Pope decides not to prosecute Bishops who covered up for priest sex abusers

For years now the Catholic Church has been facing criticism around the world for its inaction in failing to prevent sexual abuse of children by Catholic Priests. Furthermore, the Church has been criticized for failing to hold Bishops who failed to prevent the abuse accountable.

Therefore, advocates for sexual abuse survivors were cautiously optimistic when Pope Francis announced plans to create a tribunal to prosecute Bishop’s under Canon law who covered up sexual abuse by Priests.

However, last week the Pope backed off on his proposal to criminally prosecute Bishops. Instead the Pope issued an apostolic letter to “clarify” the proper procedures available under Canon law to punish Bishops who have been found to have violated the Canon code.

The Church’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is the body that is supposedly in charge of prosecuting priests accused of sexual abuse within the church. Francis planned to create an arm of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith that would be in charge of investigating prosecuting bishops accused of negligence in protecting abusive priests or in covering up sexual abuse by children. Perhaps it comes as no surprise that this initiative was opposed by Catholic bisops around the world.

In the face of the opposition Pope Francis has decided to scrap the tribunal idea entirely.

To be clear, the Tribunal was never really necessary. The Canon law already contains provisions that would have allowed Bishops to be prosecuted for negligence or misconduct, including covering up for sexually abusive priests. The problem has always been the previous Pope’s and persons in authority within the Catholic Church have lacked the will to confront the problem.

It is unfortunate that even simple and obvious reforms like holding Bishops accountable for protecting pedophiles cannot seem to make it through the institutional inertia of the Catholic Church. For decades it has been obvious that for those in authority within the Church the reputation of the church is more important than protecting its most vulnerable members, children. Obviously Bishops wouldn’t want the spectacle of senior members of the church being prosecuted for protecting child abusers.

What do they have to hide? Apparently a great deal.

Let’s help make pedestrians safer on Spring Garden Road in Halifax

We have been trying to raise awareness to make Halifax a safer city for our pedestrians. See for example Mark Raftus’ recent article: Protecting Pedestrians with Innovative Ideas

Petition to Lower Speed Limit on Spring Garden

Halifax City Council recently approved a plan to improve streetscaping and lighting along Spring Garden Road to make it more pedestrian friendly. We believe that pedestrians should be able to safely walk the streets of Halifax. However, there were 208 pedestrian accidents last year (2015) and a disproportionate number happened on Spring Garden. There are three intersections on Spring Garden that have averaged 6 pedestrian-car collisions over the last few years. As business owners on this Road, we’ve launching a petition to reduce the speed to 30km per hour, ensuring a safer street for everyone.

No Consensus for Addressing the Problem

Halifax Regional Police statistics over the last 5 years show that more than 60% of pedestrian-car collisions happen in crosswalks. Keep in mind, the statutes are clear; pedestrians generally have the right of way within crosswalks. While the pedestrian does have an obligation to exercise care, vehicle operators must also exercise care and pay attention.

Even with the Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee in Halifax, there has been no consensus regarding how best to address the concerns of residents, drivers and law enforcement.

Creating a Better Model for Safety

There have been various attempts to reduce the number of pedestrians struck at intersections. Some of the more innovative have included using pedestrian bumps and crosswalk lights such as those in use near Calgary and Vancouver. But we think we need to look to our neighbours in the United States for a possible solution to decrease pedestrian-related injuries and deaths due to a car collision.

“A small difference in speed can mean the difference between life and death”

New York streets are a hub of automobile & pedestrian traffic. Mayor Bill deBlasio recently enacted several changes in parts of NYC including a “slow zone”. This was a decrease in the speed limit in areas where there were significant numbers of pedestrian/auto accidents. As a result of many of these changes, in 2014, pedestrian accidents in NYC were at the lowest levels in history.

We all understand the slower a vehicle is traveling, the easier it is for them to stop, but the facts back this up. In fact, a study conducted by Transportation Alternatives showed that at 48 km, a car has a 20% chance of killing a pedestrian, but at 32 km, that drops to just 2% (after you convert American miles per hour to Canadian kilometers per hour).

Let’s try it on Spring Garden!

There is clear evidence that shows that higher speeds result in greater fatalities. Reducing the speed limit, which has already proven to be successful in NYC, is the most logical way to prevent pedestrian injuries and fatalities.

No blame! Just looking for solutions.

We don’t want to point fingers about who is to blame for pedestrian-car collisions. Distracted driving and distracted walking are both contributing factors. We recognize that accidents are going to continue to happen. But when accidents do happen we want to reduce the risk of serious injury or death. Changing the speed limit on Spring Garden from 50km to 30km will save lives and help reduce injuries. This must be considered by the legislature and by the Crosswalk Safety Advisory Committee as a viable method of reducing these incidents.

Join our petition now; the injury you prevent or the life you save could be yours or that of a loved one. Learn more about the data and evidence by visiting our website to sign our petition & join us in making Halifax a safer place for everyone.

Client Success Story: Cullan Chisholm heads to T.O. for National Challenger Baseball Jamboree

Every now and then we like to share stories about how some of our clients (and their families) have overcome the challenges posed by their injuries.

Cullen in his Challengers Uniform

Cullan Chisholm is 5 years old. He has cerebral palsy as a result of a brain injury he suffered during birth. Because of his injuries, Cullan has limited mobility and he can’t talk.

But, like most kids his age, Cullan loves sports. He watches the Blue Jays with his dad, Wade every chance he gets. So Cullan’s mom Monique signed Cullan up to join the Antigonish Challenger baseball team. 

Play ball!

Cullan in his Upsee

Challenger baseball is a national program that allows children with cognitive or physical disabilities to enjoy playing baseball, being part of a team and developing all of the social skills that come from being part of a team. Team members are assigned able bodied “buddies”. The buddies help the challenger players with their involvement in the game. For example by helping them hold and swing a bat or pushing them around the bases in a wheelchair.

When he’s playing baseball for the Antigonish challenger team  Cullan uses an “upsee” a mobility device that that lets kids with  motor impairments “stand” and “walk” with the help of an adult.

The Antigonish Challenger baseball team has been fundraising for about a year to attend the National Challenger Baseball Jamboree that’s held at the Rogers Centre in Toronto every year. Monique and Wade Chisholm and all of the other Challenger Baseball participants managed to raise in excess of $40,000.00 so the kids and their caregivers could travel to Toronto for a once in a lifetime experience.

Superman meets Superman

Cullan’s trip was made even more special because he managed to meet his hero, Blue Jays Center Fielder Kevin Pillar at the Jamboree.

Cullan’s dad, Wade, helped him write a letter to Pillar because Wade and Monique refer to Cullan as their “superman” and Pillar’s nickname on the field is Superman (because of his amazing diving catches).

Wade posted Cullan’s letter to Pillar on Facebook and its made its way through the magic of social media to Pillar’s attention. Pillar responded personally to Cullan’s letter and arranged for the two to meet when Cullan was at the Challenger Baseball Jamboree in Toronto. Mom Monique said it was one of the highlights of the trip for Cullan.

Parents go above and beyond

Even though Cullan has devastating physical and cognitive deficits Monique and Wade have gone above and beyond to make sure that he has been able to enjoy the same kind of opportunities as other able bodied children. They are a great example of what love and perseverance can achieve.

Want to get involved with Challenger baseball?

Nova Scotia currently has five communities with Challenger Baseball programs – Antigonish, Glace Bay, Hammonds Plains, Inverness and Pictou County. If you would like information about how to participate or volunteer as a buddy you can visit www.nschallengerbaseball.com or contact the coordinator at randy.crouse@hotmail.com