Press 1 to Be Ignored: Philly Archdiocese Leaves Victim’s Dad Waiting on Answers

Arthur and Elaine Baselice lost their beloved son, Arthur III, to a drug overdose in 2006. Their son was a student at Archbishop Ryan High School in the 1990’s when the alleged sexual abuse by a priest began. The perpetrator, Rev. Charles Newman, introduced drugs and alcohol to young Arthur as part of the abuse pattern.

The Baselice’s have been tireless advocates for the protection of children and justice for clergy abuse victims for the past two decades. In their grief and devastation over the loss of their child, they have stood up to protect OUR children. Arthur has been a longtime member of the Catholics4Change online forums and we have been present to witness the treatment that he has received on various occasions. One particular time we wish that we were present for Arthur was in September 2018. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia held the prayers of “reparation” vigil at the Cathedral Basilica of SS Peter and Paul, Philadelphia. This event was held was in the wake of the bombshell 2018 Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report investigating clergy sex abuse in six Pennsylvania dioceses.

The Grand Jury report received nationwide attention. The report found that of the victims of clergy sex abuse some were raped vaginally, some orally and some anally. Some were forced to masturbate their assailants. Some were molested. Some were manipulated with alcohol and pornography.

The sexual violation of children in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had been investigated previously in two separate Grand Jury Reports. While there were most likely laity with good intentions who attended the prayer vigil at the Cathedral in September 2018, the event was nothing but a public relations band aid in response to decades of children being sexually violated and the orchestrated cover up of the heinous crimes.

Arthur Baselice stood outside of the Cathedral that night in September 2018 with his signs that include a photo of his handsome- now deceased-beloved son. Arthur does not yell or shout, he stands as a witness to his son’s abuse at the hands of the Church. Even that simple standing was too much for an Archdiocese security guard who called the police on Arthur. While inside there were prayers of reparation, outside on the sidewalk a deceased victim’s father was being questioned by Philadelphia police. For standing, with his son’s photo, outside of the Cathedral. Arthur was ordered off of the sidewalk outside of the Cathedral. So outrageous was this callous response it caught the eye of the local news team that was reporting from the vigil.

As shocking as this may be to some, this is far from isolated. We have been yelled at by Archdiocese security for standing with signs that say “protect children” or interrupted for walking near the Cathedral in prayer and song with local survivors. We are advocates , we have not lost a child. This is how they treat everyone who stands for children or victims. With no exception for a man who lost his child.

In January 2025, Arthur contacted the Office of Child and Youth Protection-Victim’s Assistance of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and requested that his recent inquiries be acknowledged in a letter. He asked for :

• A copy of his son’s case file. In our experience the Archdiocese does not release the files to victims or their families. They have refused requests in the past.
• He asked for clarification as to if the sidewalk outside of the Cathedral is private property. This is what the Church does to our victims and their families. Threaten, bully, or ignore. The fact that a father of a deceased victim even has to ask this question so that the police are not called on him is a shameful moment for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. One in a long line of shameful moments documented on this site for over a decade.
• Arthur requested a meeting with Archbishop Perez at a neutral location. It is often very difficult for victims or their families to meet with Church officials and those meetings are often scheduled at Archdiocese offices.

The date of the first letter from the victim advocate is January 3, 2025. When Arthur still did not hear any reply he called on February 18, 2025, and again requested that his inquiries be put in writing. We blacked out the name of the victim advocate employed by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because this is not an issue about one employee. She properly escalated the inquiries. This is a systemic decades long problem. It is a combination of hubris, manipulation, lethargy, and indifference. This is so shameful, but not at all surprising.

We have heard that Archbishop Perez has told laity that he is pleased with the offices in the Archdiocese that handle victim and child related issues. He either has no idea what goes on, or the bar is so low that having a deceased victim’s father wait eight weeks for an answer is acceptable. Who do you complain to when the staff is simply doing what the boss wants? Catholics4Change has provided over a decades worth of concerns, suggestions, and improved policy to both Investigations and OCYP-Victim’s Assistance. Directly from parents, advocates, survivors and their families. But if Archbishop Perez feels that all is well, then in the end that’s all that matters.

I texted with Arthur to confirm that he had not heard back from the Director of OCYP-Victim Assistance as of February 25, 2025. He replied “the Archdiocese has not responded/contacted me and I doubt they will respond back.” Spoken from a man who has two decades of fighting for justice for clergy abuse victims within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is currently in the midst of an advertising campaign to bring people back to the Church. The children are protected. The victims are healed. Come back, things are better. Nothing could be further from the truth. I suspect that Arthur might receive a reply now that we have brought attention to his being ignored for two months. The Archdiocese will not like the bad publicity. Their self interest is always the motivating factor. Always