“EXTRAORDINARY and UNPRECEDENTED”– Release of Cardinal Bevilacqua’s testimony reveals the mind of an impostor

 By Marielena Montesino de Stuart

UPDATE:  Bevilacqua ordered to appear in court

BREAKING NEWS – August 4, 2011:  Philadelphia District Attorney Requests that Bevilacqua testify again– in spite of his “dementia”

—–

“They are monsters.  They are dangerous— and they are organized.”– From Tom Monaghan’s “invaluable” Cardinal Bevilacqua…

The betrayal

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia has become the latest ‘ground zero’ of sexual abuse cover-ups inside the Catholic Church in America.

The  immorality and corruption being exposed through internal Church records and directives, as well as through years of criminal investigations–  is beyond gruesome.

The Philadelphia Inquirer, which has closely followed the events, obtained Cardinal Bevilacqua’s testimony before a grand jury—shortly before a judge sealed it.

The testimony has been published and is unprecedented, as a window into the mind of one of the most notorious protectors of pederasts and pedophiles, inside the Catholic Church.  It is impossible to encapsulate in words the reaction to such evil—which has existed under the authority of church officials—including popes.

It is also a testimony of how modernists—in other words, non-believers, have betrayed the Church.

Celibacy is a crowning jewel

Celibacy in the Roman Catholic Church is a crowning jewel.  Many men and women religious who uphold and defend their sacred vows find themselves often rejected by Church officials who are more interested in covering up sexual scandals, than embracing authentic holiness.

The Roman Catholic Church does not need to change her structure.

The Roman Catholic Church needs to rid herself of impostors—and their lay travelling companions.

A battle cry still echoes inside a 17^th Century church

Cuban political prisoner before being executed by a Communist firing squad

Our earliest experiences in life are essentially points of departure.

As a practicing Roman Catholic and one who respects Church authority I am drawn to reflect on the events of my Catholic experience,  growing up under Fidel Castro’s murderous Communist regime.

I was taught by my parents to defend our Catholic faith, in spite of the persecution that we suffered.

At least I survived.

But thousands of others have been imprisoned, tortured and executed — among them, members of my family– as they cried out “Long Live Christ the King!”

When we stood up as Catholics against the Communists in Cuba, we did so immediately and without hesitation.  Our defense of  the Church was based on faith and conviction.  We did not stop to consider “conspiracies” from the Communist bureaucrats.

Within the confines of our home I was secretly taught the Catechism by my mother— the Catechism being the authoritative expression of the Catholic faith.  Our formation had to be strong, in order to fight the evil that surrounded us.

We did not look for public relations maneuvers—nor did we appeal to Cardinals  for help.

We were Christian soldiers left in a battlefield of brutal violence and hatred against our God-given rights—and it was up to us to stand up and defend those rights.

Having lost our liberty, the only source of hope was our faith and our love for Christ and his Church.

The world chose to ignore our suffering.  To this day, it still does.

In fact, even the Holy See has increasingly betrayed and abandoned the plight of the Cuban people under Castro— through diplomatic maneuvers between Rome and Havana.

Under Communism, my living example of greatness and loyalty within the Church was the priest who risked his life to make sure that I received my First Holy Communion, while armed Communist military thugs threatened us– as they lined the walls of my hometown’s beautiful church, which dates back to the 17^th Century.

The battle cry in defense of our faith still echoes inside the walls of that church.

Not enough can ever be said about the lay Catholics who never wavered in their defense of the Church—in spite of the persecution they suffered under Communism.

I never knew liberty until I came to the United States.  I am still exhilarated by it.  But liberty did not prepare me for the realization that the Church we had defended against the Communists, was being attacked from within.  And an attack on the Church is a universal act that cannot be nuanced—even more so when the perpetrator of the attack is a Cardinal himself.

I had never seen a Cardinal growing up under Communism— given Castro’s repressive activities against the Church.

In the United States, my most vivid archdiocesan experience was under a modernist, Roger Cardinal Mahony—and one I would rather forget.  With his progressive exhortations and innovative social experiments, Cardinal  Mahony managed to destroy the Archdiocese of Los Angeles—both morally and financially.  Under Mahony’s reign, Los Angeles witnessed one of the city’s darkest periods, as victims of clerical sexual abuse began to step forward.

What is Cardinal Mahony’s legacy?

Abusive priests from the Archdiocese of Los Angeles still live unmonitored across the nation. (PDF).

A new reality sets in

Under Communism we at least knew who the enemy was—but in the Catholic Church, the enemy is hiding.

Catholic Church officials have run out of excuses.  The recently published testimony of the infamous Cardinal Bevilacqua, before a grand jury, puts to rest any notions that there is an external “conspiracy”— as more and more victims come forward, exposing how Church officials have covered up the sexual abuse of children in the Church.

If there is a “conspiracy”– it is internal—and it is hidden under the breath and whispers of certain members of the Roman Curia.

A cover-up is a lie—and Cardinals are not supposed to lie

Cardinal Bevilacqua’s role in the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children is a betrayal of the Church—which includes the faithful Catholics who gave up their lives in her defense.

What made Bevilacqua even more dangerous is that he isn’t just a Cardinal.

Cardinal Bevilacqua is a canon lawyer—as well as a civil lawyer admitted to practice before the Courts of New York State, the Courts of the State of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Supreme Court.

This is the ultimate insult to injury— considering Cardinal Bevilacqua’s background as a lawyer, and his understanding of the criminal implications of covering up and protecting dangerous sexual predators.

Bevilacqua’s history of cover-ups is not limited to Pennsylvania.  Memos reveal that during Bevilacqua’s tenure as Auxiliary Bishop at the Diocese of Brooklyn, he covered up and transferred an extremely dangerous predator, Father Romano J. Ferraro, who is now serving a life sentence.

While this was happening, Cardinal Bevilacqua  was also working closely with both Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI.

As recently as February 28, 2011, Cardinal Bevilacqua was listed as Chairman of The Papal Foundation — the Pope’s biggest monetary fund — an extremely powerful multi-million dollar American foundation which is managed by Benedict XVI.

A minimum $1 million dollar donation is required to become a steward.  A screen caption taken on July 30, 2011 of the Papal Foundation’s website now shows Bevilacqua as a “member” of the board of trustees—with Cardinal Wuerl, from Washington DC, having been moved up to the position of Chairman.

(Click to enlarge image)

But the Holy See is not the only place where the red carpet has been rolled out for Cardinal Bevilacqua, as a “prince of the Church.”

Wealthy lay Catholics for years have also been rolling out their own red carpets  for Cardinal Bevilacqua— even after a grand jury report had been issued, describing his involvement in covering up the sexual abuse of children—during his tenure as Archbishop of Philadelphia.

Is it that these wealthy lay Catholics—with their teams of powerful lawyers, simply ignore or do not care about such significant legal public records detailing the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church?  Is this part of the “this-is just-a-conspiracy- against-Catholics” approach to defending the Church?

Or is there a motivation for power, greed and control behind their actions—while they hold meetings—sometimes at luxury resorts and hotels—to raise money in “defense” of  human dignity and human life—in the company and under the oversight of impostors like Bevilacqua?

And I say impostors—because  Cardinal Bevilacqua did not operate alone.

It is prudent that faithful, well-intentioned Catholics, question and investigate the background of lay Catholic organizations and movements—before lending their names, or giving their time and money—or they may find themselves seated next to another Cardinal Bevilacqua—amidst luxury, pomp and circumstance.

But questioning the rich and powerful requires courage – and can be time consuming.  So most people prefer to give in to that fancy luncheon—where they can feel good about themselves, while millions of dollars are raised and channeled in different directions—all in the name of “working for the Church.”

But are they– really?

It is of serious concern, and very disturbing, that someone like Bevilacqua is allowed to hold the purse strings at The Papal Foundation– in the management of millions of dollars.

In contrast, Jesus, who lived and walked amongst the poor was able to influence and change the course of humanity, without a cent in his pocket.

Fortunately, there are courageous  Catholics and organizations that continue to work in defense of human life and the family—without compromising their work.  It is a worthwhile  effort to seek them  out.

The “invaluable” Cardinal Bevilacqua

It appears that Bevilacqua was very much in demand.

Cardinal Bevilacqua served as Tom Monaghan’s “invaluable” Ecclesiastical Advisor in  Legatus, almost from its inception, in approximately 1988, until December, 2010.  Tom Monaghan is the former pizza king-turned-Chancellor of Ave Maria University.  Legatus is Tom Monaghan’s  Catholic rich men’s club which claims  “to study, live and spread the Faith in [their] business, professional and personal lives.” Legatus has chapters in many cities.

Tom Monaghan’s support and close involvement with Cardinal Bevilacqua (see calling the Cardinal “invaluable“) continued in spite of the first 423-page Grand Jury Report issued on September 15, 2005–  which began as follows:

“This report contains the findings of the Grand Jury:  how dozens of priests sexually abused hundreds of children;  how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials — including Cardinal Bevilacqua and Cardinal Krol — excused and enabled the abuse…”

Upon reflecting on Tom Monaghan’s Legatus and its advertised mission “to study, live and spread the Faith in [their] business, professional and personal lives“– it is interesting to note that Mr. Monaghan has erected a building on his Ave Maria University, Florida campus bearing the name of a billionaire who has given millions of dollars to extreme-left wing, pro-choice,  NARAL-endorsed politicians—including Barack Obama.  Why?  In exchange for a $4 million donation to the university.

Is naming a building in honor of a billionaire who has given millions of dollars to rabid pro-choice politicians Tom Monaghan’s way of “living and spreading the Faith”?

The testimony

 “Grand jury transcripts are rarely made public” – wrote the team of journalists that has been following the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sexual abuse scandals at the Philadelphia Inquirer–  adding that Bevilacqua’s testimony would be of interest and help on an international basis—since these scandals are not limited to the United States.

The Catholic Church in Ireland collapsed under the weight of corruption, homosexual activity and the sexual abuse of children.   Investigations and lawsuits are taking place in other countries, including Germany and Belgium.

A lawyer who has represented victims of sexual abuse referred to the prosecutor’s  release of Bevilacqua’s testimony as “extraordinary and unprecedented.”

Read  Bevilacqua’s testimony… and weep.

© Marielena Montesino de Stuart

CLICK on the following LINK to access the testimony through  the Philadelphia Inquirer website.  It is also available at BishopAccountability.org in detailed searchable format.

Related reading:

Tom Monaghan’s “invaluable” Cardinal Bevilacqua accused by grand jury of covering up sexual abuse of children

Short related video:  What’s a Modernist?

…or listen to audio clip:

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Modernists + Questioning Lay Catholic Organizations and Movements +  Questioning the Holy See about the Sexual Abuse of Children in the Catholic Church + Pederasty +  Pedophilia.

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

E-Mail:    ContactTRCW@aol.com

You may also read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s commentaries through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, Forbes.com, The Dallas Morning News, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  The Wanderer, The Times of India, etc. Notice to readers

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THE CHRONICLES OF AVE MARIA©: Highest Ranking U.S. Cardinal in Roman Curia Honors School Which Committed Unlawful Act

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

TODAY’S TOPICS:

♦ – Another scandal in the history of Tom Monaghan’s Ave Maria brand
♦ - Cardinal Levada’s visit to Ave Maria, Florida opens an opportunity to ask a few questions, not just about Ave Maria University– but also about Cardinal Levada’s tolerance of the homosexual culture in the Church

AVE MARIA, Florida:   Some consider that William Joseph Cardinal Levada’s presence at Ave Maria University’s graduation ceremony this weekend is an “honor”.  Surely Tom Monaghan does– as king of the Ave Maria brand– and that may be part of the reason that Cardinal Levada will also be honored by AMU with the Degree of Doctor of Humane Letters, honoris causa.

The pomp and circumstance and the full regalia that will be displayed this weekend may conceal, at least for a few hours, the problems that besiege Tom Monaghan, after receiving news that a jury has found  Ave Maria College/Ave Maria University, Inc., liable, for unlawful discharge of an employee.

This seems like an awkward situation for America’s highest ranking Cardinal in the Roman Curia, who has flown in from Rome– and now finds himself honoring a university which has committed an unlawful act.

While the cardinal and AMU are exchanging honors, here is what thousands of readers are coming across in the following article published by the  The Detroit News :

Ave Maria College violated law when firing whistleblower, jury finds

Excerpts:

“Ernsting and three others who cooperated with the federal investigation were among five employees fired. Testimony indicated that Ernsting and the others refused orders to alter records, and continued to communicate with investigators despite being ordered by superiors at the school to stop.

The decision to fire them came after a lunch break at a board of directors meeting where Monaghan failed to gain support for his proposal to fire the college’s President Ronald Muller.

Golden said the three were called “academic terrorists.”

Ave Maria College and Ave Maria University, Inc.,  were considered one and the same for purposes of jury deliberations and liability, based on a successor relationship between Ave Maria College and Ave Maria University, Inc.

Background

On July 1, 2010, the Naples Daily News reported that a Michigan judge had ruled “that Ave Maria University in Florida can be held liable for an alleged wrongful firing of an employee of now-defunct Ave Maria College, allowing the case to go to trial.”

Katherine M. Ernsting worked at Ave Maria University’s former campus in Michigan, Ave Maria College.

On Wednesday, May 4, 2011  a Washtenaw County, Michigan jury awarded Mrs. Ernsting over $400,000 for damages suffered as a result of being unlawfully discharged from employment by defendant, Ave Maria College/Ave Maria University, Inc.,  in violation of state law which protects employees who reveal wrongdoings in their workplace.  Ernsting’s award could go well beyond half a million dollars, once interest and attorney fees are tallied.  Mrs. Ernsting was represented by Joseph A. Golden and Megan Bonanni, from the Law Firm of Pitt, McGehee, Palmer, Rivers & Golden, P.C.

The following excerpt from an article published on Feb. 9, 2010 in  The Detroit News further describes the circumstances of this case:

“It’s been two years since a state appeals court panel approved her case, ostensibly clearing it for trial.”

The Ave Maria lawyers resisted:  They appealed to the state Supreme Court, which declined to hear it. They filed a motion arguing Ave Maria is entitled to an obscure “ecclesiastic abstention” that makes the college immune from secular court review, which was denied by a judge. In other court papers, lawyers argued Ave Maria College can’t pay a proposed settlement because its assets have been transferred to Ave Maria University in Florida.”

In 2004, as director of development, financial aid and public relations at the Ypsilanti college, Ernsting found herself caught between U.S. Department of Education investigators who said she was required to provide them with financial aid information and Ave Maria officials who urged her to say [sic] silent.

She says she provided information because it was the right thing to do. Days after the government told the school it would be fined for failing to comply with financial aid and certification laws, Ernsting was terminated and told her department was being eliminated.

Ultimately, the school paid almost $260,000 in fines and fees for its lapses. Since then, Ernsting has sought to prove, in court, that her firing wasn’t a result of Ave Maria’s move out of Michigan but was a retaliatory measure. She’s suing for an undisclosed sum.”

Who is Cardinal Levada?

William Joseph Cardinal Levada is an American Cardinal of the Roman Catholic Church.   He is the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith– which makes him the highest ranking American in the Roman Curia.  Before becoming a Prince of the Church in 2006, Cardinal Levada served as Archbishop of Portland, Oregon, and as Archbishop of San Francisco.

As Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Levada has the duty “to promote and safeguard the doctrine on the faith and morals throughout the Catholic world: for this reason everything which in any way touches such matter falls within its competence”  — according to Article 48 of the Apostolic Constitution on the Roman Curia, “Pastor Bonus“, promulgated by the Holy Father John Paul II on June 28, 1988.

Questions for Cardinal Levada

1.  Based on your responsibilities as described above– as the Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, how do you justify honoring  Ave Maria University?– given that Ave Maria University has never received official Catholic recognition from the local ordinary, Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

Which doctrinal document in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith allows this type of honoring?

Ave Maria University does not even call itself “Catholic” on its own website.

2. Why are you honoring an institution which violated the law?– as determined by a jury.  Have you considered the pain and damage suffered by those who have opposed Tom Monaghan’s ideas and rules– only because they wanted to do what is right and legal?   The money awarded by a jury does not erase the internal scars left behind by these injustices.

Which doctrinal document in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tolerates the honoring of an institution which committed an unlawful act?–  particularly when said institution is not even recognized as Catholic by Church authority.

3.  How can you justify honoring Ave Maria University, which has never received official Catholic recognition, yet claims “ecclesiastic abstention” when victims seek justice.

Which doctrinal document in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tolerates a claim of “ecclesiastic abstention” by an institution with no official Catholic recognition?

4. How do you justify honoring Ave Maria University, where a building has been erected in honor of Tom Golisano– a man who has given millions of dollars to  help extreme left-wing, pro-abortion politicians get elected, including Barack Obama.  The honoring of Tom Golisano has taken place in violation of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) as follows:

The Catholic community and Catholic institutions should not honor those who act in defiance of our fundamental moral principles. They should not be given awards, honors or platforms which would suggest support for their actions.”–  From Catholics in Political Life (USCCB 2004).

Which doctrinal document in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tolerates this violation?

Cardinal Levada, this weekend you too will walk through the doors of the “Golisano Field House” for the commencement ceremony– and you will experience the erosion of what it means to be “pro-life” in Monaghan’s Ave Maria world.

5.  Cardinal Levada, have you considered what the former law professors from Ave Maria School of Law had to endure when they did not go along with Monaghan’s program?

I have been vilified and ostracized — for standing firmly by my Catholic principles– as I question , through my articles,  Ave Maria University’s choices and decisions, which also affect the Town of Ave Maria.  The town was built in a symbiotic relationship with the university.   Ave Maria, as a real estate development, was widely advertised as a “university-town” — with Ave Maria University as the first “Catholic” University in America in 40 years.

6. Cardinal Levada, have you read the Matthew Levering Memo from 2009?  Matthew Levering was once one of Monaghan’s top professors.  He left shortly after he issued his memo.

Excerpt:

“I fear that all of us (to different degrees) are participating in something that we may later deeply regret,” –namely selling to young people and their families [an] educational product that we do not have sufficient reason to believe can be delivered.”– Matthew Levering, former Ave Maria University professor.

It is no surprise that Ave Maria University has not been recognized as “Catholic” by the local Bishop.

But Ave Maria University is not the only one who has committed an unlawful act.

Cardinal Levada also seems to be in violation of rules that prohibit tolerance of the homosexual culture in the Church.  Rules that he has a duty to enforce.

Cardinal Levada, I would also like to take this opportunity to present some questions regarding your own background and activities as former Archbishop of San Francisco, and as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

I will begin by quoting the following document:

CONGREGATION FOR THE DOCTRINE OF THE FAITH

LETTER TO THE BISHOPS OF THE CATHOLIC CHURCH
ON THE PASTORAL CARE OF HOMOSEXUAL PERSONS

“Special attention should be given to the practice of scheduling religious services and to the use of Church buildings by these groups, including the facilities of Catholic schools and colleges. To some, such permission to use Church property may seem only just and charitable; but in reality it is contradictory to the purpose for which these institutions were founded, it is misleading and often scandalous.” – Signed in Rome by Joseph Ratzinger, on October 1, 1986, when he was Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

In light of the above statement– how do you justify your tolerance of homosexual-friendly activities at Most Holy Redeemer Parish in San Francisco, during the time that you were Archbishop in that city?

You have been Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith since 2005.  As such, how do you justify your tolerance of homosexual-friendly activities at Most Holy Redeemer in San Francisco since assuming your current position?

As you are well aware, even the “Red Chic and Leather” homosexual award event found a welcoming venue at Most Holy Redeemer Parish’s Ellard Hall.

Here is an excerpt from California Catholic Daily:

Among the recipient’s of this year’s Motorcycle and Leather Community Awards was the drag queen performer, Donna Sachet, who received the “Entertainer of the Year” Award. Sachet was Miss Gay SF in 1993, elected Empress of SF in 1995-96, has been national spokesmodel for Smirnoff Twist Vodka, and was granted Sainthood by the Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence in 2004. (Feb. 20, 2008)

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence, a drag queen group which mocks Catholic morals, played bingo for years at Most Holy Redeemer, until approximately five years ago– when faithful Catholics across America began to express their disgust.

Which doctrinal document in the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith tolerates such offensive presence on Church property?

How do you justify your tolerance of homosexual-friendly activities at St. Francis Xavier Parish in New York– given your position as Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith?

Are we to understand that these two homosexual-friendly parishes have been institutionalized by the Catholic Church?  Is this Vatican policy?

Cardinal Levada, allow me to present the following video, which involves the rededication of St. Francis Xavier Parish in New York, by Archbishop Timothy Dolan,  in September, 2010.  Homosexual groups are publicly presented to Archbishop Dolan inside the church.

A jury has delivered a verdict finding Ave Maria University liable for an unlawful act.

But who will deliver the verdict on Cardinal Levada?

♦   ♦   ♦

© Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Related Reading:

Is Tom Monaghan’s Regime Crumbling at Ave Maria University?

Ave Maria University Scandals

This Man Has Given Millions to Pro-Abortion Politicians.  This Man is Honored at Ave Maria University.

Ave Maria Stoops to New Low

Pie in the Sky (Washington Monthly)

Gays and Grays: The Story of the Gay Community at Most Holy Redeemer Catholic Parish

The Sisters of Perpetual Indulgence

Letter to the Bishops of the Catholic Church on the Pastoral Care of Homosexual Persons

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may also read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s commentaries through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, The Dallas Morning News, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  The Wanderer, The Times of India, etc.

© All Rights Reserved

E-mail: ContactTRCW@aol.com

Notice to readers

THE IMPOSTORS: Four Monsignors Among Suspended Priests in Philadelphia

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Cleaning Up The Roman Catholic Church… One Impostor at a Time

Tom Monaghan's "Invaluable" Cardinal Bevilacqua-- Accused by Grand Jury of Covering Up Sexual Abuse of Children

AVE MARIA, Florida: A Lawyer — also known as Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, has left a long path of cover ups and destruction, which is being revealed piece by piece.

We are seeing the tip of the iceberg.

The names of the 21 priests suspended by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia have begun to surface.   Four of the suspended priests are Monsignors.

Victims have filed lawsuits against Cardinal Bevilacqua, Cardinal Rigali and others, at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

There’s also a dark cloud of uncertainty over the Diocese of Pittsburgh– another place where Bevilacqua left his mark, as the former bishop of that diocese.

A 2005 Grand Jury Report mentioned Bevilacqua 784 times in connection with sexual child abuse investigations at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

But that did not seem to affect those who enjoy being around, and having access to Bevilacqua– as he continued to receive the  benefits of being a “prince of the Church”– including his current position as chairman of the financially powerful Papal Foundation, where he has worked closely with Benedict XVI.

On December 3, 2010 Bevilacqua was also referred to as an “invaluable” ecclesiastical advisor for Legatus (headquartered in Ave Maria, Florida).  Legatus is Tom Monaghan’s Catholic club for wealthy men.  

Monaghan is the former owner of Domino’s Pizza.  He arrived in Southwest Florida a few years ago, with his controversial Ave Maria brand–  including the Town of Ave Maria and Ave Maria University.

Some of the 21 suspended priests in Philadelphia had been in ministry as many as 62 years.

That is a long time to allow predators, or their protectors, in our midst.

That is a long time to be breaking the spirit of trusting Catholics.

That is a long time to be driving people away from the Church.

Cardinal Rigali, the current Archbishop of Philadelphia,  would not have suspended these 21 priests were it not for the second Grand Jury Report issued on January 21, 2011– which resulted in the arrests of three priests and one parochial school teacher.

As it was, on February 10 Cardinal Rigali  was still making the following public statement:  “I assure all the faithful that there are no archdiocesan priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them.”

But it looks like the pile of evidence is mounting– and Rigali may be wondering if he is next.

Here is a report from The Philadelphia Inquirer.

♦    ♦    ♦

Important Related Article:

Tom Monaghan’s “Invaluable” Cardinal Bevilacqua Accused by Grand Jury of Covering Up Sexual Abuse of Children

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Archdiocese of Philadelphia + Ave Maria University + Cardinal Bevilacqua + Cardinal Rigali + Pederasty + Pedophilia +  Sexual Abuse of Children + Tom Monaghan +

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

©  Marielena Montesino de Stuart

To contact Marielena Montesino de Stuart, please write to:   ContactTRCW@aol.com

Notice to Readers

TOM MONAGHAN’s “Invaluable” Cardinal Bevilacqua Accused by Grand Jury of Covering Up Sexual Abuse of Children

UPDATE: Bevilacqua ordered to appear in court

BREAKING NEWS:  August 4, 2011  Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office Requests that Bevilacqua testify again– in spite of his “dementia”

Looking for  The Chronicles of Ave Maria©  ?

A Special Report

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Benedict XVI must surround himself with holy men, morally capable of acting as ecclesiastical officials.

Dangerous Impostors

AVE MARIA, Florida- Following a long and painful investigation of the sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a Grand Jury has issued a final report stating  that they have no doubt that Cardinal Bevilacqua’s “knowing and deliberate actions during his tenure as Archbishop also endangered thousands of children in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.“  This endangerment included vulnerable and poor immigrant children from the Hmong community– an alarming fact, considering Bevilacqua’s experience, having served as Director of the Migration and Refugee Office in the Diocese of Brooklyn.

Cardinal Bevilacqua

Cardinal Bevilacqua is one of America’s best known Roman Catholic Cardinals. He is also considered to be one of the most notorious protectors of dangerous sexual predators, in the history of the Catholic Church in America.

This “prince of the Church” served as Archbishop of Philadelphia from 1987-2003, after having served as Bishop of the Diocese of Pittsburgh from 1983-1987.

Bevilacqua arrived in Pennsylvania from his native New York, after serving in various positions under Bishop Mugavero, culminating with his appointment in 1980 as Auxiliary Bishop of the Diocese of Brooklyn.

But Bevilacqua’s history of cover-ups is not limited to Pennsylvania.

Memos reveal that during Bevilacqua’s tenure as Auxiliary Bishop at the Diocese of Brooklyn,  he covered up and transferred an extremely dangerous predator, Father Romano J. Ferraro, who is now serving a life sentence.

Cardinal Bevilacqua  has been closely associated for many years with Tom Monaghan, the former pizza king who arrived in Southwest Florida a few years ago, with his controversial Ave Maria brand–  including the Town of Ave Maria and Ave Maria University.

Monaghan’s involvement with Cardinal Bevilacqua will be further discussed below.

But above all, this is a story involving some of the most horrendous and systematic crimes committed against the dignity of a human being:  the sexual abuse of children, and what some inside the Roman Catholic Church are willing to do to cover up the existence of these crimes.

It is a story that shatters hearts– not just because of the heinous nature of the crimes, but because these are crimes perpetrated against children, using God and the Church as a protective shield.

It is also a story about how some, who appear to be “pillars of the community”– who, on one hand, claim to be pro-life, and claim to stand in defense of the unborn– abuse them after they are born.

These are not just rapists of children, but impostors and hijackers of sacred causes.

Such is the hypocrisy of certain Catholics who profess to be “orthodox” “conservative” “liberal” or “progressive” –in order to attract followers.   They use these political and social labels in order to create a ‘cult of personality’ around them, and they actively use the media for their propaganda and puff pieces written by their beholden followers.

These are individuals whose repulsive, deceptive and dangerous practices are luring thousands to schools, organizations,  prayer groups, parishes, retreats, lectures, etc., — many times resulting in substantial monetary gain that allows them to continue their criminal and deceptive activities.

These individuals are not “orthodox” or “conservative”, “liberal” or “progressive”.

They are monsters.  They are dangerous– and they are organized.

The Cover-up:  Sexual Abuse of Children under the Tenure of Cardinal Bevilacqua, at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

A Final Grand Jury Report regarding the sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia  hit the public arena like a ton of bricks.

The Grand Jury recommended that three priests and a parochial school teacher be charged with the rape and assault of young children in their care.    This resulted in the arrest of 68 year old  Fr. Edward Avery, 64 year old  Fr. Charles Engelhardt, 47 year old  Fr. James Brennan — and 48 year old Bernard Shero (the teacher).  All were charged with rape, indecent sexual assault and other criminal charges.  A civil lawsuit has also been filed in the Court of  Common Pleas against Cardinal Bevilacqua, Cardinal Rigali and others.

The Grand Jury also voted to charge another priest, 60 year old Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, with felony child endangerment.   The Grand Jury report describes how Monsignor Lynn endangered children, including the victims in the most recent cases– “by knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children.”

The grand jury investigation was followed by a compelling statement from the District Attorney, himself a Catholic.

This final Grand Jury report, dated January 21, 2011,  is the culmination of the first Grand Jury Report of 2005, which exposed the horrific history of sexual abuse of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The final Grand Jury accuses Cardinal Bevilacqua of covering up many of these horrific crimes.

Warning:  The following link will take the reader to excerpts from the Final Grand Jury Report, which contain painful descriptions of how these children were abused by some of these “pillars of the community”:  LINK

Edward Avery

On February 17, the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia said in an unsigned lead editorial that “it’s also clear the programs have fallen short of the stated goals of doing every possible [sic] to safeguard young people within the Catholic Church.”

“Fallen short”?  Absolutely.  These accused Church officials, as well as  those who are still hiding, have failed miserably– by inserting their shameful presence in the Catholic Church.

Cardinal Justin Rigali, current Archbishop of Philadelphia, also responded with the following sardonic statement:

“I assure all the faithful that there are no archdiocesan priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them.”

This statement by Cardinal Rigali  is terribly misleading, given the way in which the “Review Board” mishandled reports of abuse, dismissing the validity of the victim’s claims– as reported by the Grand Jury.

This pattern of treating victims like adversaries, and dismissing the validity and urgency of their claims is evident in a document issued under John Paul II’s papacy to the bishops of Ireland.  It exposes that the Church’s position on sexual abuse cases has been centered on hierarchical self-preservation.

[EXCERPT]:  In particular the issue of “mandatory reporting” [to law enforcement and civil authorities] gives rise to serious reservations of both a moral and a canonical nature. — Apostolic Nunciature in Ireland – January 31, 1997

Vatican officials claim that the above letter to the bishops of Ireland has been “misunderstood”– and that they have moved past the above instructions; however, the damage is done.  We all know that the Catholic Church in Ireland is nearing collapse, after decades of hiding the brutal and systematic abuse of children.

The Grand Jury’s accusations of cover-up against Cardinal Bevilacqua are even more alarming, when considering that Cardinal Bevilacqua is also a lawyer, admitted to practice before the Courts of New York State, the Courts of the State of Pennsylvania and the U.S. Supreme Court.

Perhaps this explains why the first Grand Jury report dated September 15, 2005 compared Cardinal Bevilacqua’s behavior to that of other bishops who “looked to legalisms at the expense of decency” while they covered up sexual abuse.  (Page 5, Grand Jury Report, September 15, 2005).

EXCERPT:  “Even in 2002, Cardinal Bevilacqua continued to mislead the public and give false assurances. Cardinal Bevilacqua continued to try to hide all he knew about sexual abuse committed by his priests even in 2002, after the scandal in Boston drew attention to the problem nationally.” (Page 53, Grand Jury Report, September 15, 2005).

Tom Monaghan Finds Cardinal Bevilacqua “Invaluable”

Thomas S. Monaghan

Equally alarming is what happens outside the Church, while these scandals are being investigated.

Tom Monaghan founded Legatus– a Catholic rich business men’s club, which claims “To study, live and spread the Faith in [their] business, professional and personal lives.”    They have chapters in many cities.  Cardinal Bevilacqua became involved with Legatus as Ecclesiastical Advisor, almost from its inception, in approximately 1988.

Monaghan’s support and close involvement with Cardinal Bevilacqua (even calling the Cardinal “invaluable“) continued in spite of the first 423-page Grand Jury Report issued on September 15, 2005, which began as follows:

“This report contains the findings of the Grand Jury: how dozens of priests sexually abused hundreds of children; how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials– including Cardinal Bevilacqua and Cardinal Krol– excused and enabled the abuse; and how the law must be challenged so that it doesn’t happen again.  Some may be tempted to describe these events as tragic.  Tragedies such as tidal waves, however, are outside human control.  What we found were not acts of God, but of men who acted in His name and defiled it.”

886 Warnings About Cardinal Bevilacqua

The 2005 Grand Jury report mentioned Cardinal Bevilacqua’s name 784 times.  That’s 784 reasons to not promote Cardinal Bevilacqua– at the very least.

Now, the final Grand Jury reaffirms and accuses Cardinal Bevilacqua of covering up the sexual abuse.  This final report mentions Cardinal Bevilacqua’s name 102 times.

That’s a total of 886 warnings about Cardinal Bevilacqua.

But 886 warnings about Cardinal Bevilacqua will never change the opinion of those whose interest is centered on networking with the Church’s hierarchy.

Cardinal Bevilacqua’s egregious cover-up record as Auxiliary Bishop at the Diocese of Brooklyn, will most likely mean nothing to Bevilacqua’s supporters.

But a line in the sand has been drawn with the Grand Jury’s accusation against Cardinal Bevilacqua and the arrest of Monsignor William Lynn.  This indicates that higher ranking church officials involved in, or covering up these crimes, will no longer be able to hide from justice– while they are on this earth.

The Exorcist

The sacred defense of the unborn must not be trampled on, under any condition.  Unfortunately, this is not always the case.

Father Thomas J. Euteneuer. is an exorcist– and a favorite in Monaghan’s Legatus circles.

Fr. Euteneuer also took on the role of ambassador for the defense of the unborn at Human Life International (HLI) where he served as president, until he became involved in a major scandal.

Fr. Euteneuer– considered by many as a bastion of “orthodoxy” (I beg to differ!)– received the Cardinal John J. O’Connor Pro-Life Award from Tom Monaghan’s Legatus.

The Palm Beach Post reported that on August 27, 2010 Fr. Euteneuer had stepped down from his position as president of Human Life International after HLI asked him to resign.  He published a statement saying that there had been a  “particularly complex situation“  which “clouded” his judgment and led him to ” imprudent decisions with harmful consequences“, the worst of which was violating the boundaries of chastity with an adult female who was under [his] spiritual care.”  Here is the response from the parents of the victim:  “Beyond the ‘grave’…“

This “particularly complex situation” and  “imprudent” decisions appear to have taken place during Euteneuer’s practice of EXORCISM! Is this just plain charlatanism?

Who’s minding these practices, within the confines of Church laws?

But, of course, we can’t say that!

No, no, no!

After all, Fr. Euteneuer was conducting exorcism with his best intentions!

Moving right along…

But something is very troubling.  First HLI printed the following announcement on their website (it still appears):

“June 14, 2010 – Pro-Life Priest, Exorcist Sheds Light on Ancient Ritual with Long-Awaited Book“

Then, when the Palm Beach Post asked about the book, the spokesperson for HLI said:

“We released Father Euteneuer’s Exorcism and the Church Militant in June [2010], and sold out of it some time after his departure from HLI, so it was on sale for over three months. It was decided not to reprint it as we no longer had Father Euteneuer on hand to explain the connection between exorcism and our pro-life mission, and we wanted to focus completely on our mission going forward.”

Human Life International no longer promotes on their website Father Euteneuer’s book about exorcism– but Monaghan’s people at the Legatus Magazine continue to promote it, as evidenced by the following screen caption taken on Feb. 21, 2011:   Exorcism and the Church Militant.

Originally the proceeds of the book were to go to Human Life International.  Now that Fr. Euteneuer is no longer  in public ministry, and his exorcism practice has been referred to ecclesiastical authorities, where are the proceeds going? The paperback is currently selling at Amazon for $80 to $129.98!

How tragic to see the sacred defense of the unborn dragged into this nauseating scandal.

One can hardly wait to see who Monaghan will award next!

Does Monaghan even know what  “orthodoxy” means?

Voices of “orthodoxy”?  I don’t think so.

But why are some in the Catholic lay world supporting and promoting cardinals like Bevilacqua– in spite of the investigations, warnings and grave issues discussed in the original 2005 report?

Cardinal Bevilacqua continued as Tom Monaghan’s “invaluable” Ecclesiastical Advisor at Legatus until approximately two months ago. Here are excerpts from the Legatus magazine, dated December 3, 2010  [underline and bold added for emphasis].:

Although still publicly active on the cusp of his tenth decade, His Eminence Anthony Cardinal Bevilacqua, 87, has been retiring from official capacities in recent years — most notably in 2003 as Archbishop of Philadelphia, which he led as one of the most prominent voices of orthodoxy in the Church in America. And just last month he announced that he will step down as Legatus’ ecclesiastical advisor, a position he has held since 1987.

[HERE THE EDITOR QUOTES CARDINAL BEVILACQUA]: “In an age when relativism and materialism pervade our society, I have been edified by the example shown by Legatus members in their efforts to serve as ‘ambassadors in the marketplace,’” he said. “They live the mission statement of Legatus in every aspect of their lives — to ‘study, live and spread the faith.’ They are the stone thrown into the water which sends ripples far and wide. It has been my honor and privilege to serve as ecclesiastical advisor.”

Cardinal Bevilacqua assures members that he will continue to do for them what he has been doing for a long time: [HERE THE EDITOR QUOTES CARDINAL BEVILACQUA AGAIN] “I pray that our Heavenly Father will continue to bless all of the members of Legatus and their families.”

Cardinal Bevilacqua already was impressed by Monaghan’s own enthusiasm for lay evangelization. It was a perfect match.

“It is difficult to summarize the importance of one who has filled an invaluable role,” Monaghan said in tribute to his dear friend. “Yet, when presented with how to describe the many years of His Eminence’s service to Legatus, that is the word that comes to my mind — invaluable.”

The credibility, especially with the hierarchy, that we as an organization garnered from his association with us was monumental.

Of particular note, in the early years of the organization, the Cardinal’s wisdom, grace and diplomacy were critical in helping to overcome some trials facing Legatus. With his assistance and counsel, we were able to maneuver through some rocky waters and emerge healthy and whole.  Legatus Magazine – December 3, 2010.

A Victim Commits Suicide

This turning away from reality, on the part of clergy and non-clergy alike, is also evident in the way that the “Review Board” handled the reported abuses in the Archdiocese of Philadephia:

Page 56, Final Grand Jury Report:

The Archdiocese now has an official-sounding review process, involving a Review Board and supposedly experienced and independent investigators. Surely, church officials nowadays would remove priests if they were credibly accused. Right?

Wrong.

Our review of just some of these priests’ files shows that the Review Board finds allegations “unsubstantiated” even when there is very convincing evidence that the accusations are true – evidence certainly alarming enough to prompt removal of priests from positions in which they pose a danger to children.”

Page 60, Final Grand Jury Report, January 21, 2011:

[SUICIDE]: On July 24, 2008, Ms. Hagner notified Ben that the Review Board could not substantiate his allegation. Less than a year later, Ben committed suicide.

The Grand Jury has No Doubt that Cardinal Bevilacqua Endangered Thousands of Children

“We would like to hold Cardinal Bevilacqua accountable as well. The Grand Jurors have no doubt that his knowing and deliberate actions during his tenure as Archbishop also endangered thousands of children in the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Msgr. Lynn was carrying out the Cardinal’s policies exactly as the Cardinal directed. In most of the cases we reviewed from the previous grand jury report, Cardinal Bevilacqua knew substantially everything that Msgr. Lynn knew about the danger posed by the accused priests.”

The Grand Jury “Reluctantly” Decides Not to Recommend Charges Against Cardinal Bevilacqua

The Grand Jury reluctantly decided not to recommend charges against Cardinal Bevilacqua, because it was unclear whether the Cardinal had been informed of two specific abuses.  In addition, the Grand jury offered the following statement:

“Cardinal Bevilacqua’s health is also a consideration. William Sasso, his long-time lawyer, told the Grand Jury that the 87-year-old suffers from dementia. Mr. Sasso testified that Cardinal Bevilacqua requires “24/7 nursing care” and rarely leaves the seminary where he lives. He said the Cardinal has failed to recognize Mr. Sasso when he visits. The attorney testified that he has not seen the Cardinal at a public event for nearly three years – not even at the installation of Bishop Senior in July 2010.”

“Mr. Sasso told us that he had recently spoken to Cardinal Bevilacqua’s doctors, A.J. DiMarino and Bradley Fenton. According to Mr. Sasso, both physicians advised him that it would be “extremely traumatic” for the Cardinal to testify before the Grand Jury, and that any testimony he gave would be unreliable. Mr. Sasso testified that Cardinal Bevilacqua had not even been informed of the Grand Jury proceedings because hisdoctors had advised against it.

Based on these issues relating to the evidence and the Cardinal’s health, we have reluctantly decided not to recommend charges against the former Archbishop.”

“Extremely traumatic”?!  Have protectors of Cardinal Bevilacqua considered how the victims and their families feel?

Dementia?!

Let’s take a careful look at Cardinal Bevilacqua and The Papal Foundation

In spite of Cardinal Bevilacqua’s “dementia”, he is still “publicly active” as described  on December 3 by Tom Monaghan’s  Legatus Magazine.

Cardinal Bevilacqua’s “dementia” also does not seem to be keeping him from acting as Chairman of the Papal Foundation– the Pope’s biggest fund– an extremely powerful  multi-million dollar American foundation which is managed by Benedict XVI.  A minimum $1 million dollar donation is required to become a steward.

How interesting that Cardinal Bevilacqua is joined in the Papal Foundation Board of Trustees by Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles– who for years has brought scandal and shame to the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, with cover-ups of pederasty and pedophilia– culminating in multi-million dollar settlements.  How interesting that several others on the Papal Foundation Board of Trustees have been, or are currently facing scandals in their current and/or former dioceses.

NOTE:  The issue of pederasty and pedophilia, like any vice, involves underground activity and intimidation.  It is seedy, by nature. And while the media may not always be friendly to Catholics,  it is thanks to the media that victims have a voice.

After all– how many bishops or cardinals have picked up the phone and contacted law enforcement to report the sexual abuse of children in their parishes, archdioceses and schools?  The cases of sexual abuse involving religious orders are even more difficult to document– since they almost always involve private settlements.

Some of the Worst Enemies are Inside the Church– and they Closely Surround the Holy Father

It is important to remember that some of the worst enemies of the Roman Catholic Church are inside, as we will continue to see below, and some of them closely surround the Holy Father.

The following links provide information about sexual scandals affecting some of the Bishops and Cardinals that are members of the Papal Foundation Board of Trustees.

Click on the names below to read a partial description of the cover-ups and moral scandals involving these bishops and cardinals who, by nature of their rank and influence,  work closely with Pope Benedict XVI.

Roger Cardinal Mahony, Los Angeles, CA

Archbishop John J. Myers Newark, NJ

Francis Cardinal George, Chicago IL

Daniel Cardinal Dinardo, Galveston-Houston, TX

Edward Cardinal Egan, Archbishop Emeritus of New York

Theodore Cardinal McCarrick, Archbishop Emeritus, Washington DC

Sean Patrick Cardinal O’Malley, Boston MA

Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, New York NY (former Bishop of Milwaukee)

William Cardinal Keeler, Archbishop Emeritus, Baltimore, Maryland

Justin Cardinal Rigali Pages 30-119 Philadelphia, PA

Archbishop Donald W. Wuerl, Washington DC

Bishop Joseph A. Pepe Las Vegas, NV (former Vice-Chancellor under Cardinal Bevilacqua)

Bishop Michael F. Burbidge Pages 61-66 Secretary of the Papal Foundation (former Auxiliary Bishop under Cardinal Bevilacqua)

The question is– why does Benedict XVI closely surround himself with these Bishops and Cardinals who have protected sexual abusers of children, and have been mired in scandal?  Why does Benedict XVI allow them to hold the purse strings of the extremely powerful Papal Foundation’s multi-million dollar operation?

This should make Catholics– and the public at large, very concerned.

The following screen caption of the Papal Foundation was taken on February 18:

Heads must roll:

It may be necessary for the District Attorney of Philadelphia, and the supervising judge, to consider an independent evaluation of Cardinal  Bevilacqua’s “dementia” and health status, based on the following facts:

1.  Cardinal Bevilacqua’s recent quoted statement in the Legatus Magazine, dated December 3, 2010, where he expresses himself in a very eloquent and  lucid manner.

2.  The Legatus statement describes Cardinal Bevilacqua as being “publicly active”.

3.  Cardinal Bevilacqua’s position as Chairman of the Papal Foundation, involving the oversight of millions of dollars for the Holy See.

SEE BREAKING NEWS BELOW – August 4, 2011

Stop Supporting the Impostors

Many of these impostors in the Catholic Church are honored and pursued by a growing list of lay Catholics who ride the coattails of the Church’s hierarchy in hopes of landing plum jobs.

Others are networking with Bishops and Cardinals in order to sell lectures, projects  and programs– with the arrogant excuse that “they are making a difference”– while ignoring compelling reports of clergy sex abuse and cover-ups.

The real “difference” that needs to be made is to denounce these impostors.

Catholicism has become a lucrative business– a buyer-beware minefield where many charlatans prey on well-intentioned Catholics who, unfortunately,  prefer to have Catholicism poured into their brain at a “lecture cruise” instead of picking up the Catechism– which sits gathering dust on their bookshelf.

The Deceptive “Great Leap Forward” of the Roman Catholic Church

Father Robert Hoatson Refused to Go Along with "The Agenda"

No doubt, supporters of Cardinal Bevilacqua will come out (mostly anonymously) with the old rhetoric of “but what about all the good things he did?”

Well, Mao Tse-tung claimed to love his Chinese countrymen.  He simplified the Chinese language during his deceptive Great Leap Forward campaign, in order to enforce widespread literacy.  Then, following his ideals, millions have been killed.  But I suppose they could at least read their death sentences.

There are those inside the Catholic Church who use a similar “great-leap-forward” deceptive approach to lure their followers and victims.  Then, when good holy priests come forward in defense of victims and to expose the corruption, they are punished and banished by Bishops and Cardinals.

The first Grand Jury made a statement that rings loud and clear:

“...in its callous, and calculating manner, the Archdiocese’s “handling” of the abuse scandal was at least as immoral as the abuse itself.”

Benedict XVI cannot simply rearrange the chairs on the deck.  He must surround himself with holy men, morally capable of acting as ecclesiastical officials. He must get rid of the impostors inside the Roman Catholic Church, by making swift and visible changes– worthy of the throne of Peter.

♦    ♦    ♦

CLICK on the titles below to read important reference articles:

Priest Arrested in Murder-for-Hire Case

The Story of Father Haley

Deposition of Father James Haley

Vatican Refused to Defrock Priest Who Abused Deaf Boys

The Five Worst Cardinals (this list keeps changing)

The Vatican Bank Hit by Financial Scandal

Report from Ireland on the Systematic Abuse of Children

Cardinal Bevilacqua’s Cover-Up of Dangerous Sexual Predator

Bevilacqua’s Role with a Pedophile Priest Bared

“Our Very Own” Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua,  by Tom Monaghan

First Grand Jury Report, September 15, 2005

Final Grand Jury Report, January 21, 2011

UPDATE ON CARDINAL BEVILACQUA (July 31, 2011):  Release of Cardinal Bevilacqua’s Testimony Reveals the Mind of an Impostor

BREAKING NEWS – August 4, 2011:  Philadelphia District Attorney Requests that Bevilacqua testify again– in spite of his “dementia”

♦   ♦   ♦

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION: Tom Monaghan  + Ave Maria, Florida +Ave Maria University + Benedict XVI + The Vatican +Cardinal Bevilacqua +Cardinal Rigali + Legatus  +Pederasty +Pedophilia + Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia + Father Thomas J. Euteneuer as an Exorcist + Exorcism + Cardinal Mahony + Archbishop John. J. Myers + Cardinal George + Cardinal Dinardo + Cardinal Egan + Cardinal McCarrick + The McCarrick Syndrome + Cardinal O’Malley + Cardinal Dolan + Cardinal Keeler + Cardinal Rigali + Archbishop Wuerl + Bishop Joseph A. Pepe + Bishop Michael F. Burbidge

♦   ♦   ♦

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read about  Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, Forbes.com,  The Dallas Morning News, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  The Wanderer, etc.

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Is Tom Monaghan’s Regime Crumbling at Ave Maria University?

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“AVE MARIA STOOPS TO NEW LOW“  by Founder of Catholic Media Coalition

AVE MARIA UNIVERSITY:  A Special Report

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

Drum Roll…

Thomas S. Monaghan... Just Chancellor

On February 17, 2009 I publicly asked Tom Monaghan, Nick Healy and company– to step down from their positions at Ave Maria University– in a commentary published in the editorial pages of the Naples Daily News.  Monaghan supporters began a campaign of vilification and vicious ad hominem attacks against me, which has continued to this day, as a result of my commentary.

In spite of these personal attacks I continued to question the administration of Ave Maria University, as well as the Ave Maria “Special District” town government– which practices taxation without representation. The supporters of the Monaghan-Barron Collier Companies real estate development team brought a second wave of personal attacks– which have also persisted to this day.

Well, it took almost two years.  Ave Maria University announced yesterday that Thomas S. Monaghan is stepping down as CEO, but retaining his position as chancellor.  This is a bit of a joke, since Monaghan IS Ave Maria University– so, whoever becomes CEO still has to turn to Monaghan as the main benefactor with the big bucks.  Sounds more like a game of switching hats.

AMU also announced that Nick Healy was stepping down as president.  This may have been  inspired by yesterday’s  announcement that Egypt’s Hosni Mubarak may finally end his despotic 30-year dictatorship.   Monaghan, Mubarak and Healy can now look to one another for support.

Does this mean that Monaghan’s idiosyncratic regime may be crumbling?

What is evident is that Monaghan’s  one-man show as chancellor, CEO and chief financial backer of his controversial university may be coming to an end.

But, it looks like a simple drum roll is all we get for now.   No loud trumpet calls here– since the old guard is still around, standing close to Monaghan.  Unless Jim Towey, the new president of Ave Maria University, begins a quiet purge; HOWEVER, I do not see Mr. Towey as a messianic figure– since we don’t know if he could make the situation worse– if that’s even possible.  Why?  Well, let’s not forget that Mr. Towey wouldn’t be here without Monaghan’s approval.  That alone, is cause for concern.  We’ll be watching.

Announcing the Announcement: How to Keep the Faculty in the Dark

Nick Healy, Former President of Ave Maria University (Finally!)

Ave Maria University made the announcement to the public yesterday morning.   The Naples Daily News printed the announcement at 10:53am via a press release from AMU’s public relations department.  The spokesperson for the university was Michael T.O. Timmis, Chairman of the Board of Trustees.

The faculty received an e-mail on Wednesday afternoon announcing that there would be an announcement the next morning during a conference.  Comical suspense…  What could be going on?

One can almost hear doors slamming in the dark.

Then, on Thursday morning the faculty received another e-mail shortly before the conference, letting them know about the big news.

How considerate!

Now, from a legal stand point and as a private university, AMU may not have to report the process of a major decision like the hiring of a new president; however, from a moral stand point,  the faculty should have been notified from the beginning– and made part of a decision-making process that affects their future, and that of the university.  After all, the university does not exist without its faculty.  Keeping the faculty in the dark is not how universities normally operate.

Having said that, it’s good to see Nick finally go!

Jim Towey, New President of Ave Maria University

The Naples Daily News press release also indicated that Jim Towey, whose full name is H. James Towey, will assume the role of president at AMU, as of July 1, 2011.

As president, it is to be expected that Mr. Towey will also take over the role of CEO, although the press release from AMU’s public relations department (again, published by the Naples Daily News at 10:53am) said that Monaghan was stepping down as CEO, but it did not specifically identify Towey as the new CEO.  Towey was only identified as the new president.

This is interesting, considering that AMU is well-known for carefully wording their press releases.   Until this is defined, Mr. Towey’s position as president would be limited in scope.  Remember, up to now Monaghan has been chancellor and CEO.

The timing of this announcement by the AMU Board of Trustees, closer to the beginning of a semester, is bizarre– to put it mildly.

Could it be that Barron Collier Companies, Monaghan’s real estate partner, is exerting pressure on Ave Maria University, regarding financial stability?  After all, the Monaghan-Barron Collier Companies real estate partnership involved the selling of homes in a “university-town”.

The Role of a CEO… and Public Perception

A Chief Executive Officer is supposed to act as the leader who guides the institution in a profitable direction.  The CEO sets the tone and manages the culture within the organization.

Monaghan will no longer be in that role.  At least that will be the public perception– which is something that AMU greatly cares about, based on how they respond to media inquiries through their Marketing Department, when asked to clarify issues involving scandals, and other moral and delicate matters.

And, if the famous “Levering Memo” is any indication– the question of whether AMU has been guided in a “profitable direction” has been a concern for some time.

While Monaghan claims that this change in leadership will give him more time to promote the university, as of yesterday he is effectively turning himself into a figurehead.  Lest we forget the ongoing issue with perception.

Good bye, Nick… Your Departure is “Our Gift of God”!

Yes! Finally! Ave Maria University will have a new president.  This means that Nick Healy (whose full name is Nicholas J. Healy, Jr.) will soon be gone.  Hard to believe!

Healy will leave us with memories of his famous public embrace of the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project– a “deal” which has joined the ranks of the infamous taxpayer and political scandals, so common in Florida’s history.

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project was also initially considered a “gift of God” and “an answer to prayer” by Healy’s  close friend and colleague, Dr. Michael Waldstein– a professor of theology at Ave Maria University.  This eye opening public statement by Dr. Waldstein took place during a town hall meeting at Ave Maria on December 14, 2010– many months after the local bishop had publicly expressed his concerns about the Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria– and after many months of media coverage of the scandal.   This is  “out-of-touch” on a whole different level.

For those not familiar with the Jackson Lab– the embarrassing and painful nightmare of the Jackson Lab “deal” involved a proposal to bring the controversial genetics lab to Ave Maria, by way of millions of taxpayer dollars.  The project was seen by many as a corporate  bail out of the Monaghan-Barron Collier Companies real estate experiment in Ave Maria.

Adding insult to injury, the Jackson Lab is also involved in holding workshops and providing resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) Research.  The Roman Catholic Church considers HESC research a grave crime against innocent human life.  And yes– Thomas S. Monaghan made the land available for the Jackson Lab’s  location in Ave Maria, and gave the famous “Go ahead with it” –after doing his “due diligence”.

Fortunately, the Jackson Lab deal was driven out of town– after tremendous public opposition from Collier County citizens, mostly from Naples, as well as media coverage by investigative journalist Randy Engel, and this writer.  While the Jackson Lab battle raged in Naples, back in Ave Maria the crickets were chirping.

What is remarkable is that this conflicting hodgepodge of religion and real estate monetary ambitions has been taking place in Monaghan’s well-advertised “Catholic town” and “city of God.”

Mr. Healy will also leave us with the incredible memory of his enthusiastic support of the Home of the Mother  (Hogar de la Madre)– a religious group which was expelled from Ave Maria University in August 2010, after the local bishop met with AMU officials to discuss the former Superior’s  involvement in a lesbian relationship with an Ave Maria University student.

The Home of the Mother group of priests and religious sisters, which stayed at the university, was  enthusiastically endorsed under Healy’s administration — and was even assigned the role of  providing vocational discernment for women and men at Ave Maria University! One can’t help but wonder how parents felt– particularly those who sent their children to Ave Maria University, encouraged in part by such on-campus sexual abstinence  groups like the “Chastity Club”.

Home of the Mother came to AMU as a “private association of the faithful” under Healy’s administration– NOT as a religious order with the canonical standing of a group such as the Dominicans.   The Bishop of the Diocese of Venice in Florida had no involvement in bringing Home of the Mother to Ave Maria.

The Home of the Mother also became very active and militant in the Town of Ave Maria– while holding prayer meetings and offering retreats for children at their Jacksonville facilities.  Unfortunately, many residents in the Town of Ave Maria still see this Home of the Mother group as a legitimate and good Catholic influence on their children– in spite of the Bishop’s position, and in spite of the fact that the entire group was expelled from Ave Maria University.

But Dr. Waldstein was seriously mistaken when he referred to the Jackson Lab as “a gift of God”.    Our true “gift of God” is Nick’s departure.

Who is the new president of Ave Maria University?

Jim Towey is a lawyer who does not come from the world of academia– just like his predecessor, Nick Healy.  Towey served as President of St. Vincent College in Pennsylvania, for approximately only three years.  He announced his resignation from St. Vincent in October 2009.   Read more at: http://www.post-gazette.com/pg/09288/1005680-298.stm#ixzz1DaQEw5Pq (Also available in PDF here).

Towey also served as director of the Office of Faith-based and Community Initiatives under President George W. Bush.

Since the process that led to Towey’s selection as president was kept a secret until yesterday, no one really knows what to expect, other than what AMU’s administration is saying.  It appears that Mr. Towey’s name was Googled quite a few times yesterday.

This new announcement is, nevertheless,  a huge change in Monaghan’s higher education  experiment, after spending most of his life selling pizza.  This becomes even more remarkable when considering the amount of money he has invested in the Ave Maria University project– and the power he has held over his Ave Maria brand of academia– ranging from his dismantled law school and college in Michigan, to this university, in the swamplands of rural Eastern Collier County.  It is also NOT a surprising turn of events.

Some, particularly those beholden to Monaghan, see him as a reigning figure in American Catholic philanthropy.  Others see him as the reigning figure in a regime of control– which has included law suits, the firing of dissenters, and the resignation of others, like Dr. Matthew Levering,  who would not go along with Monaghan’s program.

These law suits, firings and resignations have brought into question the institutional stability of Monaghan’s Ave Maria educational brand.  Issues involving social justice are also a concern — such as the severe 2nd mortgage agreement that some faculty members entered into with the university, during the purchase of their homes:

Jury Trial Waiver. The Borrow­er hereby waives any right to a trial by jury in any action, pro­ceeding, claim, or counterclaim, whether in contract or tort, at law or in equity, arising out of or in any way related to this Security Instrument or the Note. Definition of Maturity Date. The Maturity Date of this Note shall be the first to occur of the following events; when the Property is sold or trans­ferred, upon any acceleration of the Note or first mortgage on the Property for default or otherwise, upon obtaining any subordinate mortgage financing on the Prop­erty, within ninety (90) days of the date when a Borrower leaves the full time employment of Ave Mar­ia University, Inc. unless the Bor­rower is totally and permanently disabled according to the Ave Maria University disability poli­cy, not later than three ( 3) years of any Borrower’s death or retire­ment from the University such pe­riod being determined based upon Borrower’s years of service to Ave Maria University, when the Prop­erty is no longer used by Borrow­er as Borrower’s primary resi­dence.

These issues affecting the university are of great importance– not just to students and their parents, but to those who purchased properties in the Town of Ave Maria, based on the promotion of the university-town concept.

Ave Maria University’s corporate structure

Ave Maria University is a private educational corporation in the state of Florida.  In corporate environments there are lines that clearly define the boundaries between senior management, staff and advisory boards.  But are these lines clearly defined at Ave Maria University?

Case in point:  The Ave Maria “University Council” (commonly referred to as the “UC”) is a group comprised of upper management and staff, which meets to discuss issues of importance to the university.  This intriguing group exists in addition to the Board of Trustees.  Why?  What authority does it have?  What is exactly its role?  What purpose does it serve?

Will the new president continue the UC meetings?  Better yet– will the Board of Trustees allow the UC meetings to continue?

Welcome to Ave Maria, Mr. Towey– where the university and the town are joined at the hip

Ave Maria University and the town have been joined at the hip from inception– in a never-ending incestuous business relationship, through overlapping administrative boards (such as when an official from Ave Maria University also acts as an official in the town’s governing board). Read about it here:  The Chronicles of Ave Maria: One Year Later

This incestuous business relationship became very evident on November 5, 2009, when– in front of my husband and children, AMU’s administration threatened to have me arrested, in order to keep me out of a press conference I was formally registered to attend as a journalist.

Why?

AMU’s shocking explanation to the media was that their action against me was based on questions I had asked, as a resident, two days before– regarding compliance of government statutes at an Ave Maria town government meeting.  AMU’s administration considered my questions  to be “disruptive”! Paul Roney, who is a member of the town’s governing board, as well as Chief Financial Officer at AMU, admitted that he “reported” me to the university as “disruptive”.

Disruptive?  For asking questions, as a resident taxpayer, about compliance of government statutes?

My husband and I had attended the town government meeting as property owners.

This town government meeting had absolutely nothing to do with my presence as a journalist at the university press conference.

As if this draconian approach wasn’t enough– AMU’s administration proceeded to ban me from over 1,000 acres of their property for nearly three months.

The AMU administration finally lifted the ban shortly before Cardinal Francis George’s visit to the AMU campus,  on February 2, 2010.

This is how Nick Healy worded the lifting of the ban:

Dear Mrs. Montesino de Stuart:

After discussion with our senior leadership, in view of the fact that there are events on campus this spring which you might wish to attend, in charity we are giving you permission, effective immediately, to come on the campus in the same manner as any other resident.– Nick Healy, January, 28, 2010

The hubris behind the statement for the lifting of my ban is noteworthy.

Imagine what it would have been like having Cardinal George, who was the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, visit a university “in the Catholic tradition” that has threatened with arrest and banned a town resident, for exercising her First Amendment rights, at a town government meeting!

So much for the benefits of  living in a university-town!

This chilling of speech and control of freedom of movement is only seen in communist and totalitarian regimes– much like we see in Mubarak’s Egypt.

The public did not know on November 5, 2009 that the press conference was being held for the purpose of honoring a controversial billionaire/politician from New York, for his gift of $4 million to the university.  My scrutiny as a Catholic journalist was not something that AMU was willing to face.  The following article explains it best: Timelines and Facts…

Three months later, on February 2010 this ‘joined-at-the-hip’ relationship became even more evident, when AMU lawyers threatened a Catholic newspaper which published an article by this writer, about  amended town covenants which appear to be unconstitutional.   My article was followed, in the same newspaper, by a commentary from a conservative constitutional scholar, who also seriously questioned the constitutionality of said amended covenants.

The question is:  Why are lawyers for a private educational institution such as AMU threatening a newspaper for exposing town covenants that affect the public?

The lawyers also argued that Ave Maria University had not misrepresented itself by claiming to be the first new “Catholic university” to be formed in the last four decades!

REALLY?

To this day, Ave Maria University remains unrecognized as a Catholic university by the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice.   Within hours of the announced changes at AMU on February 10, the Naples Daily News was reminding the public that Ave Maria University “is still seeking the official designation of a “Catholic Institution” that can only be bestowed by the Catholic Church.“

$inging the $ame $ong…

The fact that AMU cannot even call itself a “Catholic university” on its own website, has not kept $ome of Monaghan’s fervent $upporters from calling it as such.  $o, the revolving door of monotonous  promotional pieces continue (they all $ound like the $ame person is writing them)– while AMU’s administration proudly displays them on their website.

This lead$ one to wonder, more and more, if The Newman Guide ha$ any value.

It appears that $ome of Monaghan’s $upporters $uffer from the $ame distre$$– they only know how to $ing one $ong…

Mary Ann Kreitzer, founder of the Catholic Media Coalition and prominent pro-life leader had this to say about Monaghan and his lawyers:

“Tom Monaghan has plenty of money to engage in a frivolous lawsuit which the [Catholic news]paper can ill afford and he has shown himself perfectly willing in the past to go after those who disagree with him (Remember the professors at the law school in Ann Arbor?)”  — May 6, 2010

Then, as if the two media incidents named above were not enough, in May 2010, Barron Collier Companies threatened PBS over a documentary which portrayed Ave Maria as a “spiritual community”.  I was the only person in the Town of Ave Maria who was willing to go on camera for this documentary, where I explained the confusing public identity of the town, based on conflicting religious and secular promotions of Ave Maria– both as a “Catholic hub” and as a town for “Every Lifestyle…”.   [VIDEO CLIP]:

What can we expect from the new president of Ave Maria University?

Will Jim Towey, as the new president of Ave Maria University, instruct the AMU lawyers to threaten the media, just like the previous administration did?

As a lawyer, will Jim Towey use a heavy-handed litigious approach when faced with opposing views or criticism?

Will Ave Maria University one day become officially a “Catholic university”– or will it remain a private educational corporation?

What will Jim Towey change?

Will Jim Towey replace Nick Healy’s underlings?  Or,  as I said above– could he make the situation even worse?

Can Jim Towey make changes — with Monaghan and the old guard looking over his shoulder?

Does Jim Towey want to change anything… or does Jim Towey just need a job?

There is no reason to doubt that the new president of Ave Maria University comes with very good intentions; however, he will have to maneuver through the murky waters of an environment of control, in a remote rural location.  On the other hand, we don’t know if Mr. Towey will fit right in with this environment.

But, even more difficult to face is the apprehension that scandals leave behind.

No doubt, Mr.Towey’s  plate is full.    After all, Monaghan is still around.

♦   ♦   ♦

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may also read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s commentaries through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, The Dallas Morning News, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  etc.

© All Rights Reserved    

E-Mail:    ContactTRCW@aol.com

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  H. James Towey, New President of Ave Maria University * Nick Healy steps down as President of Ave Maria University * Tom Monaghan, Thomas S. Monaghan * Why can’t Ave Maria University call itself a “Catholic university” on its own website? * The Town of Ave Maria is not in Naples, Florida * Collier County *

Notice to readers

HOLDING ON TO OUR CHEESE: Is the Jackson Lab Deal Really Gone?

 

Copyright 2010 Marielena Montesino de Stuart

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

 

 A Divine Comedy Special about Collier County, Florida, and the infamous “Jackson Lab Deal“   

The Story… 

The Jackson Lab, which is based in Bar Harbor, Maine, specializes in breeding genetically altered mice for experiments– including Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.  

The Jackson Lab wanted millions of taxpayer dollars to open a new facility in the town of Ave Maria, which is located in rural Eastern Collier County.  The Jackson Lab’s “smoke and mirrors” proposal of a biomedical village in Ave Maria never convinced Collier County citizens– who demand authentic and transparent economic development.

So… a group of Collier County citizens– comprised of one journalist, Marielena Montesino de Stuart who resides in Ave Maria– and the rest mostly from Naples, publicly stood up to the big landowners and three county commissioners (Coyle, Fiala and Coletta) who were promoting what appears to be a taxpayer scam. 

Meanwhile, back in Ave Maria the crickets were chirping.  Read about it HERE

Three influential articles written by renowned investigative journalist, Randy Engel (US Coalition for Life) were crucial in educating the public about the dark moral and ethical problems surrounding the Jackson Lab, and about Ave Maria’s silence in the face of these problems.  These articles may be read here: PART I, PART II and PART III.

  

The efforts of the above individuals who denounced, publicly protested, and took legal action against the Jackson Lab “deal”–succeeded in driving the Jackson Lab out of town.

But the Collier County citizens who publicly protested and took legal action are not letting their guard down.  Could the Jackson lab deal be reintroduced… or something similar?   

Is it Safe to Come Out?

 

Collier County citizens are friendly creatures that love to come out and socialize.  

But is it safe?

Is the “Jackson Lab deal” really gone?

Is it really, really gone?

      

It would be scary to come out and be surprised by another TAXPAYER TRAP! 

Here’s today’s news about the fat rats that were trying to eat our cheese…

Jackson Lab’s Ties to Collier are erased 

RELATED ARTICLES: 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Deal:  Another Moral and Political Scandal in Florida’s History 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Battle:  The Erosion of What it Means to be “Pro-life”

 

You may contact Marielena Montesino de Stuart by E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  The Jackson Lab + Barron Collier Companies + Thomas S. Monaghan + Ave Maria University + Ave Maria, Florida + Collier County, Florida + Eastern Collier County, Florida + Collier Gets to Work Inc + Regional Business Alliance + Economic Development Council of Collier County + Commissioner Fred Coyle + Commissioner Donna Fiala + Commissioner James Coletta + Judge Kenneth B. Bell’s Arbitration Ruling + Chuck Hewett VP Jackson Lab. 

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:  RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

THE AVE MARIA-JACKSON LAB DEAL: Another Political and Moral Scandal in Florida’s History

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart 

E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

  

Falling apart…

Commissioner Fred Coyle (Chairman)

The infamous Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal in Collier County, Florida, by all appearances, is dead.  At least for now.  

But the ebb and flow of scams and corruption in Florida’s history would lead many to expect that this deal, or a similar one, will resurface. 

There is no question that Collier County citizens will keep a close eye on the decisions being  made from this point forward, by the three county commissioners who stood behind the maneuvering of the Jackson Lab deal– Commissioners Fred Coyle (Chairman), Donna Fiala and James Coletta– until they indulge us with their departure.

Commissioner Donna Fiala

Commissioner James Coletta

 

 

 

 

 

 

The JAX Deal

Jackson is a non-profit genetics lab based in Maine.  The lab is also known as JAX. 

By Friday morning, January 14, “the deal” for Jackson Lab  — that is to say, the proposal for millions of taxpayer dollars from the state and county, the commercial rezoning and the free land in Ave Maria (offered by Barron Collier Companies)  had all come to a screeching halt– after a lengthy and expensive legal and financial experiment in trying to lure the lab to Eastern Collier County.

But, Commissioner Fred Coyle, an ardent supporter of the scandalous Jackson Lab taxpayer proposal, had not even been notified directly by Barron Collier Companies that the free land for the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria had been yanked. 

Meanwhile, Jackson Lab officials had announced that they were approaching Tampa and Sarasota as less hostile territories,  compared to Collier County– while simultaneously repackaging their taxpayer deal in Tallahassee for Florida’s new governor, Rick Scott.

This is how it was described by Chuck Hewett, VP and Chief Operating Officer of the Jackson Lab:

“I think it is fair to say we see a much higher risk of failure in Collier County due to all sorts of political challenges and interventions that have accumulated over the last five or six months.” – Naples Daily News, January 12, 2011.

“…political challenges and interventions?” 

Could Chuck Hewett possibly be referring to all the lawsuits and public protests in Collier County over the outrageous request for millions of taxpayer dollars– in exchange for the ’smoke and mirrors’ Jackson Lab deal, which never showed taxpayers any signs of authentic and transparent economic development?

These lawsuits, as well as an army of persistent and courageous opponents will be waiting, should the infamous Jackson Lab proposal be reintroduced in Collier County.

“A gift of God”?

Blake Gable - Barron Collier Companies

And what was happening as recently as a month ago? 

Mike Hyde - The Jackson Lab

On December 14, Blake Gable of Barron Collier Companies, whose long job title is, President of Real Estate and Minerals Project Manager for the Development of the Town of Ave Maria, was enthusiastically promoting the Jackson Lab project, as a panelist during an Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting about the Jackson Lab.  Mike Hyde, VP for the Jackson Lab’s Advancement and External Relations, was also a panelist at that meeting.  Hyde’s job was to keep pushing the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab idea, as part of his “external relations” agenda.

The third panelist was Professor Michael Waldstein, who covered the subject of “ethics”.  Dr. Waldstein is employed by Ave Maria University and he is a resident in the town.   Waldstein shared his initial reaction to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project, as follows:

Professor Michael Waldstein

“Fantastic!  This is a gift of God.  This is an answer to prayer“.

“A gift of God”?   

I don’t think so. 

This was to be a gift of millions of taxpayer dollars for what appears to be a scam. 

Nothing ethical about that.

 

 

“Go Ahead with It“

Thomas S. Monaghan

Barron Collier Companies is in partnership with Thomas S. Monaghan  in the development of Ave Maria, a town in rural Eastern Collier County, where the Jackson Lab has been hoping to set up shop.  The Monaghan-Barron Collier partnership operates under the name of Ave Maria Development, LLLP. 

Monaghan, a Catholic, is the former pizza king-turned Chancellor of Ave Maria University.  It was Monaghan who made the land available for the Jackson Lab, and gave the “Go ahead with it”– a highly controversial move, given that the Jackson Lab is also involved in the world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell (HESC) Research, by holding workshops and providing resources for HESC research.  The Catholic Church considers HESC research a grave crime against innocent human life.   

Monaghan has stayed in the shadows of the Jackson Lab debate, and did not show up at the Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting on December 14, in spite of being the town’s most talked-about figure– at times due to idiosyncracies and controversies surrounding his Ave Maria experiment.  Apparently, he preferred having Blake Gable handle the peddling of the Jackson Lab project.  I can see why. 

It is amazing, however, that Monaghan– who so actively promoted Ave Maria as a “Catholic town” (the overwhelming majority of residents in Ave Maria are Catholics) will not personally participate in public discussions about significant changes affecting the property of those who came to live in his well-advertised “City of God”.

“It does not spoil my day”– or does it?

The office of the Collier County Board of County Commissioners is located in Naples– approximately 40 miles from Monaghan’s “City of God”. 

Let’s take a look at Commissioner Fred Coyle’s tone and reaction on Friday, January 14, as he responds to a citizen’s comment via  electronic correspondence, while the news was spreading that the Jackson Lab deal had fallen apart. 

It all started with an e-mail sent by Mary Storto to all five County Commissioners.  Mary Storto, a Naples resident, has been an outspoken and active opponent of the Jackson Lab taxpayer proposal.   In her e-mail, Ms. Storto references a commentary that had appeared that morning in a weekly publication called Collier Citizen:

Public Record [Comments appear in brackets]:

From: MaryStorto [E-MAIL OMITTED FOR PRIVACY]
Sent: Friday, January 14, 2011 9:26 AM
To: CoyleFred; ColettaJim; FialaDonna; HillerGeorgia; HenningTom
Subject: Mark Strain’s theory on JAZ [JAX] 

I think JAX would have a better chance if certain commissioners stopped acting as “lobbyists” for JAX and started acting honestly and intelligently in the best interests of their constituency. 

I like Mike Strain’s theory which I’m attaching herewith.

Sincerely, Mary Storto 

But Commissioner Fred Coyle’s formidable support of the Jackson Lab deal (which Ms. Storto refers to as “lobbying”) – so important to the Ave Maria-Barron Collier team, was apparently not enough to keep Coyle from being ignored by Barron Collier Companies, as the deal was falling apart. 

The following excerpt from the Naples Daily News describes the situation [comment appears in brackets]:

“Coyle was surprised he was not notified directly by Barron Collier of its decision in light of how heavily involved he had been in the project from the beginning.  “It does not spoil my day,” he [Fred Coyle] added. –Naples Daily News, January 14, 2011

The following e-mail response sent by Commissioner Fred Coyle to Mary Storto shows that January 14 may have been, in fact, definitely spoiled for Mr. Coyle by the collapse of the Jackson Lab deal.   But most of all, it shows that Mr. Coyle does not understand the expectations of his position as a publicly elected official, whose fundamental duty is to serve Collier County citizens with the highest standards of decorum:

Public Record [Comments appear in brackets]:

From: CoyleFred <FredCoyle@colliergov.net>
To: Mary Storto [E-MAIL ADDRESS OMITTED FOR PRIVACY]
Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 1:51:50 PM
Subject: Mark Strain’s theory on JAZ [JAX] 

Oooohhh isn’t this priceless!!!  The woman who has sat through our meetings (sometimes falling asleep) with signs insulting Jackson Labs now wants the project to have a “ better chance”.   She wants us to act honestly while she accuses us of being corrupt without the slightest evidence.   Her entire letter is a case study in the need to act “intelligently”. 

Fred Coyle

To which Ms. Storto replied:

 

Public record [comments appear in brackets]

From: Mary Storto [E-MAIL OMITTED FOR PRIVACY]                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                 To: CoyleFred <FredCoyle@colliergov.net>
Cc: jimcoletta, donnafiala, tomhenning, GeorgiaHiller
Sent: Fri, January 14, 2011 2:47:44 PM
Subject: Re: Mark Strain’s theory on JAX

Oooohhh and aren’t you priceless unable to speak to me directly even though you responded to my personal e-mail address. 

I am the woman, Mary Storto, who sat at the commissioners’ meetings and held signs….not insulting Jackson Labs…..only arrogant commissioners who believe in wasting taxpayer monies by financing a totally risky project without even giving taxpayers an opportunity to vote on it.  

You, against the advice of your own attorney, chose to put the zoning question of whether three or four commissioner votes were required for something that has traditionally already been set for a major majority to an arbitrator and then proceded to vote positively on it even though Mr. Bell’s [THE JUDGE] decision is not even binding.  

I do believe you’re corrupt Mr. Coyle. There certainly must be something in this whole deal for you personally somewhere.  I came to this decision because as I sat (sleeping) during other items on the agenda, I observed that many of your decisions were quite rational and fair. 

Thus my conclusion that you certainly are not stupid, so you must be corrupt! 

Sincerely,

Mary Storto

  

Good-bye, Chairman Coyle…

Mr. Coyle, as Chairman of the Collier County Board of County Commissioners, owes an apology to Ms. Storto– and to Collier County citizens, for his unfitting tone in a public written record, in the course of conducting business as a publicly elected official. 

Commissioner Coyle also owes an apology to Collier County citizens for shamelessly voting against a referendum for the Jackson Lab proposal, thus denying citizens an honorable and democratic way of deciding how their taxpayer money should be spent.  

Furthermore, Commissioner Coyle’s support of an unfair and flawed arbitration process and non-binding ruling, which deprives Eastern Collier County property owners of Equal Protection– is another decision which could cause serious long-term financial and legal damage to Collier County citizens.  The arbitration process, including the hearing conducted by Judge Kenneth B. Bell on December 11 and 13, 2010 (also supported by Commissioners Fiala and Coletta) was a prejudicial act which involved a select group of favored powerful developers and large landowners in Eastern Collier County– such as Barron Collier Companies and fellow travelers. 

Finally, Commissioner Coyle should resign– if his goal as chairman is to proceed in an intelligent and rational manner.   This would set the right example for Ms. Fiala and Mr. Coletta.  Otherwise, Mr. Coyle’s presence as a commissioner will be a constant reminder of another embarrassing political experience in Florida’s history.

 

UPDATE  Jan. 20, 2011 -  The Naples Daily News ran several polls during the Jackson Lab scandal.  Now Collier County citizens are again letting their voices be heard through the following public poll: 

Collier County Commissioner, Fred Coyle, should step down  (LINK)

♦    ♦    ♦

 

You may contact Marielena Montesino de Stuart by E-Mail:  ContactTRCW@aol.com

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  The Jackson Lab + Barron Collier Companies + Thomas S. Monaghan + Ave Maria University + Ave Maria, Florida + Collier County, Florida + Eastern Collier County, Florida + Collier Gets to Work Inc + Regional Business Alliance + Economic Development Council of Collier County + Commissioner Fred Coyle + Commissioner Donna Fiala + Commissioner James Coletta + Judge Kenneth B. Bell’s Arbitration Ruling + Chuck Hewett VP Jackson Lab.

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:  

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

AVE MARIA and THE JACKSON LAB: Is it A Marriage Made in Heaven?

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“Fantastic!  This is a gift of God.  This is an answer to prayer.”

Yes… this is how Dr. Michael M. Waldstein described his initial reaction to the proposed opening of the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria, Florida.  The Jackson Lab’s services include holding workshops and providing resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research.

Dr. Waldstein is Max Seckler Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University.

 

Something is amiss in the town of Ave Maria, Florida.  It is the last place one would expect to find a proposed location for a controversial genetics facility called The Jackson Lab—a project that could cost taxpayers over 260 million dollars.  A project that has proven to be divisive in Collier County—because it is loved by some, and despised by so many.

A coffee house featuring religious posters and icons depicting Catholic history and thought, served as the watering hole for approximately one hundred people, who attended a town hall meeting on December 14– in the center of the small, but overwhelmingly Catholic community of Ave Maria, in rural Eastern Collier County.   The audience was comprised of residents, students and visitors.

Three men sat near a microphone, ready to conduct a panel discussion and provide information about the Jackson Lab, and its proposed move to this town.  One of the panelists was Dr. Michael Waldstein– introduced to the audience as Max Seckler Professor of Theology at Ave Maria University.  He is also a resident of Ave Maria.   The two other panelists were Mike Hyde– VP for The Jackson Lab’s Advancement and External Relations, and Blake Gable, President of Real Estate and Minerals Project Manager for the development of the Town of Ave Maria.

The moderator was Carlos A. Figueroa, a resident of Ave Maria, who is also a member of the Ave Maria University Board of Regents.  On July 27, 2010, Mr. Figueroa spoke before the Collier County Board of County Commissioners and expressed his enthusiasm for the Jackson Lab proposal.  His statements were televised, and are part of the county’s official public records of archived meetings. Yet, during the Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting, Mr. Figueroa made the following statements:

“I am not against or for… [incomplete sentence by speaker].  I am waiting to learn the facts about everything that’s going on before I make my own decision.  I want to go on record with that.”

“I have supported the petition as it was presented to the County Commission as a citizen of Ave Maria, and I will continue to support it until the facts are laid out on the table, and I find something to oppose.”

Carlos A. Figueroa – Dec. 14, 2010 – Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting

Amazing!

Mr. Figueroa made it very clear to the audience that questions for the panelists would have to be written on cards,  and at the end there would be a time for final comments.  The audience began  obediently to fill out the cards and turned them over to the organizers.  Dr. John Jaroma, whom I discuss further below, vigorously opposed this– but was firmly instructed by Mr. Figueroa to follow the rules, because “We’re trying to do this for everybody’s benefit.”  Really?

I noted only two or three Ave Maria University faculty members in the audience.  Two of them are priests.  One of these two priests, Fr. McTeigue, respectfully disagreed with some of Dr. Waldstein’s views on the Jackson Lab project.  The only faculty member who stands out with indignation is Dr. Jaroma, who appears to have been recently hired as an assistant professor of mathematics, according to AMU’s website.

But, Ave Maria University has a history of considering “disruptive” such open expressions of opposition, even when these expressions take place off campus.

I wonder how much Dr. Jaroma needs his job.

If there were other faculty members somewhere in the premises of the coffee house or pub, they certainly did not identify themselves publicly in opposition to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project.

Mike Hyde did his usual sales pitch for the Jackson Lab, and tried as hard as he could to avoid answering my specific questions regarding the Jackson Lab’s involvement in providing workshops and  resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell research.

Here’s an audio clip of my questions to Mike Hyde.  Listen carefully to how Hyde repeatedly tries to avoid giving me an answer:

This lack of transparency is why Collier County Commissioner, Tom Henning, has called the Jackson Lab proposal “an embarrassment”.  The  Ave Maria-Jackson Lab scandal has now entered the courtroom battleground, where Collier County citizens are trying to stop the use of millions of taxpayer dollars– for what many see as nothing but a bail out of  Tom Monaghan and Barron Collier Companies’ Ave Maria real estate experiment.  An experiment which began with the “Catholic Town” promotion, then the “Every Lifestyle” promotion– and now the suggestion of a town with a futuristic genetics/biomedical cluster.  Indeed, an odd assortment of promotions.

When Hyde was asked if the Jackson Lab would agree to not engage in activities at the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab site, that Catholics consider ethically unacceptable, Mr. Hyde responded that the Jackson Lab would not enter into any such agreement.  This is one question he answers without hesitation.

Blake Gable, who appeared uncomfortable throughout the evening, was displeased by my question regarding the unanimous decision made by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners approximately two and a half hours earlier, requesting that Ave Maria’s Fiscal Impact Report be examined by the Clerk of Courts.  Gable rejected my question, even though the Board of County Commissioners action was televised, and is an official public record, as noted in the following video clip:

In the following audio clip Blake Gable denies that anything is wrong with the Ave Maria Fiscal Impact Report, dismissing the action taken by the Collier County Board of County Commissioners– much like a wandering street merchant in Istanbul dismisses any questions about the authenticity of his rugs:

Blake Gable’s reaction before this captive audience in this remote town in the Everglades, is part of the history of how the developer communicates with those who trustingly came here following the promotion of this town.

Ave Maria… where anonymity thrives

The town hall meeting was sponsored and organized by “private residents” of Ave Maria—an oxymoron, considering that there is nothing private about a public town hall meeting.  Once at the coffee house, two of these “private residents” organizers made sure to let the residents in the audience know that the meeting would be conducted their way—or the highway.

Case in point:

When Dr. John Jaroma complained that the panel was comprised only of supporters of the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project, he asked if he could join the panel with his opposing views.  Instead, he was threatened with removal from the premises by one of the organizers.

I was then approached by another organizer who returned the three cards where I had written my name and each speaker’s name.  This organizer told me that I had to write my complete question on each card, which would then be read by an organizer.  I had noticed that the questions were being read without identifying the audience member.  I responded that I wanted to ask my questions openly and directly to the panel, instead of through an anonymous card.   The annoying and rude organizer proceeded to tell me that I had to do it his way, or I could leave.

I was finally allowed to pose my questions personally and directly to the panel, through Dr. Waldstein’s repeated intercession– almost at the end of the meeting.  My questions involved financial issues concerning the town, Jackson Lab business activities, and matters of “ethics” in Catholic higher education.

The atmosphere of control and intimidation at this town hall meeting may explain the propensity for anonymous activity in Ave Maria, including anonymous letter-writing, ad hominem attacks and character assassination– at times falling to the level of soot-streaked prisoners of the gutter.

Sadly, anonymous communication is a manifestation of fear.

So, on this unusually cold December evening in Southwest Florida, Dr. Waldstein found himself cast in the role of panelist, discussing issues of ethics, in relation to the Ave-Maria Jackson Lab project.  To this end, he quoted from the theological depth of John Henry Cardinal Newman’s Apologia Pro Vita Sua, Dostoevsky, etc.

During Dr. Waldstein’s opening remarks he emphasized that he had received “particularly important” instruction to speak in his own name.  Yet, during his presentation he brought up and defended Tom Monaghan and Nick Healy—Chancellor and President of Ave Maria University, respectively, by stating that he rejects “in the most decided terms the suspicion that has been raised about Mr. Monaghan and Nick Healy, that they are willing to set aside moral considerations for financial gain”.

What’s the reason behind this suspicion?

Monaghan provided the 50 acres for the proposed location of the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria– then gave the reported “Go ahead with it”  for the project.  Nick Healy has publicly embraced the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project.  (See Naples Daily News, April 10, 2010). 

Yet, Dr. Waldstein stated during this meeting that Ave Maria University has not taken a public position on the Jackson Lab project.  Many find this contradictory, at best.

Here is Dr. Waldstein’s answer to the question of the university’s position, posed by a member of the audience, shortly before the meeting ended:

“It  [Ave Maria University]  has not taken a public position on that question.  The bishop is on the Board of Trustees.  Such a statement would have to be made by the Board of Trustees, and the bishop would have to have the main voice in it.”  

Well, there are a few “issues”– to put it mildly, that need to be considered:

1. Nick Healy is the president of Ave Maria University.

2. Nick Healy has made public statements embracing the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project.

3.  The bishop accepted an invitation to join the Board of Trustees, only as an ex officio member.

4. The bishop has never granted Catholic recognition to Ave Maria University.  I question whether the bishop would make a statement on behalf of Ave Maria University, any more than he would on behalf of Florida Gulf Coast University.

5.  The bishop has already expressed his serious concerns about the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project– through a statement published by the diocese on July 23, 2010.

6.  When Thomas S. Monaghan made the 50 acres available for the Jackson Lab project, he did so upon consultation with the National Catholic Bioethics Center in Pittsburgh, and made it public.   He surely can continue to seek their guidance.

Dr. Waldstein added that his role as a panelist was not to  “join one or the opposing side, but to bring to bear the authentic principles of Catholic ethics, as Father Tatman [the pastor] expressed, in a recent sermon, in accordance with the bishop’s instructions.”

Waldstein acknowledged the bishop’s statement, and added:

“As I understand it, the bishop has not said to the Jackson Lab, ‘Don’t come, we don’t want you.’”

As a prelate, the bishop’s statement regarding the Jackson Lab was clear and firm.  He went as far as to question whether the project should even be considered authentic economic development.  But, it is not the job of a bishop to give specific direction to the Jackson Lab.

For the benefit of the reader, here is a synopsis of a bishop’s role: 

It is of Catholic faith that bishops are of Divine institution. In the hierarchy of order they possess powers superior to those of priests and deacons; in the hierarchy of jurisdiction, by Christ’s will, they are appointed for the government of one portion of the faithful of the Church, under the direction and authority of the sovereign pontiff.

Besides the power of order, bishops possess that of jurisdiction; they have the right to prescribe for the faithful the rules which the latter must follow in order to obtain eternal salvation. The power of jurisdiction is of Divine origin, in the sense that the pope is held to establish in the Church bishops whose mission it is to direct the faithful in the way of salvation.

Dr. Waldstein ended his talk by bringing up, again,  Ave Maria University:

“We are committed to the dignity of life, and I think this is clear also to Jackson Lab.  At any rate,  faithfulness to the bishop is fundamental and I see it as being there at Ave Maria University, right now– and as remaining.” 

This final statement again contradicts his opening remarks that he would not speak on behalf of the university.  Interestingly, he also wore the Ave Maria University insignia pin on his Trachtenjacke.   University lapel pins, as is well known, are a sign of pride, marketing and promotion of a university.

Here are some eye-opening quotes from Dr. Waldstein’s presentation as a panelist, during this town hall meeting.  I find interesting the back-and-forth use of the past and present tense.  These quotes are contained in the video presented at the beginning of this article.  My comments appear in brackets:

“Fantastic!   This is a gift of God!   This is an answer to prayer.  Why?  Because we will have people, intelligent people to talk to, who stand in the mainstream of American culture…” [regarding his first reaction to the proposed opening of the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria].

[Is Ave Maria University so desperate for "intelligent" people to talk to?]

“… Let’s assume that the worst charges that have been made are correct, it seemed to me in looking at the Jackson Lab as a whole, that comparing it to other institutions in the United States—for example the presidency, that the Jackson Lab was clearly one of the more responsible institutions.  That the individuals in it, that there was much institutional decency and care of, and that‘s a matter of perception, that’s how I saw it, looking at the material— certainly if you look at our president [Barack Obama] he’s in a different category.”

[I’m sorry, Dr. Waldstein—this is completely off point.  What does Barack Obama have to do with the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal?]

“Nevertheless, it seemed to me that on the whole,  for the university’s intellectual life the coming of the Jackson Lab was a great good.”

“In the contemporary world another form of thinking has taken hold, that many people call utilitarians,  that is, the ethically right thing to do for many people is to look at benefits and advantages.  To calculate those benefits and advantages, then do whatever it takes to bring about those advantages…  The most extreme form of that way of acting, we find in the great totalitarian leaders of the 20^th century—Stalin, Hitler, Mussolini…”

Dr. Michael M. Waldstein – Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting – Dec. 14, 2010

“Great totalitarian leaders”? 

Although Dr. Waldstein may have been attempting to establish the moral distinction between utilitarians and Catholics, there is a real dissonance in the words “great” and “leader”– when referring to murderous dictators like Stalin, Hitler and Mussolini.

So, where does Dr. Waldstein go from here?

I expressed my serious concerns about Dr. Waldstein’s participation in this panel, when he contacted me several days before the event.

I specifically questioned Dr. Waldstein, a renowned Austrian theologian, as to why he would stand next to two Jackson Lab peddlers at the local coffee house, to discuss “ethics”– nine months after the Jackson Lab scandal began.

At the end of the town hall meeting, Dr. Waldstein encouraged the audience to contact him.  He said  there is the possibility that he could be wrong.

His statements, partly read from an I-Pad, speak for themselves.

Watch the video,  “Ave Maria and The Jackson Lab: Dr. Michael M. Waldstein… In his own words“

IMPORTANT RELATED READING:  The Town of Ave Maria, Thomas S. Monaghan and the Jackson Lab Scandal

♦   ♦   ♦

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

© Marielena Montesino de Stuart

E-Mail:    ContactTRCW@aol.com

You may also read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s commentaries through: RenewAmerica, USAToday, The Dallas Morning News, U.S. Politics Today (an EIN Service for Political Professionals-*) Poynter Online, Spero News, Daily Estimate, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs,  The Wanderer, etc.

© All Rights Reserved

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

NOTICE TO READERS

The JAX-Files: Commissioner Georgia Hiller Speaks Out Against Arbitration

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“Florida’s Collier County taxpayers, who may end up subjugated for decades– can also thank pizza king, Tom Monaghan of Ave Maria Development, for having provided the 50 acres to his business partner, Barron Collier Companies, for the Jackson Lab’s proposed location in Ave Maria.”

Florida is one of the most corrupt states in the nation– and this includes politicians and developers who engage in deals that sometimes lead to jail time.

Will the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal be added to Florida’s corruption Hall of Shame?

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab scandal continues to escalate, not just in public outrage, but in the thousands of taxpayer dollars being spent to push the Jackson Lab proposal down the throats of Collier County citizens. 

Case in point:  an arbitration is scheduled to begin tomorrow, on the matter of whether three or four affirmative votes are required for the Collier County Board of County Commissioners to create or amend a Stewardship Receiving Area (a zoning action)– located in a Development of Regional Impact in the Rural Land Stewardship Area of Collier County.  With the newly elected Commissioner, Georgia Hiller, the super majority vote could threaten the proposed location for the Jackson Lab.  Pushing for a simple majority vote is important for entities such as Barron Collier Companies, since it would facilitate the currently proposed location for the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria, a town located in rural Eastern Collier County. 

Then, political activism in favor of the Jackson Lab proposal would continue in Tallahassee, while Barron Collier Companies and its travelling companions sit back and wait for taxpayer money– the people’s money,  to fall like manna from heaven for the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal.  

Florida’s Collier County taxpayers, who may end up subjugated for decades– can also thank pizza king, Tom Monaghan of Ave Maria Development,  for having provided the 50 acres to his business partner, Barron Collier Companies, for the Jackson Lab’s proposed location in Ave Maria.

A super majority vote, as applies to the aforementioned situation,  is a matter of law.  Yet, the Collier County Board of County Commissioners sided with the powerful landowners from Eastern Collier County, in favor of hiring a retired judge, to act as arbitrator on whether a simple majority vote should apply. 

This arbitration process is looked upon by many as an attempt to circumvent the law.  The outcome will probably be useless, since it will surely be challenged in court– simply to end up as another waste of taxpayer dollars.

Commissioner Tom Henning has been the courageous lone dissenting voice in the Jackson Lab debacle, fighting on behalf of taxpayer’s rights, by demanding a referendum that would allow the voters to decide how their taxpayer money should be spent.  He has referred to the Jackson Lab proposal as an “embarrassment” that has divided the community.  Commissioner Henning also voted against the arbitration process, standing behind the super majority vote, as a matter of law.

The arbitration process appears to have been carefully orchestrated so that it could take place before December 14, when commissioners were originally scheduled to vote on the matter; however, two days ago, the attorney for Collier County announced that due to an “advertising error” the town of Ave Maria items have been removed from the Dec. 14, 2010 Board of Commissioners’ agenda.  UPDATE: Dec. 13, 2010.

This mad rush for an arbitration appears to be in fear of the “new sheriff in town’– newly elected Commissioner, Georgia Hiller, who supports the super majority law.  Ms. Hiller is an attorney, and former certified public accountant, with extensive experience in auditing, finance, and civil law. She is a fiscal conservative. She believes in less government, less taxes and impact fees, and increased visibility into county operations.  She wants to see wasteful spending stopped.  She is pro-business– but demands transparency in economic development.

Here is what Ms. Hiller had to say today, about the arbitration process scheduled to begin tomorrow:

—–Original Message—–
From: HillerGeorgia
To: Marielena Montesino de Stuart <contacttrcw@aol.com>
Cc: HenningTom
Sent: Fri, Dec 10, 2010 7:14 am
Subject: RE: Arbitration – December 11, 2010

Marielena,

I am concerned that this matter relates to all residents of Collier County and therefore this is a matter unsuited for arbitration.

Thank you.

Commissioner Georgia Hiller

District 2

____________________________________________________________________________________________

♦    ♦    ♦

 You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:  

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS

The Ave-Maria Jackson Lab Scandal: Donors and Sales Pitches

The Roman Catholic World

by Marielena Montesino de Stuart

“… it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why the Jackson Lab project makes no moral or financial sense.”

Ave Maria, Florida

 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab scandal has been raging for many months in Collier County, Florida.  The infamous “Jackson Lab deal” is a proposal involving the use of millions of taxpayer dollars to bring the controversial genetics Jackson Lab to Ave Maria, a town located in rural Eastern Collier County.

 

Who Gives Money to The Jackson Lab?

Donors are known for putting their money where their heart is– but, is it the other way around in the case of those who support the Jackson Lab proposal?  As a matter of background information, here is a partial list of Jackson Lab financial supporters. 

Do any names look familiar?

Elizabeth Fekete Club – (up to $999.00)

Anonymous (11)
Ms. Martha Abbott
Walter H. Abelmann
Dr. Michael G. Absatz ’77…
Deborah and Joseph Amato
LuAnn and Michael Ballesteros
Commissioner James Coletta
Ms. Jeannette B. Colford…
Commissioner Donna L. Fiala
Fiore LLC…
Mr. Nicholas J. Healy
Dr. Carol Hermsdorf and Dr. Frank Krasin
Paul C. Hersey…
Jeffrey A. Klatzkow
Mr. James Menucci
Mr. James Merritt…

For a complete list of donors please visit the Jackson Lab website (also available in PDF).  UPDATE - Dec. 28, 2010:  The names of Collier County Commissioners James Coletta and Donna L. Fiala have been removed from the list of donors on the Jackson Lab website.  Why did they remove their names?  Was there a conflict of interest in the Jackson Lab deal?  SEE ORIGINAL PDF FILE ABOVE.

A scandalous project forced on taxpayers

The controversy surrounding the Jackson Lab is not based on who gives money to that institution– although some of the names that appear on the Jackson Lab donor lists may be raising a few eyebrows.

The Jackson Lab controversy has turned into a public scandal, exposing the aggressive manner in which Eastern Collier County powerful landowners have promoted the Jackson Lab taxpayer proposal, without a clear identifiable benefit to Collier County citizens.  This situation has prompted Tom Henning, one of the Collier County Commissioners,  to call an emergency special meeting to stop what he called “an embarrassment“.

The nebulous circumstances surrounding the Jackson Lab proposal is also causing many to view the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab deal with suspicion.  Indeed, some see it as nothing but an aggressive bail out of the Tom Monaghan-Barron Collier Companies’ Ave Maria real estate experiment– which has included the promotion of Ave Maria as everything from– a “Catholic hub” and a “City of God”– to, a town for “Every Lifestyle”– and now, the center of a futuristic “genetics / biomedical cluster.” 

If this weren’t about so many lives being affected on so many levels, it could easily be material for a sitcom.

Smoke and Mirrors

The Jackson Lab proposal gained the enthusiastic support of four commissioners, Donna L. Fiala, Fred Coyle, Frank Halas (recently retired) and James Coletta.  Only one dissenting commissioner, Tom Henning, has remained steadfast in support of a referendum, that would allow the voters to decide how their tax money should be spent.  Commissioner Henning is now joined by another voice of reason, Commissioner Georgia Hiller, who is a strong advocate for transparency in economic development. 

Unfortunately, the Jackson Lab proposal has now entered the courtroom battleground– as four different lawsuits have been filed in an attempt to stop, what appears to be a corrupt deal using taxpayer money.   When all is said and done, legal action will surely cost taxpayers millions of dollars.

These circumstances bring four important points to mind, related to the proposed location of the Jackson Lab, in Ave Maria: 

• The Jackson Lab is involved in the controversial world of Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research (HESC)– by holding workshops and providing resources for it.  Charles “Chuck” E.  Hewett, Vice President and Chief Operating Officer for the Jackson Lab, boldly kicked it up a few notches, by announcing on April 10, 2010 to the Naples Daily News, that the Jackson Lab will not rule out actually doing Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research. 
• Many months ago, the Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Venice in Florida, published a statement affirming the Roman Catholic Church’s stand against Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research, and publicly opposed the Jackson Lab project, declaring that it cannot be considered authentic economic development. 
• Why would pizza king, Tom Monaghan, provide the land and give the reported  ”Go ahead with it“ for the Jackson Lab project in Ave Maria?  After all, it was Monaghan– a Catholic, who has stated that he expected “Catholics, serious Catholics” to live in Ave Maria. 
• Could the Jackson Lab ”embarrassment” and devastating loss of Collier County taxpayer money been averted– if the overwhelming Catholic population, including the Catholic faculty members at Ave Maria University, had publicly and categorically opposed– en masse, the Jackson Lab’s move to Ave Maria, months ago?  Why didn’t they publicly express their indignation to Mr. Monaghan, to Nicholas J. Healy, Jr., the president of Ave Maria University, and to Barron Collier Companies– over this controversial proposal, which is affecting the very core of their town?   Or is it that– at the end of the day, except for a small number of pro-lifers who have very recently come forward, most really do want the Jackson Lab in Ave Maria? 

The bishop voiced his opposition to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project, in defense of innocent human life– and he did so publicly.  The Jackson Lab proposal affects millions of Collier County citizens.  This is why this battle is being fought by so many outside of Ave Maria, in public.  It is not a private matter.  As stated before, the Jackson Lab proposal  is a very serious public scandal, which could have serious consequences on so many levels.

Nine months have passed since the Jackson Lab ordeal began, while the population inside Ave Maria showed no signs of public opposition. Finally, last week, a very small group of residents– who mostly identified themselves as Catholic pro-lifers, offered the first glimmer of hope, by expressing their objections to proposed changes to the Ave Maria master plan, which could eventually accommodate the location for the Jackson Lab.  Their objections to the changes, which included business and financial reasons, were heard by a non-binding advisory planning board in Collier County– which, at the end ruled 7-2 in favor of the changes, with the very noticeable and enthusiastic support of several Ave Maria residents, who spoke during the meeting.

But what goes unreported is the fact that the rest of the overwhelmingly Catholic population in Ave Maria, including the Catholic faculty at the university, did not show up at this public meeting last week– and have not expressed public opposition to the Ave Maria-Jackson Lab project.  While some residents had to work, and others had family obligations– the fact remains that many more should have attended this public meeting.

A ‘Town Hall Meeting’ or a ‘Pro-Jackson Lab Sales Pitch’?

An undisclosed group of “private residents” has organized a “town hall meeting” in Ave Maria.  The only person identified from– what appears to be an anonymous group of organizers, is Carlos A. Figueroa– an outspoken public supporter of the Jackson Lab proposal, who is both a resident of Ave Maria, and a member of the Ave Maria University Board of Regents. 

But– what gives these undisclosed “private residents” the right to organize this so-called “town hall meeting”– including the selection of an “expert panel”– without the input of ALL residents?

Are these “private residents” supporters of the Jackson Lab project?

Is this “town hall meeting” simply another sales pitch for the Jackson Lab proposal?

Did these undisclosed “private residents” even care to invite the bishop or the pastor to be in their panel of “experts”?

Why didn’t they include a financial expert that has analyzed the Jackson Lab proposal?  This way, he or she can explain to the residents of Ave Maria that this project is a ‘smoke and mirrors’ scheme to subjugate Collier County taxpayers for decades.

Why are these “private residents” / organizers hiding their identities?  This kind of anonymous activity appears to be part of the social makeup of the town of Ave Maria.  

A town hall meeting is a public function.   As such, Ave Maria residents are entitled to know who all the undisclosed “private residents” / organizers  are.  This way, the residents of Ave Maria who are still in a confused state about the Jackson Lab project, can at least thank these benevolent anonymous organizers  for trying so hard– at this late date, to enlighten us all about the Jackson Lab proposal– and for possibly even redefining what it means to be pro-life!

It remains to be seen how many Ave Maria residents and AMU faculty members will attend this ”Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting” — which will take place in a coffee house at the center of town, on December 14, from 7:00pm to 8:30pm– interestingly, a few short hours after the Collier County Board of County Commissioners meets to discuss and vote on the rezoning issue affecting Ave Maria.  An issue which could alter the location of the Jackson Lab– or better yet, bring the whole project to a screeching halt.   

UPDATE: Dec. 08, 2010-  Due to an “advertising error” the town of Ave Maria items have been removed from the Dec. 14, 2010 Board of Commissioners’ agenda.

It also remains to be seen how many Ave Maria residents and Ave Maria University faculty members will attend the Ave Maria Town Hall Meeting, to unequivocally and publicly oppose the Jackson Lab project– without long drawn out philosophical explanations.  After all, it doesn’t take a rocket scientist to understand why the Jackson Lab project makes no moral or financial sense.

If the size of the coffee house is any indication, not many are expected to attend– since such a venue with a  limited capacity could find it difficult to accommodate a very large turnout of the town’s population– not to mention the possibility of a large showing of Ave Maria University students, and other members of the public.  But, will this undisclosed group of “private residents” allow AMU students to attend and express their views?  After all, Ave Maria is promoted as a “university-town”– and one of their professors will be speaking, as noted below.

This town hall meeting will feature an ”expert panel” comprised of none other than Mike Hyde, VP for The Jackson Lab’s Advancement and External Relations, and Blake Gable, a supporter of the Jackson Lab project.  Mr. Gable is President of Real Estate and Minerals Project Manager for the development of the Town of Ave Maria.  Dr. Michael Waldstein, a professor of Theology at Ave Maria University, is scheduled to weigh in on the subject of “ethics”–with his expertise on the Gospel of St. John, Gnosticism, St. Thomas Aquinas, John Paul II, Hars Urs von Balthasar, etc.  

With all due respect to Dr. Waldstein and his expertise on theology– the Bishop of the Diocese of Venice is the only expert that we should be listening to, who can objectively speak about “ethics” involving  the Jackson Lab project.  And on that matter, the bishop has already spoken.  Long ago.

One can only hope that the name of our patient and good local bishop will not be used– except to admit that his pastoral guidance and concerns regarding the Jackson Lab have mostly gone ignored, inside Ave Maria. 

RELATED ARTICLES: 

The Ave Maria-Jackson Lab Battle: The Erosion of What it Means to be Pro-Life

SCRIPPS Florida:  Hyped Bio-Tech Boom went Bust

♦    ♦    ♦

Marielena Montesino de Stuart

You may read Marielena Montesino de Stuart’s observations and opinions through:  

RenewAmerica, USAToday, U.S. Politics Today (a EIN News Service for Political Professionals) Poynter Online, Spero News, The New Liturgical Movement-Poland, The Naples Daily News, Les Femmes-The Truth, Culture War Notes,  ProLife Blogs, The Wanderer, etc.

TOPICS FOR DISCUSSION:  Ave Maria, Florida + The Chronicles of Ave Maria© + Corruption in Florida + Ave Maria University + The Jackson Laboratory + Charles “Chuck” E. Hewett + Collier County Board of County Commissioners + Commissioner Tom Henning + Commissioner Georgia Hiller + Workshops and Resources for Human Embryonic Stem Cell Research + Eugenics + Margaret Sanger + Tom Monaghan + Tom Golisano +  Nick Healy + Nicholas J. Healy Jr., President of AMU + Barron Collier Companies + The Ave Maria Stewardship Community District + Bishop Frank J. Dewane.

© All Rights Reserved    www.TheRomanCatholicWorld.com

NOTICE TO READERS