De uno anno

During the late autumn of 2017 it was suggested on +Pat's "Thinking Catholicism" blog:

"Anonymous12 November 2017 at 11:26

Tom, did you consider contacting the Abbot Visitor for the English Province of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation, Abott Anselm Atkinson, Pluscarden Abbey, Elgin, Moray, Scotland IV30 8UA? Tel: 01343 890257. Email: monks@pluscardenabbey.org

Or the Abbot Primate OSB, Abbot Gregory Polan, Sant’ Anselma, Piazza dei Cavaliere di Malta 5, 1-00153, Roma. Italia. +39065.791267. abate@anselmianum.com

-----Original Message-----
From: Pluscarden Abbey <monks@pluscardenabbey.org>
To: Abbot Anselm Atkinson
Sent: Mon, 13 Nov 2017 10:15
Subject: Fwd: Abbot President Subiaco - Cassinese Congregation OSB

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>
Date: Mon, Nov 13, 2017 at 12:06 AM
Subject: Re: Abbot President Subiaco - Cassinese Congregation OSB
To: monks@pluscardenabbey.org

PS: Prayers and good wishes for a speedy recovery as I read online that you have been very unwell.

On 13 November 2017 at 00:03, Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com> wrote:

Dear Abbot Anselm, It was recently asked of me, had I emailed you as English province visitor? In checking I realise I was remiss. Please may I now include you in this correspondence.

 Kind Regards,

 Tom Wood.

	20/11/2017
to me

Dear Tom,

Please pardon the delay in answering your e-mail. And thank you for your prayers. As you note, I have been unwell but am on the mend.

Certainly you may include me in your correspondence with our Abbot President. I note that it would not be appropriate for me to actively enter into a matter that is in the hands of my own Superior (the Abbot President), so I shall not contribute any comments of my own.

With all best wishes,

Abbot Anselm

Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>	20/11/2017
to

Dear Abbot Anselm,

 Dear Father, there is absolutely no need to apologise!

It was a huge consolation to me that I should receive your reply in only a week. In truth, I did not think I would receive a reply. Not to impugn your integrity you understand, but as you may have noted, it is between 7 and 10 months that I wrote to The Abbot President and then to the congregation for religious and The Abbot Primate and I have received no response from any of them, so your reply means a lot.

 I am glad to hear you are on the mend and might I add how much I enjoyed watching your community on the TV recently. Your bells have a harmony that truly extends beyond the aesthetic.

 Kind Regards,

 Tom.

Abbot Anselm Atkinson.

Forwarded conversation
Subject: Abbot President Subiaco - Cassinese Congregation OSB------------------------

From: Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>
Date: 9 January 2017 at 22:46To: s.ambrogio@tiscali.it

Dear Abbot Guillermo Arboleda Tamayo OSB,

 Regarding Dom Cuthbert Brogan OSB Abbot Of Farnborough.

My name is Tom Wood and I was clothed and simply professed at Farnborough UK, during 1988 / 89, becoming, until dispensation, Dom Thomas Wood OSB, sharing my novitiate with the current Abbot.

For many years I believed that Dom Cuthbert and I were peers who fell short of our commitment to celibacy, but whereas I wanted to leave, he wanted to stay. I therefore saw it as my duty to protect him from any scandal within my gift, which I did. I now with the benefit of my years, see things very differently and believe my self to have been sexually manipulated by this man and not just sexually abused but damaged in my adult development in a way that has scarred my life, particularly in my difficulty to form close relationships or to clearly perceive my sexuality.

 All this I would have tried to offer up, were I to see Dom Cuthbert as a humble penitent Man, quietly working to edify and grow his monastic house. I could even accept that he might have become a beloved and respected superior, father in Christ.

 Unfortunately I have found a vain, self promoting, narcissistic man who rather than grow his community has brought it to nigh extinction! He travels the world photographing himself fine dining and seeing the sights. His 19th century religious practices belong in a museum. And to top it all he presumably has charge of the formation of young monks and has demonstrated no conversion of life, in fact his worldly obsessions demonstrate the exact opposite! One has to consider that he may have and may be continuing to hurt others as he hurt me.

 I have written the experience as best I remembered it here:

https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=672030766302648&set=gm.580249228831984&type=3&theatre

Please remove this Man from office and replace him with a devout man and give Farnborough a chance to recover and once more be an apostolate of faith, hope and charity, a beacon in the community and by it's presence, location and liturgy succour the souls of those who walk in it's grounds and live and worship within it's once again hallowed walls.

 Kindest Regards,

 Tom Wood.

----------
From: Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>
Date: 21 April 2017 at 12:52
To: abate@anselmianum.com, ufficiovitaconsacrata@religiosi.va, vitamonastica@religiosi.va, governoistituti@religiosi.va, disciplina@religiosi.va, approvazioneistituti@religiosi.va

Dear Reverend Gentlemen,

 Over three months ago I emailed the Subiaco - Cassinese Abbot President, a copy of which is forwarded here.

 I am disappointed to have received no response. Portsmouth Diocese have informed me that it is not a safeguarding matter for them and the UK Police, Hampshire Constabulary, confirm that in respect of Dom Cuthbert's involvement with myself, no crimes have been committed, however if you agree with my belief that Dom Cuthbert in seeking or not ruling himself unsuitable for high office demonstrates a lack of penitence and conversion of life, perhaps it is within your gift to remedy the situation and ensure that he no longer has any overall responsibility for the formation of novices / monks or as far as possible, from causing spiritual harm to anyone at all. I have been informed that Abbot Cuthbert's "Extraordinary" status may suggest that his religious superior is La Congregazione per gli Istituti di Vita Consacrata e le Società di Vita apostolica and not knowing which department I should address, have copied you all in and also the Abbot Primate of The Benedictine Confederation of Congregations.

Thank you in advance for giving this matter your serious attention.

 Yours Sincerely,

 Tom Wood.

(If you are unable to access my full story on facebook, here is another location.

http://anotherabbotextraordinary.blogspot.co.uk/2017/01/another-abbot-extraordinary.html )

The Vatican.

Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>	20/11/2017
to s.ambrogio, abate, ufficiovitacon., vitamonastica, governoistituti, disciplina, approvazioneis.

Dear Reverend Gentlemen,

 Between seven and ten months have elapsed since I contacted you. It was recently suggested to me that I should have contacted The Abbot Of Pluscarden as he is English Province Visitor. This I have done and he kindly responded to me about one week later. As you can read, he is unwilling to comment as the matter is in the hands of your good selves and / or The Abbot President. Are we correct in that understanding?

I was touched and pleasantly surprised to receive Abbot Anselm's reply as I had not expected one.

 Sincerely,

 Tom Wood.

 Abbot Guillermo.

Abbot Gregory Polan.

Abate Primate <abate@anselmianum.com>	20/11/2017
to me, s.ambrogio, ufficiovitacon., vitamonastica, governoistituti, disciplina, approvazioneis.

Dear Mr. Wood,

Greetings of peace from Sant’Anselmo in Rome. As you may or may not know, the office of the Abbot Primate is not the same as that of the Abbot General of an Order or Congregation. I do not have the power or the responsibility of intervene in such cases as you mention in your e-mail. However, I want to comment that I am very sorry for your painful and hurtful experience, while a monk at Farnborough. It is very sad for me to hear of such experiences, especially when the pain continues to fester in your life. Truly, I am sorry for your deep pain and lasting hurt.

It is the Abbot President of the Congregation to whom you should be in contact, and I note that he is listed among your correspondents. I know Abbot Guillermo as a good and honest man. I do not know if he has looked into this matter you describe below; he carries a heavy load as Abbot President of the Subiaco-Cassinese Congregation with several provinces.

I close this note with prayer for the healing grace of Christ to come into your heart, to bring some resolution to your situation, and find the peace which all of us look for in our pilgrimage through this earthly life.

Sincerely in Christ,

Abbot Gregory Polan, OSB

Abbot Primate

Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>	06/12/2017
to Abate, s.ambrogio

Dear Abbot Gregory,

 Thank you for your email.

"Especially when the pain continues to fester in your life."

Why wouldn't it?

 I was totally unprepared for someone like Cuthbert Brogan, it's just a shame that the same was probably true of the community! By accident or design they mistook charisma for narcissism! Given that I may have become the inclusive liberal that I am today anyway, at the time I was, before Cuthbert's influence, trying to keep faithful to Church teaching and intent on exploring intimacy with my brethren as a celibate. I describe in my account an incident early on which was challenging and which I felt more integrated after reflection. My strength and shield was my self esteem and my piety. Cuthbert acted out exaggerated  poses of Saintly images and generally ridiculed my piety whilst at the same time filling my head with stories of gay life. With my piety gone and with it my self esteem I was then dependant on him for my identity...

 Perhaps you might advocate on my behalf with the man you vouch for, Abbot Guillermo?

"I close this note with prayer for the healing grace of Christ to come into your heart, to bring some resolution to your situation, and find the peace which all of us look for in our pilgrimage through this earthly life"

 Ultimately I aim to focus with the mystics that "All Is Well" which is where for me, forgiveness abides, however as you rightly point out, we are journeying together on this earthly pilgrimage and there are temporal matters that God will attend to, but if we would follow His Son, shouldn't we be attentive to the cry's of the dispossessed for justice?

 I understand that Cuthbert as chair of the trustees that in effect own St. Michaels, physically removing him might not be possible, but The Church could and should remove it's canonical status as a Benedictine Abbey and laicize Abbot Cuthbert or give him the choice of becoming a simple monk in a foreign house.

 I would like to say that a public apology would suffice, but it's the fear that others may have been hurt and that the potential exists for others to be hurt that strengthens my resolve to implore that he must be put genuinely beyond harms way.

My blog is not enough, it goes some way in that anyone considering going there may be forewarned and forearmed, but unless The Church officially acts to sanction him, I can be credibly dismissed.

Sincerely,

Tom Wood.

(Copy to Abbot President)

Abate Primate	06/12/2017
to me

Dear Tom,

I am presently “on the road” and will return on Saturday evening. I will make it a point to talk to Abbot President Guillermo about your situation. 

I can hear the deep pain in your writing, and again, I can only express my sorrow and sadness for this profound distress you experience. I promise you a remembrance in my prayer.

Sincerely in Christ,

Abbot Gregory

Tom Wood <tgwood9@gmail.com>	06/12/2017
to Abate

Dear Abbot Gregory,

Thank You!

~~~~~~~~

Nothing from the "Good & Honest" Abbot Guillermo, meanwhile at Farnborough Abbey, life would appear to be carrying on as normal!