superiors did not cover up the situation.

Even if they did not cover it up, Menzingen/Fellay enabledit, according to Rostand himself.

It is even more interesting that this claim has not been denied or repudiated.

I'm sure, if Rostand indeed wrote these letters to his superiors admitting that he had a problem with underage homosexual vice, on at least four different occasions, and then, was made US District Superior, this will all come out during discovery. If that is indeed the case, the SSPX is no better than the Novus Ordo/Conciliar Church/New Church/Bergoglian/Ratzingerian/Garrulous Carolous's/Montinian Sect. In fact, they are worse, if this is true.

[Melkor]

It is interesting that Fr. Rostand's name is not mentioned in the SSPX USA article and that it is said that the superiors did not cover up the situation.

Even if they did not cover it up, Menzingen/Fellay enabledit, according to Rostand himself.

It is even more interesting that this claim has not been denied or repudiated.

I'm sure, if Rostand indeed wrote these letters to his superiors admitting that he had a problem with underage homosexual vice, on at least four different occasions, and then, was made US District Superior, this will all come out during discovery. If that is indeed the case, the SSPX is no better than the Novus Ordo/Conciliar Church/New Church/Bergoglian/Ratzingerian/Garrulous Carolous's/Montinian Sect. In fact, they are worse, if this is true.

How did they enable it?

I highly doubt he was made superior with them knowing it. That wouldn't make any sense. This thread kinda seems like sspx bashing. While the abuse is sickening and sad, it seems going out on a limb to accuse the sspx of enabling it.

Side note I actually met Fr Rostand when I was a youth, served Mass for him I think, and he came over for supper as well during his tenure as superior. Needless to say nothing happened to me, nor have I ever heard of a thing concerning him in Canada/US. It seems the abuse was relegated to France; hopefully. Still a terrible and sickening thing, both because it may draw people away from the society and because I knew him slightly on a personal letter.

But let's exercise prudence here; he's not associated with the sspx after his abuse became known, and making it a huge public thing will only draw souls away from the sspx and the TLM. I dunno, just my 2 cents.

[Francisco Javier]

Since he is now outed as a homo pederast, he has basically lost everything in this worldly life. He did one of the rare things that can make you both an outcast amongst believers and non-believers alike.

So what does he do? If he still believes in God and the Church, then he should want to give a full and open and honest accounting of his failings out of a desire for justice. He would want the victims to have closure, the oversights of the hierarchy to be exposed and rectified, and all the wickedness come to light. Then he can die with a clean conscience, full of earthly faults and failings, but assured of eternal reward.

If he is simply a wicked man with a depraved heart, he might want to lash out and spite those around him. It seems sexual sins in particular are talented at destroying faith. If that is the case, he would want to bring down the good men around him out of malice. How better to do that than to make them guilty accomplices of his crime? And even worse, they knew and promoted him! They deserve an even greater punishment if his words are true.

I hope he's telling the truth, as that would be best for the Church and for his soul. But boy, the implications are tough

[Greg]

I would think priests who are pederasts are doomed to Hell.  Practically speaking, all of them.  Perhaps 1 in 10,000 might be saved but I think more like 1 or 2 priests in the whole of Catholic history.  And it would not surprise me at all if zero were in Heaven or Purgatory.

It's not like he didn't know.  And if he was perverted that way and knew it (his letters entirely suggest he did) then he should have removed himself from being around children, retired to a monastery, of which there are plenty.  That would be the mark of a person who saved their soul.  We are not talking about a porn addiction here where the sin in private and remote.  To be a pederast one needs to think ahead, plan  plot, choose the victim cover ones tracks and accuse any victim who names you of being a liar.

To rob the innocence of a child, defile them and leave a hatred for priests in their heart is really the most damnable act.  It is absolutely scandalous and damaging to the SSPX also, a priestly society he was part of and had taken some sort of oath of loyalty to.

[awkward customer]

I would think priests who are pederasts are doomed to Hell.  Practically speaking, all of them.  Perhaps 1 in 10,000 might be saved but I think more like 1 or 2 priests in the whole of Catholic history.  And it would not surprise me at all if zero were in Heaven or Purgatory.

It's not like he didn't know. And if he was perverted that way and knew it (his letters entirely suggest he did) then he should have removed himself from being around children, retired to a monastery, of which there are plenty.  That would be the mark of a person who saved their soul.  We are not talking about a porn addiction here where the sin in private and remote.  To be a pederast one needs to think ahead, plan  plot, choose the victim cover ones tracks and accuse any victim who names you of being a liar.

To rob the innocence of a child, defile them and leave a hatred for priests in their heart is really the most damnable act.  It is absolutely scandalous and damaging to the SSPX also, a priestly society he was part of and had taken some sort of oath of loyalty to.

This a thousand times over, especially the part in bold.

The problem is - which monastery?

Presumably not Farnborough Abbey, where Urrutigoity's sidekick was well established the last time I checked?

[diaduit]

Since he is now outed as a homo pederast, he has basically lost everything in this worldly life. He did one of the rare things that can make you both an outcast amongst believers and non-believers alike.

So what does he do? If he still believes in God and the Church, then he should want to give a full and open and honest accounting of his failings out of a desire for justice. He would want the victims to have closure, the oversights of the hierarchy to be exposed and rectified, and all the wickedness come to light. Then he can die with a clean conscience, full of earthly faults and failings, but assured of eternal reward.

If he is simply a wicked man with a depraved heart, he might want to lash out and spite those around him. It seems sexual sins in particular are talented at destroying faith. If that is the case, he would want to bring down the good men around him out of malice. How better to do that than to make them guilty accomplices of his crime? And even worse, they knew and promoted him! They deserve an even greater punishment if his words are true.

I hope he's telling the truth, as that would be best for the Church and for his soul. But boy, the implications are tough

This crossed my mind that we are too quick to believe the word of a paedo.  Is there a past record of the society ignoring obvious signs and placing kids in danger by knowingly allowing paedo priests to continue?, I would say the school in Phoenix fall (I think its called) might have but I'm not sure its a common practice to place kids in danger by ignoring paedos.

[Kephapaulos]

It is interesting that Fr. Rostand's name is not mentioned in the SSPX USA article and that it is said that the superiors did not cover up the situation.

Even if they did not cover it up, Menzingen/Fellay enabledit, according to Rostand himself.

It is even more interesting that this claim has not been denied or repudiated.

I'm sure, if Rostand indeed wrote these letters to his superiors admitting that he had a problem with underage homosexual vice, on at least four different occasions, and then, was made US District Superior, this will all come out during discovery. If that is indeed the case, the SSPX is no better than the Novus Ordo/Conciliar Church/New Church/Bergoglian/Ratzingerian/Garrulous Carolous's/Montinian Sect. In fact, they are worse, if this is true.

True indeed.

[james03]

To be a pederast one needs to think ahead, plan  plot, choose the victim cover ones tracks and accuse any victim who names you of being a liar.

Good point.

[clau clau]

[Bonaventure]

It is interesting that Fr. Rostand's name is not mentioned in the SSPX USA article and that it is said that the superiors did not cover up the situation.

Even if they did not cover it up, Menzingen/Fellay enabledit, according to Rostand himself.

It is even more interesting that this claim has not been denied or repudiated.

I'm sure, if Rostand indeed wrote these letters to his superiors admitting that he had a problem with underage homosexual vice, on at least four different occasions, and then, was made US District Superior, this will all come out during discovery. If that is indeed the case, the SSPX is no better than the Novus Ordo/Conciliar Church/New Church/Bergoglian/Ratzingerian/Garrulous Carolous's/Montinian Sect. In fact, they are worse, if this is true.

How did they enable it?

I highly doubt he was made superior with them knowing it. That wouldn't make any sense. This thread kinda seems like sspx bashing. While the abuse is sickening and sad, it seems going out on a limb to accuse the sspx of enabling it.

Side note I actually met Fr Rostand when I was a youth, served Mass for him I think, and he came over for supper as well during his tenure as superior. Needless to say nothing happened to me, nor have I ever heard of a thing concerning him in Canada/US. It seems the abuse was relegated to France; hopefully. Still a terrible and sickening thing, both because it may draw people away from the society and because I knew him slightly on a personal letter.

But let's exercise prudence here; he's not associated with the sspx after his abuse became known, and making it a huge public thing will only draw souls away from the sspx and the TLM. I dunno, just my 2 cents.

As the other thread I created states:

In his court testimony, the 58-year-old priest admitted to his crimes and apologized to victims, saying he has "always struggled against this attraction" to adolescents.

Significantly, Rostand made his SSPX superiors aware of his struggles as early as 1998, writing a letter to his superiors admitting his attraction to children. He repeated his concerns to superiors in 2000, 2006 and 2016.

https://www.suscipedomine.com/forum/index.php?topic=31634.0

Again, if that is true, Fellay and Menzingen enabled it.

[Melkor]

Yeah my bad Bonny I didn't see the other thread. What a sickening mess. I truly hope he wasn't enabled as that is far worse than just a random pedo operating in secret. Makes them culpable almost moreso than him.

Makes me question a lot about the SSPX, while I will still support them (as they have done nothing but good in my own and my families' lives) it does leave some serious questions and doubt.

[Bonaventure]

Yeah my bad Bonny I didn't see the other thread. What a sickening mess. I truly hope he wasn't enabled as that is far worse than just a random pedo operating in secret. Makes them culpable almost moreso than him.

Makes me question a lot about the SSPX, while I will still support them (as they have done nothing but good in my own and my families' lives) it does leave some serious questions and doubt.

No worries.

I just want to add that I entirely disagree with this point:

making it a huge public thing will only draw souls away from the sspx and the TLM. I dunno, just my 2 cents.

It's this type of mindset that allowed and allows abuse to happen.

I've worked in education and Law Enforcement. There are precautions, protocol, and background checks that everyone needs to undergo, especially when it involves minors.

Just because a man has had hands laid upon him and says a Mass in Latin, should not give him a different standard.

Especially when we are talking about Trad priests who are operating on the principle of Epikeia and supplied jurisdiction. We should be even more vigilant.