An Introduction into the "Sexual Underworld" within the Church!
Roman Catholic Faithful – Spring/Summer 2001 (pages 6-8)

        RCF has heard from many Catholics within the Joliet [Illinois] Diocese and elsewhere who are frustrated and unsure of what to do regarding the liturgical abuses and heretical teachings being forced upon them by their bishop's action or inaction. The faithful are constantly reminded of their obligation to contribute their hard-earned dollars to fund the destruction of their parishes and schools. They are pressured to pay for the creation and operation of special "ministries," which in some cases, are used as a tool to undermine Church teachings and promote the "gay agenda." While all this is going on, many of their 9 to 5 priests are involved in sexual relationships, living in lavish homes, and taking "Gay Cruises", while the local Church disintegrates.

        The situation that exists within the Joliet Diocese is not unique. The same problems can be found in many dioceses around the country. The bishops are the problem.

        In his book, The Devastated Vineyard, Dietrich von Hildebrand describes the weak or cowardly bishop:

        This failure of the bishops to make use of their God-given authority is perhaps, in practical consequences, the worst confusion in the Church today. For this failure not only does not arrest spiritual diseases, heresies, and the blatant as well as the insidious (and this is much worse) devastation of the vineyard of the Lord: it even gives free rein to these evils. The failure to use holy authority to protect the holy Faith leads necessarily to the disintegration of the Church.

        There is also the type of bishop who clearly has an agenda to make the Church into something it is not. Sometimes, it seems, this happens because he is blinded by his own sinfulness, other times a form of blackmail may be the driving force. Yet another reality is that he may have already lost his faith. In any case, something must be done - today. It is up to the laity to pick up the gauntlet.

        One form of blackmail that RCF has found to exist within the Church is brought about by a "sexual underworld" existing among the clergy. We saw this in Springfield, Illinois. Priests who knew of Bishop Ryan's homosexual activities either defended him or remained silent for fear of their own sexual misconduct becoming an issue. The Diocese of Joliet, as the Springfield Diocese, seems to be part of this "sexual underworld."

        Barry M. Coldrey, in his book Religious Life without Integrity / The Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church, details this sexual underworld.

According to an Australian news report:

        ...there is a limit to what the Vatican will allow. In the past few weeks a prominent Christian Brother has been ordered to with draw from circulation a hook which accuses members of his order and others of having created a "smokescreen "in regard to clerical sexual abuse. The hook, Religious Life Without Integrity - The Sexual Abuse Crisis Within the Catholic Church, says that "sexual under-worlds" have developed in some religious congregations and dioceses... The author, Brother Dr. Barry Coldrey... is a church historian who came to prominence in the early 1990s when his Christian Brothers order asked him to investigate and write a hook about the West Australian Catholic orphanages. His superiors claimed that as an "outsider" (from Victoria), he would he an honest broker, whose reporting would satisfy the demands of the old boys for an inquiry.

        RCF has been in contact with Br. Coldrey and purchased several copies of his book. He has given us permission to reprint sections of his book as it describes the conditions that exist within several of the Dioceses RCF has investigated (Springfield and Joliet are two of them).

The Conspiracy

There has been a nationwide pattern which I have observed over the last 35 years. Bishops know of ongoing sexual misconduct by Catholic priests and religious and bishops co-operate to keep such misconduct. from becoming public knowledge. The following are uniform practices: failing to investigate indications of any sexual misconduct, even with children; .failing to supervise properly the cleric in his assignment, failing to ensure that the cleric is prosecuted for misconduct with children. Once an incident occurs, energy and policies at the highest levels of Church authority have been directed to damage control, avoidance of scandal at all costs, and efforts to placate and manipulate victims and families. The latter often involves intimidation, misleading information, and even. fraudulent means, if necessary. Policy also involves maintaining the priest in a new assignment without proper supervision and without informing the congregation where the abusive behaviour usually continues. (Sipe, A W R, Preliminary expert report, p 16)

Coldrey points out that:

A sexual network is a small group or circle of priests, brothers or lay workers who are living at variance with their vows on .sexual matters - two's and three's who support one another by supportive silence and covering for each other. A sexual underworld is a larger, more amorphous state-within-a-state inside a diocese or Religious Congregation, where there is a substantial number of people who are not living their vows (or have not for periods in the past) and who co-operate to hide one another's extracurricular activities.

        The following quote describes exactly what RCF found to be going on within the Springfield Diocese under the leadership of homosexual bishop Daniel Ryan. RCF has heard similar stories from clergy in several dioceses.

12: SEXUAL UNDERWORLD

The Invitation to the Underworld

A weeping young American priest struggled to absorb an experience that threatened his idealism and tells his .story: '7 had completed graduate schools and was flattered when my bishop asked me to accompany him to a high-level meeting attended by a large number of the hierarchy. During my time there, I was approached and asked for sex by a bishop from another diocese. I declined, and the bishop remarked: 'You know, Father, if you want to progress in this organisation, you are going to need friends.' The young priest was to find out later that some men on the bishop's .staff were themselves connected sexually to the gay network .. he witnessed priests who won promotions based on .sexual involvement, was offered pornography and endured sexual advances from a number of highly placed fellow clergy.' (Sipe, A.W.R. Sex, Priests and Power: Anatomy of a Crisis, Brunner/Mazel Publishers, New York, 1995, p. 173)

Br. Coldrey goes on to explain what his investigation revealed:

        ... The regular appointment of known child molesters to secretarial or archivists roles at episcopal or provincial headquarters provides such men with positions to further the interests of a sexual underworld if one exists. The secretary deals with the public on sensitive issues and the archivist comes to possess a great deal of private information (blackmail capacity) about current and former members of the diocese or province.

14: LEADERSHIP TOLERANCE

Some bishops and Religious Superiors are tolerant or appear to be accepting of the extracurricular .sexual activities of their priests, brothers and (occasionally) nuns. Moreover, a few bishops and some higher superiors have abused minors or broken their vows of celibacy. Sexual activity by priests is relatively common.

Where this tolerance occurs, the reasons are close to those argued already with a few variations. The .subject is too dangerous to touch, too explosive; nobody wants to know.

The Hidden Defender

The reason why religious executives and diocesan bishops are slow to tackle members who have clearly scandalised the Congregation or 'God's people' in more than a tissue of platitudes, is that the `sexual underworld' is just so pervasive that the diocese or province may be torn apart.

If even ten or fifteen percent of a province or diocese have had public difficulties with their vows, a move against even a spectacular offender will seem as a threat to all. Each has friends. The province could he torn asunder with recriminations. This is the fear.

Hence the executive paralysis and the savage character assassination directed at anyone who might care to point out unpleasant realities. "...The rub for the Catholic priest or brother with a vow of chastity is that all these (sexual] relationships are contrary to his vow; only some are illegal, hot on the principle that Birds of a feather flock together' these relationships together are the foundation of the sexual underworld which can develop in some dioceses and in some religious congregations. " "...Priests/ brothers/church workers who abuse minors and commit criminal of fences have been (are ?), able to hide within a .sympathetic underworld of other clergy and church workers who are merely breaking their vows by having heterosexual or gay sex with consenting adults. All are doing the wrong thing and have a similar incentive to provide mutual .support. They share an unstated capacity for mutual blackmail. Each has friends.

        Not only has RCF, Richard Sipe, and Br. Coldrey documented the existence of the sexual underworld, Fr. Andrew Greeley, Chicago priest and friend of Cardinal George, has said as much.

        Fr. Greeley's book, Furthermore! Memories of a Parish Priest, was released on December 1, 1999. The following is a quote from page 80.

        ...But even in Chicago, the ring of predators about whom I wrote in the paperback edition of "Confessions" remains untouched. There is no evidence against them because no one has complained about them and none of their fellow priests have denounced them. Those who have been removed are for the most part lone offenders who lacked the skill to cover their tracks. The ring is much more clever. Perhaps they always will he. But should they .slip, should they get caught, the previous scandals will seem trivial...

A footnote states:

They are a dangerous group. There is reason to believe that they are responsible for at least one murder, and may perhaps have been involved in the murder of the murderer. Am I afraid of them? Not particularly. They know that I have in safekeeping information which would implicate them. I am more of a threat to them dead than alive. (p. 80)

        Although Greeley claims to have information to "implicate them", and Cardinal George has been made aware of Greeley's comments-nothing has come of it. The cover-up and corruption continues.

        One can only imagine the number of souls that have been and will be lost because of a particular bishops' actions. Unfortunately, the potential loss of souls does not appear to be enough to motivate the average Catholic to take action. Should 100 Catholic men, who find themselves "served" by a corrupted bishop, find the strength of faith to unite and stand up to their bishop (and Rome) and demand he be held accountable, he could not withstand the challenge. "With Christ all things are possible." But finding 100 Catholics willing to risk the loss of social standing, friends, family, and possibly income, is very difficult.

        It has taken many years for these corrupt bishops to gain control. It is not a problem easily remedied. We at RCF ask you to stand with us and help fight the good fight.

        If you are from Dioceses of Joliet, Albany, or Rochester and willing to stand up---contact RCF now. We need your information, your voice, your contributions, and most importantly-your prayers.

Barry M. Coldrey's book Religious Life without Integrity / The Sexual Abuse Crisis in the Catholic Church can be purchased by sending $15.00 U. S. to

Barry M. Coldrey
7 / 67 Collins Street
Thornbury Vic. 3071, Australia

or you can send him an email at
busherw@bigpond.com