First, it is a report, not an indictment. Not a single of these hundreds of priests has been charged with anything. Though the torches and pitchforks are out, the grand jury has essentially admitted it is unable to prove even one crime.
Second, it is almost entirely old news, going back as far as the '60s. I could look any human institution and come up with a devastating account of how it has operated over the past 50 years. The number of corrupt officials in Lehigh Valley local government would number in the thousands, with crimes extending from bribery to illegal wiretaps to very real police brutality, in which confessions were quite literally beaten out of people.
Third, beware the motives of AG Josh Shapiro. He has that "lean and hungry look," as Caesar might say. He would like to be the next Governor, and could ride into office as the man who took on the Catholic Church without prosecuting a single one of these evil priests. That's quite an accomplishment.
Fourth, understand that many of the news accounts are going to be salacious and essentially unfair, while pretending objectivity. Nothing like a sex scandal to beef up sales.
Fifth, in the Allentown Diocese, all five DAs conducted an investigation in 2002, revealing much of the same information that has surfaced again 16 years later. At that time, the Allentown Diocese committed to notifying authorities whenever any allegations of child sexual abuse are made against a Catholic priest, no matter what church officials may think of the merits. DA John Morganelli said a few weeks ago that he believes the Diocese has lived up to its agreement.
33 comments:
Shapiro is a political animal who loves the limelight. This report made national news. He doesn't want to be Governor. He wants to run for Toomey's seat in 4 years. This is his Sandusky moment as AG. He will try to ride thus disgusting wave to Congress.
What's new is that the current bishop was aware of at least one case involving a creep who used to teach the bishop at ND. I wonder how long DeSales U will stomach a building named McShea Center, after a guy who seemingly sentenced a lot of kids to abuse.
The headlines and reports do not state the timeline of this report, It gives the impression that this is a current situation. The news media should again be objective and reveal the whole story. While it is a horror, there have been serious efforts to change this situation. As long as the catholic church is opposed to abortion and gay marriage, they will never be able to put these crimes from the past behind them. If they could disband and exile Catholics they would.
I am surprised to read that you're minimizing this report. The lead on this story is not the caveats - it's the systematic abuse of children.
Your first caveat that no one has been charged is wrong. Father David Poulson of Oil City in the Erie Diocese was arrested on May 9th. Rev. John T. Sweeney of the Greensburg Diocese pled guilty to his charges and was the first convinction from this investigation. Most of the charges in the report are too old for indictments, but they are still considered "credible."
Your second caveat - that this is old news and is somehow comparable to other crimes of corruption - is off base, too. Yes, these charges go way back, but they were still deemed credible by the Grand Jury. And, given the nature of the crimes and the systematic cover-up of these abuses, including forced non-disclosure agreements between victims' families and the Church, it's no wonder it took some time to unearth all this and present it. This is the largest investigation of abuse in the Catholic church that has ever been released, worldwide. And yet, the Grand Jury report states that this is just a small snapshot of worldwide abuses that have happened within the church. As far as comparing the widespread and systematic abuse of innocent children to government corruption cases....well, let's just say I find that entirely disturbing. I'll just have to assume that you really didn't mean it to sound like that. The sexual abuse of children - by PRIESTS, no less - is on a level of horror that has no comparison.
Your third caveat, where you throw Shapiro under the bus, is interesting. But wrong - there has been a conviction (in Greensburg) and another indictment. And it honestly sounds a little Trumponian to trash talk the bearer of bad news. Shapiro obviously has his own personal agenda, but that does not and should not overshadow the very serious nature of what this Grand Jury report exposes. The lead isn't Shapiro - it's the child abuse.
We can mostly agree on your 4th caveat - the media wants the story to sell. But the media isn't responsible for the salacious content. The sick priests are. This isn't Fake News.
And the fifth point - we've heard all this before - ignores the fact that this grand jury report is the most comprehensive look at sex abuse by the clergy ever produced. Many people, including Morganelli, have done great work in addressing these abuses, but we have not seen all this before. The body of work included in this most recent Grand Jury report far overshadwos anything we've seen before.
FWIW...I was raised by fallen away Catholics. I stayed at my Aunt's convent many times growing up (she's a nun in Los Angeles), and I have many aunts/uncles who are nuns and priests. I know many people in the church, and I have no agenda against it. My sympathies are primarily with the victims, but I also feel for the faithful who have been betrayed by widespread and systematic abuse in their church. It's a truly terrible thing.
I cannot believe how you are covering this subject. It is appalling that you are trying to sweep the report as well as the actions of the Catholic Church under the blanket. Prediction- within my lifetime, my old Parrish, which I was a member since 1964 when it was built, will be closed down for lack of either priests or membership. I was a lifelong catholic up until five years ago and now I go to another denomination. I have talked with my priest and deacon back in 2002 about this and my stomach turns when I replay their response in my head.
Men, priests, deacons schemed this over the years, but Satan has been scheming this for centuries and Satan is alive and well in the Catholic Church. Satan has won.
You should read some history books on the Catholic religion and the popes of old. Its history is sad plagued with scandal deceit lies and death. But with other stances you espouse, I understand that Satan is rooted in your life. So continue to protect the church. Keep the blinders on Bernie . It's your eternity not mine.
I posted about my meetings with the current bishop and what was talked about but you deleted my post. So I won't repeat what I wrote. A day doesn't go by where I don't cry for my old church. But I will not stay wher evil prevails.
Monkey Momma, I know my position is unpopular. I'm not running for anything or selling anything,and can afford to be right.
1. My first caveat is that the Grand Jury report charges no one, and it does not. It is a report, not an indictment. If there is a "credible" cover up going on right now, where are the charges? What no state RICO? This document charges no one, but does a great job of creating headlines. How can you dispute this simple reality. IT is NOT an indictment. It presents no charges. You, an intelligent person, are attaching a weight to it that it does not deserve. I would agree it is a devastating account and I hope it helps the victims.
2. It is almost ALL old news. It seems to me that, every two years, I read another report chronicling the latest "investigation." At this point, it is more accurate to call it history, not crime solving. Two years ago, Kathleen Krazy Eyes Kane had her own report. I have no desire to minimize the severity of what happened, but I am getting tired of reading the same things over and over again.
3. Shapiro is an ambitious man. He is no crime fighter and has never tried a case. He wants to be governor or, as another commenter observed, Senator. His report is almost completely are old news and does not enforce any criminal laws. Since when is it Trumpian to suspect the motives of a person in elected office? I have always done that, and we should always be suspicious of the motives behind headline-grabbers. People have often questioned John Morganelli, and that is fair. It is equally fair to question Shapiro. If anything, Trumpand Shapiro are alike.They are both panderers.
4. We agree on this point. But I hesitate at the desire to call it news. History is the word I would use.
5. Your response here fails to rebut my fifth point, which essentially means that safeguards have been in place for the past 16 years that will at least prevent cover-ups.
10:06, I am aware that the church, like any human institution, is full of human frailties. The fact that it falls so short of its ideals is only an indictment of we humans, not those ideals. But I respect your desire to worship where you feel most comfortable.
Report is revealing and sends a wake up call to many religious institutions. It is a piece of history now brought into the open for all to see...finally. Shame on those who covered it up all these decades. Christianity is in retreat nationwide already and this will send even more heading for the doors.
Shapiro's motives are his alone but it is political high ground he now stands on.
You and I have had our differences, Bernie, but, fair is fair, and I'd like to congratulate you on your very well reasoned, well researched, and indeed courageous piece here.
I think you and I would agree that any priest who can be *proven* to have committed such crimes deserves everything he gets and then some. And so does anyone who can be shown to have aided and abetted him.
What I'd really like to know -- and admittedly don't even know how to begin to research -- is whether priests molest at a rate any different than lawyers or auto mechanics or doctors or plumbers -- or men of any other walk of life.
My fear is that the priesthood -- which is undeniably a force for good in the world despite instances of horrid failings -- is, perhaps, being tarred with a brush that could be equally applied to many other life pursuits as well -- just not so sensationalistically.
It's tragic no matter how you slice it, but I found your voice of reason on the matter comforting and refreshing. Thank You.
The levels of severity of the allegations needs to be considered. In some cases, a person had one allegation against them, without any evidence. Others had a long pattern of crime, with multiple credible allegations, and they should have spent many years in prison. We need to be careful to not lump everyone together.
I am not surprised that people support Trump and other criminal politicians despite what they says or do.
Centuries of church domination has prepared the modern world to accept, as a matter of faith, the abuses of those who govern.
Even the raping of children is marginalized as it is compared to historic church abuses, in the same way a politician would point towards history, not to inform their behavior, but to excuse it.
In addition to blaming the bishops for the decades of coverups and enabling of molesters, we have to wonder if there were police officers, detectives and prosecutors who also knew something was very wrong, but looked the other way.
The Harrisburg Diocese has passed a rule saying that they will not enforce confidentiality agreements signed by victims. All dioceses should adopt the same rule. In addition, there is a proposed state law that would state that a confidentiality agreement cannot stop a victim from talking to law enforcement.
11:13, the child abuse that occurred, as well as the even more troubling cover-up, should never be minimized. But context is needed. None of this is shocking. It has been reported, over and over, since the ‘60s. And always in the same breathless manner, as though being told for the first time. The important thing is to take steps to minimize it in the future. The Allentown Diocese has done that. I like Charlie Schm’s. Suggestions, too.
Sounds a lot like repackaged spam, the ham product, and not email stuff. Spam repackaged in a "Mystery Meat" can is still Spam. Bishop Barres has wrapped up all his paperwork documenting this messy stuff no matter what Shapiro is currently hawking in the public forum. Barres is off on Long Island now gearing up to succeed Dolan with he turns 75. And so it goes.
While no longer a practicing catholic, I went to catholic school, graduated from catholic High school. I do recall the dedication and self sacrifice of the priests and nuns who taught. I had never heard of these incidents at the time. There is no doubt that abuses occurred,and were not handled in a proper way.
We must remember most of the people who had to deal with this issue most likely had very little actual experience in such things. They undoubtedly didn't understand the psychology of these perpetrators. I would say that would apply to most of us reading these posts. Many of us didn't know what a homosexual or pedophile was until later in our lives. We certainly understand much more now, as does the church.
The problem with this report is it makes it sound that this information is all current, that there are 37 molesters in the church in Allentown at this time. Again, the media has sensationalized something that has been being handled in the proper way for some years. It should not be forgotten, but for an honest true report the timeline should have been more pronounced. It would not surprise me if it was a political opportunity to diminish the church and its members for its stand on abortion and gay marriage.
I guess the question here is why was the Allentown Diocese included in the report?
From everything I've heard, they are living up to the 2002 agreement, and the new cases cited in the Grand Jury report have been properly reported to authorities.
Is the "new" drumbeat by Shapiro just a way to try to get the statute of limitations lifted, so he can repay the trial attorneys that helped put him into office?
The Allentown Diocese is one of Pa.’s Catholic dioceses and should have been included. But things need to be taken in context.
Perhaps the Catholic Church hasn't done proper penance for the "old" allegations. Your reference to old news was exactly the goal of the diocese's strategy, all along. That is, they purposely slow-walked their process in order to outlast statutes, memories, and initial outrage. The current bishop is making excuses for not contacting authorities in 2002. He thinks making the bad guys go away quietly was the best course. That's outrageous.
The current Bishop was not the Bishop in 2002. Your analysis presumes an evil hierarchy even now. I do not share that presumption.
Just because a crime wasn't charged by this report does that make what happened any less wrong? Nope. Does it shed light on how the Catholic Church leadership operated or currently operates to hide and keep these allegations at their level. Yes. Are some of the same people who were in power among the church still in power today. Yes. Is it incredible that unfortunately it takes 30+ years for these allegations to come out so imagine what's going to come out in the next 30 especially with technology imagine what some of the sick perverts are capable of. It's proven not only here in Pennsylvania, Boston, Maryland, and all over the world the Catholic Church's foundation is rotten to the core. Everyone knows politicians are sleazy Bernie but Politicians don't claim to be the doorway to God and have the power to be alone with you at such a young age that priest do. You're probably right about Shapiro making this a political football but guess what that still doesn't mean those victims should be silenced. Regardless, the truth should be told and I'm glad that it's coming to the light. Ultimately the sad part is Catholics themselves will go to church this weekend and not demand answers they will keep their heads down and say their hail marys and continue to be sheep to the fact their institution they worship in is built on lies. God Speed to those who things this is a nothing but old news.
4:59, I believe the report is very important for the victims but you amazingly conclude everything in it is sacrosanct and it is not. It is not even a charging document. I support having it out there but really think it is way too easy for emotions to become inflamed and to take things out of context.
Some of you may have found this "old news" but I didn't. First, the extent and the depth of the many many coverups (which I didn't know) is a chronicle of depravity beyond description. There are also new names on the list. I wonder how many knew that Henry Strassner, principal of Notre dame High School, was one of them? I mean everyone knew he was physically abusive but I don't think they knew he was also a predator. Michael Lawrence was legend.... had it not been for my courageous father my brother would have been one of the victims. He was being groomed by "Father Michael". He never got my brother but he was moved around so that he had continual source of available victims. I cannot be so cavalier about this. The current Bishop should resign immediately as he was an enabler and part of the coverup.
Helene, I just ask that you keep things in context.
"Not a single of these hundreds of priests has been charged with anything."
When facts are known and have been conceded to by the church, and the law cannot or will not do anything except issue reports that do nothing.
Both government and religion has demonstrated that justice is better served with torches and pitchforks.
I directly knew 5 of these monsters. This worthy report lays bare an abomination of epic depravity comined with systemic malevolent collusion by leaders entrusted with the faith of so many. The heart brakes for the victims. This is truly soul crushing.
I wonder how many victims will be represented by Tom Kline once Shapiro gets the statute of limitations extended.
You have described previous investigations of the Allentown Diocese, but I never saw the results made public to this extent. People I know who have been very involved in the Catholic Church knew about some of these cases, but had no idea about many of the allegations until they read this new report.
The question should not be: why did AG Shapiro do this investigation. The question should be: why did previous PA Attorneys General (such as Tom Corbett who held the office for 8 years from 1995 to 1997 and from 2005 to 2011) not do it?
If previous PA. Attorneys General had done their job, then these predators could have been prosecuted before the statue of limitations expired. Instead, almost all of them got away with it.
typo in above post "Statute"
I'm saddened to read pieces of this report. I'm saddened to know that as a parishioner I've had contact with some of the abusers on this list, but I have to ask, what have we learned from all of this? The abusers had ACCESS. At the same time this discussion is going on the local paper is praising some good Samaritan who is donating 100K to move homeless persons from Hamilton Street to a residential neighborhood YMCA, to be housed in a building where children's programs also take place. I suspect that the Samaritan may benefit from removing a visual reminder of the real city from the new downtown where the would be millennials roam the restaurants and venues. If God whispers in the Samaritan's ear to write a check perhaps He should also whisper a realistic location, not a family Y. The employees and volunteers will have to have child abuse clearances, the patrons will not. I hope you can look into this. Thanks.
Yes, I also am concerned about using the Allentown Y building as a winter shelter. I don't understand why they don't continue to use the old pool building on MLK Blvd, which is not near residents and which is near most of the homeless encampments, and which already renovated for that purpose. The persons using the winter shelter will not undergo the same level of screening that occurs at the Allentown Rescue Mission.
I know there was an issue with another organization in Allentown that serves many homeless people that could not be in a church that also had a day care center, because there were some guys on Megan's List.
It’s ALL shocking
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