He's a very holy man.

A holy man who loves the Church, and loves the souls in it (including those who take such pleasure in persecuting him). His middle name is Leo and he has the heart of a lion.

You may not agree with all his views, but liberals need to know that Cardinal Burke is a man of deep faith and integrity.

That's what I once read about Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke. And, while it's the public perception, it doesn't jibe with my personal experience with the cardinal and his handling of the Catholic sex abuse scandal in the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Raymond Leo Cardinal Burke

On May 10, 2013 the Archdiocese of St. Louis announced that they had permanently removed my abuser, Fr. LeRoy Valentine. I vividly remember the day and reading the piece Decades After First Alleged Child Sex Abuse, St. Louis Priest Removed because it's one of many examples of how the Archdiocese of St. Louis Gaslights survivors.

More importantly, I remember that piece because of something that was mentioned in the statement that was issued by Deacon Phil Hengen, head of the Office of Child and Youth Protection of the Archdiocese of St. Louis.

Father Valentine resigned his position at St. Thomas the Apostle and retired from public ministry. He lived in a private residence from 2002-2005 and then moved to a retirement home in 2005.

You're telling me the Archdiocese of St. Louis allowed an at least FIVE times accused — and at least SIX if you include the allegation that I made in 2002 to Cardinal Timothy Dolan — child molestor, who they had secretly paid out on at three of the claims, to live...

• In a private residence from 2002-2005.
• In a retirement home from 2005 until 2013 with inadequate if any supervision (as David Clohessy of SNAP alleges).

Who in their right mind would do that?

Cardinal Raymond Burke.

That's who.

But, but, but...

Cardinal Burke wasn't installed until January 26, 2004!

Right, which means Fr. LeRoy Valentine was still out in the wild when Cardinal Burke took over. And, rather than acting immediately and decisively, it wasn't until some time in 2005 that Cardinal Burke did anything to address the problem of a child molestor who was living in a private residence and who posed a threat to the community.

Of course, I don't know whether that "retirement home" was a secure facility or one in which Fr. Valentine was able to come and go as he pleased.

St. Stanislaus Kostka, pray for us!