Donna Farrell, spokesperson for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, answered our letter to Cardinal Rigali on his behalf. I received the letter late today and will share the contents and my thoughts in a post this Sunday. I urge every Catholic to share the link to this site with fellow Philadelphia Catholics this Sunday. Thanks in advance.
I told you that’s where your reply would come from! Nice of her I guess…but then again, that’s her job…
I wish I lived in Philadelphia, because you have started a movement.
I’m trying to be respectful here. It’s time you stopped asking like you’re a child and they are the leader. They are not only leaders in Catholicism – they are horrible followers. As an organization, they raped children (at the priest level) and they hid the truth about it (at every level). They still do, and that’s because the problem is still much worse than you could fathom.
People will hate me for saying this, but that is “organized crime”, where the crime is child rape. You may not like hearing that, but you can’t tell me it isn’t true. So far, nothing that you could do could make them do the right thing.
Read the first 6 pages of the grand jury report at http://www.philadelphiadistrictattorney.com/images/Grand_Jury_Report.pdf to see how they allowed known disgusting pedophiles to serve in the church YEARS after they were discovered. And Philadelphia got a PASSING grade in the USCCB report.
To beat them, and to keep your children safe, you have to have the strength fight them like you would fight any organized crime group that outlasted the statute of limitations.
Cut off their money supply – don’t donate. This will get their attention. Stop going to mass and picket outside. Think for yourself about who God would respect more – the cowardly church goer or the picketer who is trying to get the God’s worst followers (the priests and bishops) to tell the truth.
Here’s a vision of your future – you go to meet St Peter to have your interview to see if you get into heaven. He’s surrounded by thousands of 10 year olds that were raped by priests in the United States. He asks what you did to help, since God gave you the simplest test on earth.
Don’t start with stupid excuses – St Peter isn’t that stupid and neither is God. What are your excuses? I did what the priests and cardinals said?
God says, “priests raped these children, my poor 10 year olds. Priests and cardinals lied about it. They ignored those children. They disgraced Me. They are in hell where they belong.” Now, what did you do to protect them?
Think that’s a possibility? Do you think anything ELSE is a possibility?
Well, well, well put Patrick! Thanks for being so blunt about it – and I believe you’re right. I think the problem is far deeper than we know and is still going on to an extent we can’t fathom.
Susan is doing an amazing job – and is being heard. It’s a start and there’s a long way to go…
I am glad you got a response, but please, let us not forget, the thousands of letters written by victims and their families that still go unanswered.
I sent three certified letters to the Cardinal within the last two years, still waiting for a reply, I won’t hold my breath!
I believe that Jim in an earlier post on a different topic described the relationship between Philadelphia Catholics and their spiritual leader in the best manner:
We are the abandoned, neglected child or children who continue to believe that our father will somehow notice us, love us, and care for us. It is a relationship based on a naive and unrealistic expectation that eventually the father will take the time to listen to us, realize how important we are, and include us in his life.
A mature, honest and genuine relationship between our Cardinal and his faithful has not existed in the past, is not happening in the midst of this horrific crisis, and sadly will not be developing in the future, both near and distant.
In place of a Christian relationship and dialogue between the Cardinal and his faithful, he offers us Donna Farrell. This is how much our cardinal cares to listen, hear and understand what his parishioners have to say.
http://snapsurvivorsnetwork.yuku.com/topic/2440/Oblates-Of-St-Francis-DeSales?page=1
Also check Cardinal O Connor’s nephew + priest abuse on google.
This will open your eyes to some of Philly’s abuse + coverup. Yes, there were many fighting this in the 80’s just had threats of civil suits against those accusing clergy. Finally, Catholics are realizing some of what has happened to their church. Many have lost their faith and employment when they caught someone in the act and reported it. After reading the snap survivors blog a person who lived in that community knows that these survivors need help and many others have memories that are too painful to remember.
As stated by others, the Catholic Church isn’t the only religion that has been hiding their religious leaders. They just have a better structure and more financial support to hide these crimminals. Also, our system is innocent until proven guilty, need to find enough cause to open the files. Trying to find info on many of the clergy is difficult and notice the info on their assignments is eith non existant or vague. As I lived with a few of them, I notice sone of the gaps that many mentioned. really need to get more info/photos that showed these clergy at different stages of their lives so other survivors can decide whether they need help or need of closure – don’t know any rape victims who forget.Both SNAP and bishopaccountability have very helpful person, so if you are a survivor or anyone affected by this, they are a good source of help.
Patrick O’Malley is correct on every point. Especially the fact that we are asking so very respectfully for answers as though we are children, when what we really are is sheep. They have brainwashed us into this all our lives through years of Catholic school.
Patrick, I wish you lived in Phila. too so that you could help Susan lead us in the right direction. In fact, I get the feeling that you might even be a priest in another diocese, albeit a good and innocent one who may have seen some pretty terrible things.
I am with you on not donating (I have stopped everything to the diocese but not to charities) and have stopped attending Mass (after 64 years of NEVER missing Sunday Mass – very hard heartbreaking decision). I wonder if I will even be missed – except for the money!
it was not just the church.
http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/crime/
rapes were downgraded in Philly
http://inquirer.philly.com/packages/crime/html/oped110899.asp
Hope Philly is getting an attitude change with the commissioner and new DA, now we need to get a letter composed to change the law on limitations. Do we have enough evidence to present? A mass letter campaign with the same letter sent would let our state repres know that voters are angry about the issue and organized. Delaware changed it and allowed many cases of abuse to be tried, why not PA?