I have been following with much interest the downward spiral and final fizzles of Bishop Raymond Lahey’s ignoble and sadly typical priestly career. The media it would seem, on the surface has done everything in its power to flog this story to death and drag the once unjustly good name of Bishop Lahey through the mud. What has shocked me though, is that while interviews of the victims of this once powerful man abound, the public has been left completely ignorant of the sheer influence Lahey once had in Antigonish County. It is staggering, given the number of boys who have now come forward attesting to the Bishop’s pedophilic tendencies, that the focus has been entirely upon Lahey’s ecclesiastic rank and the awful, yet ironic fact that Lahey was in charge of the settlement soon to be paid to survivors of the same cruel form of Catholic charity he also imbibed in. I have been meditating on the appalling morbidity of this and the fact that it did not compel this new round of victims to come forward earlier. This article, rather than merely reporting and commenting on events, tenders a hypothesis (sadly one that has not been raised thus far): that Bishop Lahey was not confronted because of his tremendous influence in the affairs and daily operations of the community of Antigonish.

Like all serious hypothesis mine can be quantified. For those outside of the quaint East Coast circles of Academia it is largely unknown, and, as far as I know, unreported that Bishop Lahey was, up until this scandal broke, the Chancellor of St. Francis Xavier University. Yes, yes, that same university with the uppity old-money with down-east connections, gaudy “X-ring”, and suspicious McLean’s University Rankings (given their paltry laboratory amenities). These are the same musty brick and mortar facilities that taught Brian Mulroney how to drink, me the science of psychology, and Elizabeth May, that in an election, Catholic students and voters would care even less about her than the environment. From this institution of higher learning, I would like to ask, where is the public statement given by Sean Riley – Rhodes Scholar, and in my estimation, the far too politically polarized President of the University? Where are the ill-construed rantings of the University’s Cheerleading squad (*ahem* I suppose I mean Student’s Union)? Where is the outrage and up cry by campus professors? All of this is suspiciously absent if you ask me.

This queer and silent response to an issue central to the character and identity of this Catholic-founded university can be contrasted to the outrageous flood of media and hype generated when one of its own Muslim political scholars, Dr. Shiraz Dossa, was caricatured as a holocaust denier simply because he lectured at a conference in Iran, albeit with some shady attendees, giving a scholarly account on the use of the Holocaust as propaganda in modern Israeli politics (you can see an article from Shiraz if you like). I recall the media on campus, the departmental review, and the insipid academic pogrom that followed. Where now is the Riley interview on TV proclaiming that the actions of one member of the University do not reflect on the body of scholars working there? Where are the petitioning students and Ottawa activists now? Where is all that shining medieval apparatus – the propaganda, and name-smearing, and muck-raking now that a Christian leader has fallen? The lack of pluralism revealed in this contrast, the belief, erroneous or otherwise, that a resident scholar may have committed an intellectual faux pas in thought and writing vs. the literal screwing of young boys by one’s own spiritual, moral, and academic leaders is damning to the University as both an anchor for civic morality and education indeed! Is freedom of speech and literature really more horrible than forced sodomy? Allow me to refine my previous question: “why is my tax-funded CBC not on campus seeking out multiple viewpoints on the merits of free-speech as compared to coercive rape?” I doubt that Mr. Riley’s well-known senate ambitions are so influential as to be able to turn away all news outlets, so where are all these donkeys and why aren’t they doing the job they ought to? Since when did the media go out of its way to protect the reputation of a University? Unbelievable!

The position of Chancellor of the University, and the fact that it is was occupied by a Catholic Bishop is a reflection of the centrality of the University itself in the rural, and otherwise economically barren hamlet of Antigonish. About half of the four-thousand plus students live on campus, the other in off-campus quarters. Rental housing is perhaps the main source of supplementary income in the county and furthermore, restaurants, bars, and pubs all rely on the student population since Antigonish itself really only has around 4,200 of its own permanent residents. In the summer the town literally tanks and is rather desolate and empty – I dare even say eerie. Without university enrollments the town, along with most of its businesses, would literally die.

Medicare, Antigonish’s second major employer since the town houses the regional hospital, was also under domain of Bishop Lahey. St Margret’s hospital, which still compels doctors to sign a signature stating that they will not perform abortions in their publicly funded provincial hospital, was founded by the Catholic church. Local workers in Antigonish women’s outreach groups are well aware of the fact that even morning after pills are not given to victims of rape at St Margie’s, still very seemingly Catholic, yet publicly funded hospital (note: federal transfer payments from more western provinces). For humane, liberal, medical treatment, one must journey to Halifax, or to private centers assuming, of course, that rape-victims and wayward teens know how and are emotionally and financially capable to find them. Regardless, in Antigonish, Bishop Lahey was lord of all.

So, politics aside, and whether you agree with mine in particular or not, I think that we can come to consensus with this question: “Does it seem reasonable for persons living in the small community of Antigonish, or the even smaller satellite communities around it, to come forward with harsh, hard to prove, and perhaps to some, suspiciously old accusations against a man who has a resume and reputation as expansive as Bishop Lahey’s?” If that victim is a mere fisherman, a welder, or the owner of a small shop, how could such a thing affect both his reputation and livelihood? Indeed, it is quite obvious to me precisely why it took so long for these accusations to be made public even in spite of the fact that Bishop Lahey was slapping other Catholics in the face by brokering the settlement to other groups of victims – who would ever believe them? Worse yet, imagine the social ostracizing one would get from one’s own community of faith and maybe even family. There is perhaps no greater fear than abandonment. This is certainly understood by Father Paul Abbass, the current spokesperson for this affair who, in reference to Bishop Lahey was quick to stand by his side and both suspiciously play middleman and sensitively offer this: “…it [the resignation] involves painful spiritual healing, profound understanding from all and difficult financial sacrifices. While the resignation of our former Bishop will be a loss to our Diocese in many ways, his departure does not diminish the legal and spiritual commitments we have made. I am tremendously proud of all those who have come forward and wish you all healing, restoration, and dignity.” (http://www.thecasket.ca/stories.asp?id=884) I wonder to what loss the Father was referring. Innocence perhaps? I can’t see any reason to sympathize with a child molester and a pedophile nor regret his loss nor absence. Instead, I can only wish and hope for the victims of this tremendous and scaring tragedy that they find a deep sense of pride that comes from fulfilling this biblical mandate: they overcame him by the blood of the Lamb and by the word of their testimony and they did not love their lives so much as to cower even from death (Rev. 12.11).

Cheers.

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Tags: Bishop Lahey., Child Abuse, nova scotia, St. Francis Xavier University

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