The Scientology spy with access to the Vatican: A late farewell
It recently came to our attention that we had missed the news of the passing of an interesting figure from Scientology history.
The Most Reverend Joseph K. Grieboski was outed as a secret Scientology operative by Marty Rathbun at his blog in 2011. Two years earlier, Gerry Armstrong had accused Grieboski of secretly working for Scientology, saying that he’d heard it from an employee at Grieboski’s Institute on Religion and Foreign Policy, but Rathbun left no doubt: He published an internal Scientology document laying out the “Grieboski Program,” a set of responsibilities for which Grieboski was being paid very handsome amounts by Church leader David Miscavige.
“For more than a decade this gentleman who touts himself as a Nobel peace prize candidate has been on Miscavige’s payroll covering up Miscavige’s serial, continuous Human Rights violations. He is but one of a team of mercenaries, including a number of former US Department of Justice lawyers, who receive thousands of dollars weekly to cover up for David Miscavige’s crimes,” Rathbun wrote.
In the document Rathbun published, Grieboski’s usefulness was laid out as a Catholic activist who was secretly working for Scientology’s covert corps, the Office of Special Affairs…
Joe Grieboski (JG) operates the Institute on Religion and Public Policy, an identity he uses to ally individuals in the RCC [Roman Catholic Church] and other major religions as well as political personalities. He contributed in this manner to the handling of several situations in Europe.
The program laid out what OSA was expecting to get for the hefty amounts it was paying him…
PURPOSE
To protect and advance religious freedom interests of Scientology where threatened or blocked.MAJOR TARGET
1. Get Joe Grieboski to utilize existing or develop new power comm lines to resolve our major European situations.
2. Power commlines and OL allies in place to help open getting Scientology into Muslim countries.
After Rathbun posted the program, we reached out to former head of OSA Mike Rinder, who confirmed that he had hired Grieboski for Scientology.
“He was absolutely employed by the church, and it was because of his Catholic connections,” Rinder said. “He had connection into the Vatican, and all of the Catholic countries where the church was having problems. Italy, France, Belgium. That’s why he was on the payroll. He’s a lobbyist. That’s what the guy is.”
We were surprised to see that at the website for his Institute, Grieboski made this claim…
The Institute on Religion and Public Policy does not accept funding of any type from religions, religious institutions, or government agencies of any kind, unless government funds are specifically earmarked solely for the Interparliamentary Conference on Human Rights and Religious Freedom.
And when we heard from him, Grieboski denied that his Institute was receiving any money from Scientology, but he didn’t deny that he had “advised” Scientology and other groups on a personal basis.
Well, however Grieboski justified it to himself, it was fascinating to learn from Armstrong, Rathbun, and Rinder that this religious figure was secretly being paid huge amounts to lobby behind the scenes for Scientology, something we have to assume is still going on.
But not with Grieboski. We recently learned that he died in February 2021 at only 46 years of age after “a brief illness.”
Well, that sort of thing was going around an awful lot that year.
Phil Jones named new ED of the Aftermath Foundation
We heard from Claire Headley yesterday, who sent us this announcement…
We’d like to extend our heartfelt thanks to Bruce Hines, who has retired as Executive Director of The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation. Bruce’s dedication, wisdom, and compassion have been instrumental in shaping the foundation’s mission and supporting countless individuals on their journey to freedom.
Please join us in expressing gratitude to Bruce for his service and in welcoming Phil Jones to his new role.
As Phil takes on this new role with the organization, he has shared a bit of his own story and why this work is important to him:
“Having spent nearly 40 years inside Scientology, my wife and I experienced firsthand the manipulation, control, and ultimately, the heartbreak of disconnection. When we left, we lost contact with our children, who chose to remain in the organization. That kind of pain never leaves you, but it does fuel a deep and lasting commitment to fight back.
“For over a decade now, my wife and I have worked tirelessly to shine a light on Scientology’s abusive practice of breaking up families. Whether through protests, public speaking, or putting up billboards near Scientology facilities, we have used every peaceful tool available to bring awareness and create change.
“Now, as the Executive Director of The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation, I am honored to continue this mission on a broader scale. I have seen how difficult and frightening it can be to leave Scientology, especially when doing so can mean losing everything: your home, your family, and your identity. But I have also seen the strength and resilience of those who take that step and the profound difference support can make.
“Thanks to the generosity of our donors and the dedication of the Aftermath team, we are able to help those leaving Scientology find their footing again. I am committed to building on the important work already being done and expanding our reach to help as many people as possible reclaim their freedom and their lives.”
Philip Jones
Executive Director, The Michael J. Rinder Aftermath Foundation
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Source Code: Actual things founder L. Ron Hubbard said on this date in history
Avast, Ye Mateys: Snapshots from Scientology’s years at sea
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Congrats to Phil! He will do a superb job for sure.
There shouldn't be any surprise that people like Grieboski are on Scientoloogy's payroll. My surprise is that this is the first we are hearing about it and from such unlikely sources. It immediately begs the question of who else is Scientology paying in the academic, religious, social sciences or political world for influence? What lobbyists are on the church's payroll? We know people like Masimo Introvigne are pay-to-play academics who will shill out to cults to publish reams of academic articles in their fake journals to promote cult ideologies. We know that there are also academics such as James R. Lewis and Gordon Melton who can't help but keep shilling for groups like Scientology despite the fact they have been informed repeatedly of the abuses. But the hidden network of people on the payroll of cults like Scientology is a huge story and I think this is just the barest tip of the iceberg of corruption that cults create across the professional world.