The Anglican priest Father Calvin Robinson was seriously traduced by a false accusation on this blog. It was falsely alleged that he condoned the execution of homosexuals. The perpetrator of this calumny is currently banned from commenting here. 

Herewith an extract from a piece written on the subject of false accusations against priests by the Catholic canon lawyer Michael Mazza:

The Importance of the Value of Reputation

 by civil and Catholic canon lawyer Michael Mazza 

People who are accused of crimes have a right to proper process and to their good name (bona fama). Both of those often go out the door in the case of priests who are falsely accused.

Owing to the power of speech itself, along with the close link between a person’s name and his very identity, we saw how the witness of Sacred Scripture, the early Church, and centuries of theological tradition have established the foundations on which the current juridical framework protecting a cleric’s right to bona fama rests. Authentic developments in magisterial teaching on the issue of reputation support the conclusion that respect for bona fama is not only an essential element of any human community, but that it is particularly important in the life of the Church, especially for its clergy. In light of such evidence, it is incomprehensible for an ecclesial community professing fidelity to the incarnate Word of God to ignore or downplay a right so fundamental as the right to reputation. We have seen how our bona fama is linked to our physical, mental, social, and spiritual health; we have also examined how closely connected is a person’s name to his very life. In this light, then, we can more easily see the fundamental hypocrisy at work if one professes caritas but permits calumnia.