[guest post by Dana]
After a nearly-two year investigation by the Pennsylvania state attorney general, the horrific findings were released in a grand jury report released yesterday. The report includes documentation of sexual abuse at all levels, a widespread common practice to cover up the crimes against children in order to protect the guilty, and an utter and complete lack of even the most basic concern about young victims who suffered at the hands of those entrusted to guide and lead the flock. I mean, why would there be, given that the report notes there was a collective “disdain” shown for the victims. It is unspeakable in its evil:
Bishops and other leaders of the Roman Catholic Church in Pennsylvania covered up child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests over a period of 70 years, persuading victims not to report the abuse and law enforcement not to investigate it, according to a searing report issued by a grand jury on Tuesday.
The report, which covered six of the state’s eight Catholic dioceses and found more than 1,000 identifiable victims, is the broadest examination yet by a government agency in the United States of child sexual abuse in the Catholic Church. The report said there are likely thousands more victims whose records were lost or who were too afraid to come forward.
It catalogs horrific instances of abuse: a priest who raped a young girl in the hospital after she had her tonsils out; a victim tied up and whipped with leather straps by a priest; and another priest who was allowed to stay in ministry after impregnating a young girl and arranging for her to have an abortion.
…
“Despite some institutional reform, individual leaders of the church have largely escaped public accountability,” the grand jury wrote. “Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing; they hid it all. For decades.”
The report goes on to state that “the sexual abuse scandal has shaken the Catholic Church for more than 15 years, ever since explosive allegations emerged out of Boston in 2002, [but] even after paying billions of dollars in settlements and adding new prevention programs, the church has been dogged by a scandal that is now reaching its highest ranks,” including the Vatican, according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. No wonder Pope Francis is ignoring it :
On Wednesday morning, Pope Francis stood in the window of the apostolic palace looking over St. Peter’s square and blessed the crowds that had gathered for the Catholic celebration of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary into heaven. He talked about saints and heaven and sent his prayers to the victims of the bridge collapse in the northern Italian city of Genoa the day before.
But the pope didn’t mention the latest horrific news revealed about his church… “We, the members of this grand jury, need you to hear this,” the report began. But there was no sign Wednesday that Pope Francis was listening. He offered no prayer for the victims of his own churchmen who have been suffocated under a veil of complicity and shame for decades.
However, statements from officials at the various Pennsylvania dioceses involved in the report can be read here. It’s laughable to read the noble claims that safeguarding children is a priority of the church when one considers:
The grand jury said that while some accused priests were removed from ministry, the church officials who protected them remained in office or even got promotions. One bishop named in the report as vouching for an abusive priest was Cardinal Donald Wuerl, now the archbishop of Washington. “Until that changes, we think it is too early to close the book on the Catholic Church sex scandal,” the jury wrote.
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Church officials followed a “playbook for concealing the truth,” the grand jury said, minimizing the abuse by using words like “inappropriate contact” instead of “rape”; assigning priests untrained in sexual abuse cases to investigate their colleagues; and not informing the community of the real reasons behind removing an accused priest.
“Tell his parishioners that he is on ‘sick leave,’ or suffering from ‘nervous exhaustion.’ Or say nothing at all,” the report said.
Attorney General Josh Shapiro, whose office initiated the investigation, said in a news conference, “They protected their institution at all costs. As the grand jury found, the church showed a complete disdain for victims.”
Just one example demonstrating the vile, misplaced priorities of cchurch leadership and the absolute divorce from any moral and ethical behavior:
Here is the portion of the report that is being referenced.
Also included in the report are these grand jury recommendations:
Eliminating the criminal statute of limitations for sexually abusing children. (Current law permits victims to come forward until age 50.)
Creating a “civil window” so older victims may now sue for damages. (Current law gives child sex abuse victims 12 years to sue, once they turn 18. Victims in their 30s and older fall under a different law; they are only permitted two years.) The grand jury recommends a limited “window” offering victims a chance to be heard in court for an additional two years.
Changing the abuse reporting law to clarify the duty to report abuse, requiring people to report abuse “while the person knows or has reasonable cause to believe the abuser is likely to commit additional acts of child abuse.”
Creating a new statue which states that no past or present nondisclosure agreement can prevent a victim from talking to police. (The grand jury accused the Church of using confidentially agreements to silence abuse victims from speaking publicly or to law enforcement.)
In reading the report, I can tell you it is disgusting, vile, and grim. And utterly heartbreaking. It continues to boggle the mind that such evil is not only allowed to continue and flourish, but that the very system of the institution itself enables it to do so. So many sick individuals finding a ripe setting in which to carry out their evil deeds, and fully aided and abetted by those who are allegedly meant to hold them accountable. It’s unbelievable, one would think, but as an 80-year member of the Catholic Church told me back during the Boston scandal: I don’t believe it happened. I just don’t believe it.
–Dana