The Heron's Nest: Justice for Monsignor Lynn

By Phil Heron
Daily Times
December 30, 2013

http://www.delcotimes.com/opinion/20131230/the-herons-nest-justice-for-monsignor-lynn

Attorneys for Monsignor William Lynn - the only high-ranking church official ever convicted in connection with the burgeoning child sex abuse scandal - will be in court today looking to have their client freed on bail.

I hope he gets it, and he goes free after 18 months behind bars.

That’s not because I condone for a second what I believe he and other archdiocesan officials did. It remains in my view no less horrendous, what amounts to a policy of putting the reputation of the church and problem priests over that of children.

I believe Monsignor Lynn was doing the bidding his job as best he could, implementing the policies put in place by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, who was not charged in the scandal.

I think his actions - and the church’s policies - did in fact endanger the welfare of children. Lynn himself while on the stand during his trial indicated that “doing his best” to protect kids was not enough. But opinions - even moral ones - do not trump the law.

And clearly there were serious legal issues surrounding Lynn’s conviction.

Specifically, a three-judge state appeals court ruled in his favor after his lawyers made the argument that Lynn never should have been charged - let alone convicted - under Pennsylvania law. That’s because the law that was in place at the time Lynn’s actions are in question, did not apply to Lynn in his supervisory status as secretary for the clergy in the archdiocese. The law targeted only people with direct supervision over of children, such as parents or teachers.

The law was changed in 2007, widened in scope to include those such as employers whose employees end up harming children.

In Lynn’s case, the case zeroed in on a reassignment of Edward Avery, a defrocked priest who pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting an altar boy.

You can find our editorial position on our editorial page today.

This is my person opinion.

I should note that Monsignor Lynn was my parish priest. Much of what I have written in regards to his case have not exactly been welcomed by many in my parish, St. Joseph’s in Downingtown.

I still abhor the behavior of the archdiocese in this case. No doubt advocates for victim abuse will rue the appeals court’s ruling. Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams already is ripping the ruling and indicating he may appeal.

Protesters were back outside the Basilica of SS. Peter and Paul in Center City yesterday. The moral argument clearly is on their side.

The legal argument just as clearly is not.

Monsignor Lynn has been behind bars for 18 months for a crime that he could not have committed, because the law did not apply to him at the time.

Many no doubt will refer to it as getting off on a legal technicality.

I don’t consider spending 18 months in jail anything of the sort. Lynn has paid a huge price. So has the church.

My hope is that they have learned from the scandal that has burned around this issue for years. My belief is they likely have not.

That should not be used as a wedge to keep him in jail.

It’s time for Monsignor William Lynn to be freed.

•

From worst to first

10-6.

Let those numbers roll off your tongue this morning and marvel at how far the Eagles have come under Chip Kelly.

One year after a dispirited flock of Birds coughed up a four-win season that paved the way out of town for Andy Reid after 14 years at the helm, Chip Kelly has pulled off a miraculous turnaround.

Worst to First.

It wasn’t easy. These things never are. The Eagles gave the Delaware Valley a serious case of white-knuckle football in their prime time confrontation with the hated Cowboys last night, using a Brandon Boykin interception to finally seal the deal, and a 24-22 victory. You can get all the details here.

Now the Eagles host the New Orleans Saints in a first-round playoff game on Saturday night at the Linc. So much for all those who belittled Kelly, his hyper offense, and his offbeat coaching methods as “high school” stuff.

Start looking for every team in the league to start sucking down smoothies, the drink of choice that Kelly uses as part of his ‘different’ training regimen.

Critics will say the Eagles got a lot of breaks en route to that 10-6 record. They are right. Last night they faced a Cowboys team missing its star quarterback, just as they had earlier this season when they beat the Packers in Lambeau without Aaron Rodgers.

Kyle Orton seemed more than up to the task of upsetting the Eagles, right up until the moment when he did his best Tony Romo imitation, throwing a crucial interception late in the fourth quarter to seal Dallas’ fate.

Raise your hand if you had the Eagles at 10-6 back in August? If you had them even managing to keep their heads above .500, let alone competing for an NFC East title and spot in the playoffs.

That’s how far Kelly has brought this team in just a few short months.

Imagine what he might be able to do when he has a few more years - and drafts - to put his system in place. And consider one other thing. Consider the difference in this franchise with Kelly at the helm, as opposed to those final few years of the Andy Reid regime.

The former Eagles coach made no friends in Pennsylvania yesterday, resting most of his key starters as the Chief blew a chance to beat the Chargers, thus keeping the Steelers out of the playoffs.

Reid’s team now must go on the road for the first round of the post-season.

Given the same choice against the Bears last week, a game that meant next to nothing for the Eagles since it was clear they had to beat the Cowboys regardless to get into the playoffs, Kelly took the opposite approach. He used his starters, hit the gas, and never looked back.

Much as he has done all year.

It’s been an exhilarating ride. And a most refreshing change from where we were last year at this time. And next to no one - other than maybe Kelly himself saw it coming.

How far can the Eagles go in the post-season? Ask all those experts who had the Birds winning four games this year.

10-6. It’s a mark that no doubt has a lot of people around the NFL green with envy.

Kelly green, you might say.