Click to read what was said during Archbishop Chaput’s meeting with The Philadelphia Inquirer Editorial Board. –“Chaput: Phila. school closings concern parishioners most” by David O’Reilly,The Philadelphia Inquirer, Oct. 27, 2010
Editor’s notes: Kathy Kane and I both agree there will be far more outcry over school closings. It’s human nature to care more about what directly impacts you. However, the clergy sex abuse cover up did impact every single parent whose child was/is in an archdiocesan school. Our children were placed at risk when priests with ‘issues” were knowingly moved from parish to parish.
It’s interesting that Archbishop Chaput is debating whether or not to disclose the allegations lodged against removed priests.
Archbishop Chaput also said that statutes restricting the time in which lawsuits can be filed “are a good idea or we wouldn’t have them.”
We disagree. We don’t have a statute of limitations for murder in PA. Victims deserve an opportunity for justice. If there is a lack of evidence, a judge can throw out the case.
Catholics4Change 
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq_ed_board/New-archbishop-opposes-sex-abuse-window.html?c=0.8234998040543747&posted=y&viewAll=y#comments
People can read through that…
“expect me to be steward of our resources…” and “…services the church offers to the poor…” and “…working for the common good.”
People can read the spin. He’s lost too much credibility to make such statements. I think of my catholic family members who LOVE their church…they don’t even trust them anymore. Those statements are for the benefit of their own egos and their dying benefactors.
Kathy and Susan: You hit it on the head. Parents lobby for their immediate needs. This is the reason the archbishop heard more on the school closing subject then child sex abuse by clergy. The archbishop should not have even compared the level of concern on these two very different issues in the same thought. If your child is sexually abused, you would definitely be angry with the actions or non actions of the church. This is another example of “church spin”. This is outrageous.
If Mr. Chaput had a meeting and honestly said , “Parents, the good news is we are keeping your school open for now. The bad news is some of your children may be raped by priests at school”. What kind of response would he get from parents then? This is sadly the actual position of Philly’s Catholic children today. Dangerous priests are being retained because the statute of limitations prevents the filing of credible civil suits that would have proven by a preponderance of the evidence the priests abused a child.
And now Mr. Chaput is floating the idea that suspended priests, who may be “cleared” by Mr. Chaput’s well paid lawyers, may never have the reasons for their suspension disclosed. Great idea, Mr. Chaput. Since their identities will be known by all, Philly’s Catholics will have no choice but to
assume the worst about each suspended priest.
The new attempt to link unrelated issues like school closings and statute of limitations matters is a new low in Mr. Chaput’s efforts to confuse and distract Philly’s Catholics.
Nothing will ignite the anger of local Catholics as much as the closing of schools and parishes,sad but true. The whole Archdiocese is supposed to be “regionalized” with many schools closing.It is going to be interesting to watch, luckily I will be a spectator on the sidelines. While the closing of schools is sad,it isn’t criminal and doesn’t keep me awake at night.
“….. the archdiocese’s financial assets belong to its members, who “expect me to be steward of our resources…..”
Yeah, right, that’s why, despite my best efforts, I have been unable to retrieve the following information from the castle down there at 222 N. 17th St.:
Who is the Chairman of the Finance Council of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia?
Boy, they surely must be those prescription-strength rose-colored glasses the new archbishop is wearing. He’s still probably adjusting to the change in altitude (or is it ATTITUDE) from Denver to Philadelphia. Just as George Costanza advised Jerry Seinfeld the night before he was scheduled to take a polygraph examination – “…don’t worry, Jerry, just remember, it you believe it, it’s not a lie.”
I would like Archbishop Chaput to remember one thing each and every day during his long tenure here in Philadelphia:
“If I cannot trust you with our children, then I certainly cannot trust you with our money.”
MichaeI, If the money belongs to us then I guess the employees and hierarchy work for us? Interesting because both you and I have never even been able to have our questions answered by Bishop Fitzgerald. Maybe we should take a trip to 222 N. Broad and ask to meet with the staff ,I have a feeling the only AD employee we would meet would be the security guard. Michael and I have both made the mistake of treating the Archdiocese as we would any other organization we encounter – big mistake. No – questions can go completely unanswered and ignored as if that mentality exists in the the “real world” We have broken the Golden Rule -now get back in the pew and be quiet!
What struck me when he was talking is that he is speaking from the insulated view of those at the “top”. He has no clue what it is like for those “looking up from the bottom”.”Fair” fair to who the accused priests? How about the families that their sons killed themselves because no one believe them……..no one cared……….is the law fair to them? If you want the victims to heal why don’t you ask them what they need you to do …..especially the ones that are no longer catholic or attend church. Get a ministry together to help them of laity people and priests, counselors and finicial debt advisors(many have disabities due to their abuse). I like the idea of getting rid of alot of the bureacracy and excess we dont need it.I think there is too much and it desensitizes and creates distance and a disconnect bwt those that need help and those that are suppose to serve. Sexual abuse is like an arsonist burning down a house they can apopolgize and say they are sorry but the house is destroyed. Someone needs to help pay and rebuild the house. Many of the vicitms are abused during critical development stages. You can’t get those stages back. Abuse interrupts the stages of development where trust,intimacy,caring, empathy,good sexaul boundaries,respect for others,self estem are all being learned.Sexaul is personal and many times it is the most personal realtionships bwt spouses and futre parnter are destoyed especially over intimacy issues and trust issues.
I want to add they are “our victims” and we need to take care of them……….that is what Jesus would do……………
AB Chaput is presenting a position that gives lip service, not statute of limitations extensions, to victims, and muddies the waters with school closing issues, which are of a totally different magnitude, but obviously important to families.
It feels like triangulation….Yes, we care about victims but we must maintain catholic education…read, we don’t have money for both!
I keep coming back to the thought that the victims stories pierce this purported “reasonable discourse” from the Church.
Being an activist by both temperament and experience, I really want everyone to have the same copies of victims stories that your PA reps got quite recently.
I also really liked the suggestion that editorial boards interview victims as well as Chaput.
Good idea and I think we should forward all priests and Bishop their stories too.
Beth, I’d go a step further. Kathy, in a previous posting provided us with a link to access the materials that the legislators received. My guess is that she would be happy to do it again!
My suggestion is that folks not only download that material but print up as many copies as possible and distribute them to friends, family, fellow parishioners etc…
I know that I pass on a lot of Internet stuff that comes my way, but if someone I know hands me paper copies, I am much more apt to read them…..Would be quite helpful if VOTF and other groups did the same!
Great ideas. From my old days as a legal paper pusher, I know there are many local copy shops that will make multiple copies cheaply and quickly. If individual C4C readers would just download one copy, get it further mass copied and then distributed after Sunday Mass, it could make a real difference.
You could put on this a short and simple memo that perhaps Kathy, Joan, Susan or Beth might prepare and post telling the pew Catholics where to call and write to push their legislators to tell Mr. Chaput’s high priced lobbyists to take a hike and to pass the proposed legislation or else.
This should be very easy to implement and can be paid for by the contributions many of you no longer make to your parish collections.
Excellent idea and I really think our friends and family outside of Philly need to join in this too. This affects all of our children and all of our victims
Kathy, could you provide us again with that link to access the victims statements that were given to your 203 State Representatives?
And Jerrys idea of a cover Memo is a fine idea. But I clearly think that it should come from you and Susan!
What I am going to sugest may seem anathema (good ecclesiastical word, that) – but I encourage readers to Google Martin Luther. If he did not force The Church to change, or it changed only by not selling indulgences, then the entrenched and powerful hierarchy at present will only change slightly or continue to shuck and jive as Chaput seems so adept at doing. His words about the school closing/raping priests issues are pure obfuscation – and he knows it. How callous. What an insult to the victims and the devout. Pure blaspheme! A representative of the Prince of Peace? The man knows no shame.
The Church is rotten to the core. And, I am not condemning the truly devout when I say that.
SRW, I must disagree a bit. Luther was used as a pawn of powerful competing monarchs before the Rule of Law really existed. We now have a Rule of Law on our side. It operates slowly at times, and even unfairly sometimes. But it will now work here if everyone hounds their legislators and birddogs their prosecutors and judges, which is not much to ask and relatively easy to do. We must act now while the opportunity exists.
Jerry acquaints me with some history which I was not aware of but does not surprise me in the least – Martin Luther a pawn of monarchs – The Church and monarchs in collusion – as old as The Church or any religion and the politically powerful. It must pay off – otherwise presidential candidates would not spend so much time on “proving” or alleging that they are closer to God than their competition. They remind me of the quip: “God loves us all, but I’m His favorite.” God talk infuses politics most in third world countries in the Middle East, South America and the United States. It is not much of an issue in most of Europe, Canada, Australia, Japan, New Zealand………….. nor should it be. Michelle Bachmann and Rick Santorum – take note.
Reid