N.B. PRIEST CHARGED WITH HITTING GIRL MAY STEP DOWN: ARCHBISHOP
A New Brunswick priest accused of hitting an 11-year-old girl during catechism class may decide to step down from his post, the archbishop of Moncton says.
Ref. https://www.cbc.ca/story/canada/national/20...-hit060203.html
It initially sounds like a story of he-said, she-said. I didn't read about any eye-witnesses confirming or denying either end of the story. It's possible the priest may have handled the girl roughly when he pulled her and her brother out of the class, and she interpreted that as assault. With kids today and their eagerness to cry wolf, it is hard to say whether accusations such as these are true or not. In any case, I hope it comes to a reasonable conclusion.
I grew up in a catholic school where the nuns and priests were known to hit children, I am not surprised by the article at all. They would make you put on your knees on a rough surface for hours as punishment, too.
My parents grew up in a Catholic school and have told me some stories. But I am loathe to believe this story without any eye witness accounts. While stories of rough treatment by priests and nuns have a common occurence, they are usually seen in the open frequently. There is no such backing to this story. I will reserve judgement and see if this turns out to be true. It would be horrible if this priest was dubbed guilty by the public based on the common stories about Catholic priests and nuns.