Adios, hey?
Just saw a note from my sister there but haven't seen the whole thing yet. Anyone have the whole context?
edit:
Dear Marquette community:
I wanted to share the letter below from Father Robert Wild, Marquette's 22nd president and chancellor, requesting his name be removed from our newest residence hall, as well as my response.
Father Wild has requested that his name be removed because he regrets not using his authority to do more to protect victims and prevent future clergy abuse. We know that when we stand behind Marquette's mission and Guiding Values, we have a framework to help us during difficult times.
May God help our Catholic community, both here at Marquette and throughout the world, come closer together to support victims of abuse and further the healing process.
Sincerely,
Dr. Michael R. Lovell
President
Marquette University
Letter from Father Wild to President Lovell and Board of Trustees
Dear Mike and members of the Marquette Board of Trustees:
As a Jesuit, Catholic priest, I am filled with sorrow and abhorrence at any incident of abuse committed by a religious leader. While those feelings cannot atone for what people endured who have been sexually abused, I still want to express my regret for their suffering and for the terrible wrongs done by their abusers.
As Provincial Superior of the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) from 1985 to 1991, I was invested with authority over all Jesuits belonging to that particular three-state region. During my six years in office, accusations of sexual abuse of minors were lodged against three of our members. Looking back, I would have handled certain aspects of those cases rather differently than I did then. The restrictive measures I thought quite sufficient to restrain the behavior of one of those priests, for example, proved in practice to be insufficient to do so. I very much regret that and apologize especially to those victimized for my mistakes in that regard.
In a recent letter to the whole Church, Pope Francis describes the sexual abuse of minors and other vulnerable people as something demonic and cites in that connection Matthew 17:21, where Jesus explains to his disciples, "This class of demons can only be expelled by prayer and fasting." After much thought and prayer, and careful consideration, I have decided that one aspect of the "fasting" I should undertake is to formally request that Marquette University remove my name from our new residence hall complex. Therefore, after careful discussion of the matter with Marquette University's leadership, I formally request that the University remove my name from the building that was recently named for me.
Sincerely,
Robert A. Wild, S.J.
Statement from Marquette University President Michael R. Lovell
Marquette University's Board of Trustees received today a thoughtful letter from Rev. Robert A. Wild, S.J., stating his request to have his name taken off of our new residence hall. I respect Father Wild's decision as laid out in his letter, and the Board unanimously agreed to honor his request. We are in agreement with Father Wild that this is the right decision for both Marquette and survivors of clergy abuse. The residence hall, which includes Ray and Kay Eckstein Tower and Wells St. Hall, will be known as The Commons. We have tremendous respect for Father Wild and are grateful for his leadership as Marquette's president from 1996 to 2011 and again from 2013 to 2014. Anyone who knows Father Wild understands that he values the Gospel message of love and forgiveness and we move forward together as a Marquette community in that spirit. We offer our prayers for continued strength and healing for all survivors of clergy abuse.
I am uncomfortable with the zero-tolerance nature of where this is heading. I think it gives people satisfaction, but I don't think it helps to solve the problem because I think you are mixing up people who made a mistake or two, with people who engaged in a massive cover-up.
Regardless, I am sorry this had to happen for many reasons.
Wunder watt itz gunna cost ta replace da signage, hey?
Father Wild initiated this as a form of penance. This is not 'zero tolerance'. I applaud his decision.
Quote from: tower912 on September 04, 2018, 04:35:47 PM
Father Wild initiated this as a form of penance. This is not 'zero tolerance'. I applaud his decision.
This and only this. Recognize the changing times and appreciate that this man reflected upon how he might act differently if he did it all over again.
Quote from: tower912 on September 04, 2018, 04:35:47 PM
Father Wild initiated this as a form of penance. This is not 'zero tolerance'. I applaud his decision.
Agreed, and I give him a lot of credit. Cardinal Wuerl should step down and his name taken off of buildings. Along with Weakland on the east side of the Cathedral.
Good students living in such a fancy dorm could never live up to the name anyway.
But seriously, I do applaud where his mindset is overall.
My esteem for Father Wild grew after this announcement.
Times change and if we apply the knowledge and the awareness that we as a society have today, we certainly would act differently than we did decades ago. I admire Father for recognizing that and trying in small ways to make amends for what he perceives to be a failure of leadership.
Quote from: tower912 on September 04, 2018, 04:35:47 PM
Father Wild initiated this as a form of penance. This is not 'zero tolerance'. I applaud his decision.
Ok. I get that.
Quote from: dgies9156 on September 04, 2018, 05:12:43 PM
My esteem for Father Wild grew after this announcement.
Times change and if we apply the knowledge and the awareness that we as a society have today, we certainly would act differently than we did decades ago. I admire Father for recognizing that and trying in small ways to make amends for what he perceives to be a failure of leadership.
I agree with this too.
Thumbs up for the padre.
i wasn't a big fan of father wilde previous to his statement. that all changed just a few moments ago. his announcement put a mega-lumen spotlight on the abuse and the cover-up by many within the catholic church.
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/04/robert-wild-has-name-removed-marquette-residence-hall/1196283002/ (https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/04/robert-wild-has-name-removed-marquette-residence-hall/1196283002/)
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 04, 2018, 04:12:02 PM
Wunder watt itz gunna cost ta replace da signage, hey?
My view is that this was a selfish action by Wild. All done to get himself on the right side of his bosses. He has unnecessarily brought MU into a problem that his was of his own making. Now MU has to deal with the negative PR of his actions some place else ( sometimes the negative PR does not manifest itself overtly)
If Wild was a true good guy about this, he would have quietly asked MU that they move to a more generic name for the facility and to do it in a way that came off positive and with his support. The Press release could have said the name is now the Commons which reflects the wishes of Wild etc, could have all been done more intelligently and less about the man doing bad things and more about MU doing good things.
Ok Scoop Que up all the ad hominem attacks from the usual group...
Quote from: Herman Cain on September 04, 2018, 09:53:36 PM
My view is that this was a selfish action by Wilde. All done to get himself on the right side of his bosses. He has unnecessarily brought MU into a problem that his was of his own making. Now MU has to deal with the negative PR of his actions some place else ( sometimes the negative PR does not manifest itself overtly)
If Wilde was a true good guy about this, he would have quietly asked MU that they move to a more generic name for the facility and to do it in a way that came off positive and with his support. The Press release could have said the name is now the Commons which reflects the wishes of Wilde etc, could have all been done more intelligently and less about the man doing bad things and more about MU doing good things.
Ok Scoop Que up all the ad hominem attacks from the usual group...
Who's Wilde?
This is why you never erect memorials to living people. Just dumb
Quote from: TAMU Eagle on September 04, 2018, 09:56:20 PM
Who's Wilde?
C'mon. Anyone whose opinion is worth something knows who Wilde is...
None of this would have ever happened if they had just named it after Father Naus in the first place.
Quote from: SaveOD238 on September 04, 2018, 10:26:02 PM
None of this would have ever happened if they had just named it after Father Naus in the first place.
(https://media3.giphy.com/media/120jXUxrHF5QJ2/giphy.gif)
This is MU and Father Wild trying to get ahead of a impending story, pure and simple. There is nothing noble here.
Quote from: TAMU Eagle on September 04, 2018, 09:56:20 PM
Who's Wilde?
Oscar sneaking in The Bird...
(https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/9/9c/Oscar_Wilde_portrait.jpg)
Quote from: mu03eng on September 04, 2018, 10:14:01 PM
This is why you never erect memorials to living people. Just dumb
A university naming something after a former leader is commonplace and rarely backfires like this.
Quote from: Anti-Dentite on September 04, 2018, 10:39:31 PM
This is MU and Father Wild trying to get ahead of a impending story, pure and simple. There is nothing noble here.
This was my thought when first hearing the news. It's not like this is a news story that just dropped that Father Wild was involved in. It's a relatively old story.
Dey didn't no dis 2 weeks ago when Fr. Wild posed like a proud peecock in front of da dorm. Somethin's rotten in Denmark, hey?
We don't know the back-story of exactly what Fr. Wild did or did not do, and we do not know why he is coming forward now (whether as a result of reflection in light of recent disclosures or pressure as a result of a pending more specific disclosure of his supervisory actions or inactions or something else) .
We do know (and Fr. Wild has previosuly acknowledged) that one of the three Jesuits was Don McGuire, a convicted, serial monster in this world of monsters: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/assign/McGuire_Donald_J_SJ.htm (http://www.bishop-accountability.org/assign/McGuire_Donald_J_SJ.htm).
In all events, whether Fr. Wild unilaterally stepped forward or this was an agreed (with powers that be) action in light of pending additional disclosures, it is better to rip off the bandage now.
Quote from: mu03eng on September 04, 2018, 10:14:01 PM
This is why you never erect memorials to living people. Just dumb
LOL. You're only safe (smart) if you build them for the dead - Robert E Lee, for example.
I don't think theres any new information coming out. I think the recent attention from the grand jury made Father Wild realized that it either only be a matter of time before someone questioned why his name was on the building. As Lloyds said, better to rip it off now (and yourself) then to have someone else do it later.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on September 05, 2018, 08:17:39 AM
LOL. You're only safe (smart) if you build them for the dead - Robert E Lee, for example.
Well, building monuments for traitors and enemy combatants is dumb.
I wouldn't consider naming a building after a living person dumb but it is slightly more risky. Of course there's always a chance new information comes out even if the person is dead.
Quote from: TAMU Eagle on September 05, 2018, 08:48:20 AM
Well, building monuments for traitors and enemy combatants is also dumb.
For 150 years the History books were pretty kind to Robert E Lee. He's only become a "traitor" in the last few. Moral - don't build monuments to anyone, heroism and treason are in the eye of the beholder.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on September 05, 2018, 09:10:46 AM
For 150 years the History books were pretty kind to Robert E Lee. He's only become a "traitor" in the last few. Moral - don't build monuments to anyone, heroism and treason are in the eye of the beholder.
Incorrect. By definition he was a traitor and enemy combatant 150 years ago and is still one today. The history books being kind to him is another example of dumb.
To be clear, I'm not the advocating that Lee be portrayed as some kind of monster in the history books. He was a military genius who led the armies of an enemy that attacked the United States. But I don't think he should have parks and schools named after him any more than Hideki Tojo, Benedict Arnold, or Santa Anna should.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on September 05, 2018, 09:10:46 AM
For 150 years the History books were pretty kind to Robert E Lee. He's only become a "traitor" in the last few. Moral - don't build monuments to anyone, heroism and treason are in the eye of the beholder.
What? The history book I always read as a youth pretty much painted Lee for what he was. A general representing a country that attempted to secede from the US because they wanted to continue to own people. And he lost. I'm not sure he was labelled a "traitor," but it certainly wasn't "pretty kind."
Quote from: #bansultan on September 05, 2018, 09:29:16 AM
What? The history book I always read as a youth pretty much painted Lee for what he was. A general representing a country that attempted to secede from the US because they wanted to continue to own people. And he lost. I'm not sure he was labelled a "traitor," but it certainly wasn't "pretty kind."
Then the school books you read were a lot more balanced than the ones I read. I have to agree with Lenny, I remember him not only being depicted as a military genius, but as a man who only reluctantly went along with the South despite great moral reservations--which doesn't appear to have been the actual case at all.
Just goes back to who was writing the history books when I was growing up.
I was voraciously into Civil War history as a kid and young adult (been to every battlefield and even had a subscription to Civil War Times Illustrated for a while). How Lee and other "noble" Confederate leaders was treated was based entirely upon the regional experience of the author(s). The whole noble cause/states rights stuff was wallpapering to make everyone in the south more sympathetic and to cover over the huge atrocity that was going to war so they could continue their "peculiar institution".
Lee is traditionally painted as a reluctant warrior who only turned traitor when Virginia seceded because it was his "home" which may have been true but that doesn't account for the fact that his home was fighting for slavery and by extension so was he. You want a hero, we should honor George Thomas, a Virginian who didn't turn traitor, and became a decorated general for the Union.
Quote from: Lennys Tap on September 05, 2018, 08:17:39 AM
LOL. You're only safe (smart) if you build them for the dead - Robert E Lee, for example.
That's a different mistake.
Building monuments to the living, especially in this day and age just invites trouble. I'd honestly argue that I'd give a 20 year waiting period before naming something after someone, especially if it's prominent one. But I'm also a guy who thinks naming buildings after people is somewhat weird so I'm probably the wrong one.
Disagree, gotta wait 5 years ta judge, aina?
Quote from: mu03eng on September 05, 2018, 11:07:59 AM
Building monuments to the living, especially in this day and age just invites trouble. I'd honestly argue that I'd give a 20 year waiting period before naming something after someone, especially if it's prominent one. But I'm also a guy who thinks naming buildings after people is somewhat weird so I'm probably the wrong one.
Case in point...
(http://www.offbeat.group.shef.ac.uk/statues/images/baseball/Selig_BudA.jpg)
Quote from: mu03eng on September 05, 2018, 11:05:30 AM
even had a subscription to Civil War Times Illustrated for a while.
(https://media.giphy.com/media/Y4qBlM26bqyzRkgpMC/giphy.gif)
Quote from: barfolomew on September 05, 2018, 12:40:02 PM
(https://media.giphy.com/media/Y4qBlM26bqyzRkgpMC/giphy.gif)
Here's #nored's reaction to dad: (https://cdn-images-1.medium.com/max/1600/1*LO8ENinrxsVeJq3h4_l3vA.gif)
wow, stunned at that news. Will this tarnish Father Wild's legacy? I was at MU when DiUlio resigned and the future direction of the school was in question. Father Wild saved MU, IMO, and his leadership was vital to the success of the entire athletic department. Hell, he signed off on Wade after Crean lobbied for him to be admitted as a partial qualifier.
I was happy to see MU name the new dorm after him. I think most of our buildings, outside of the Al and Raynor Library, are named after donors. Will a donor step up to put their name on the building? God forbid they sell corporate naming rights! That said, I'm not going to laud Father Wild as courageous and brave for this, I agree that he is probably getting out ahead of some worse news that is likely coming.
At least this isn't the most embarrassing example of having to pull a name off a building. Missouri had the change the name of their arena (Paige Events Center) after the donor's daughter (who didn't even go to Mizzou) was outed as having paid her roommate to do her work at USC. Oh, and there's also the old Joe Paterno Child Care Center on the Nike corporate campus. Could be worse.....
Quote from: Billy Hoyle on September 05, 2018, 06:38:22 PM
wow, stunned at that news. Will this tarnish Father Wild's legacy? I was at MU when DiUlio resigned and the future direction of the school was in question. Father Wild saved MU, IMO, and his leadership was vital to the success of the entire athletic department. Hell, he signed off on Wade after Crean lobbied for him to be admitted as a partial qualifier.
I was happy to see MU name the new dorm after him. I think most of our buildings, outside of the Al and Raynor Library, are named after donors. Will a donor step up to put their name on the building? God forbid they sell corporate naming rights! That said, I'm not going to laud Father Wild as courageous and brave for this, I agree that he is probably getting out ahead of some worse news that is likely coming.
At least this isn't the most embarrassing example of having to pull a name off a building. Missouri had the change the name of their arena (Paige Events Center) after the donor's daughter (who didn't even go to Mizzou) was outed as having paid her roommate to do her work at USC. Oh, and there's also the old Joe Paterno Child Care Center on the Nike corporate campus. Could be worse.....
They did have a donor. It was the Ecksteins. They specifically requested that the dorm be named after Father Wild.
Quote from: 4everwarriors on September 05, 2018, 08:08:57 AM
Dey didn't no dis 2 weeks ago when Fr. Wild posed like a proud peecock in front of da dorm. Somethin's rotten in Denmark, hey?
makes one wonder if MU wrote the whole $cript, eyn'a? ;)
Quote from: mu03eng on September 05, 2018, 11:07:59 AM
Building monuments to the living, especially in this day and age just invites trouble. I'd honestly argue that I'd give a 20 year waiting period before naming something after someone, especially if it's prominent one. But I'm also a guy who thinks naming buildings after people is somewhat weird so I'm probably the wrong one.
I agree with this analysis. I'd be totally OK without buildings having "naming rights".
Quote from: warriorchick on September 05, 2018, 06:46:12 PM
They did have a donor. It was the Ecksteins. They specifically requested that the dorm be named after Father Wild.
Just as the Raynor Library donor, which is why I referenced it.
I chuckled when the dorm was named after Fr. Wild. We called him Wild Bob Wild when he was a professor. A great image for a freshman dorm. This nickname had nothing to do with current circumstances.
I thought very highly of Fr. Wild's tenure as President. To bad he is caught up in the mess that is the current Catholic Church. Maybe Lovell is right by disconnecting MU from Catholicism.
Still catching up on my weekend reading, (was on the road) and came across this article that I didn't see discussed here:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/07/challenging-times-former-marquette-university-presidents/1216787002/
1. I'm shocked to learn that Pilarz has ALS. Certainly not a fan, but that's an awful way to die.
2. Someone remind me what his "off the record" issues were--I seem to recall that he was rumored to have his own Weakland type problems.
Quote from: Sir Lawrence on September 13, 2018, 11:19:34 AM
Still catching up on my weekend reading, (was on the road) and came across this article that I didn't see discussed here:
https://www.jsonline.com/story/news/education/2018/09/07/challenging-times-former-marquette-university-presidents/1216787002/
1. I'm shocked to learn that Pilarz has ALS. Certainly not a fan, but that's an awful way to die.
2. Someone remind me what his "off the record" issues were--I seem to recall that he was rumored to have his own Weakland type problems.
I've never heard anything about Weakland type problems with Father Pilarz. From what I heard, his problems were alienating donors and being a pompous ass and financial malfeasance.
And yes, ALS is an awful way to go. Two relatives suffered from ALS. horrible.
Quote from: Billy Hoyle on September 13, 2018, 12:25:47 PM
I've never heard anything about Weakland type problems with Father Pilarz. From what I heard, his problems were alienating donors and being a pompous ass and financial malfeasance.
And yes, ALS is an awful way to go. Two relatives suffered from ALS. horrible.
This. Budgets applied to everyone else, not him.