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	Cardinal Rigali, Are You a Good Samaritan? Voice from the Desert March 17, 2011 http://reform-network.net/ March 11, 2011 Cardinal Justin Rigali Archdiocese of Philadelphia 222 North 17th Street Philadelphia, PA 19103-1299 Dear Cardinal Rigali: In the parable of the Good Samaritan, Jesus tells us what it means to love our neighbor. Here is an update to that parable to make it relevant to the Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis. A child was on the road from Jerusalem to Jericho, and fell prey to a pedophile priest, who stripped and sexually violated the child, and departed, leaving the child half dead. Another priest saw the violated child but passed by on the other side. Similarly a bishop saw the violated child and passed by on the other side. But a Good Samaritan saw the violated child and was moved with compassion. He bound up the child's wounds and took care of the child. The next day he took the child to an inn and gave his own money to the host of the inn and said, "Take care of the child. I will repay whatever you spend." Cardinal Rigali, are you a Good Samaritan? We the undersigned are offering to donate 20,000 pennies as a seed or starter donation for a planned Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia Good Samaritan Clergy Sexual Abuse Victims' Trust. We propose that the trust distribute grants to victims of clerical sexual abuse that occurred in the Philadelphia archdiocese since 1950. The grants will help victims and their families recover and heal from the trauma that resulted from the abuse. The number 20,000 represents a conservative (low) estimate of the persons in the United States who suffered as children, since 1950, sexual abuse by Catholic priests, deacons, religious brothers and sisters, and other church employees and independent contractors. (We believe the actual number of US child sexual abuse victims by Roman Catholic Church employees and independent contractors since 1950 is well over 100,000 with a reasonably high likelihood that the number of victims is around 500,000). To ensure credibility, accountability, and transparency, professionals independent of the Roman Catholic Church who collectively have proven skills and expertise in trust management, financial management, the medical healing arts and sciences, and the civil justice system must administer the trust. I suggest that you, one of the undersigned, and I jointly recruit and install the trustees before Good Friday (April 22, 2011). We the undersigned strongly urge you to publish on your website a) information about all Roman Catholic Church employees and independent contractors who served the Philadelphia archdiocese since 1950 and who were transferred, retired, or offered counseling based on an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor, and b) all information about those who aided in cover-up of the alleged abuse. This information published on your website will comfort those abuse victims who were abused but are currently anonymous and will encourage them to come forward (if they so choose), begin or hasten healing, name their perpetrator(s), and seek justice. Consider that a ten-year-old child who was abused 60 years ago is now 70 years old and carries daily the pain of that abuse. It is our belief that your acceptance of our proposed donation and the implementation of the trust would be a "win-win" for the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy, Roman Catholic faithful, and abuse victims. I ask you to write to me by April 1, 2011, to let me know if you will accept our donation and co-sponsor the trust outlined above. Respectfully, Frank J. Douglas President, Desert Voices, Inc. National Director, Send the Bishops a Message
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