Frs. Perrone and Philipps. Hmmmm.

Yesterday, the Archdiocese of Detroit removed Fr. Perrone from active ministry at his parish, Assumption Grotto.  According to the announcement, it was due to a single 'credible' charge of abuse; the charge was about an incident alleged to have happened 40 years ago and was a "repressed memory."

"Repressed memory" events were a topic 10+ years ago, and a psychiatrist friend of ours laughed out loud when the topic was brought up.  To her--a clinical, not a professor--that was like "Harvey," the rabbit-pal of Jimmy Stewart.  She wasn't alone in that opinion, either.

The strength of the scientific evidence for repression depends on exactly how the term is defined. When defined narrowly as intentional suppression of an experience, there is little reason to doubt that it exists. But when we talk about a repression mechanism that operates unconsciously and defensively to block out traumatic experiences, the picture becomes considerably murkier.

Evidence concerning memory for real-life traumas in children and adults indicates that these events--such as the Chowchilla kidnappings, the sniper killing at an elementary school, or the collapse of skywalks at a Kansas City hotel--are generally well remembered....complete amnesia for these terrifying episodes is virtually nonexistent (Schacter 1996, 256).--quoted at skeptically.org

This calls to mind the ouster of Fr. Frank Phillips from St John Cantius in Chicago.



Both men were beacons of orthodox praxis and theology, both with a large and growing following, both utilizing Old Rite and Latin New Rite, and both living symbols of opposition to the Church of FeelGoodNoSin.

Prolly just coincidence, eh?