Credibility problem

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Jul 01, 2004

A Salesian superior assures the world that of course he didn't move a priest from Australia to Samoa to help him avoid child-abuse charges. He didn't know the police were still interested in the case, the superior says.

OK; the explanation is plausible. Let's test it against some other information:

1. The superior says that he sent the offending priest to Samoa to keep him away from children. Stop me if I'm wrong-- I admit I've never been to Samoa-- but I think there may be children there.
2. The superior acknowledges that he signed a legal document testifying that the priest in question had no criminal record. In fact the priest did have a criminal record. But the superior says he signed the document "in good faith."

Ah: in good faith! So maybe he's telling us now, in good faith, that he wasn't trying to shelter a predator from prosecution.