On 3/11, Father David Morrier, TOR, pled guilty to one count of sexual battery. Franciscan University claimed they had no idea what Morrier was up to. I was provided a copy of the lawsuit by someone (not the victim) involved. dropbox.com/s/20ntkzph1lpo…
University President Father Dave Pivonka, chaplain Father Shawn Roberson, then-Minister Provincial Father Richard Davis, and Father Michael Scanlan, now-deceased former president and chancellor of Franciscan University knew that Morrier was conducting these deliverance sessions.
According to the lawsuit, Father Michael Scanlan was Morrier's mentor and participated in several of these sessions. When the victim told Scanlan that Morrier was raping her, Scanlan told her to practice "emotional chastity."
According to the lawsuit, when the victim told Father Pivonka in 2011 that she was being subjected to violent exorcisms, he merely said, "I'll pray for you."
According to the lawsuit, when the victim begged Father Shawn Roberson to intervene, he stopped her from continuing to tell him about being sexually abused and told her that "gossip is a sin."
According to the lawsuit, the victim became pregnant as a result of one of Morrier's rapes. Morrier forced her to have an abortion. Morrier blamed the pregnancy on a demon he called, "Father Robert."
According to the lawsuit, Father Richard Davis told the victim she should feel guilt for her own participation in her abuse.
According to the lawsuit, Morrier compelled the victim to recite graphic details of her childhood abuse "while participants forcibly restrained....sprayed holy water on her and placed a crucifix up her T-shirt to lay against her bare skin."
Multiple current faculty and staff participated in these deliverance sessions as restrainers. Some used gallon jugs of holy water to soak the victim.
This lawsuit alleges a myriad of serious crimes including sexual battery, insurance fraud, trafficking in persons, money laundering, and kidnapping.
When asked for a comment the victim said “I cannot comment, the case has been settled confidentially out of court."
When asked why the source wanted the information released, they stated, "The truth needs to be known because we planned for her not to live, but she stayed alive. We failed her.”
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The number of people saying that it’s totally okay for a priest to pick up a lock of a girl’s hair and “she’s just fine” is disappointing but not at all surprising. A brief 🧵 (1/10)
Having been a girl once upon a time, I can name COUNTLESS interactions with grown men that were not overtly sexual or even criminal in which I felt uncomfortable and unsafe. (2/10)
And on those occasions where I told a trusted adult, the response was inevitably either that I was overreacting, that so-and-so didn’t mean anything by it, or that I was making a big deal of nothing. (3/10)
Celebrity Exorcists.🧵 A few weeks ago, a man I criticized for his involvement in an exorcism during which he pinned a young woman to the ground acting as a “restrainer” went on Martins podcast to trade war stories and make jokes about being a bouncer for Jesus. (1/10)
A few weeks ago, I said that an increased fascination with the demonic is how one ends up with clergy abuse.
A thread. 🧵 (1/14)
At Franciscan University of Steubenville, students across several generations attest to the fact that deliverance prayers and exorcisms were prevalent on campus. These prayers were given to students by the TORs who own and staff the university. (2/14)
It was not uncommon for the friars and others to express concerns about demonic influences interfering with their important evangelization. This was a common theme during the school year as well as during summer conferences. (3/14)
There’s something to be said about the brazenness of @HallowApp featuring a man currently being investigated by the authorities for four separate instances of sexual assault and abuse allegations. (1/6)
It feels so in your face, so very intentional. As if to send the message that sexual assault is no big deal. Russell Brand isn’t their first, of course. Bret Favre has been accused of sexual harassment by more than one woman, not to mention his other offenses. (2/6)
People push back and say well, let he who is without sin cast the first stone, but no one is saying these men are beyond redemption, merely that they are not suitable for the roles they’ve been given. (3/6)
Father Chad Ripperger and his assistant, Kyle Clement. A thread.
I’ve expressed my distrust of Father Chad Ripperger before and of all so-called celebrity exorcists. Exorcists are by their job description supposed to be quiet and unknown. (1/13)
Anyone who boasts of this role sets off my spidey senses. I grew up attending way too many “spiritual warfare” lectures listening to people like Mike Warnke (fraud) and Ken Roberts (laicized child abuser) detail all of their depravity to somehow prove evil exists. (2/13)
When Ripperger makes videos boasting that he’s gotten countless individuals to stop taking their bipolar meds because they were possessed, that’s dangerous. Saying women are in mortal sin for working outside the home without grave reason, laughable, but also dangerous. (3/13)
A brief thread on my complaints about chastity educators. This isn’t solely focused on Jason Evert, but admittedly, his is the most popular game in this particular town. First of all, and again, not the only man doing so, (1/22)
I find it sends mixed signals to have a man of nearly 50 address teen girls regarding these delicate issues. We know a real problem exists within the church and recognizing boundary violations. We must consistently model safe boundaries for our children. (2/22)
Who are safe adults, what is appropriate for an adult male to discuss with you, etc. Evert’s ministry says that he is not alone with anyone, which is good. But addressing them about these topics is still very intimate. (3/22)