Disapperence and death of Vicar of St John's East Dulwich

[Dilcam]

There was a thread here yesterday about the very unfortunate disappearance of a local parish priest and his death some months later. The thread contained some messages of heartfelt concern and sadness and some referring to the strange circumstances that may surround all this. The possibility of a cover up was put forward. Someone at that stage asked for the thread to be removed and it has been. The sudden disappearance and death of a local vicar is likely to be the subject of not only much sadness but of course of local gossip. In my opinion nothing in that thread was libellous and much was very touching and deeply felt grief. Those who think that information about the circumstances surrounding all this are being withheld/ managed will draw there own conclusions. Someone on the thread mentioned free speech. I rest my case.

[offspinner]

Quite agree. This is matter of legitimate public interest. Admin does a good job of moderating this forum, but on this occasion I believe the wrong decision has been made and I hope that the thread will be reinstated. Incidentally,libel is not an issue where a deceased person is concerned.

[indya]

Indeed. Most people on that thread were expressing their grief. I am very sorry admin saw it fit to remove that opportunity for people to share. He was OUR priest in OUR community. This is our community forum.

[nigelnigel]

I agree. Although no facts about why or how he died can be known until after an inquest, it is surely acceptable to express our grief and sadness, and our views about how the church is managing these events.

I support the reinstatement of this thread. I don?t recall there being any inappropriate conjecture about how or why he died.

It is interesting to note how the removal of this thread mirrors the institutional silencing going on in the church.

[vesti]

Original thread started by Missteak (see other posts, not super pleasant) and now this by Dilcam. Both newly registered.

Some agenda going on.

[Dilcam]

Hi Vesti

The only agenda is free speech. I knew Charles Richardson for 16 years and was a church warden at St John's. What is your agenda? Are you going to vet everyone who registers in response to a post!!!!!!!

[Loz]

nigelnigel Wrote:

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> I support the reinstatement of this thread. I don?t recall there being any inappropriate

> conjecture about how or why he died.

I disagree entirely. I knew nothing about the poor man's death (even that he had died) and via that thread I now know quite a bit about the circumstances.

I'm glad it was removed. I hope this one does too.

[missteak]

vesti Wrote:

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> Original thread started by Missteak (see other

> posts, not super pleasant) and now this by Dilcam.

> Both newly registered.

>

> Some agenda going on.

I did not start thread. Do you wish to offer an apology?

[Louisa]

As touching and legitimate as I'm sure the concerns expressed here appear to be, I am also uneasy about this thread and the previous one. For now at least, I would also support admin removing this thread from the forum.

Louisa.

[Dilcam]

Both these threads have contained genuine thoughts of grief and support and as some have said of legitimate conjecture. I may not agree with all the things that have been posted here about this issue but I will defend the right of people to say what they wish to within the law and within the protocol of the EDF. It saddens me that I am having to defend free speech in this way. No one can now see my post on the original thread as my right to express a legitimate and a compassionate message was removed. I would not like to see this thread removed and I would like to see the original reinstated and I would like people from throughout the community who mourn the passing of Charles Richardson, as well as well as those who wish to question how things have been handled to be able to express themselves on the Forum. Otherwise why not just rebadge it 'find a plumber' and limit it to that.

So please keep this open, reinstate the previous thread and honour the memory of a local priest, as well as speculate on what may or may not have happened. We are not living in Soviet Russia!

[red devil]

Dilcam Wrote:

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>...as well as speculate on what may or may not have

> happened.

Think you want the GFF...Gossiping Fishwives Forum.

[newboots]

Why don't those of you who wish to discuss this pm each other with email addresses and carry on the conversation privately? I would like the thread to go - this seems a wholly inappropriate place to speculate about whatever it is you are speculating about.

[Dilcam]

So Red Devil and Newboots - Soviet Russia it is! Nice to know that as far as you are concerned public speculation is no go. The posts that are most upsetting in the thread are actually ones like yours.

[Alan Medic]

indya Wrote:

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> Indeed. Most people on that thread were expressing

> their grief. I am very sorry admin saw it fit to

> remove that opportunity for people to share. He

> was OUR priest in OUR community. This is our

> community forum.

How is this your forum? You don't run it. Admin is entitled to do as he sees fit. As for the original thread what struck me was that church going people were saying they wouldn't go again as this particular priest was no longer there. If you believe in the religion surely it isn't dependent on one priest as nice as he may have been.

T