PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Daily News
August 9, 2018
By John Baer
In anticipation of findings, however redacted, of a statewide grand jury investigation into sex abuse in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses, I revisited a 2005 grand jury report on the same topic in Philadelphia.
Thirteen years later, it’s as horrific as it was back then.
Findings included “how dozens of priests (at least 63) sexually abused hundreds of children” and “how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials — including Cardinal (Anthony) Bevilacqua and Cardinal (John) Krol — excused and enabled the abuse.”
Details were sickening.
“We mean rape. Boys who were raped orally, boys who were raped anally, girls who were raped vaginally.”
Specifics were worse.
An 11-year-old girl whose priest raped her, and when she became pregnant took her for an abortion.
A boy who woke intoxicated in a priest’s bed to find a priest performing oral sex on him while three other clerics watched.
There was much more.
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