Editorial in the New York Times, April 1, 2011 A meeting of the nation’s Roman Catholic bishops is scheduled for June. It needs to repair the gaping holes uncovered in their “zero tolerance” mandate for priests suspected of sexually abusing children. A grand jury report in February found that the Philadelphia archdiocese, for all its … Continue reading Where is the Church’s ‘Zero Tolerance’?
Tag: Susan Matthews
What Is Your Question for Cardinal Rigali?
We are collecting question suggestions to forward to Cardinal Rigali. We can't promise answers, but we can promise to send the chosen questions by certified mail to his offices at the Archdiocese. We will share the final list in a future post.
Is Pennsylvania a Pro-Pedophile State? You Be the Judge
By Mike Ference, guest blogger How many grand jury investigations need to be held in PA before the lives of innocent children are deemed more precious and important than dysfunctional sex freaks from the ranks of PA catholic clergy and hierarchy? This article was written almost three years ago. How many survivors of clergy abuse … Continue reading Is Pennsylvania a Pro-Pedophile State? You Be the Judge
Ways You Can Help
Click here to find concrete ways you can prevent future abuse and help survivors heal.
Help Push for Legislation that Supports Victims
House Bills 878 and 832 must go through the Pennsylvania Judiciary Committee before they go to the whole House for debate. Please contact members of the Judiciary Committee and your own state representative. These bills would protect ALL abused children - not just those related to clergy abuse. Information on the bills is in the … Continue reading Help Push for Legislation that Supports Victims
Breaking the Silence
by Nancy Buck, guest blogger Written after the Grand Jury Report Release in Jan. 2011. > > We heard the news; we read the carefully crafted damage control statements. We > gritted our teeth and drew taut our lips. We dropped silent tears for children > so young, so scarred, so betrayed. Some of us … Continue reading Breaking the Silence
Accused Priests Painted with Same Brush
I received some important clarification today from The Archdiocesan Office of Communication. Of course, it's not the information we are all seeking. But it's something. All 23 priests placed on administrative leave have been painted with the same brush. The accusations could range from boundary issues to sexual abuse. That's a broad range of behavior. … Continue reading Accused Priests Painted with Same Brush
Benefit of the Doubt
What does "engaged in inappropriate behavior with minors mean?" What does "credibly accused" mean? What are the exact guidelines for placing a priest on administrative leave? What is meant by "interim measure?" Will these priests see their day in court to be cleared or charged? If so, when? Why won't the Philadelphia Archdiocese share the … Continue reading Benefit of the Doubt
How Priests Accused of Abuse Can Go Undetected
By Barbara Bradley Hagerty, for National Public Radio, March 29, 2011 A couple of years ago, the Philadelphia archdiocese heard about three priests who had allegedly raped two boys. It gave the priests' files to law enforcement, and a grand jury began to investigate. Then, the grand jury stumbled on a bombshell. A church employee … Continue reading How Priests Accused of Abuse Can Go Undetected
Cover Up Hits Home
Here is the March 30, 2011 FOX 29 10 p.m. segment on what has become a very personal cause. Take away - Guidelines are useless if they aren't followed and there is no accountability.
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