PA - Monsignor W. Lynn & 4 priests arrested in sweep/child rape & failure to protect

[Missizzy]

I'm assuming this is the proper spot for this post. It looks to be connected to the report released last month. But why no names?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pries...uX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrAzIxcGFwcmllc3Rzbg--

21 Pa. priests named in sex report are suspended

"PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia archdiocese suspended 21 Roman Catholic priests Tuesday who were named as child molestation suspects in a scathing grand jury report last month, a move that comes more than eight years after U.S. bishops pledged swift action to keep potential abusers away from young people. The priests have been removed from ministry while their cases are reviewed, Cardinal Justin Rigali said. The names of the priests were not being released, a spokesman for the archdiocese said.

"These have been difficult weeks since the release of the grand jury report," Rigali said in a statement. "Difficult most of all for victims of sexual abuse but also for all Catholics and for everyone in our community....."

More at link



Somehow, I think that the pain was just a teensy bit more extreme for the victims.

 

[Opie]

On a national newscast this evening it was reported that the parishioners of 21 parishes will learn this weekend that "their" priests are the ones involved here. Why not just publish their names to all can read them? This is just so awful. Afraid to post more for fear of being banned.

 

[Filly]

I'm assuming this is the proper spot for this post. It looks to be connected to the report released last month. But why no names?

http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_pries...uX2hlYWRsaW5lX2xpc3QEc2xrAzIxcGFwcmllc3Rzbg--

21 Pa. priests named in sex report are suspended

"PHILADELPHIA – The Philadelphia archdiocese suspended 21 Roman Catholic priests Tuesday who were named as child molestation suspects in a scathing grand jury report last month, a move that comes more than eight years after U.S. bishops pledged swift action to keep potential abusers away from young people. The priests have been removed from ministry while their cases are reviewed, Cardinal Justin Rigali said. The names of the priests were not being released, a spokesman for the archdiocese said.

"These have been difficult weeks since the release of the grand jury report," Rigali said in a statement. "Difficult most of all for victims of sexual abuse but also for all Catholics and for everyone in our community....."

More at link



Somehow, I think that the pain was just a teensy bit more extreme for the victims.

Well there's going to be a bunch of Priests missing tomorrow for Ash Wednesday.

Possibly there's going to be some teachers missing as some of the Priests teach High School.

Ya know who will know who the heck is missing straight away? The elder Parishoners. They go to Mass daily. They volunteer at things at Church. They're some of them newsy. Some don't miss a trick.

Sooooooooooo no names? This is all going to lead to speculation if your Parish Priest went POOF. How about the teachers? Your paying for your child's education and he's in Senior year and suddenly his teacher just vanishes?

It does hurt. Of course the hurt and shame and guilt the poor victims feel and in some cases felt and they are no longer with us can't be compared. However, I truly feel for the elderly folks. At this time in their lives after being good Catholics their entire lives they know no other way. Of course they are hip to the entire thing. Of course at first it shocked them. It still shocks, and saddens them. However, when it hits ya right in your own Parish well that's another story.

Please know I am not minimizing any of the cover up or the horrific abuse. I am outraged, but as a Catholic and having elderly neighbors and family trying to grasp this I can tell you it hurts them.

Prayers for the victims. Every poor kid that has suffered at the hands of their abusers, and the people that allowed them to continue. Paryers for our Church that it may find a way to keep the faithful. I think. It just really and truly is an awful, awful legacy they have laid down here.

 

[Filly]

Names:





http://delcotimes.com/articles/2011/03/09/news/doc4d77f95344740681250722.txt


Interesting comments accompany the article about "boundary issues".

 

[Missizzy]

Oh my...just reading the names takes my breath away. Each of those names (one man ordained in 1948!!) represents so many victims, so much pain, so many ruined lives and lost opportunities. Stolen innocence at the hand of the man who should have only shown love and tenderness. What an absolute shame and disgrace.

I am in prayer for the victims. However, I take issue with Cardinal Rigali calling on the faithful to pray for the healing of the church before the victims. To me, the individual victims deserve my prayer tonight.

Filly and to all others reading this who are Catholic, I'm so very sorry. I know how this must hurt.

 

[Filly]

Filly and to all others reading this who are Catholic, I'm so very sorry. I know how this must hurt.

Thank you, Missizzy that means alot.

We're keeping our Faith.

Fortunately I only know one of those Priests. Well I don't know him but he lived at our Parish when we were kids. Otherwise I have to read more. I was looking to see if any of the Priests were presently teaching. They would be teaching High School, and I just wonder how that will be explained and where they'll get the teachers.

Our Parishes have been closing at alarming rates. Same for the High Schools. Once they closed North Catholic I mean people were just stunned. A good school with tremendous history. That meant you too could be next. Then again suburbia has gotten some brand new ones so the flight of the Philadelphians had alot to do with the closings as well.

Praying for the victims as well. Especially the ones that are no longer here with us. Painful and so sad.

 

[strawberry]

Thank you, Missizzy that means alot.

We're keeping our Faith.

Fortunately I only know one of those Priests. Well I don't know him but he lived at our Parish when we were kids. Otherwise I have to read more. I was looking to see if any of the Priests were presently teaching. They would be teaching High School, and I just wonder how that will be explained and where they'll get the teachers.

Our Parishes have been closing at alarming rates. Same for the High Schools. Once they closed North Catholic I mean people were just stunned. A good school with tremendous history. That meant you too could be next. Then again suburbia has gotten some brand new ones so the flight of the Philadelphians had alot to do with the closings as well.

Praying for the victims as well. Especially the ones that are no longer here with us. Painful and so sad.

Monsignor Lynn was our parish monsignor. Hard to reconcile the man who was gentle and loved with the one from the grand jury report. Have to wait and see. Very upsetting.

 

[Filly]

Bishop McFadden says he never heard tell of any Priest sexually abusing children while he was in Philly.

The "secret files" that the DA claims the Church kept? Bishop McFadden says they were probably personell files and quite frankly when someone does something wrong the Church doesn't go around blasting that. That's an understatement if ya ask me. He makes the point you can't ruin a person's reputation.

Meanwhile at Mass Bishop McFadden urged Parishoners to let go of their guilt. Well geez thanks for that Bishop.
http://www.pennlive.com/midstate/index.ssf/2011/03/harrisburgs_bishop_mcfadden_sa.html



Last night on talk radio one of the accused Priests was on. He never, ever hurt a child. He doesn't know what's going on with the now grown man that is accusing save for he's in prison for some hefty charges.

Actually there were some good points made on this show. Hoping I can find some kind of link

 

[Missizzy]

You know Filly, I don't doubt that there's at least one priest out there who honestly never knew.....maybe one. The men who committed the crimes and their superiors now stand charged, and they have to face a higher court someday too. However, I've always wondered with all the talk, the rumors, the finger pointing, how could any priest not knowing that something was very wrong? And whether or not mandated reporting was a law at the time or not, don't we hold our clergy to a higher mandate? We put our children's safety in their hands.

I just cannot understand how seemingly scores of seemingly decent, hard-working priests must have put on blinders and ignored this, even if they were doing the Lord's work with love in their heart. Aren't they culpable too? What happened to "you are your brother's keeper"?

I understand that things were rotten systemically but these well educated and community involved men processed the mixed signals and hushed orders for silence and for some reason, chose to comply and to not speak out. That breaks my heart for the children and it also shows me that a broken system can ruin even the technically innocent. A good and loving priest may have never lain a hand on a child with lust, but many many chose to not report their brothers who did. Why?

 

[Filly]

Monsignor and three Priests and one lay teacher all plead not guilty.




http://www.myfoxphilly.com/dpp/news/local_news/monsignor,-priests-plead-not-guilty-041511

 

[Filly]

Why?

Honestly, Izzy I don't know. I have no idea. I was obviously never in the seminary.:innocent:Heck, I never spent too much time in the rectory and save for when I was a very small child I've had the same Parish my whole life. No rectory for me. So I can't answer for the good Priests that have served faithfully.

There are Priests that have come forward years ago. They spoke up. Then what? Someone higher up than you does whatever they did. I have no doubt there's good Priests that left the Church because of it.

Basically I guess if you kept coming forward you got shot down. That and probably moved yourself to another Parish.

Again I'm no Priest so I can't say.

 

[Filly]

Voice Of The Faithful


Keep the faith. Change the Church.


http://www.votf.org/

Sorry for the double post. Just wanted to put that good orginization up there. Also, on Sunday we're allllllllllllllll getting a leaflet in our Parish Bulletin. I'll post when I get it on Sunday.

 

[Missizzy]

Filly--Did you see my thread on the former Bishop from Belgium and what he said?

Do these men honestly not grasp the depth of the pain they've wrought?

 

[Filly]

Filly--Did you see my thread on the former Bishop from Belgium and what he said?

Do these men honestly not grasp the depth of the pain they've wrought?

Just was going over to read it, Izzy.

If they don't know then there's seriously really, really something big time wrong. I guess if you get away with something for decades it doesn't register?:banghead:

 

[Filly]

Although I have a raging sinus infection for the past two days and missed Mass my friend said she got me Palm and said she'll give me the Parish Bulletin.




However, I found an article about the insert which is to be a "series". It appears to be mostly about who is funding the defense attorney's for whom. Just a little heads up in case you read it. Alot of the Parishoners are not too happy this was put out during Holy Week. God forbid ya don't want to mess with Holy Week. Hey I have to go to confession anyway so writing that will get me another Hail Mary I guess.


http://www.phillyburbs.com/news/loc...cle_b9c3be5f-b193-5157-976d-6eacc8c7ecb0.html

Personally I think what better time than to finally reach out to the Parishoner's than Holy Week? Then again I didn't go to Mass.

 

[JoeFromLB]

http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2011/06/06/news/doc4ded355f26062654864127.txt

Priests reject plea deal in Philly Archdiocese child-sex case

June 6, 2011

PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Three current or former Roman Catholic priests in Philadelphia are rejecting a proposed plea offer to serve 7-1/2 to 15 years on child-rape charges.

Fr. Charles Engelhardt, Fr. James Brennan, former priest Edward Avery and former Catholic school teacher Bernard Shero are charged with raping boys in the 1990s. Court documents show all four have rejected plea offers from city prosecutors.

 

[Filly]

Hmmm so they'll be back in court July 29th?

Do they all have the same attorney's? I'm just wondering since I heard Brennan on the radio swearing up and down he is innocent, and he claimed he had no loot for an attorney and the Judge called him on it.

Pay me no mind because just now I'm reading and my friend was telling me awhile back about Father Englehardt teaching at Judge. I must have memory loss. I now recognize the name and look and yeah he did.

An old basketball whatever. His name is in it. Note one of the pols named is locked up now I think. No relation to these crimes.

http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs...d=0&billBody=H&billTyp=R&billNbr=0373&pn=3190

No matter what happens I have to say that Father Judge turned out some wonderful Salesian gentleman.

July 29th.

Prayers this poor guy is getting help. He was just a kid. A little kid. It's unimaginable.

 

[Filly]

This is huge.

Cardinal Justin Rigali to quit. Leader of Philly Archdiocese under fire since grand-jury report.



http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/125729893.html

 

[Filly]

The Pope has accepted the resignation of Cardinal Justin Rigali.




http://www.nytimes.com/2011/07/20/us/20bishop.html


Hmmmm it says that the Cardinal is of retirement age (75) and he's going out on that.

 

[JoeFromLB]

More trouble for the archdiocese. The chief finance officer was fired as an investigation begins into several hundred thousand dollars in missing money.

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/2...fires_finance_officer_over_missing_money.html