Reported by AP via Edge yesterday:

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport has acknowledged in court papers that it documented 32 accusations of sexual abuse of children by priests associated with a parish here over 40 years.

The diocese made the admission last week in contesting a lawsuit filed by the estate of Michael Powel, who died last year. Mr. Powel had claimed that he was sexually abused at St. Theresa’s Parish in Trumbull between 1968, when he was 9, and 1972, when he was 13.

However, while the diocese admits the abuse, it refuses to accept responsibility — and it is seeking to suppress proof of the abuse:

The diocese is contesting a request from Mr. Powel’s lawyers to turn over all documents regarding sexual abuse by priests at the parish. In its filing in Superior Court in Waterbury, the diocese said it had compiled 126 boxes of documents and files detailing 32 accusations of abuse by eight priests at St. Theresa’s. …

Mr. Powel’s lawyers said that the motion by the diocese was a “bait-and-switch” to avoid producing documents by Wednesday, a date previously agreed upon to provide discovery materials.

The Diocese of Bridgeport is one of 50 dioceses and bishops that donated a total of $550,000 to undermine marriage for same-sex couples in Maine, even as parishes and church charity programs back home are closing for lack of funding.

While Exodus International maintains a don’t-support-don’t-oppose policy, some ex-gay activists have spoken out against the ex-gay exorcist church in Bridgeport, Conn.

The Fairfield Weekly reported June 18:

Rev. D.L. Foster, who heads Gay Christian Movement Watch, an Atlanta-based “ministry” that opposes the acceptance of homosexuality in the church, posted [the video] on his Web site.

“I thought what I saw in the video was bizarre and I don’t think [the practice depicted] is biblical,” Foster says. “There is a sense of spiritual coercion. You have a young man on the floor being stepped on, being videotaped.” He says he has seen incidents like this (he doesn’t condone them), but “this is extreme.”

Truth Wins Out has been monitoring the unfortunate news of a Connecticut church that performs ex-gay exorcism; Exodus International has refused to explicitly oppose the practice.

Rod 2.0 Beta reports:

A minister and trusted source of Rod 2.0 reports the 16-year-old boy no longer attends the church and has found an LGBT “inclusive and affirming” church.

McKinney suggested to CNN that her church may exorcise people for many reasons: “It’s not just the homosexuality spirit. It could be the alcohol spirit, the crack cocaine spirit, the adultery spirit. Everything carries a spirit.”

McKinney’s church remains under investigation by the Connecticut Department of Children and Families.

Truth Wins Out reported earlier this week on Manifested Glory Ministries, a “church” in Connecticut that performs ex-gay exorcisms.

We immediately called upon Exodus’ member church in Connecticut, New Life Church in Meriden, to comment on the exorcism. The church did not respond. Today, however, MSNBC quotes Exodus International in Orlando stating that it does not support exorcism — but does not oppose exorcism, either.

And a fringe group called the “Christian Anti-Defamation Commission” has declared the abuse of gay youths and young adults by so-called churches to be an exercise in “religious liberty” and, strangely, a response to white racism. (Perhaps the demons of homosexuality are white?) Hat tip: Ex-Gay Watch.

Here’s MSNBC’s video report and related article:

(Read More)

A Bridgeport, Conn., church called Manifested Glory Ministries posted a controversial video on YouTube that raises concern about the unregulated abuse of children by church-sponsored ex-gay programs.

The video features church elders performing an exorcism of so-called “homosexual demons.”

Fox Channel 61 in Hartford reports

The video shows leaders of the Manifested Glory Ministries in a frenetic scene, screaming, “Right now I command you to leave!”

At the same time a teen writhing on the ground as the adults around him implore so called “homosexual demons” to get out.

The leaders yell at the boy on the ground saying, “Right now in the name of Jesus, I call the homosexuality, right now in the name of Jesus.”

For 20 minutes it continues with the boy in a near seizure, even vomiting.

Robin McHaelen runs a mentoring program for gay teens, True Colors, and tells Fox 61 that she knows of five other teens in Connecticut who’ve been subjected to “demon casting”:

What really freaked me out is the people who did that to that child wasn’t because they were trying to hurt him. They thought they were trying to help him, but I think that they murdered his soul.

The church has since taken down its YouTube account, but not before its videos were replicated by other YouTube users.

Exodus International has one member church in Connecticut, New Life in Meriden. Truth Wins Out contacted the church for comment but has not received a response.

Hat tip: Steve Rothaus’s blog at The Miami Herald