Click here to read: “Lancaster Co. clergy abuse victim: My report wasn’t passed on,” by Brandie Kessler, York Daily Record, Dec. 9, 2016
Excerpt:
For 25 years, Sharon Tell didn’t know why she got no response after reporting she had been sexually abused by a priest.
As an adult, she told a priest at a Lancaster County church that a priest in the Allentown diocese had abused her for two decades, beginning when she was 12. Although Tell eventually notified the Allentown diocese herself, she said she never heard from anyone in the Harrisburg diocese, which oversees churches in Lancaster County.
Editor’s Note:
The Catholic Church and other institutions fail miserably at self policing. Always report abuse to:
ChidLine 1-800-932-0313;
The Attorney General’s hotline 1-888-538-8541;
Local law enforcement.
Denial, the energy which goes into warding off reality rather than dealing with it, is the sin of the catholic church. Denial is their defense against dealing with the reality of the church, so nothing will get to them. Denial has become habitual, a way of life, or more precisely, a way of not living. Denial is a defense mechanism and it is also a blatant and outrageous lie repeated so endlessly and vehemently that is beginning to be accepted as the truth. Denial, to me, is passive resistance and is an aggressive act. Truly something needs to push the church over the edge, make them want to flee from themselves and it is at this point the fragmented church either deals with its repressed denial or the church is going to be many different “people” and no one.
The church has a “hole in its soul” so where is the shocking awareness to choose a meaning for this suffering and pain it is causing its people? Denial is their way of coping with life, are they capable of dealing with pain and suffering? Why is the church not choosing suffering and pain as a positive force?
The Harrisburg diocese did not respond to a question about Tell’s claim about Geiger. But its attorney, Matt Haverstick, said abuse survivors should report abuse, even “if they think they reported it before and they didn’t see any action.”
What an outrage and insult ! These are your parishioner’s donations and contributions hard at work paying for these fine legal services and advice from Herr Haverstick:
“…..abuse survivors should report abuse, even “if they think they reported it before and they didn’t see any action….”
Golden rule in dealing with USA RCC leadership……”The best predictor of future behavior is past conduct and decision-making.:
I get it, Matt would have a victim/family report the abuse again to the same leadership and institution so that the highest levels of diocesan management can “have-em-stick” it to them again.
Michael Skiendzielewski
Philadelphia, PA