Stockton Priest Stepping Down After Fathering Child

[SecularMotion]

STOCKTON (CBS13) — A well-known and well-loved Stockton priest is stepping down after announcing he’s fathering a child.

Father Dean McFalls is speaking out about his move at St. Mary’s Church that has stunned parishioners.

McFalls decided to go public about being an expectant father of a baby boy to quell any rumors about his departure.

“I didn’t want the baby to be hidden away, or somehow run from the city,” he said.

http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2013/09/25/stockton-priest-stepping-down-after-fathering-child/

[shenmue]

1. Respectfully, I think it's time for them to allow priests to marry

Then he wouldn't have to stop serving the parish.

[cbayer]

2. Good for him for stepping up and taking responsibility.

Surely there is a priest somewhere that has done something more heinous than this today.

[SecularMotion]

3. Yes, here's one

Catholic priest arrested with pantless 15-year-old boy

Reverand W. Jeffrey Paulish was charged by police in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, with one count of “involuntary deviate sexual intercourse” and one count of “unlawful contact with a minor” after the pair were spotted in a car on a college campus.

The priest is being held in the county jail on $50,000 bail.

Police say they found Rev Paulish with the boy after responding to a call from the Worthington Scranton campus of Penn State University.

The priest told the police he was “counseling” the teen after being approached by the boy who was in “emotional distress”.

http://www.spyghana.com/catholic-priest-arrested-with-pantless15-year-old-boy/

[cbayer]

4. Yes that was posted last week and really is a story.

This one, not so much.

[SecularMotion]

5. Ask and you shall receive

Former Priest Goes To Court, Charged with Child Sex Assault

WAUKESHA - A former priest who worked in Brookfield has been charged with sexually assaulting a child.

James Blume faced a judge for the first time Monday morning at the Waukesha County Courthouse.

Blume taught religious education classes at St. Luke's Parish in Brookfield. The alleged victim and the victim's family were members there.

"Next to homicide, this is probably the most heinous crime a human being can commit," said Peter Isely, the Midwest director of SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests).

http://www.todaystmj4.com/news/local/56317772.html

[cbayer]

6. So 2012. Surely there is something from today that you can pull from your arsenal.

[rug]

7. Why are you posting links to stories about same sex sex offenders?

The article is about a straight priest who's leaving the priesthood to care for his child.

[hrmjustin]

8. Why are you posting this in this thread. The Op had nothing to do with abuse.

[Heddi]

9. I'm not the poster you're replying to, but I would assume it was

because of Cbayer's comment that surely there was a priest who had done something more heinous than father a child. If you follow the thread, you'll see that SecularMotion's reply # 5 was entitled "Ask and you shall receive," as a response to Cbayer's post #2 which stated "Surely there is a priest somewhere that has done something more heinous than this today" followed by a laughing smiley (which I hope doesn't imply that heinous acts committed by priests ((of which fathering a child is not one)) are a laughable subject)

[hrmjustin]

10. Thanks.

He should have posted something current though.

[SecularMotion]

11. I was responding to cbayer

You're right I probably shouldn't have taken the bait and allow her to derail the thread, but I fell for it.

[hrmjustin]

12. I should have self deleted when it was explained to me. Sorry.

[dimbear]

13. This is a local story here. IMHO, the church is losing an asset and the chap is likely to be fine.

Welcome to the outside world, Mr. McFalls. One could write a book about the achievements of former priests and it could be a big, thick book.

[rug]

14. My favorite former priest is Menno Simons.

[dimbear]

15. Ernest Renan here. It's a banquet, lots to choose. n/t

[rug]

16. Wow, he's obscure.

But I don't think he was ordained.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ernest_Renan

Is this the same guy? He sounds like a racist.

[dimbear]

17. Renan was an enormously popular author in the late nineteenth century. His books are still worth

reading. "Life of Jesus" is the most popular, probably. His autobiography is charming. I don't know of anything racist about him, but of course the times, what with Dreyfus and all. I believe he was ordained and either quit or was defrocked and later married. Several of his books at Gutenberg, others at French sites.
**********
OK. What actually happened is slightly different than that. After receiving the entire eduction for priestly orders, Renan refused ordination. So rug is right. I'm going to have to rethink my favorite ex-priest, since technically Renan wasn't one. Luckily, there's still a practical ocean of choices out there.

[dimbear]

18. For a modern day example, enjoy Francisco Ayala:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Francisco_J._Ayala

Well known scientist and extremely reasonable guy. Still a believer, but a sensible one.

**************

It's scary what you come up with when you google "former priest." You'll sleep better if you don't.

[rug]

19. The Domincans have a history of producing excellent former priests.

Leah Libresco is my favorite former atheist.

[dimbear]

20. She's dangerously young yet.

Might see the light again.

[rug]

21. Oh, she's just precocious.

Imagine all the years of argument ahead of her.

[dimbear]

22. Here's a little more. Almost the last thing you want your priest to be called is flirty.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2433172/Catholic-priest-Daniel-McFalls-steps-making-woman-pregnant.html

Hope he does the right thing.