6 thoughts on “Another Suit Filed Against Philadelphia Archdiocese”
Where is the legal counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia throughout all of these horrible, evil and irresponsible actions and decisions on the part of archdiocesan leadership? Is legal counsel (William Sasso, Chairman, Stradley and Ronon) ever responsible to protect the children, the innocent victims, those who suffer from the moment of abuse and forward throughout the remainder of their painful, depressed and nightmare-ridden lives?
At the highest levels of Philadelphia archdiocesan leadership, there are two influential clergy members who themselves are civil attorneys. What are their legal, ethical and moral responsibilitie s in response to the criminal and life-destroying conduct taking place in their organization? It is a moral outrage that one of these religious leaders, who was the founding director of the Office of Legal Services at the archdiocese in the early 1990’s, related to this writer, through his assistant, that none of the reports and allegations of clergy abuse during that period were delivered to him or his office.
Ever since the release of the first Grand Jury Report in 2005 which William Sasso called “anti-Catholic”, this prominent Philadelphia attorney has received one civic award after another from local, state, and federal organizations. Yet, what has/did Mr. Sasso do to protect the children of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia? Interestingly, Mr. Sasso has yet to be heard from in response to the 2nd Grand Jury Report and it is unfortunate because the children of the archdiocese are very anxious to hear what he has to say. As general counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the silence of Sasso is indeed “deafening.”
Do you know how to prevent child sexual abuse by clergy or non-clergy?
You can’t! Sexual abuse has been happening to children and vulnerable adults long before we were born and it will continue after we’re gone. It’s estimated that 60 million Americans have been the victim of some type of sexual assault in their lives; either as an adult or as a child. Every two minutes someone in sexually assaulted in America. Ever 8 & 1/2 minutes a child is abused. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been or will be abused before their 18th birthday. Clergy abuse only accounts for about 5% of the overall scale of child sexual abuse. Most abuse victims are girls who are abused by their own biological fathers. I am convinced, that if priests were allowed to marry, we’d only have more abuse victims. Sadly enough, most statistics only exist because of the victims who have come forward to report the abuse. Many, many victims will never come forward because of shame, humiliation, confusion, religion, and fear.
I came forward about my abuse because I felt I had no other option. It was either trying to find the answer in the bottom of a bottle of whiskey, or standing up and doing something about it. I chose the latter.
Even though the countless protests, public & private events I have been to take a lot out of me, I still feel empowered by the children I may be saving from experiencing my life in the future. My one motivation is protecting children. PROTECTING CHILDREN! Soul murder? I have no soul! Confusion? Who knows what kind of man I would be today if I wasn’t sexually abused?! Trust? Is there such a word and does it even have meaning whatsoever?!
Some think I shouldn’t protest at Saint Francis De Sales Parish in Philly on Sunday, because kids are recieving their confirmation. Cardinal Rigali will be saying the Mass from 10:15am – 11:15am, and I will be there. It’s time to stop sheltering the children from the realities of today, and start focusing their attention on “good touch, bad touch.” Children are the silent victims of sexual abuse. This needs to change. If it were up to me, there’d be a public service announcement before every video game these kids play. If I had the money, I’d erect billboards up-and-down I-95, alerting the public of sexual abuse. If I had psychic powers, I’d protect every kid who will be or who is going to be sexually abused. I’d save them from hell.
“Stanger danger” accounts for a very small percentage of childhood sexual abuse – a very small percentage. Children are more vulnerable around Father Pervert and Uncle Pedophile. And… sadly enough… there are lawyers who defend these monsters. “Due process?” Where was my due process when I was being abused.
“You got two kinds of people in this world. You’ve got your talkers, and you’ve got your doers. Most people are just talkers. All they got is talk. But when all is said and done, the doers change the world. And when they do that, they change us. And that’s why we never forget them. So which one are you? Do you just talk about it, or do you something about it? Because believe you me, all the rest of it, is just coffee-house bullshit.” – Opening line, Boondock Saints II
Rich, I agree with you on all your points, but one. It’s a parent’s responsibility – not yours – to speak to their children about all these truths. These parents and children will resent you for disrupting Confirmation. They will not get past that resentment to hear your message. Your desire to protect children needs a better delivery to be effective. Employ the same methods that successful marketers of any idea would. Alienation isn’t one of them. Just my two cents. I want you to be successful in protecting children.
Susan. Just how do you think Rich should “employ the same methods that successful marketers” have done in the past? This is not a business!!!! This is a crime we’re talking about.!!! Just where do want the feathers to be ruffled? “Not at my children’s Confirmation”, “Not at our First Communion” ” Not at our Ash Wednesday” Do you think for one minute that a Sunday Kumbaya round table seminar at the Hilton followed with a light lunch at Le Bec-Fin would work???? How many parents in the past have refused to believe their children? It’s the voice of the brave, the voice of those who lost their innocence..the voice of the abused that can help save the children. Thank you Rich!!
Carol, we are on the same side. My point is that if no one is listening – you aren’t being heard. If you piss people off – they don’t listen. That’s all.
I do not know what else to say other than that I am so very sorry for your pain, heartache, depression, anger and all of the other host of evil consequences that have resulted from the criminality and evil of sexual abuse by certain clergy.
These words of yours portray your desolation so vividly:
“PROTECTING CHILDREN! Soul murder? I have no soul! Confusion? Who knows what kind of man I would be today if I wasn’t sexually abused?! Trust? Is there such a word and does it even have meaning whatsoever?!”
I can appreciate your commitment to protest this Sunday because such a religious event conducted by the “leader” of our Archdiocese is full of irony, hypocrisy, denial, injustice, and a complete disregard of the reality this Philadelphia Catholic Church is facing and you, Rich, are experiencing every waking moment of your life here in Philadelphia.
I commend you on your strength in continuing to fight to protect all of our children.
Where is the legal counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia throughout all of these horrible, evil and irresponsible actions and decisions on the part of archdiocesan leadership? Is legal counsel (William Sasso, Chairman, Stradley and Ronon) ever responsible to protect the children, the innocent victims, those who suffer from the moment of abuse and forward throughout the remainder of their painful, depressed and nightmare-ridden lives?
At the highest levels of Philadelphia archdiocesan leadership, there are two influential clergy members who themselves are civil attorneys. What are their legal, ethical and moral responsibilitie s in response to the criminal and life-destroying conduct taking place in their organization? It is a moral outrage that one of these religious leaders, who was the founding director of the Office of Legal Services at the archdiocese in the early 1990’s, related to this writer, through his assistant, that none of the reports and allegations of clergy abuse during that period were delivered to him or his office.
Ever since the release of the first Grand Jury Report in 2005 which William Sasso called “anti-Catholic”, this prominent Philadelphia attorney has received one civic award after another from local, state, and federal organizations. Yet, what has/did Mr. Sasso do to protect the children of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia? Interestingly, Mr. Sasso has yet to be heard from in response to the 2nd Grand Jury Report and it is unfortunate because the children of the archdiocese are very anxious to hear what he has to say. As general counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, the silence of Sasso is indeed “deafening.”
Do you know how to prevent child sexual abuse by clergy or non-clergy?
You can’t! Sexual abuse has been happening to children and vulnerable adults long before we were born and it will continue after we’re gone. It’s estimated that 60 million Americans have been the victim of some type of sexual assault in their lives; either as an adult or as a child. Every two minutes someone in sexually assaulted in America. Ever 8 & 1/2 minutes a child is abused. 1 in 4 girls and 1 in 6 boys have been or will be abused before their 18th birthday. Clergy abuse only accounts for about 5% of the overall scale of child sexual abuse. Most abuse victims are girls who are abused by their own biological fathers. I am convinced, that if priests were allowed to marry, we’d only have more abuse victims. Sadly enough, most statistics only exist because of the victims who have come forward to report the abuse. Many, many victims will never come forward because of shame, humiliation, confusion, religion, and fear.
I came forward about my abuse because I felt I had no other option. It was either trying to find the answer in the bottom of a bottle of whiskey, or standing up and doing something about it. I chose the latter.
Even though the countless protests, public & private events I have been to take a lot out of me, I still feel empowered by the children I may be saving from experiencing my life in the future. My one motivation is protecting children. PROTECTING CHILDREN! Soul murder? I have no soul! Confusion? Who knows what kind of man I would be today if I wasn’t sexually abused?! Trust? Is there such a word and does it even have meaning whatsoever?!
Some think I shouldn’t protest at Saint Francis De Sales Parish in Philly on Sunday, because kids are recieving their confirmation. Cardinal Rigali will be saying the Mass from 10:15am – 11:15am, and I will be there. It’s time to stop sheltering the children from the realities of today, and start focusing their attention on “good touch, bad touch.” Children are the silent victims of sexual abuse. This needs to change. If it were up to me, there’d be a public service announcement before every video game these kids play. If I had the money, I’d erect billboards up-and-down I-95, alerting the public of sexual abuse. If I had psychic powers, I’d protect every kid who will be or who is going to be sexually abused. I’d save them from hell.
“Stanger danger” accounts for a very small percentage of childhood sexual abuse – a very small percentage. Children are more vulnerable around Father Pervert and Uncle Pedophile. And… sadly enough… there are lawyers who defend these monsters. “Due process?” Where was my due process when I was being abused.
“You got two kinds of people in this world. You’ve got your talkers, and you’ve got your doers. Most people are just talkers. All they got is talk. But when all is said and done, the doers change the world. And when they do that, they change us. And that’s why we never forget them. So which one are you? Do you just talk about it, or do you something about it? Because believe you me, all the rest of it, is just coffee-house bullshit.” – Opening line, Boondock Saints II
Rich, I agree with you on all your points, but one. It’s a parent’s responsibility – not yours – to speak to their children about all these truths. These parents and children will resent you for disrupting Confirmation. They will not get past that resentment to hear your message. Your desire to protect children needs a better delivery to be effective. Employ the same methods that successful marketers of any idea would. Alienation isn’t one of them. Just my two cents. I want you to be successful in protecting children.
Susan. Just how do you think Rich should “employ the same methods that successful marketers” have done in the past? This is not a business!!!! This is a crime we’re talking about.!!! Just where do want the feathers to be ruffled? “Not at my children’s Confirmation”, “Not at our First Communion” ” Not at our Ash Wednesday” Do you think for one minute that a Sunday Kumbaya round table seminar at the Hilton followed with a light lunch at Le Bec-Fin would work???? How many parents in the past have refused to believe their children? It’s the voice of the brave, the voice of those who lost their innocence..the voice of the abused that can help save the children. Thank you Rich!!
Carol, we are on the same side. My point is that if no one is listening – you aren’t being heard. If you piss people off – they don’t listen. That’s all.
Rich:
I do not know what else to say other than that I am so very sorry for your pain, heartache, depression, anger and all of the other host of evil consequences that have resulted from the criminality and evil of sexual abuse by certain clergy.
These words of yours portray your desolation so vividly:
“PROTECTING CHILDREN! Soul murder? I have no soul! Confusion? Who knows what kind of man I would be today if I wasn’t sexually abused?! Trust? Is there such a word and does it even have meaning whatsoever?!”
I can appreciate your commitment to protest this Sunday because such a religious event conducted by the “leader” of our Archdiocese is full of irony, hypocrisy, denial, injustice, and a complete disregard of the reality this Philadelphia Catholic Church is facing and you, Rich, are experiencing every waking moment of your life here in Philadelphia.
I commend you on your strength in continuing to fight to protect all of our children.