BishopAccountability.org
	Monica Yant Kinney: a Bright Spot Amid the Darkness of Philadelphia's Clergy Sex Abuse By Monica Yant Kinney Philadelphia Inquirer March 13, 2011 http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/monica_yant_kinney/117872499.html Before we get going, let's take a moment to acknowledge the Archdiocese of Philadelphia for doing something right for a change. It's practically a miracle, one that's been lost in the fervor. No, I'm not talking about the surprise decision to put 21 priests on administrative leave without naming all the alleged offenders or telling affected parishioners who did what, when, where, to how many children and for how long. Only an institution still blinded by arrogance could think an announcement, without explanation, counts as atonement. And the day before Ash Wednesday, no less. At that solemn service, Cardinal Justin Rigali implored the faithful to bow their heads "in the spirit of repentance . . . acknowledge sin, ask God's pardon, and to resolve - with his help - not to sin again." I don't know what Rigali gave up for Lent, but is it too late to add "insulting our intelligence" to the list? Surely the cardinal realizes that parishioners seek more transparency, not less. Vince Wesolowski, a SEPTA employee who worships at St. Elizabeth's in Upper Uwchlan, couldn't be more clear. "These men of the cloth have erred grievously in their decisions to keep this [scandal] quiet," fumes Wesolowski, 60, a grandfather who could buy a second home with what he spent on Catholic schools. "The archdiocese is still being secretive. It's still not being truthful. Parishes need to have open forums where people can vent their frustrations and get all their questions answered," he insists. "That's the only way we'll ever get closure." Random act of rectitude So about that miracle. Many Catholics may not realize that the latest chapter in this epic sex scandal came to light after the archdiocese called the district attorney. Everything in the last month can be traced to the day in 2009 when a man in drug rehab admitted he'd been molested by two priests and raped by a teacher. The abuse occurred in 1998-99, when the victim was in the fifth grade at St. Jerome School in Northeast Philadelphia. Because the allegations fell within the statute of limitations for criminal prosecution, church lawyers referred the case to prosecutors, who quickly convened a grand jury. Given how strange archdiocesan policies remain - reforms include not asking accused priests if they are guilty - we should thank God for this righteousness. If only there were more such acts. Take a message Rigali didn't choose to suspend those 21 priests. He was forced to by the 2010 grand jury shocked to learn that 37 priests remained in active ministry despite "substantial evidence" of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior. After 2002, the archdiocese created an independent review board as a symbol of internal reform. But even the handpicked inquisitors received selective evidence, allowed to weigh allegations against just seven of the 21 problem priests. Who knows why the archdiocese kept its chosen examiners in the dark. But in a telling admission last week, chairwoman Ana Maria Catanzaro said the board repeatedly had urged church leaders to suspend all accused priests pending investigations - only to be ignored. The archdiocese is nothing if not consistent in its dismissiveness. Victims are still being ignored. Perhaps you missed that another area man filed another civil lawsuit last week over abuse he says he suffered as a 10-year-old in the mid-1990s at Our Lady of Calvary Church in Northeast Philadelphia. (The alleged assailant, the Rev. John Gillespie, admitted in 1994 to molesting boys throughout his career, kept his job for six years, and died in 2008. What a life.) Phillip Gaughan, 31, of Delaware, told reporters that he had first contacted the archdiocese's victim assistance office last fall. He said he'd had two 10-minute phone conversations about treatment. That's it. Gaughan made follow-up calls and left messages, but "I never heard back."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.