VOL has obtained these letters and you can read them at the conclusion of the story.

VirtueOnline first broke the story about Bennison's brother John Bennison, a parish priest in the Diocese of California when an organization called SNAP exposed his sexual misbehavior several months ago. A made for TV film and constant picketing of Bennison's church led to John Bennison being fired from his parish, St. John's Parish in Clayton, California (Contra Costa County). He was inhibited and deposed by J. Jon Bruno, Bishop of Los Angeles after a copy of a 1993 letter from then Los Angeles Episcopal bishop Frederick Borsch confirmed Bennison molested the teen in Upland.

In May of this year Joelle Casteix of Newport Beach, CA, Southwest Regional Director of SNAP (Survivors' Network of those Abused by Priests) accused the Episcopal Diocese of California of a cover up in the Episcopal Church in California and wrote VirtueOnline.

SNAP officials warned families of Clayton that there was an admitted molester ministering to their families," said Casteix. California Bishop William Swing was reluctant to act against John Bennison because of his present record at the church, but under pressure locally and nationally to act, Bishop Bruno stepped in and removed the priest from his parish.

The sexual abuse occurred at a time when John Bennison was living with his brother Charles who was a priest at St. Mark's parish in Upland, California in 1972 and Charles had hired his brother John, who was 25 as parish youth director. John Bennison was married at the time when he started having an affair first with a parishioner and later in 1973 with a 14-year old girl. John Bennison was preparing for the priesthood.

According to a report in the Philadelphia INQUIRER, the victim, now in her mid-40s and married with three grown children, said she and John Bennison were twice interrupted during sex by Charles Bennison's arrival at his brother's apartment.

Bennison told the INQUIRER that he learned of his brother's sexual relationship with the teenager long after it was over. "I had no consciousness of it until the mother of the girl told me," he told the Inquirer.

But the letters of April 15 and 29, 1979 indicate that Bennison had full knowledge of his brother's actions and repeatedly told John Bennison's wife not to go public or come around the parish fearing that if she did so he would lose his job.

Three months later, John Bennison left St. Mark's to become a curate in a Santa Barbara parish, where he later acknowledged having other affairs.

His young victim visited him about once a month before she discontinued the sexual relationship in 1976, when she was 18 and starting college. It was not until Easter 1978, when she was going through profound emotional distress that she told her parents, the Inquirer reported.

In the handwritten letters (see below) composed after being confronted by the girl's parents, Charles Bennison acknowledged having known of the relationship for "months" but said that "to tell you... was out of the question."

Bennison has been denounced over the years by this writer as an apostate, heretical, sociopathic, venal, orthodox hating bishop who reneged on the Parson's plan to allow oversight of seven traditionalist parishes in the diocese, denied the faith and proven himself so untrustworthy that the Standing Committee, which has repeatedly asked him to resign, has hired its own lawyer, Michael Rehill to go after Bennison to force his resignation.

In addition Bennison faces two lawsuits from Fr. David Moyer, the traditionalist priest of the Church of the Good Shepherd in Rosemont, for fraud and bad faith.

Bennison faces more immediate negative exposure. A group calling themselves Concerned Pennsylvania Episcopalians, made up of diocesan laity and clergy which formed about a year ago in response to Bennison's parish closings, will conduct three "forums" on the apparent abuse cover-up next weekend. The Inquirer reported that the Rev. Judith Beck, cochair of CPE and moderator of the forums, said she hoped the revelations would compel the bishop to resign "on behalf of his victims." Both John Bennison's ex-wife and the mother of his teenage victim say they plan to participate in the forums.

While it is virtually impossible to fire a bishop except for public immorality, there is historic precedent for unloading bishops who do not measure up. Bishop Jo Mo Doss, Diocese of NJ was fired with a generous payout after being accused of racism and more by his diocese.

The PA Standing Committee could withhold Bennison's salary, a tactic that was used by the vestry of his former parish, St. Luke's in Atlanta where Bennison ministered for a short time before being dumped. A former parishioner told VOL that the issues were not theology, morality or stealing money, but simply that he was totally disagreeable and alienated everybody personally.

The vestry demanded his resignation and they were supported by the revisionist bishop Frank Allen. Bennison refused to go but was persuaded by the withdrawal of his salary to accept a generous parachute, said the source.

There is no reason the PA Standing Committee could not repeat that act and so humiliate Bennison that he would be forced to resign before Diocesan Convention next week.

If not, Bennison faces multiple lawsuits and is building a legal war chest from the sale of deconsecrated parishes to go after two orthodox priests, Fr. Eddy Rix of All Saints, Wynnewood and Fr. David Moyer, Church of the Good Shepherd.

Michael Rehill who has been employed by the Standing Committee will also go after him.

He has no shame; he has lost the trust of most of the diocese with the exception of a handful of liberal priests who depend on him for financial support for their ailing parishes.

It is time for Bennison to go.

You can read the hand written letters of Charles Bennison at the following link:

http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/content/bennison-letters.pdf

You can read the Philadelphia INQUIRER story here: http://www.virtueonline.org/portal/modules/news/article.php?storyid=4916

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