Perhaps an indictment might follow….
Click here to watch and read: “Judge Finds Cardinal Bevilacqua Competent to Testify in Priest Abuse Case,” CBS Philly News, November 28, 2011
Perhaps an indictment might follow….
Click here to watch and read: “Judge Finds Cardinal Bevilacqua Competent to Testify in Priest Abuse Case,” CBS Philly News, November 28, 2011
AMEN !!!
Jerry, can you read pages 115- 117 of the 2011 Grand Jury report and tell us how you interpret that info. It seems Bevilaqua was not charged because of his health and also because of lack of evidence in these two particular upcoming cases that will go to trial.It seems that they strongly felt he was involved but could not prove it within the Grand Jury presentment. So if I am reading this right does this mean now that he has been found competent,if more evidence comes out during the trial -it could be a clear path for an indictment?
Kathy, I did not read the grand jurors as having given Bevilacqua a permanent pass. They alluded to Sasso’s report that the cardinal’s doctors didn’t think he was medically up to a trial. That legal determination is up to the judge, not Bevilacqua’s doctors. I do not know why Seth William’s failed to call for a competency hearing before the grand jury was finished.
If Bevilaqua is competent to testify in the criminal trial of his subordinates, it would seem he would be able to testify in his own trial. Why should Lynn be at risk of conviction on Bevilacqua’s testimony, while Bevilacqua, whom the grand jurors allege was the main defendant, walks scott-free? It makes little sense.
Hopefully. Seth and his assistants will make this case.
Jerry, does the Grand Jury 2005 report have any connection with these depositions, there’s lots of Bevilaqua Lynn material in THAT report, too?
Jerry, is the Grand Jury 2005 report an issue in these depositions?
There’s lots of Bevilacqua Lynn data in THAT report!
Joan that is where the stautes come into play with the 2005 report. Because of the SOL’s no charges were filed against individual abusive priests or the hierarchy. The two cases being tried in a few months fall within the stautes.
Joan, I am not a criminal lawyer, so I don’t know the technical admissibility of the 2005 testimony, although my recollection is that the DA’s office may have already submitted the 2005 testimony as an exhibit to an earlier motion. Ultimately, it may not matter since the DA knows the testimony and could always re-ask the relevant questions today.
Since the deposition will be videotaped and, eventually at the end of Lynn’s trial, made public, if Bevilacqua appears sufficiently competent in the current deposition to be tried himself, the judge and DA will likely understandably be under pressure to indict and try Bevilacqua, it would appear.
We will all need to watch these developments closely and take them a step at a time. What adds to the upset is that Bevilaqcqua’s lawyers and doctors appear to have managed to delay this, while the DA’s office inexplicably didn’t seek a competency hearing months ago.
In fairness, the DA’s office is enjoined by the judge’s gag order from discussing any of these matters. The DA’s office has been diligent, it appears, in getting the deposition, so we will have to hope their diligent efforts continue.
The reason I asked the a 2005 GJ question is that I read both the 2011 and 2005 reports today and there is SO much repetition!!!!
Interesting that Cardinal Rigali visited the Pope yesterday…not an ‘ad limina’ visit?
“Perhaps an indictment might follow….”
One can only hope.
Amen!!!!!
From the 2011 report: Cardinal Bevilacqua’s health is also a consideration. William Sasso, his long-time
lawyer, told the Grand Jury that the 87-year-old suffers from dementia. Mr. Sasso
testified that Cardinal Bevilacqua requires “24/7 nursing care” and rarely leaves the
seminary where he lives. He said the Cardinal has failed to recognize Mr. Sasso
I wonder if Mr Sasso was present for the deposition today. I wonder if Bevilaqua asked “who is this man?”
All I can say is, ,”Please, Seth Williams and colleagues, DIG DEEP for prosecutable evidence within the statute so that justice can be done here and the truth can be publicized.” All Catholics need to be informed of what has been going on all these years, how children were harmed, and how all of our children have been and still are at risk. The only way some of them will learn is through widespread publicity. Prosecution brings publicity.
This judge is the first one to ever find Bevilaqua competent in anything.
Meanwhile, Seth Williams is still hiding the Philadelphia Grand Jury report.
the cardinal is lucky to have a last chance to confess and do the right thing before moving on.he should take it!!
Interesting, sw, that you should have to encourage a cardinal to “confess and do the right thing.” It’s his “last chance,” you say. You implore him to “take it”! Why? Because, right now, Bevilacqua is the quintessential villain, representing all of the villainous clergy who have either played a role in the sexual abuse of children or have remained silent. The failure of the clergy crushes us. Will none among them spin for us a stunning and heartwarming story of redemption, something mystical, miraculous and True… the stuff of our Catholic childhoods?
Once a priest, always a priest. It’s as clear and cold as that.
We can handle it.
Thank you, Hadit, you are right. Bevilaqua even enabled his nephew, Msgr. John Alesandro, former chancellor of my Rockville Centre Diocese, on Long Island, NY, to help over a dozen priests beat abuse allegations by helping to lull victims not to report allegations to the police until after NY’s short statute of limitations tolled. It surely is as clear and cold as that!
JERRY SLEVIN:
What adds to the upset is that Bevilaqcqua’s lawyers and doctors appear to have managed to delay this, while the DA’s office inexplicably didn’t seek a competency hearing months ago.
Are you suggesting that candor and forthrightness may not be one of King Sasso’s strong suits?
But you are right, why the hell didn’t the DA press for a competency hearing a long, long time ago? Who knows, maybe they believed what Sasso was telling them about Bevilacqua’s mental state? Yeah, right. Find me someone, anyone who would believe a single word that comes from the mouth of archdiocesan counsel.
http://www.catholicscomehome.org/
I am home and I am tired of the white elephant walking around the livingroom trambling little children in it’s wake. Who is going to stop this elephant from killing children(souls)? I believe in all the churches teaching EVERYTHING. I am very involved in my parish and even hold leadership positions but I am unable to change the corrupt managment alone. My husband an abuse survivor even converted from being evangical bible Christain to Catholic. I have witnessed many miracles through my faith and God even used Priests and nuns a few times. I use to donate large amounts of money which I now have stopped because I don’t want to support pedophile priets lawyers. So you say come home……..come home to what ? Priests that rape kids and cover it up? The only thing that keeps me going to mass is Jesus Christ presence in the Eucharist. Not the unloving attitude of the church management. Maybe if the church cleaned up its act people would feel like coming home.
Beth, I understand.
When I hear “Come Home,” I have to laugh at the ridiculousness of their PR team. They are appealling to an audience that ran away from home because they were being abused and used. Nothing has changed.
They need to fire the PR team responsible for such a waste of parishoner money.
SW
They can hire me for PR I am cheap:) I would even do it for free and it would be their most productive commerical ever. I would have all the bishops and pope publicly apologize and give their 100% endorsement for ending the statue of limitations and opening a window as well as implimenting all the grand jury reccomendations.
I can dream right especially because it would be the right thing to do.
A sales pitch such as this is ineffective. People are drawn to (or back to) an organization when they see something in it that is attractive to them; e.g., “those people have something I desire.”
I’ve looked, and I can no longer find that “something.”
Sorry, It’s me drwho13, hit the wrong key.
I agree that is how Jesus and apostles got the first Christian converts ‘see how they love one another’. Far cry from today.
We posted this a few months ago,it certainly is worth another look with all of the recent developments. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/legal/Commonwealth_v_Lynn/2011_07_22_Commonwealth_OmnibusResponse.htm
Boooooo!
Mercy, I couldn’t agree more I gave Bevilaqua’s testimony a big BOOOO myself, isn’t it horrible what has happened to so many innocent children.
I spent several hours this morning reading those 2005 Grand Jury transcripts of Bevilacqusa testimony. The first two, and the last one.
And I am sorry I bothered.
A more disgusting scenario, it would be hard to find. The cardinal, both a canon and civil lawyer twisted and turned in every possible direction to keep himself and the diocese impregnable against prevailing law at that time. It was masterly in terms of legal ‘distance’ from any legal liability. And he got away with it.
I thought the most damning testimony occurred at the end of the last transcript…when asked if he understood the horror of abuse and the pain of innocent children that had occurred under his watch, he said, ‘I’ve seen no evidence of it”.
Simply disgusting, indeed totally disgusting!
Joan I know. The worse part for me was when he said he had no moral or legal responsiblity to notify parishes before and after abuse occurred. He is a priest for Gosh sake. If he had no moral obilgation then I don;t have to follow the ten commandments either ………..ridiculous.
Beth, I started a whole long deal on all the stuff in his transcripts that dealt with garbage, and your point about Bevilacqua saying he had NO moral or LEGAL (and this was KEY to his interests) responsibility was my first point. You are so right and he is SO wrong, that we should probably praying for him..for I think he is in great jeopardy.
Joan I have said this before. I had two chance interactions with Cardinal Bev. during my lifetime. One was on my way to France at the airport when I was in college. I remember being happy to see him but he was preoccupied and I sensed something sinster about him which was strange because I had no reason to feel that way. The second time was when I was visiting my dad in the hospital Archbishop Bev. was on the way out with an aid while I was going in this was a few years ago. I just remember the vacant expression of a man ravaged by time totally different from the man I had seen about 18 or 19 years ago. I can’t help thinking he is here still because God is not done with him yet. Yes you are right he needs prayers.
God: “Once you knew of the raping of My children, in what ways were you Christ to My innocent children?”
Bevilaqua: “I’ve seen no evidence of it.”
That crap won’t fly when standing at the Pearly Gates. I want justice this side of heaven for the victims! I don’t know that it will happen, but I’m praying for a holy cleansing!
This article from philly.com. It seems the deposition has wrapped up Interesting the way one source described Bevilaqua’s answers – I should say lack of answers. http://www.philly.com/philly/news/breaking/20111129_Bevilacqua_testimony_ends_in_sex_abuse_case.html?cmpid=125219969
That SOB is going to take the truth to the grave with him.
Kathy he was ‘competent enough’ to pass the buck to Lynn…I go back to disgusting, totally disgusting!!!
Qoute from Kathy’ Philly News link re Bevilacqua and Lynn yesterday. Ie Bevilacqua was ‘competent enough to shift blame to Lynn’
‘On Monday, Bevilacqua answered many questions by claiming he didn’t know or didn’t recall the details of sexual abuse cases, another person familiar with the proceedings has told The Inquirer.
He also pointed out several times that investigating abuse claims was the responsibility of the archdiocese’s secretary for clergy.’
I think we would call this an example that there is NO “honor among thieves” or, in our instance, NO “honor among enablers”.