The Catholic Church’s damage control over its lack of attention to the repeated crimes against children by its raping, pedophile priests has been to settle the cases with huge payoffs to those who come forward, as if cash could buy off the pain and suffering to the families involved.

For David Guerrero, Dominic Zamora and many others, the psychological toll of the heinous clergy abuse plays itself out over and over as an adult, regardless of the buyout. (AP via MSNBC):

Dominic Zamora rages at his father, who suspects he bought a house in someone else’s name. You’re not my father, Dominic screams. You just want my money. When the 36-year-old finally calls his parents three weeks later, he is drunk and angry at the world – and most especially, at them.

This was not the future the Guerreros and the Zamoras imagined when their sons received millions from the Roman Catholic church to settle claims they were molested by their childhood priests. But that was before the money ushered in a new and never-ending nightmare.

The money was meant to soothe the victims’ wounds and be a bridge to a better life, and for many it did. But for a few, the most deeply scarred, the six- and seven-figure checks have instead made things far worse.

For these victims, the money has seeped like a poison into every relationship and laid bare feelings of anger, mistrust, bitterness and guilt that have been buried deep in their families for years. It has fed drug habits and alcohol binges, divided siblings and fueled resentment in parents who walked through hell with their children, only to find rejection and blame on the other side.

More below the fold.

 

Guerrero received $4 million from the church and in the five years since he has received it, he’s spent it on drugs, investing his money into horses, art, businesses that never opened or failed, and rant through it all to the point that he has now applied for welfare. His mood swings have taken a severe toll on the relationship with his parents.His parents, who live with him in a new two-story home bought with David’s money, are powerless to intervene. They have talked about moving out, but they are afraid if they do, their son will overdose or commit suicide.

“He says, ‘Well, I bought you a home, what other kid would do that for their parents? You live comfortable, you have everything you want,’” Minerva Guerrero said. “Well, I could live in a tent and be happy rather than live in a home like this with all these problems, these problems with David. This is not normal.”

He’s trying to put his life back together now, but it’s unclear that he will be able to succeed on remaining on a clean and sober path; the demons of the abuse are clearly still there, and the money is all gone.

This is incredibly sad; these are people so damaged and without a sense or ability to cope, how do they ever find peace?