PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philly.com
Teacher-turned-talk show host Dom Giordano is heard weekdays 9AM to 12 noon on WPHT 1210-AM Radio. Contact Dom at www.domgiordano.com.
POSTED: Thursday, January 2, 2014
INSIGHTS for this column often come in strange places. I was getting my final thoughts together for my year in review for all the issues that affect parents, kids and teachers.
I was getting changed in a men’s locker room when two guys were discussing Monsignor William Lynn and the Superior Court decision. The appeals judge said that Lynn, by statute, was not able to be held legally responsible for his actions, although even the Superior Court said that “Lynn prioritized the Archdiocese’s reputation over the safety of potential victims of sexually abusive priests.”
One guy actually defended Lynn, claiming that he had to do what he did because he had taken a vow of obedience.
On my radio show that day, I had heard rationalizations like this to try to spin Lynn’s actions. It clearly struck me that this is the both the biggest and worst local story of the year involving kids and parents.
It’s the worst because it opens all the old wounds. It also undermines the good work of Archbishop Charles Chaput, who has judiciously worked his way through a multitude of cases involving allegations against priests. My hope is that District Attorney Seth Williams appeals the Superior Court decision and wins, so that Lynn is returned to jail.
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