Updated July 24, 2012
Today, a laywoman and secular Judge Teresa Sarmina of Philadelphia rendered justice – for the first time – to victims of the JP2 Army –John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army which those Roman Catholic Saints Teresa’s could not do idly from Heaven and which the fastest tracking saint John Paul II refused to do during his longest papacy for 27 plus years, and which Cardinal Josef Ratzinger and Opus Dei refused to do because they were obsessed only with the narcissistic legacy of "John Paul II the Great". Philadelphia Judge Teresa sentenced Opus Dei Golden Cow Monsignor Lynn up to six years in prison sayingLynn
Opus Dei is hypocritical to put Mother Teresa’s website in their homepage because no Opus Dei priest serves her nuns, but the Jesuits do. Even Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata harboured a pedophile priest as her personal spiritual director, read our related article Mother Teresa was not a living saint - revealed in detail by book http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2011/07/mother-teresa-was-not-living-saint.html
It is quite a coincidence, or God-incidence, that the judge who sentenced Monsignor Lynn is called Teresa, Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, because one of the first churches in Boston to appeal to John Paul II TO DO SOMETHING about its pedophile priest is also named St. Theresa’s Parish in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, read about it here http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html
Where was St. Teresa of Avila and where was St. Theresa of the Little Flower and the “roses from Heaven” that she promised to shower upon the earth upon her death, history has proven that her Carmelite petals did not protect one single altar boy or girl from the thousands of pedophile priests of the JP2 Army. John Paul II was busy cooking up saints in the Vatican Saints Factory and preparing his own canonization, even before his death -- his blood vile was worshipped even before his death in Colombia http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/satanas-jp2-blood-worshipped-in.html -- even at his deathbed he refused to repent of his negligence on children so we can say to him as well: John Paul II enabled "monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart… "You knew full well what was right, John Paul II, but you chose wrong." These statements can be said as well to Cardinal Josepf Ratzinger and to the Opus Dei and to all Cardinals and Bishops and Monsignors. Indeed, The Nazis and the John Paul II Pedophiles Rapists-Priests Army were both an inherently evil all-male elite hierarchy born from the Devil's bowels http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/2011/01/nazis-and-john-paul-ii-pedophiles.html
Marci Hamilton, law professor and counsel in multiple abuse cases, was present at the sentencing. She said Sarmina's statement, which at one point quoted Archbishop Charles Chaput's Good Friday sermon, carried the theme that being a good priest does not make up for criminal endangerment of children.
"She really contrasted the Lynn that was secretary of the clergy who was, in her words hardhearted and callous, and the Lynn who was the parish priest, who was warm and compassionate, and she said the one doesn't make up for the other," Hamilton said. ... see news articles below
Monsignor William Lynn, the Vatican Nazi vis-à-vis Laszlo Csatary, Hitler’s Nazi caught a few days ago
Today, a laywoman and secular Judge Teresa Sarmina of Philadelphia rendered justice – for the first time – to victims of the JP2 Army –John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army which those Roman Catholic Saints Teresa’s could not do idly from Heaven and which the fastest tracking saint John Paul II refused to do during his longest papacy for 27 plus years, and which Cardinal Josef Ratzinger and Opus Dei refused to do because they were obsessed only with the narcissistic legacy of "John Paul II the Great". Philadelphia Judge Teresa sentenced Opus Dei Golden Cow Monsignor Lynn up to six years in prison saying
Opus Dei is hypocritical to put Mother Teresa’s website in their homepage because no Opus Dei priest serves her nuns, but the Jesuits do. Even Blessed Mother Teresa of Kolkata harboured a pedophile priest as her personal spiritual director, read our related article Mother Teresa was not a living saint - revealed in detail by book http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2011/07/mother-teresa-was-not-living-saint.html
It is quite a coincidence, or God-incidence, that the judge who sentenced Monsignor Lynn is called Teresa, Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, because one of the first churches in Boston to appeal to John Paul II TO DO SOMETHING about its pedophile priest is also named St. Theresa’s Parish in West Roxbury, Massachusetts, read about it here http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html
Where was St. Teresa of Avila and where was St. Theresa of the Little Flower and the “roses from Heaven” that she promised to shower upon the earth upon her death, history has proven that her Carmelite petals did not protect one single altar boy or girl from the thousands of pedophile priests of the JP2 Army. John Paul II was busy cooking up saints in the Vatican Saints Factory and preparing his own canonization, even before his death -- his blood vile was worshipped even before his death in Colombia http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/satanas-jp2-blood-worshipped-in.html -- even at his deathbed he refused to repent of his negligence on children so we can say to him as well: John Paul II enabled "monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart… "You knew full well what was right, John Paul II, but you chose wrong." These statements can be said as well to Cardinal Josepf Ratzinger and to the Opus Dei and to all Cardinals and Bishops and Monsignors. Indeed, The Nazis and the John Paul II Pedophiles Rapists-Priests Army were both an inherently evil all-male elite hierarchy born from the Devil's bowels http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/2011/01/nazis-and-john-paul-ii-pedophiles.html
Marci Hamilton, law professor and counsel in multiple abuse cases, was present at the sentencing. She said Sarmina's statement, which at one point quoted Archbishop Charles Chaput's Good Friday sermon, carried the theme that being a good priest does not make up for criminal endangerment of children.
"She really contrasted the Lynn that was secretary of the clergy who was, in her words hardhearted and callous, and the Lynn who was the parish priest, who was warm and compassionate, and she said the one doesn't make up for the other," Hamilton said. ... see news articles below
Monsignor William Lynn, the Vatican Nazi vis-à-vis Laszlo Csatary, Hitler’s Nazi caught a few days ago
Monsignor William Lynn, the Vatican Nazi of the JP2 Army-John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army is similar to Laszlo Csatary, the 97-year old Nazi criminal who was caught and arrested a few days ago in Hungary: Both their defence teams say verbatim that “he was only obeying orders from his superior” (see news article below). It took 10 years for the prosecutors in Philadelphia, costing millions of dollars in taxpayers’ money, to prepare their case against Lynn, the highest ranking Roman Catholic officer ever because the Vatican is a hard nut to crack, read about it here why-vatican-must-end-as-country-vatican.html (it took only one month for prosecutors to prepare against lay man Jerry Sandusky who was found guilty on 45 of the 48 counts) . Likewise, the Simon Wiesenthal Center
When we were first inspired (during Christmas, a supposedly happy time but Christ dared us to post it in our blog) to compare the JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army to the Nazis, little did we know it would culminate to this day when the Vatican’s own Nazi officer Monsignor William Lynn was found by a secular American court jury in Philadelphia. We entitled our article The Devil’s bowels smell like roses in the
We obeyed Christ’s continuing inspirations and we went on to write that The Nazis of Hitler and the Roman Catholic
Updated July 21, 2012
The defence of Monsignor William Lynn argued that he “was only obeying orders of his superior”. Monsignor Lynn was following Opus Dei doctrine that he will be full of grace when he “obeyed” his boss no matter what the order is, good or evil, the defunct Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua who conveniently died on the very first day of trial of Lynn read more here http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/01/benedict-appoints-22-new-cardinal.html Monsignor Lynn is another Opus Dei Golden Cow who must really go rot in jail for 7 years, the maximum penalty (sadly it was only 3 to 6 years) , because his victims and the victims of the JP2 Army continue to suffer the “living Hell” which John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army left behind. 7 Years in jail would be a fair testament to the justice in American secular court of law. For once, and perhaps the first and last time, justice will be served to children in America
Victims in USA - Attackers - Responsible Leaders
WTC & 9/11 attacks - 3,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden
JP2 Army – 100,000 victims - 6,100 pedophile priests - John Paul II & Benedict XVI & Opus Dei, the new Vatican Trinity http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/may-1-september-11-anniversaries-for.html
WTC & 9/11 attacks - 3,000 victims - 19 Muslims - Osama bin Laden
JP2 Army – 100,000 victims - 6,100 pedophile priests - John Paul II & Benedict XVI & Opus Dei, the new Vatican Trinity http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/may-1-september-11-anniversaries-for.html
When we were first inspired (during Christmas, a supposedly happy time but Christ dared us to post it in our blog) to compare the JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army to the Nazis, little did we know it would culminate to this day when the Vatican’s own Nazi officer Monsignor William Lynn was found by a secular American court jury in Philadelphia. We entitled our article The Devil’s bowels smell like roses in the Vatican http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/2010/12/devils-bowels-smell-like-roses-in.html
A few days later we wrote The Nazis and the John Paul II Pedophiles Rapists-Priests Army were both an inherently evil all-male elite hierarchy born from the Devil's bowels http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/2011/01/nazis-and-john-paul-ii-pedophiles.html
We obeyed Christ’s continuing inspirations and we went on to write that The Nazis of Hitler and the Roman Catholic Church of Benedict XVI are similar: They both burn human beings in Auschwitz and in Hell http://pope-ratz.blogspot.ca/2011/02/nazis-of-hitler-and-roman-catholic.html
We obeyed Christ and wrote John Paul smelled Devil`s Bowels as roses for 27 years as he deified Father Marcial Maciel and deified Cardinal Bernard Law http://jp2m.blogspot.com/2011/04/john-paul-smelled-devils-bowels-as.html
And now the defense would like Lynn to go scot-free: "A sentence of time served, probation, work release, or house arrest would ensure that Msgr. Lynn can still use his priestly gifts to improve the lives of those around him." Priestly hypocrisy indeed! Opus Dei would like Monsignor Lynn to continue being a priest just like Cardinal Bernard Law (after resigning as Archbishop of Boston for admitting in public for transferring 80 pedophile priests and endangering hundreds more children) continued being a Cardinal in Rome through the Achilles Heel of John Paul II http://stella0maris.blogspot.ca/ .
Every year, SNAP and victims of JP2 Army and all children victims of pedophiles should have a bi-annual commemorations in May 1 and September 11, and all victims, in USA alone, more than 15, 600 victims of 6,100 pedophile priests in their respective dioceses, should be read, just like they do at Ground Zero when they read each victims names.
The stories of Cardinal Bernard Law and Cardinal Mahony and Monsignor Lynn and Fr. Marcial Maciel should also be recounted for all generations to come, and John Paul II should never be recognized as a saint because he is Heil Satanas JP2 Patron Saint of Pedophiles, Pederasts Rapists-Priests! John Paul II is the same yesterday and today-- he cannot protect children http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html
With these bi-annual ceremonies and silent marches (no rosaries or Eucharist) children from around the world will be awaken of potential authority predators amidst them, even those holy Roman Catholic priests who are chanting to the Opus Dei Golden Cow, “saint JP2, we love you”. Read about the bi-annual anniversaries here http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/07/may-1-september-11-anniversaries-for.html .
William Lynn is the highest Roman Catholic Church officer to be brought to justice and found guilty by a secular jury in our American secular court of law (without Rosaries or Eucharist or Vatican Canon Laws influences) and it is time our American justice system also give him the maximum penalty of 7 years of jail time without parole in deference to the hundreds of thousands of victims of the JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army http://jp2army.blogspot.ca/ named aptly after the longest reigning pope of the 20th century who did and said nothing about this most heinous crimes against children in Christendom and of the 20th century and ironically John Paul II is also the fastest tracking saint and biggest Opus Dei Golden Cow. Lynn is probably the first and perhaps the last Roman Catholic high ranking officer to be convicted (since Cardinal Bernard Law who admitted to transferring 80 pedophile priests was glorified in Rome by the Achilles Heel of John Paul II and his colleagues of all other Bishops and Cardinals have gotten off scot-free by settling financially almost 3 billion dollars with victims, the Vatican Bank won’t feel a dent of this cheap change.) The judge should not be swayed by Lynn ’s lawyers who are saying that Lynn
This "no danger to the public," is not justice at all for all the victims of JP2 Army orLynn
This "no danger to the public," is not justice at all for all the victims of JP2 Army or
SNAP and The Hague should emulate the Jews who hunted down and prosecuted and jailed Nazis for life and William Lynn should rot in jail for the maximum 7 years as his conviction and guilty verdict warrants. The judge in Philadelphia should learn from what Efraim Zuroff, said and should also look at Lynn
In Israel , Efraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center ’s Jerusalem
“When you look at a person like this, you shouldn’t see an old frail person, but think of a man who at the height of his physical powers devoted all his energy to murdering or persecuting and murdering innocent men, women and children,”
Suspected Nazi war criminal who lived in Canada for decades arrested in Hungary
Pablo Gorondi, The Associated Press July 18, 2012
BUDAPEST, Hungary — A 97-year-old Hungarian man who became a Canadian citizen in 1955 and is suspected of abusing Jews and helping deport thousands of them during the Holocaust was taken into custody Wednesday, questioned and charged with war crimes, prosecutors said.
The case of Laszlo Csatary was brought to the attention of Hungarian authorities by the Simon Wiesenthal Center
Prosecutors decided to charge Csatary with the “unlawful torture of human beings,” a war crime that carries a maximum sentence of life in prison.
Csatary’s lawyer, Gabor Horvath B., said that a judge, acting on a request from prosecutors, ordered his client to be confined to house arrest for a maximum of 30 days.
Horvath B. said he had appealed the ruling, which also opened the way for authorities to confiscate Csatary’s passport.
Tibor Ibolya, Budapest’s acting chief prosecutor, said Csatary recounted his Holocaust-era activities to authorities during questioning, saying he was following orders and carrying out his duty.
“The suspect denied having committed the crimes,” Ibolya said, adding that during his testimony Csatary’s “attitude toward some of his fellow men of a certain religion … is not what we would consider normal.”
Prosecutors detained Csatary in an early morning sweep because they were worried he may try to flee. He has lived at least in two separate Budapest apartments during the last few months.
“We took Csatary into custody at dawn from an address to which he had no connection until now,” said Ibolya. “He co-operated with investigators.”
Csatary’s lawyer said his client had moved to a new location because he was tired of being badgered. On Monday, 40 people held a protest outside one of Csatary’s purported homes but he was nowhere to be seen.
According to a summary of the case released by prosecutors, Csatary was a police officer in the Slovakian city of Kosice , at a time part of Hungary
In May 1944, Csatary was named chief of an internment camp at a Kosice brick factory from where 12,000 Jews were deported to Auschwitz and other Nazi death camps.
Authorities said Csatary was present when the trains were loaded and sent on their way.
Csatary “regularly” used a dog whip against the Jewish detainees “without any special reasons and irrespective of the assaulted people’s sex, age or health condition,” the prosecutors’ statement said.
As one train departed with some 80 Jews crammed into one railcar, Csatary refused a request by one of the Jews to cut holes in the walls of the wagon to let more air in, the statement said.
“We took into consideration the severity of his acts, but we should not forget that the suspect is due the presumption of innocence,” Ibolya said. “In our estimation, he will not be able to escape.”
Ibolya said considering Csatary’s age, he was in good physical and mental condition, although experts had yet to examine him.
Csatary was been convicted in absentia for war crimes in Czechoslovakia
In October 1997, Canadian authorities said the 82-year-old had left the country, apparently bound for Europe, before they had the chance to decide his fate in a deportation hearing. His citizenship had been revoked in August and the deportation order was based on his obtaining citizenship by giving false information.
Canadian authorities alleged that Csatary had failed to provide information concerning his collaboration with Nazi occupation forces while serving with the Royal Hungarian Police and his participation in the internment and deportation to concentration camps of thousands of Hungarian Jews.
Ibolya said the investigation into the Csatary case was continuing and that prosecutors were waiting for information from Israel, including the possible testimony of survivors, and Canada.
“I expect this case to continue for months, even taking into account that we are treating it as one that we would like to conclude as soon as possible,” Ibolya said.
In Israel, Efraim Zuroff, director of the Wiesenthal Center’s Jerusalem office, applauded the arrest.
“When you look at a person like this, you shouldn’t see an old frail person, but think of a man who at the height of his physical powers devoted all his energy to murdering or persecuting and murdering innocent men, women and children,” Zuroff told the AP.
Laszlo Csatary (L), aka Ladislaus Csizsik-Csatary, leaves the courthouse in Budapest on July 18, 2012, after he was placed under house arrest for 30 days following questioning by an investigative judge at the military's prosecution's office.
The Simon Wiesenthal Centre welcomed the arrest by Hungarian police of the Nazi war crimes suspect, who topped the US Nazi-hunting organisation's most wanted list. Csatary is accused by the Wiesenthal Center of having helped organise the deportation of some 15,700 Jews to the Auschwitz death camp during World War II.
Hungarian Laszlo Csatary, suspected of war crimes against Jews during World War Two, leaves the prosecution building in Budapest July 18, 2012.
JUDGES, LEARN FROM THE JEWS WHO CAUGHT NAZI CRIMINALS -- LOCK-UP THOSE CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND MONSIGNORS WHO COVERED-UP PEDOPHILE PRIESTS! They are the version of the Vatican Nazis of the JP2 Army!
JUDGES, LEARN FROM THE JEWS WHO CAUGHT NAZI CRIMINALS -- LOCK-UP THOSE CATHOLIC BISHOPS AND MONSIGNORS WHO COVERED-UP PEDOPHILE PRIESTS! They are the version of the Vatican Nazis of the JP2 Army!
=======
News updates July 25, 2012
Monsignor William Lynn sentenced to jail term for harboring child sex abuse priests
Irish Central
By
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, July 25, 2012
PATRICK COUNIHAN,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Wednesday, July 25, 2012
NBC reports that the sentence which was handed down by Judge M. Teresa Sarmina was less than the maximum penalty of seven years in prison for Lynn
The judge said: “The sentence is meant to punish Lynn for protecting monsters in clerical garb who molested children … to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart.” ...
Commentator Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks priest-abuse cases, told NBCPhiladelphia.com: “I believe that what Lynn
“In most cases, I think the vicar general was well informed, and also the bishop.”
“More than 500 U.S. priests have now been convicted of abuse but Lynn
SNAP Hopes Bishop Finn Thinks Twice About Going To Trial Next Month
UNITED STATES
KMOX
KMOX
ST. LOUIS (KMOX)- Local clergy abuse survivors assess the impact of today’s 3 to 6 prison sentence handed down to a Philadelphia church official for covering up sex abuse claims against priests.
First, SNAP’s David Clohessy says he’s glad the monsignor will spend time behind bars.
“We think that jailing men who conceal child sex crimes is a good way to deter people to concealing child sex crimes,” he says
And, Clohessy says, that sentence may have an impact on a St. Louis-native who could be the next church official to go on trial — Kansas City St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn.
First, SNAP’s David Clohessy says he’s glad the monsignor will spend time behind bars.
“We think that jailing men who conceal child sex crimes is a good way to deter people to concealing child sex crimes,” he says
And, Clohessy says, that sentence may have an impact on a St. Louis-native who could be the next church official to go on trial — Kansas City St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn.
A
She added: "You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong."
Monsignor William Lynn Prison Sentence
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
7/25/2012
The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) believes Monsignor William Lynn should have received the maximum seven year sentence given the parameters of the law but the three to six year sentence is significant for his conviction on the endangerment of children in this watershed case regarding the sexual abuse of children.
The sentence should send a clear and direct message to all of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church: they have failed their people, and given Monsignor Lynn’s defense they created and sustain a culture that fails their people.
If the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Monsignor Lynn’s parish believe the sentence to be unfair, they should urge Cardinal Rigali to step forward and take Monsignor Lynn’s place in jail. For indeed, it becomes increasingly clear with each court case that the cover-up and direction came from the top.
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
7/25/2012
The National Survivor Advocates Coalition (NSAC) believes Monsignor William Lynn should have received the maximum seven year sentence given the parameters of the law but the three to six year sentence is significant for his conviction on the endangerment of children in this watershed case regarding the sexual abuse of children.
The sentence should send a clear and direct message to all of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church: they have failed their people, and given Monsignor Lynn’s defense they created and sustain a culture that fails their people.
If the people of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and Monsignor Lynn’s parish believe the sentence to be unfair, they should urge Cardinal Rigali to step forward and take Monsignor Lynn’s place in jail. For indeed, it becomes increasingly clear with each court case that the cover-up and direction came from the top.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
New York Daily News
By Charlie Wells / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
The first U.S. Roman Catholic official convicted of covering up child sexual abuse inside the Church was sentenced Tuesday to 3-to-6 years in prison.
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina handed down Monsignor William J. Lynn’s sentence, just shy of the maximum seven-year penalty prosecutors had sought.
Sarmina told Lynn that he had permitted "monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart.” ...
"I believe that what Lynn did was done by just about every diocese," Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, a website tracking cases of abuse, said to NBCPhiladelphia.com. "In most cases, I think the vicar general was well informed, and also the bishop."
According to McKiernan’s group, over 500 priests have been convicted of abuse.
As for Lynn, prosecutors were not at a loss for harsh words.
“His active, even eager execution of archdiocese policies - carried out in the face of victims' vivid suffering, and employing constant deceit - required a more amoral character, a striving to please his bosses no matter how sinister the business," they wrote in a sentencing memo obtained by CBS News and filed Friday. "At any time during those 12 years, he could have had a moment of conscience."
New York Daily News
By Charlie Wells / NEW YORK DAILY NEWS
The first U.S. Roman Catholic official convicted of covering up child sexual abuse inside the Church was sentenced Tuesday to 3-to-6 years in prison.
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina handed down Monsignor William J. Lynn’s sentence, just shy of the maximum seven-year penalty prosecutors had sought.
Sarmina told Lynn that he had permitted "monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart.” ...
"I believe that what Lynn did was done by just about every diocese," Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, a website tracking cases of abuse, said to NBCPhiladelphia.com. "In most cases, I think the vicar general was well informed, and also the bishop."
According to McKiernan’s group, over 500 priests have been convicted of abuse.
As for Lynn, prosecutors were not at a loss for harsh words.
“His active, even eager execution of archdiocese policies - carried out in the face of victims' vivid suffering, and employing constant deceit - required a more amoral character, a striving to please his bosses no matter how sinister the business," they wrote in a sentencing memo obtained by CBS News and filed Friday. "At any time during those 12 years, he could have had a moment of conscience."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Newsworks
[with audio]
By Elizabeth Fiedler
The first U.S. church official convicted for his handling of sexual abuse allegations against other priests has been sentenced to three to six years in prison.
The sentence was handed down today in Philadelphia to Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at Philadelphia Archdiocese. ...
District Attorney Seth Williams said the sentence validates years of work.
"This is a very different type of case. One that many people say is unprecedented in American jurisprudence and I am very proud of the men and women of the grand juries and the men and women of the district attorney's office for bringing this case on behalf of all victims," he said.
Williams says while Lynn did not abuse children, he didn't do enough to protect them.
"As the father of three daughters, to know that someone reported potentially that my daughter was raped, didn't call law enforcement, didn't even try to let me know that I have a ticking time bomb in the room next to me that needs counseling -- is insufficient," Williams said. "And that is why he's here. That is why he's held responsible for his behavior."
"I think this is a guide for the world," says Marci Hamilton, the co-counsel in several civil cases brought by plaintiffs who allege abuse and cover-up by Philadelphia church officials.
"I do think that Seth Williams has set the standard so that prosecutors now know that they can get justice for victims of child sexual abuse," Hamilton says. "And prosecutors were afraid these kinds of prosecutions even 10 years ago. They were elected officials and they were afraid of being targeted as being anti-Catholic."
Newsworks
[with audio]
By Elizabeth Fiedler
The first U.S. church official convicted for his handling of sexual abuse allegations against other priests has been sentenced to three to six years in prison.
The sentence was handed down today in Philadelphia to Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at Philadelphia Archdiocese. ...
District Attorney Seth Williams said the sentence validates years of work.
"This is a very different type of case. One that many people say is unprecedented in American jurisprudence and I am very proud of the men and women of the grand juries and the men and women of the district attorney's office for bringing this case on behalf of all victims," he said.
Williams says while Lynn did not abuse children, he didn't do enough to protect them.
"As the father of three daughters, to know that someone reported potentially that my daughter was raped, didn't call law enforcement, didn't even try to let me know that I have a ticking time bomb in the room next to me that needs counseling -- is insufficient," Williams said. "And that is why he's here. That is why he's held responsible for his behavior."
"I think this is a guide for the world," says Marci Hamilton, the co-counsel in several civil cases brought by plaintiffs who allege abuse and cover-up by Philadelphia church officials.
"I do think that Seth Williams has set the standard so that prosecutors now know that they can get justice for victims of child sexual abuse," Hamilton says. "And prosecutors were afraid these kinds of prosecutions even 10 years ago. They were elected officials and they were afraid of being targeted as being anti-Catholic."
Catholic Priest of Philadelphia Monsignor William Lynn gets to 6 years for child sex abuse
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
National Turk (Turkey)
A Roman Catholic Monsignor William Lynn has been sentenced yesterday to serve up to 6 years in prison for allowing a priest suspected of sexual misconduct with a minor to continue to work in an assignment involving contact with children.
US catholic priest William J. Lynn, a former cardinal’s aide, was found guilty of endangering children, becoming the first senior official of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States convicted of covering up child sexual abuses by priests under his supervision in Philadelphia.
The catholic priest Monsignor William Lynn’s sentence is another milestone in a sex-abuse scandal that has shaken the Church in the US and elsewhere for the past ten years.
National Turk (Turkey)
A Roman Catholic Monsignor William Lynn has been sentenced yesterday to serve up to 6 years in prison for allowing a priest suspected of sexual misconduct with a minor to continue to work in an assignment involving contact with children.
US catholic priest William J. Lynn, a former cardinal’s aide, was found guilty of endangering children, becoming the first senior official of the Roman Catholic Church in the United States convicted of covering up child sexual abuses by priests under his supervision in Philadelphia.
The catholic priest Monsignor William Lynn’s sentence is another milestone in a sex-abuse scandal that has shaken the Church in the US and elsewhere for the past ten years.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Times
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Of The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — The first U.S. church official convicted of covering up sex-abuse claims against Roman Catholic priests was sentenced Tuesday to three to six years in prison by a judge who said he “enabled monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children.”
Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, “helped many but also failed many” in his 36-year church career, Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said.
Lynn, who handled priest assignments and child sexual assault complaints from 1992 to 2004, was convicted last month of felony child endangerment for his oversight of now-defrocked priest Edward Avery. Avery is serving a 2½- to five-year sentence for sexually assaulting an altar boy in church in 1999. ...
The archdiocese called the sentence severe and hoped it would be “adjusted” on appeal.
“Fair-minded people will question the severity of the heavy, three- to six-year sentence imposed on Monsignor Lynn today,” the statement said. ...
“Protecting children has to be first and foremost,” said Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “We’re extremely grateful that the judge and the prosecutors did not give Monsignor Lynn special treatment because of his priestly status.”
Daily Times
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Of The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — The first U.S. church official convicted of covering up sex-abuse claims against Roman Catholic priests was sentenced Tuesday to three to six years in prison by a judge who said he “enabled monsters in clerical garb ... to destroy the souls of children.”
Monsignor William Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, “helped many but also failed many” in his 36-year church career, Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina said.
Lynn, who handled priest assignments and child sexual assault complaints from 1992 to 2004, was convicted last month of felony child endangerment for his oversight of now-defrocked priest Edward Avery. Avery is serving a 2½- to five-year sentence for sexually assaulting an altar boy in church in 1999. ...
The archdiocese called the sentence severe and hoped it would be “adjusted” on appeal.
“Fair-minded people will question the severity of the heavy, three- to six-year sentence imposed on Monsignor Lynn today,” the statement said. ...
“Protecting children has to be first and foremost,” said Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. “We’re extremely grateful that the judge and the prosecutors did not give Monsignor Lynn special treatment because of his priestly status.”
UNITED STATES
Daily Times
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By PATTI MENGERS
pmengers@delcotimes.com
Ten years ago, John Salveson called the resignation of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law in the shadow of hundreds of claims of clerical sexual abuse under his watch, a start in seeking justice for the victims of pedophile priests.
“I think it’s long overdue. I think it’s a good start. What I mean by this, the root of this problem to me is the bishops and cardinals who keep sheltering abusive priests,” the Radnor resident said in December 2002.
But more members of the hierarchy must be held accountable if the Catholic Church is going to fully address the scandal, insisted the former director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, also known as SNAP.
Tuesday, Salveson, who in 2006 founded the Foundation to Abolish Childhood Sex Abuse to lobby for expansion of Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations on sexual assault, finally saw part of his prediction realized after learning that a Philadelphia church official was sent to prison for protecting a pedophile priest.
Daily Times
Published: Wednesday, July 25, 2012
By PATTI MENGERS
pmengers@delcotimes.com
Ten years ago, John Salveson called the resignation of Boston Cardinal Bernard Law in the shadow of hundreds of claims of clerical sexual abuse under his watch, a start in seeking justice for the victims of pedophile priests.
“I think it’s long overdue. I think it’s a good start. What I mean by this, the root of this problem to me is the bishops and cardinals who keep sheltering abusive priests,” the Radnor resident said in December 2002.
But more members of the hierarchy must be held accountable if the Catholic Church is going to fully address the scandal, insisted the former director of the Philadelphia chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, also known as SNAP.
Tuesday, Salveson, who in 2006 founded the Foundation to Abolish Childhood Sex Abuse to lobby for expansion of Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations on sexual assault, finally saw part of his prediction realized after learning that a Philadelphia church official was sent to prison for protecting a pedophile priest.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
National Catholic Reporter
Jul. 24, 2012
By Brian Roewe
Msgr. William J. Lynn, seen leaving a Philadelphia courthouse in late May, was convicted of endangering children for his handling of priest abuse claims while secretary of clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese. A judge sentenced him July 24 to a maximum of six years in prison. (CNS photo/Scott Anderson, Reuters)
For failing to protect children from a known predator priest, Msgr. William J. Lynn will spend three to six years in prison.
Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina read the former secretary of clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese her sentence July 24 before a standing-room-only courtroom.
"You knew full well what was right, Msgr. Lynn, but you chose wrong," Sarmina said, according to The Associated Press. ...
Marci Hamilton, law professor and counsel in multiple abuse cases, was present at the sentencing. She said Sarmina's statement, which at one point quoted Archbishop Charles Chaput's Good Friday sermon, carried the theme that being a good priest does not make up for criminal endangerment of children.
"She really contrasted the Lynn that was secretary of the clergy who was, in her words hardhearted and callous, and the Lynn who was the parish priest, who was warm and compassionate, and she said the one doesn't make up for the other," Hamilton said. ...
Survivor support groups also endorsed the sentencing.
"Considering all the kids whose innocence was shattered (or, in some whose lives were lost to suicide), we believe that Msgr. Lynn deserved the harshest punishment. Still, this sentence sends a powerful message: cover-up child sex crimes and you'll go to jail," said a statement from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
"The sentence should send a clear and direct message to all of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church: they have failed their people, and given Monsignor Lynn's defense they created and sustain a culture that fails their people," said the National Survivor Advocates Coalition.
National Catholic Reporter
Jul. 24, 2012
By Brian Roewe
Msgr. William J. Lynn, seen leaving a Philadelphia courthouse in late May, was convicted of endangering children for his handling of priest abuse claims while secretary of clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese. A judge sentenced him July 24 to a maximum of six years in prison. (CNS photo/Scott Anderson, Reuters)
For failing to protect children from a known predator priest, Msgr. William J. Lynn will spend three to six years in prison.
Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina read the former secretary of clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese her sentence July 24 before a standing-room-only courtroom.
"You knew full well what was right, Msgr. Lynn, but you chose wrong," Sarmina said, according to The Associated Press. ...
Marci Hamilton, law professor and counsel in multiple abuse cases, was present at the sentencing. She said Sarmina's statement, which at one point quoted Archbishop Charles Chaput's Good Friday sermon, carried the theme that being a good priest does not make up for criminal endangerment of children.
"She really contrasted the Lynn that was secretary of the clergy who was, in her words hardhearted and callous, and the Lynn who was the parish priest, who was warm and compassionate, and she said the one doesn't make up for the other," Hamilton said. ...
Survivor support groups also endorsed the sentencing.
"Considering all the kids whose innocence was shattered (or, in some whose lives were lost to suicide), we believe that Msgr. Lynn deserved the harshest punishment. Still, this sentence sends a powerful message: cover-up child sex crimes and you'll go to jail," said a statement from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
"The sentence should send a clear and direct message to all of the bishops of the Roman Catholic Church: they have failed their people, and given Monsignor Lynn's defense they created and sustain a culture that fails their people," said the National Survivor Advocates Coalition.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina told Msgr. William J. Lynn today that she was sentencing him to three to six years in state prison, because he had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the suffering of victims of sex abuse.
"You knew full well what was right, Msgr. Lynn, but you chose wrong," she told the defendant, before imposing sentence. Lynn has been in jail since June 22, when he was convicted by a jury of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a third-degree felony.
The judge contrasted Lynn's recent service at St. Joseph's Church in Downingtown, where he was pastor from 2004 until his indictment in 2011, to his 12-year-tenure as secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004.
The judge said she got hundreds of "heartfelt letters of support" on behalf of Lynn, many from parishioners at St. Joseph's, who told her that Pastor Lynn would drop every thing to help someone in need. But the judge said that as secretary for clergy, Msgr. Lynn had displayed insensitivity to victims. He was either promising to do something, and doing nothing, the judge said, or he was doing his best to "callously shield the priests."
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina told Msgr. William J. Lynn today that she was sentencing him to three to six years in state prison, because he had turned a blind eye and a deaf ear to the suffering of victims of sex abuse.
"You knew full well what was right, Msgr. Lynn, but you chose wrong," she told the defendant, before imposing sentence. Lynn has been in jail since June 22, when he was convicted by a jury of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a third-degree felony.
The judge contrasted Lynn's recent service at St. Joseph's Church in Downingtown, where he was pastor from 2004 until his indictment in 2011, to his 12-year-tenure as secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004.
The judge said she got hundreds of "heartfelt letters of support" on behalf of Lynn, many from parishioners at St. Joseph's, who told her that Pastor Lynn would drop every thing to help someone in need. But the judge said that as secretary for clergy, Msgr. Lynn had displayed insensitivity to victims. He was either promising to do something, and doing nothing, the judge said, or he was doing his best to "callously shield the priests."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
SNAP Wisconsin
Monsignor Lynn was sentenced today to prison for 3 to 6 years following his conviction for child endangerment. Lynn is the first high ranking Catholic Church official to be tried and found guilty in a criminal court of law for giving known pedophile priests access to unsuspecting children.
At sentencing Judge Teresa Sarmina told Lynn “You knew full well what was right Monsignor, but you chose wrong”.
Sarmina added that Lynn deserved the sentence imposed on him because of “your support and facilitation of monsters in clerical garb…who destroyed the souls of children as you turned a hard heart”.
Following the sentencing of their Monsignor the Archdiocese of Philadelphia issued a statement lamenting Lynn’s sentence stating “Fair minded people will question the severity of the heavy, three to six year sentence imposed on Msgr. Lynn today. We hope that when this punishment is objectively reviewed it will be adjusted”.
The archdiocese neglected to mention the sentence that was imposed on the child whom Lynn endangered. That child was sexually assaulted by Fr. Edward Avery who Lynn was in charge of supervising. Lynn knew that Avery was a child molester and assigned him to St. Jerome’s parish anyway without warning parishioners that there was a dangerous predator in their midst.
SNAP Wisconsin
Monsignor Lynn was sentenced today to prison for 3 to 6 years following his conviction for child endangerment. Lynn is the first high ranking Catholic Church official to be tried and found guilty in a criminal court of law for giving known pedophile priests access to unsuspecting children.
At sentencing Judge Teresa Sarmina told Lynn “You knew full well what was right Monsignor, but you chose wrong”.
Sarmina added that Lynn deserved the sentence imposed on him because of “your support and facilitation of monsters in clerical garb…who destroyed the souls of children as you turned a hard heart”.
Following the sentencing of their Monsignor the Archdiocese of Philadelphia issued a statement lamenting Lynn’s sentence stating “Fair minded people will question the severity of the heavy, three to six year sentence imposed on Msgr. Lynn today. We hope that when this punishment is objectively reviewed it will be adjusted”.
The archdiocese neglected to mention the sentence that was imposed on the child whom Lynn endangered. That child was sexually assaulted by Fr. Edward Avery who Lynn was in charge of supervising. Lynn knew that Avery was a child molester and assigned him to St. Jerome’s parish anyway without warning parishioners that there was a dangerous predator in their midst.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Washington Post
By Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
Six years in prison for Monsignor William Lynn, former clergy secretary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because of his complicity in sexual abuse of minors; $60 million in fines to Penn State and its football program for similar indifference towards a coach. These despicable events are linked by a defect in American society. There is little public conscience to protect those speaking truth to power.
Particularly sad is how these recent events distort what should be an uplifting faith in an institution. Does not Penn State make of its football a weekly religion, replete with dedicated blue-and-white, competing ritually in an arena for honor? Does not Catholic America consider the bishop’s office the watchtower of a living faith? We all regret the sins and sympathize with the victims, but unless we recognize the climate that has fostered wrongdoing and change, these events will be repeated.
The failure to be feared the most lies with the university favoring football wins over integrity and with the clericalism that prefers loyalty over virtue. In short, there is a moral void in American society that does not reward whistle blowing against the interests of an institution.
Washington Post
By Anthony M. Stevens-Arroyo
Six years in prison for Monsignor William Lynn, former clergy secretary in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia because of his complicity in sexual abuse of minors; $60 million in fines to Penn State and its football program for similar indifference towards a coach. These despicable events are linked by a defect in American society. There is little public conscience to protect those speaking truth to power.
Particularly sad is how these recent events distort what should be an uplifting faith in an institution. Does not Penn State make of its football a weekly religion, replete with dedicated blue-and-white, competing ritually in an arena for honor? Does not Catholic America consider the bishop’s office the watchtower of a living faith? We all regret the sins and sympathize with the victims, but unless we recognize the climate that has fostered wrongdoing and change, these events will be repeated.
The failure to be feared the most lies with the university favoring football wins over integrity and with the clericalism that prefers loyalty over virtue. In short, there is a moral void in American society that does not reward whistle blowing against the interests of an institution.
Sentence Lynn on the merits
Pocono Record
July 22, 2012
Editorial
Being locked up in jail must be a shock indeed to a man who lived and worked for decades in the rarefied atmosphere of high officials in the Roman Catholic Church. But just because he wore the mantle of the church doesn't mean Monsignor William Lynn, convicted last month of endangering children in a landmark priest-abuse case, should escape an appropriate sentence for his wrongdoing.
Being locked up in jail must be a shock indeed to a man who lived and worked for decades in the rarefied atmosphere of high officials in the Roman Catholic Church. But just because he wore the mantle of the church doesn't mean Monsignor William Lynn, convicted last month of endangering children in a landmark priest-abuse case, should escape an appropriate sentence for his wrongdoing.
A jury convicted Lynn U.S.
The verdict stemmed from a case involving Lynn Lynn
Now Lynn
Prosecutors Seek Maximum Sentence for "Cold," "Craven" and "Amoral" Monsignor
Ralph Cipriano
In a 29-page, scorched-earth sentencing memo, prosecutors assail Monsignor William J. Lynn as a "cold," "craven" "yes man" who, in his position as secretary for clergy for the Philadelphia archdiocese, functioned as an "amoral" enabler of predator priests.
Although defense lawyers have tried to portray Lynn 2004. In that job, prosecutors said, Lynn
"Defendant's apparent lack of remorse for anyone but himself, his refusal to accept responsibility, and his failure to understand the criminality of his actions all demonstrate character in serious need of rehabilitation," prosecutors Mariana Sorensen and Patrick Blessington conclude. "A maximum sentence may be the only way to impress upon defendant that he committed a serious crime, that there are more important rules to follow that instructions from corrupt or misguided bishops, and that protection of children trumps the reputation of abusers and the institution that harbors them."
Lynn is scheduled to be sentenced at a 9 a .m. hearing Tuesday in front of Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, who presided over the monsignor's ten-week trial After being convicted of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a third-degree felony, Lynn faces a jail sentence of between 3 1/2 and 7 years. If the prosecution's sentencing memo is any guide, Tuesday's hearing won't be a spectacle for the faint-hearted.
The prosecutors begin their narrative in September 1992 when a former altar boy at St. Philip Neri Church in East Greenville , Pa. Jersey shore house, ply them with liquor, and then wrestle with him.
The victim told Lynn Lynn Vermont
Avery was shipped off to St. John Vianney, an archdiocese-owned facility, for nine months of psychiatric evaluation and treatment. The therapists recommended that Avery "not be assigned to a ministry involving adolescents or vulnerable minorities," the prosecutors wrote. At the time, Avery was also the legal guardian for six H-Mong children.
===
News update for July 21, 2012
Philly DA seeks 7-year sentence ...
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS News
Philly DA seeks 7-year sentence for Monsignor William Lynn, priest convicted of felony child endangerment
By Paula Reid Topi
(CBS) PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia District Attorney is seeking seven years in prison for Monsignor William Lynn, the Archdioceses of Philadelphia official convicted of felony child endangerment.
The District Attorney filed a motion today arguing that the maximum sentence of seven years is the only way to impress upon Lynn that, "[T]he protection of children trumps the reputation of abusers and the institution that harbors them."
Lynn was convicted on June 22. He is the first American church official who has not actually abused children to be convicted of endangering the welfare of a child in a jury trial and subsequently incarcerated.
Lynn's lawyers have asked the court to show leniency. They argue that Msgr. Lynn poses no danger to the public and has been sufficiently rehabilitated during the legal ordeal, which began in 2002.
Advocates for survivors of sex abuse want to see Lynn jailed. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), released a statement saying that Lynn still poses a threat to public safety. SNAP argues that Lynn put "hundreds" of children at risk by helping "perhaps dozens of predators stay hidden, employed, and around kids."
CBS News
Philly DA seeks 7-year sentence for Monsignor William Lynn, priest convicted of felony child endangerment
By Paula Reid Topi
(CBS) PHILADELPHIA - The Philadelphia District Attorney is seeking seven years in prison for Monsignor William Lynn, the Archdioceses of Philadelphia official convicted of felony child endangerment.
The District Attorney filed a motion today arguing that the maximum sentence of seven years is the only way to impress upon Lynn that, "[T]he protection of children trumps the reputation of abusers and the institution that harbors them."
Lynn was convicted on June 22. He is the first American church official who has not actually abused children to be convicted of endangering the welfare of a child in a jury trial and subsequently incarcerated.
Lynn's lawyers have asked the court to show leniency. They argue that Msgr. Lynn poses no danger to the public and has been sufficiently rehabilitated during the legal ordeal, which began in 2002.
Advocates for survivors of sex abuse want to see Lynn jailed. The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), released a statement saying that Lynn still poses a threat to public safety. SNAP argues that Lynn put "hundreds" of children at risk by helping "perhaps dozens of predators stay hidden, employed, and around kids."
Prosecutors: Msgr. Lynn deserves maximum prison sentence
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Msgr. William J. Lynn is evil, conniving and remorseless and deserves nothing but the maximum term in state prison for allowing Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests to sexually abuse children, prosecutors argued Friday.
"Every workday he woke up, went to his office and there pursued a deliberate, orchestrated plan that shielded and enabled child rapists," Assistant District Attorneys Mariana Sorensen and Patrick Blessington wrote in a sentencing memo.
Lynn, 61, faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced Tuesday by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina.
A former top aide to Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, Lynn last month became the first Catholic church official convicted for enabling clergy sex abuse.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Msgr. William J. Lynn is evil, conniving and remorseless and deserves nothing but the maximum term in state prison for allowing Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests to sexually abuse children, prosecutors argued Friday.
"Every workday he woke up, went to his office and there pursued a deliberate, orchestrated plan that shielded and enabled child rapists," Assistant District Attorneys Mariana Sorensen and Patrick Blessington wrote in a sentencing memo.
Lynn, 61, faces up to seven years in prison when he is sentenced Tuesday by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina.
A former top aide to Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, Lynn last month became the first Catholic church official convicted for enabling clergy sex abuse.
PA - SNAP wants Philly Catholic cleric jailed
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Barbara Dorris on July 19, 2012
If Msgr. Lynn has “endured unprecedented public scrutiny, shaming and vilification," it’s because for years he repeatedly engaged in unprecedented, shameful deceit, callousness and recklessness about children’s safety.
Once again, a high ranking Catholic cleric is saying ‘I’m different from and better than the rest of you.’ Once again, a top church official wants special treatment, even though he basically putting children – hundreds of them – in harm’s way and helping perhaps dozens of predators stay hidden, employed and around kids.
Lynn does pose a threat to public safety. Behind bars, he can’t shred evidence, intimidate victims, discredit whistleblowers, threaten witnesses, deceive parishioners, fabricate alibis or take any of the other steps Catholic officials take to keep clergy sex crimes hidden.
Lynn’s alleged career of “service” was, in fact, a life dedicate to climbing the church’s corporate ladder, and acting deceptively and irresponsibly to protect his job and reputation and the reputations of his supervisors and peers.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Barbara Dorris on July 19, 2012
If Msgr. Lynn has “endured unprecedented public scrutiny, shaming and vilification," it’s because for years he repeatedly engaged in unprecedented, shameful deceit, callousness and recklessness about children’s safety.
Once again, a high ranking Catholic cleric is saying ‘I’m different from and better than the rest of you.’ Once again, a top church official wants special treatment, even though he basically putting children – hundreds of them – in harm’s way and helping perhaps dozens of predators stay hidden, employed and around kids.
Lynn does pose a threat to public safety. Behind bars, he can’t shred evidence, intimidate victims, discredit whistleblowers, threaten witnesses, deceive parishioners, fabricate alibis or take any of the other steps Catholic officials take to keep clergy sex crimes hidden.
Lynn’s alleged career of “service” was, in fact, a life dedicate to climbing the church’s corporate ladder, and acting deceptively and irresponsibly to protect his job and reputation and the reputations of his supervisors and peers.
=====
Defense Lawyers Argue Judge Should Give Monsignor Minimum Sentence and Let Him Out on Bail Pending Appeal
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
UPDATED FRIDAY
Msgr. William J. Lynn poses "no danger to the public," his defense lawyers argue, so putting him away for a maximum prison term of seven years would amount to "cruel and unusual punishment." Lynn's defense lawyers are also asking that Lynn be freed from jail pending an appeal.
On Tuesday, Lynn will stand before Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, and be sentenced for his June 22 conviction on a third-degree felony of endangering the welfare of a child. He is facing a prison term of between 3 1/2 to 7 years. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington has already said that the prosecution will seek the maximum sentence of seven years for Msgr. Lynn.
Lynn's defense team, however, argued in a sentencing memo filed Wednesday that Lynn has never touched a child, and that "no reported Pennsylvania case has ever dealt with a situation where an individual had been convicted of EWOC [endangering the welfare of a child] without ever knowing the child that he or she was accused of endangering."
"Msgr. Lynn has never harbored any intent to harm a child," Lynn's lawyers argued. "To the contrary, letters from friends, teachers, fellow priests, nuns and family members extol Msgr. Lynn's love and respect for children and their safety, offering in supporting innumerable examples of the care and protection he showed the children he has come across."
===
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
UPDATED FRIDAY
Msgr. William J. Lynn poses "no danger to the public," his defense lawyers argue, so putting him away for a maximum prison term of seven years would amount to "cruel and unusual punishment." Lynn's defense lawyers are also asking that Lynn be freed from jail pending an appeal.
On Tuesday, Lynn will stand before Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, and be sentenced for his June 22 conviction on a third-degree felony of endangering the welfare of a child. He is facing a prison term of between 3 1/2 to 7 years. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington has already said that the prosecution will seek the maximum sentence of seven years for Msgr. Lynn.
Lynn's defense team, however, argued in a sentencing memo filed Wednesday that Lynn has never touched a child, and that "no reported Pennsylvania case has ever dealt with a situation where an individual had been convicted of EWOC [endangering the welfare of a child] without ever knowing the child that he or she was accused of endangering."
"Msgr. Lynn has never harbored any intent to harm a child," Lynn's lawyers argued. "To the contrary, letters from friends, teachers, fellow priests, nuns and family members extol Msgr. Lynn's love and respect for children and their safety, offering in supporting innumerable examples of the care and protection he showed the children he has come across."
===
Defense Team Says Monsignor Poses "No Danger To The Public"
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Msgr. William J. Lynn poses "no danger to the public," his defense lawyers argue, so putting him away for a maximum prison term of seven years would amount to "cruel and unusual punishment."
On Tuesday, Lynn will stand before Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, and be sentenced for his June 22 conviction on a third-degree felony of endangering the welfare of a child. He is facing a prison term of between 3 1/2 to 7 years. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington has already said that the prosecution will seek the maximum sentence of seven years for Msgr. Lynn.
Lynn's defense team, however, argued in a sentencing memo filed Wednesday that Lynn has never touched a child, and that "no reported Pennsylvania case has ever dealt with a situation where an individual had been convicted of EWOC [endangering the welfare of children] without ever knowing the child that he or she was accused of endangering."
"Msgr. Lynn has never harbored any intent to harm a child," Lynn's lawyers argued. "To the contrary, letters from friends, teachers, fellow priests, nuns and family members extol Msgr. Lynn's love and respect for children and their safety, offering in supporting innumerable examples of the care and protection he showed the children he has come across."
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Msgr. William J. Lynn poses "no danger to the public," his defense lawyers argue, so putting him away for a maximum prison term of seven years would amount to "cruel and unusual punishment."
On Tuesday, Lynn will stand before Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, and be sentenced for his June 22 conviction on a third-degree felony of endangering the welfare of a child. He is facing a prison term of between 3 1/2 to 7 years. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington has already said that the prosecution will seek the maximum sentence of seven years for Msgr. Lynn.
Lynn's defense team, however, argued in a sentencing memo filed Wednesday that Lynn has never touched a child, and that "no reported Pennsylvania case has ever dealt with a situation where an individual had been convicted of EWOC [endangering the welfare of children] without ever knowing the child that he or she was accused of endangering."
"Msgr. Lynn has never harbored any intent to harm a child," Lynn's lawyers argued. "To the contrary, letters from friends, teachers, fellow priests, nuns and family members extol Msgr. Lynn's love and respect for children and their safety, offering in supporting innumerable examples of the care and protection he showed the children he has come across."
=====
Lynn's lawyers seek lenient sentence
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
Inquirer Staff Writer
Lawyers for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest convicted of child endangerment urged a judge Thursday to spare him from prison, arguing that Msgr. William J. Lynn poses no public threat, has led a life of service, and has already endured unprecedented "shaming and vilification."
Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians sentenced for the same felony since 1996 spent only months in county jails or were freed on supervised release, the lawyers said. They said Lynn, a priest for 36 years, deserves the same break.
"A sentence of time served, probation, work release, or house arrest would ensure that Msgr. Lynn can still use his priestly gifts to improve the lives of those around him," lawyers Thomas Bergstrom and Jeffrey Lindy said in their filing.
Lynn, a longtime aide to the late Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, faces up to seven years in state prison when he is sentenced Tuesday by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
Inquirer Staff Writer
Lawyers for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest convicted of child endangerment urged a judge Thursday to spare him from prison, arguing that Msgr. William J. Lynn poses no public threat, has led a life of service, and has already endured unprecedented "shaming and vilification."
Two-thirds of Pennsylvanians sentenced for the same felony since 1996 spent only months in county jails or were freed on supervised release, the lawyers said. They said Lynn, a priest for 36 years, deserves the same break.
"A sentence of time served, probation, work release, or house arrest would ensure that Msgr. Lynn can still use his priestly gifts to improve the lives of those around him," lawyers Thomas Bergstrom and Jeffrey Lindy said in their filing.
Lynn, a longtime aide to the late Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, faces up to seven years in state prison when he is sentenced Tuesday by Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina.
=============
Updated May 24, 2012 The Defense calls Monsignor Lynn to the stand and he says he "I did my best" and "I thought I was helping the victims", see news updates below. Now we can see how a high ranking Catholic priest can be as cunning like the Devil the "Father of lies" .
Updated May 17, Prosecutor rests. Let us pray William Lynn go rot in jail where he'll die in disgrace for all the sufferings he had caused on children sexually abused by JP2 Pedophile Priests in Philadelphia
Read our latest article, Hypocrite Benedict silenced Fr. Tony Flannery, Brian D'Arcy – A compilation… but he does not silence Cardinal Bernard Law and JP2 Army – John Paul II Pedophile Priests http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/04/hypocrite-benedict-silenced-outspoken.html
Famous LC priest fathered a child. Fr. Thomas Williams, prominent Legion of Christ priest, TV personality and best seller author fathered a child ! VIDEO http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/05/famous-lc-priest-fathered-child.html
Updated May 9, 2012 Articles from May 2 to May 9 below. Prosecutor portrays Monsignor Lynn a liar
Defence lawyers complained Tuesday that the lengthy priest-abuse trial of Monsignor Lynn has veered far afield from the original charges and are being focused on the victims of Rev. Stanley Gana and the Rev. Nicholas Cudemo who are 2 among the more than 22 pedophile priests whom
Updated May 2, 2012
May William Lynn be found guilty so he can go rot in jail for the rest of his life...the sufferings caused by the pedophile priests he covered-up can only be consoled by his ending his life in jail where he belong. Read our related article for the May 1 beatification anniversary of Opus Dei Golden Cow John Paul II --Heil Satanas JP2 Patron Saint of Pedophiles, Pederasts Rapists-Priests! John Paul II is the same yesterday and today-- he cannot protect children http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html A TV series made out of the Philadelphia sex abuse trial of Monsignor William Lynn who covered-up all these salacious priests would be an overnight success especially this latest one whom he aided and abetted - the young and darkly handsome Sylvester Wiejata who had an eye for the ladies, especially married ones ...Vatican Holy Shit! These are the sorcerers of Christ’s flesh and Monsignor Lynn let them scot-free to satisfy their bestial lust as long as they re-incarnated God’s flesh everyday in the Daily Mass – just like Cardinal Bernard Law did and Fr. Marcial Maciel did during the last heydays of Blessed John Paul II who condoned them and covered them up in his evil Achilles Heels. The testimonies at the Philadelphia courthouse can only prove how heartless Theology and John Paul II are and together with his Cardinals and Bishops and Monsignors they made the JP2 Army –John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army thrive http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2010/05/theology-and-john-paul-ii-are-heartless.html and that the Rosary could not defeat JP2 Army John Paul II Pedophile Priests Army in the 20th Century ... unlike the Battle of Lepanto in the 16th Century http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/10/rosary-could-not-defeat-jp2-army-john_06.html
Updated April 28, 2012 All articles on the trial of Opus Dei Golden Cow Monsignor William Lynn
Updated April 22, 2012 All news articles to this day: Bishop's aide, a monsignor, must testify in trial, another Bishop is implicated in sexual absue of minor and his classmate defends him, read all articles below
Updated April 14, 2012 Mother of victim of pedophile priest testifies, Fr. Tom Doyle testifies that Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws, see all updates below, click on the title to go into the full article.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. A. to be charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints and he is now on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy, this is a compilation of articles about his current trial in Philadelphia. Read our related articles, Cardinal Ratzinger was part of the “plague of pedophilia” for 27 years when he covered-up JP2 Army a.k.a B16 Army-Benedict XVI Pedophile Priests Army http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2011/11/cardinal-ratzinger-was-part-of-plague.html and insane KC STAR CAMPAIGN HITS by Catholic League fanatic Bill Donohue propagating... Bishop Finn make Devil's Bowels smell like roses in KC, Missouri http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2011/11/bishop-finn-makes-devils-bowels-smell.html
Less we forget that Blessed John Paul II knew about all these infamous pedophile priests worldwide but he papal farted at us Bostonians by elevating Cardinal Bernard Law to Rome after we forced him to resign in disgrace as Archbishop of Boston because he knowingly transferred 80 pedophile priests from one parish to another, just like Monsignor William Lynn and Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua. Hence Cardinal Law and Fr. Marcial Maciel are his evil Achilles Heels and therefore he cannot be a saint no matter what kind of miracles the Opus Dei cooks up for their first Golden Cow John Paul II, read our related article Heil Satanas JP2 Patron Saint of Pedophiles, Pederasts Rapists-Priests! John Paul II is the same yesterday and today-- he cannot protect children http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/05/heil-satanas-jp2-patron-saint-of.html
The first step Lynn's lawyer made was to try to throw out the case by blaming Lynn's old - recently dead - boss Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, read about Bevilacqua's fishy sudden death here - SO WHAT, new 22 Cardinals and Pellini. FOCUS : Benedict's crimes against humanity,Vatican violation of human rights. Again,no new Jesuit voting Cardinal http://popecrimes.blogspot.ca/2012/01/benedict-appoints-22-new-cardinal.html
Read our related article to see more Philadelphia pedophile priests covered by by Lynn -- Faces of Rapists-Priests: from Father Marcial Maciel covered-up by John Paul II and the Eucharist. http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/03/faces-of-rapists-priests-from-father.html
The narcissism and grandiosity of John Paul II, Cardinal Bernard Law, Benedict XVI, and Bishop Roger Vangheluwe are nauseating and despicable http://jp2m.blogspot.ca/2011/04/narcissism-and-grandiosity-of-john-paul.html
Msgr. William Lynn
( Getty Images / March 26, 2012 )
Monsignor William Lynn returns after a lunch break to Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center Monday in Philadelphia
------------------
Updates June 30, 2012
Priest Abuse Blog in the Media
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
There's an exhaustive and authoritative new website that catalogues everything that moved during the priest abuse trial:
BishopAccountability.org timeline
Here's what the introduction to the site says:
"The trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn and Rev. James J. Brennan in Philadelphia was complex and lengthy, and its conclusion was a watershed event: the first conviction of a church official for child endangerment. During the trial, witnesses and exhibits provided the jury with information on 21 other accused priests whom Lynn had managed." ...
-- The judge during deliberations completely reversed herself overnight on the key issue of whether Msgr. Lynn had to have acted with criminal intent in order to have been found guilty of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children.
How was that not a story? A judge doing a complete reversal on key jury instructions regarding whether the main defendant had to act with criminal intent? How'd they miss that one?
If you're doing this job right, at some point, you're gonna piss everybody off. At various points during the trial, we've enraged the victims' groups, the defense lawyers thought we hated them, we've ripped the judge, and now the prosecutors aren't speaking to us. Get over it guys.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
There's an exhaustive and authoritative new website that catalogues everything that moved during the priest abuse trial:
BishopAccountability.org timeline
Here's what the introduction to the site says:
"The trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn and Rev. James J. Brennan in Philadelphia was complex and lengthy, and its conclusion was a watershed event: the first conviction of a church official for child endangerment. During the trial, witnesses and exhibits provided the jury with information on 21 other accused priests whom Lynn had managed." ...
-- The judge during deliberations completely reversed herself overnight on the key issue of whether Msgr. Lynn had to have acted with criminal intent in order to have been found guilty of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children.
How was that not a story? A judge doing a complete reversal on key jury instructions regarding whether the main defendant had to act with criminal intent? How'd they miss that one?
If you're doing this job right, at some point, you're gonna piss everybody off. At various points during the trial, we've enraged the victims' groups, the defense lawyers thought we hated them, we've ripped the judge, and now the prosecutors aren't speaking to us. Get over it guys.
GUEST COLUMN: Sandusky, Lynn convictions remind us to be vigilant, report suspected child abuse
PENNSYLVANIA
Express-Times
Saturday, June 30, 2012
By Express-Times guest columnist
By ANNE ADAMS
Valley Youth House
The stories we heard during the trials of Jerry Sandusky for abusing teenage boys and Monsignor William Lynn for failing to protect children from predator priests were tragic for all involved — the defendants, the institutions they served, and especially the young people whose lives were ruined.
Perhaps the most damaging long-term result is the loss of trust in the many good people who work with our youth. Can we ever look at our teachers, coaches, ministers and others the same way again? These trials involved very sad stories, indeed. Do these events provide an opportunity to do more to stop child abuse? Can we learn anything from what we have read for these many months? I think we can.
Child abuse is traumatizing and leaves permanent scars. Long after abuse occurs individuals struggle to come to terms with their victimization. We saw adults struggling to deal with powerful emotions and psychological anguish. In the testimony of victims we saw the painful legacy of abuse.
Many said they knew they were in an uncomfortable situation but were afraid to come forward because they were embarrassed, did not believe they would be viewed as credible, or were offered gifts they had no other way of receiving. Even years later, many victims did not speak up because they did not think their word would be trusted against that of a powerful coach or priest.
Express-Times
Saturday, June 30, 2012
By Express-Times guest columnist
By ANNE ADAMS
Valley Youth House
The stories we heard during the trials of Jerry Sandusky for abusing teenage boys and Monsignor William Lynn for failing to protect children from predator priests were tragic for all involved — the defendants, the institutions they served, and especially the young people whose lives were ruined.
Perhaps the most damaging long-term result is the loss of trust in the many good people who work with our youth. Can we ever look at our teachers, coaches, ministers and others the same way again? These trials involved very sad stories, indeed. Do these events provide an opportunity to do more to stop child abuse? Can we learn anything from what we have read for these many months? I think we can.
Child abuse is traumatizing and leaves permanent scars. Long after abuse occurs individuals struggle to come to terms with their victimization. We saw adults struggling to deal with powerful emotions and psychological anguish. In the testimony of victims we saw the painful legacy of abuse.
Many said they knew they were in an uncomfortable situation but were afraid to come forward because they were embarrassed, did not believe they would be viewed as credible, or were offered gifts they had no other way of receiving. Even years later, many victims did not speak up because they did not think their word would be trusted against that of a powerful coach or priest.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
At 11:10 a.m. Wednesday in Courtroom 304 of the Criminal Justice Center, defense lawyer Thomas Bersgstrom stood up and made a surprise announcement.
"Your Honor, the defense calls Msgr. Lynn."
The monsignor left the defense table, where he had been held hostage the past eight weeks, and walked over to the witness stand to testify in his own defense.
The courtroom was packed with relatives and men in collars, who turned out to display their support for the archdiocese's former secretary for clergy. Lynn is on trial for conspiracy to endanger the welfare of children by allowing abuser priests to continue in ministry. He is the first Catholic administrator in the country to be charged for allegedly covering up sex abuse of minors by priests.
In three hours on the witness stand, the monsignor appeared relaxed, smiled often, and never raised his voice, even when the prosecutor was tossing fastballs at his head.
He said he stayed on the job as secretary for clergy for 12 years because, "I thought I was helping people." Lynn asserted that he provided pastoral care to fellow priests, as well as aid and counseling to victims of sex abuse.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
At 11:10 a.m. Wednesday in Courtroom 304 of the Criminal Justice Center, defense lawyer Thomas Bersgstrom stood up and made a surprise announcement.
"Your Honor, the defense calls Msgr. Lynn."
The monsignor left the defense table, where he had been held hostage the past eight weeks, and walked over to the witness stand to testify in his own defense.
The courtroom was packed with relatives and men in collars, who turned out to display their support for the archdiocese's former secretary for clergy. Lynn is on trial for conspiracy to endanger the welfare of children by allowing abuser priests to continue in ministry. He is the first Catholic administrator in the country to be charged for allegedly covering up sex abuse of minors by priests.
In three hours on the witness stand, the monsignor appeared relaxed, smiled often, and never raised his voice, even when the prosecutor was tossing fastballs at his head.
He said he stayed on the job as secretary for clergy for 12 years because, "I thought I was helping people." Lynn asserted that he provided pastoral care to fellow priests, as well as aid and counseling to victims of sex abuse.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the witness stand at his landmark trial Wednesday, asserting he "did my best" to weed out sexually abusive priests and battling with a prosecutor who painted him as a liar more concerned with protecting the church than children.
During hours of tense testimony in a Common Pleas courtroom, Lynn tried to counter charges that he spent a dozen years burying sex-abuse claims and shuffling accused priests around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
He repeatedly told jurors that his bosses, notably Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, directed the church's response to child-sex abuse allegations, and he denied knowingly putting children in harm's way.
"I thought I was helping people," Lynn said. "I thought I was helping priests, and in those circumstances, I thought I was helping victims, as much as I could."
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the witness stand at his landmark trial Wednesday, asserting he "did my best" to weed out sexually abusive priests and battling with a prosecutor who painted him as a liar more concerned with protecting the church than children.
During hours of tense testimony in a Common Pleas courtroom, Lynn tried to counter charges that he spent a dozen years burying sex-abuse claims and shuffling accused priests around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
He repeatedly told jurors that his bosses, notably Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, directed the church's response to child-sex abuse allegations, and he denied knowingly putting children in harm's way.
"I thought I was helping people," Lynn said. "I thought I was helping priests, and in those circumstances, I thought I was helping victims, as much as I could."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the witness stand at his landmark trial Wednesday, asserting he "did my best" to weed out sexually abusive priests and battling with a prosecutor who painted him as a liar more concerned with protecting the church than children.
During hours of tense testimony in a Common Pleas courtroom, Lynn tried to counter charges that he spent a dozen years burying sex-abuse claims and shuffling accused priests around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
He repeatedly told jurors that his bosses, notably Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, directed the church's response to child-sex abuse allegations, and he denied knowingly putting children in harm's way.
"I thought I was helping people," Lynn said. "I thought I was helping priests, and in those circumstances, I thought I was helping victims, as much as I could."
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the witness stand at his landmark trial Wednesday, asserting he "did my best" to weed out sexually abusive priests and battling with a prosecutor who painted him as a liar more concerned with protecting the church than children.
During hours of tense testimony in a Common Pleas courtroom, Lynn tried to counter charges that he spent a dozen years burying sex-abuse claims and shuffling accused priests around the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
He repeatedly told jurors that his bosses, notably Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, directed the church's response to child-sex abuse allegations, and he denied knowingly putting children in harm's way.
"I thought I was helping people," Lynn said. "I thought I was helping priests, and in those circumstances, I thought I was helping victims, as much as I could."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 6:57 PM EDT, Wed May 23, 2012
Philadelphia (CNN) -- The highest-ranking cleric to be charged with child endangerment testified Wednesday in the landmark child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial in which he and another Philadelphia priest are defendants.
Dressed in clerical garb, Monsignor William Lynn took the stand inside the packed Common Pleas courtroom under the watchful eye of Judge Teresa Sarmina. He was calm, confident and very matter-of-fact during direct examination by one of his defense attorneys, Thomas Bergstrom.
"I felt I was helping priests and helping victims as best I could," Lynn told jurors, swiveling in the witness chair.
Lynn is accused of knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children. Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan, who is accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old. Both Brennan and Lynn have pleaded not guilty.
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 6:57 PM EDT, Wed May 23, 2012
Philadelphia (CNN) -- The highest-ranking cleric to be charged with child endangerment testified Wednesday in the landmark child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial in which he and another Philadelphia priest are defendants.
Dressed in clerical garb, Monsignor William Lynn took the stand inside the packed Common Pleas courtroom under the watchful eye of Judge Teresa Sarmina. He was calm, confident and very matter-of-fact during direct examination by one of his defense attorneys, Thomas Bergstrom.
"I felt I was helping priests and helping victims as best I could," Lynn told jurors, swiveling in the witness chair.
Lynn is accused of knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children. Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan, who is accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old. Both Brennan and Lynn have pleaded not guilty.
Monsignor: Cardinal wanted accusers kept in dark
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
KGAN
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A Roman Catholic church official taking the stand in his own defense says Philadelphia's ex-archbishop ordered staff to keep alleged victims of priest sexual abuse in the dark about other accusers.
Monsignor William Lynn also says the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wouldn't let parishes announce the real reason an accused priest was being removed.
There's been testimony that parishioners were often told their priest had health problems when he left for sex-offender treatment. Lynn says that "mental health" can be a health condition.
That led Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington to ask if Lynn remembers the religious teaching on sins of omission.
KGAN
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) -- A Roman Catholic church official taking the stand in his own defense says Philadelphia's ex-archbishop ordered staff to keep alleged victims of priest sexual abuse in the dark about other accusers.
Monsignor William Lynn also says the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wouldn't let parishes announce the real reason an accused priest was being removed.
There's been testimony that parishioners were often told their priest had health problems when he left for sex-offender treatment. Lynn says that "mental health" can be a health condition.
That led Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington to ask if Lynn remembers the religious teaching on sins of omission.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Democrat-Herald
Associated Press | Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A high-ranking church official accused of moving predator-priests to unwitting parishes took the stand in his own defense Wednesday, telling jurors in the groundbreaking clergy sex-abuse trial that he had no authority to make priest transfers.
Monsignor William Lynn said he also lacked authority to put a priest on leave or suspend him, and could only remove someone on one condition: "The only time I had that authority was if he admitted he had abused someone," Lynn testified.
Asked who at the archdiocese could transfer or suspend a priest, Lynn replied, "Only the bishop, the cardinal." ...
Lynn's decision to take the stand Wednesday is risky, giving prosecutors a chance to interrogate him on cross-examination about his handling of 20 accused priest files. The cross-examination was expected Wednesday afternoon.
The dour expression Lynn has shown during nine weeks on trial softened when he took the stand, and he smiled warmly a few times as he answered questions from defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom. Friends and relatives, several of them priests, filled four rows of seats behind the defense table.
Democrat-Herald
Associated Press | Posted: Wednesday, May 23, 2012
A high-ranking church official accused of moving predator-priests to unwitting parishes took the stand in his own defense Wednesday, telling jurors in the groundbreaking clergy sex-abuse trial that he had no authority to make priest transfers.
Monsignor William Lynn said he also lacked authority to put a priest on leave or suspend him, and could only remove someone on one condition: "The only time I had that authority was if he admitted he had abused someone," Lynn testified.
Asked who at the archdiocese could transfer or suspend a priest, Lynn replied, "Only the bishop, the cardinal." ...
Lynn's decision to take the stand Wednesday is risky, giving prosecutors a chance to interrogate him on cross-examination about his handling of 20 accused priest files. The cross-examination was expected Wednesday afternoon.
The dour expression Lynn has shown during nine weeks on trial softened when he took the stand, and he smiled warmly a few times as he answered questions from defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom. Friends and relatives, several of them priests, filled four rows of seats behind the defense table.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Newsworks
May 23, 2012
By Elizabeth Fiedler
A high-ranking church official accused of transferring sexual-predator priests to unwitting parishes is testifying in his own defense in a groundbreaking Philadelphia clergy sex-abuse trial.
Monsignor William Lynn took the stand just after 11 a.m. Appearing calm and composed, Lynn said when he took the job for secretary for clergy, he expected he would take care of the priests and their needs, but he did not anticipate he would be so involved in investigating the allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Lynn also said that he followed the reporting chain of command, and that it was the cardinal's decision to decide if a priest should be transferred.
Lynn is the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged for allegedly helping the church bury abuse complaints.
Newsworks
May 23, 2012
By Elizabeth Fiedler
A high-ranking church official accused of transferring sexual-predator priests to unwitting parishes is testifying in his own defense in a groundbreaking Philadelphia clergy sex-abuse trial.
Monsignor William Lynn took the stand just after 11 a.m. Appearing calm and composed, Lynn said when he took the job for secretary for clergy, he expected he would take care of the priests and their needs, but he did not anticipate he would be so involved in investigating the allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Lynn also said that he followed the reporting chain of command, and that it was the cardinal's decision to decide if a priest should be transferred.
Lynn is the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged for allegedly helping the church bury abuse complaints.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
RI NPR
(2012-05-23)
(Reuters) -
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Monsignor William Lynn testified on Wednesday at his criminal trial in a Philadelphia pedophilia case that he reassigned a predator priest to live in parish housing attached to an elementary school, where he ultimately abused another child.
Lynn, 61, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go on trial in the widespread U.S. Roman Catholic Church scandal, took the stand to defend himself against charges he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted. The trial is in its ninth week in Common Pleas Court.
RI NPR
(2012-05-23)
(Reuters) -
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - Monsignor William Lynn testified on Wednesday at his criminal trial in a Philadelphia pedophilia case that he reassigned a predator priest to live in parish housing attached to an elementary school, where he ultimately abused another child.
Lynn, 61, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go on trial in the widespread U.S. Roman Catholic Church scandal, took the stand to defend himself against charges he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted. The trial is in its ninth week in Common Pleas Court.
Philadelphia Priest Takes Stand In His Own Defense At Child Sex Abuse Trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There was high drama in a Philadelphia court room today, as one of the defendants in the Philadelphia priest sex abuse case took the stand in his own defense.
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with endangering minors by allowing priests accused of sexually abusing children to remain in ministry.
Today, Lynn took the witness stand and told the jury that he did not have the authority as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s “secretary for clergy” to remove priests from ministry unless they admitted to sexual abuse of minors.
According to Lynn’s testimony this morning, he also did not have the authority to transfer them or put them on administrative leave.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — There was high drama in a Philadelphia court room today, as one of the defendants in the Philadelphia priest sex abuse case took the stand in his own defense.
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with endangering minors by allowing priests accused of sexually abusing children to remain in ministry.
Today, Lynn took the witness stand and told the jury that he did not have the authority as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s “secretary for clergy” to remove priests from ministry unless they admitted to sexual abuse of minors.
According to Lynn’s testimony this morning, he also did not have the authority to transfer them or put them on administrative leave.
Monsignor testifies in Pa. abuse cover-up case
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Palm Beach Post
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Updated: 12:32 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A high-ranking church official accused of moving predator-priests to unwitting parishes has testified that he had no authority to make priest transfers.
Monsignor William Lynn says he could only remove a priest who admitted abusing a minor. Lynn says he otherwise made recommendations for the cardinal.
And he says Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua overturned his plan for the Rev. Edward Avery when the accused priest was returning to ministry after inpatient treatment. Avery is now in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault.
Lynn is testifying in the ninth week of his child-endangerment and conspiracy trial.
Palm Beach Post
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Updated: 12:32 p.m. Wednesday, May 23, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A high-ranking church official accused of moving predator-priests to unwitting parishes has testified that he had no authority to make priest transfers.
Monsignor William Lynn says he could only remove a priest who admitted abusing a minor. Lynn says he otherwise made recommendations for the cardinal.
And he says Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua overturned his plan for the Rev. Edward Avery when the accused priest was returning to ministry after inpatient treatment. Avery is now in prison after pleading guilty to sexual assault.
Lynn is testifying in the ninth week of his child-endangerment and conspiracy trial.
Lead defendant takes witness stand at Philadelphia cleric abuse trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inqurer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the stand today to testify in his own defense at Philadelphia’s landmark clergy sex abuse trial.
Lynn began testifying shortly after 11 a.m.
His relatives and supporters filled four rows in the third floor courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center as he was sworn in as a witness in his own defense.
The potentially risky decision sets the stage for dramatic testimony from the lead defendant in the unprecedented case about how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia responded to clergy sex abuse claims.
For eight weeks, prosecutors called a parade of witnesses in an effort to portray Lynn as the church official most responsible for failing to remove priests from parishes despite credible evidence they had molested minors or might molest them. As Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua’s secretary for clergy between 1992 and 2004, he is charged with endangerment for allegedly ignoring such signs about two priests who prosecutors say each later sexually assaulted a boy.
Philadelphia Inqurer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Msgr. William J. Lynn took the stand today to testify in his own defense at Philadelphia’s landmark clergy sex abuse trial.
Lynn began testifying shortly after 11 a.m.
His relatives and supporters filled four rows in the third floor courtroom at the Criminal Justice Center as he was sworn in as a witness in his own defense.
The potentially risky decision sets the stage for dramatic testimony from the lead defendant in the unprecedented case about how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia responded to clergy sex abuse claims.
For eight weeks, prosecutors called a parade of witnesses in an effort to portray Lynn as the church official most responsible for failing to remove priests from parishes despite credible evidence they had molested minors or might molest them. As Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua’s secretary for clergy between 1992 and 2004, he is charged with endangerment for allegedly ignoring such signs about two priests who prosecutors say each later sexually assaulted a boy.
Defense begins in Philadelphia Archdiocese child sex abuse trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Chicago Tribune
May 22, 2012|Dave Warner | Reuters
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A priest testified on Tuesday that the Catholic Church had followed the advice of legal counsel in keeping quiet about molestation charges as lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn opened their case in the trial over the Philadelphia child sex abuse scandal.
Lynn, 61, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go on trial in the Roman Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy over accusations he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted.
Monsignor Michael McCulken testified that the church declined to call law enforcement authorities when it learned of child sex abuse claims because "they were beyond the statute of limitations" at the time.
Chicago Tribune
May 22, 2012|Dave Warner | Reuters
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A priest testified on Tuesday that the Catholic Church had followed the advice of legal counsel in keeping quiet about molestation charges as lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn opened their case in the trial over the Philadelphia child sex abuse scandal.
Lynn, 61, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go on trial in the Roman Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy over accusations he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted.
Monsignor Michael McCulken testified that the church declined to call law enforcement authorities when it learned of child sex abuse claims because "they were beyond the statute of limitations" at the time.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The defense in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case Tuesday presented Monsignor William J. Lynn as a caring priest who occupied the "bottom rung" of the church hierarchy.
Lynn was one of six secretaries in the archdiocese who reported to Bishop Edward P. Cullen, the former vicar for administration, according to Msgr. Michael T. McCulken, who served as Lynn's assistant in the office for the clergy from 1994 until 1997.
"That would be the bottom rung?" Jeff Lindy, a defense lawyer for Msgr. Lynn suggested.
The bottom rung, agreed Msgr. McCulken.
The secretary for clergy functioned as a human resources department for the archdiocese, handling more than 800 priests, the seminarians at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, as well as retired priests.
McCulken estimated that he spent 10 percent of his time on sex abuse matters, and Lynn, about 15 percent. McCulken said that during his three years in the office for clergy, he worked on ten cases of alleged sex abuse. McCulken said that he and Lynn worked about 50 hours a week, including nights and weekends, and that Lynn usually went home with a thick valise of paperwork.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The defense in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case Tuesday presented Monsignor William J. Lynn as a caring priest who occupied the "bottom rung" of the church hierarchy.
Lynn was one of six secretaries in the archdiocese who reported to Bishop Edward P. Cullen, the former vicar for administration, according to Msgr. Michael T. McCulken, who served as Lynn's assistant in the office for the clergy from 1994 until 1997.
"That would be the bottom rung?" Jeff Lindy, a defense lawyer for Msgr. Lynn suggested.
The bottom rung, agreed Msgr. McCulken.
The secretary for clergy functioned as a human resources department for the archdiocese, handling more than 800 priests, the seminarians at Saint Charles Borromeo Seminary, as well as retired priests.
McCulken estimated that he spent 10 percent of his time on sex abuse matters, and Lynn, about 15 percent. McCulken said that during his three years in the office for clergy, he worked on ten cases of alleged sex abuse. McCulken said that he and Lynn worked about 50 hours a week, including nights and weekends, and that Lynn usually went home with a thick valise of paperwork.
Lynn defense calls priests to describe his job
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
One priest said Msgr. William J. Lynn treated victims of clergy sex abuse with compassion.
Another testified that Lynn pressed accused priests to enter treatment, and urged his bosses to order hospitalization for any who resisted.
A third noted that even regional vicars had more power than the secretary for clergy.
The priests took the stand Tuesday as the first witnesses called by the defense in the landmark clergy sex-abuse trial against Lynn, the former clergy secretary for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His lawyers turned to each to bolster their contention that he was trying to remove sexually abusive priests but that he lacked the authority to do so.
Prosecutors, in turn, sought to use the testimony to suggest that Lynn - and sometimes the men around him - didn't do enough to investigate abuse claims and protect children.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
One priest said Msgr. William J. Lynn treated victims of clergy sex abuse with compassion.
Another testified that Lynn pressed accused priests to enter treatment, and urged his bosses to order hospitalization for any who resisted.
A third noted that even regional vicars had more power than the secretary for clergy.
The priests took the stand Tuesday as the first witnesses called by the defense in the landmark clergy sex-abuse trial against Lynn, the former clergy secretary for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. His lawyers turned to each to bolster their contention that he was trying to remove sexually abusive priests but that he lacked the authority to do so.
Prosecutors, in turn, sought to use the testimony to suggest that Lynn - and sometimes the men around him - didn't do enough to investigate abuse claims and protect children.
UNITED STATES
Disaffected and it Feels So Good
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H. W. Bush, 41st U.S. President.
Sorry atheist scum the continued and rampant exploitation and abuse of children stems not from catholic priests but from atheism. Even though, Philadelphia prosecutors have brought a case against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to determine how the Church dealt with abusive predatory priests.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official ever charged over his handling of abuse complaints. Prosecutors also allege the Church kept kept secret files dating back to 1948 showing a long-standing conspiracy to cast doubt in the minds of sex abuse victims and protect priests.
How dare the Government infringe upon the rights of the religious! Hey Obama, We have a thing called the 1st Amendment here!
Disaffected and it Feels So Good
"No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered as patriots. This is one nation under God." - George H. W. Bush, 41st U.S. President.
Sorry atheist scum the continued and rampant exploitation and abuse of children stems not from catholic priests but from atheism. Even though, Philadelphia prosecutors have brought a case against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to determine how the Church dealt with abusive predatory priests.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official ever charged over his handling of abuse complaints. Prosecutors also allege the Church kept kept secret files dating back to 1948 showing a long-standing conspiracy to cast doubt in the minds of sex abuse victims and protect priests.
How dare the Government infringe upon the rights of the religious! Hey Obama, We have a thing called the 1st Amendment here!
From the AP story,
A Roman Catholic church official conceded that some "pretty sick individuals" were on a 1994 list he compiled of 35 priests suspected of sexually abusing children in the Philadelphia archdiocese.A Brilliant Defense! I was just following orders! I was just a cog in the gears of the Church! Lynn is a scapegoat! With the added bonus of blaming it all upon a Cardinal who is dead!
Monsignor William Lynn took the stand in his own defense Wednesday in the groundbreaking child-endangerment and conspiracy case. The blistering cross-examination he endured is expected to continue Thursday.
Prosecutors blame Lynn for helping keep the priests on his list and many more in ministry, where they were had access to countless other children.
Lynn testified that the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua wouldn't let parishes announce the real reason an accused priest was being removed. Parishioners were often told their priest had health problems when he left for sex-offender treatment, according to testimony over the past nine weeks.
"The cardinal wouldn't allow us to announce in those days why someone was leaving. But mental health was health," Lynn said.
Lynn also said the head of the archdiocese forbade staff from telling accusers their alleged abuser had other victims.
Bevilacqua died Jan. 31, two months before his longtime secretary for clergy went on trial.
But never forget that Religious Freedom is paramount. Back when the President announced bigots and religious zealots could not restrict the freedoms of other American's Timothy Dolan speaking for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops proclaimed the President’s plan will require “careful moral analysis” and hoped "our religious freedom are not harmed by these regulations."
"Moral Analysis". What a joke. The same day the Religious Authority of the U.S Conference of Catholic Bishops was frightened loose women would get contraceptives, this information was released in the Bankruptcy case of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee,
Sealed documents filed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy identify at least 8,000 instances of child sexual abuse and 100 alleged offenders - 75 of them priests - who have not previously been named by the archdiocese, a victims' attorney said Thursday.
But Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests speculated that some are likely members of religious orders, such as Capuchins or Franciscans. Order officials do not typically make public the names of their accused members, and the archdiocese claims it is not responsible for them, though they have historically helped to staff its parishes and schools.
One would think that USCCB Cardinal Timothy Dolan would have his hands full dealing with the documented 60 years of cover-up of abuse but instead Dolan has been focused on keeping American Sluts from getting Birth Control. And in his fight to keep Women Oppressed Dolan has brought out the Mafiaoso card of, It'd be an awful shame if I had to hurt some people,
“If these mandates kick in, we’re going to find ourselves faced with a terribly difficult decision as to whether or not we can continue to operate,” Dolan said. “As part of our religion — it’s part of our faith that we feed the hungry, that we educate the kids, that we take care of the sick. We’d have to give it up, because we’re unable to fit the description and the definition of a church given by — guess who — the federal government.”Oh dear! Do as the Church says, or we will starve children and let sick people die.
Updates May 17
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
After calling nearly 50 witnesses and presenting close to 1,900 pieces of evidence, Philadelphia prosecutors rested their case Thursdau in the landmark trial over child sex-abuse by Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests.
The prosecution ended by letting jurors handle what they contend is the closest thing to a smoking gun in the case: a tattered gray folder that had been squirreled away in a locked safe at archdiocesan offices for more than a decade.
Inside were hand-written and typed documents, including a now infamous list that Msgr. William J. Lynn drafted in 1994 naming about three dozen archdiocesan priests who had admitted or were accused of sexual misconduct with children or teens.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington and Detective Joseph Walsh also gave jurors a timeline of significant points in Lynn’s tenure as secretary for clergy, noting that he told a grand jury in 2004 that he couldn’t find the list.
Philly prosecutors rest in rare clergy-abuse trial
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
After calling nearly 50 witnesses and presenting close to 1,900 pieces of evidence, Philadelphia prosecutors rested their case Thursdau in the landmark trial over child sex-abuse by Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests.
The prosecution ended by letting jurors handle what they contend is the closest thing to a smoking gun in the case: a tattered gray folder that had been squirreled away in a locked safe at archdiocesan offices for more than a decade.
Inside were hand-written and typed documents, including a now infamous list that Msgr. William J. Lynn drafted in 1994 naming about three dozen archdiocesan priests who had admitted or were accused of sexual misconduct with children or teens.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington and Detective Joseph Walsh also gave jurors a timeline of significant points in Lynn’s tenure as secretary for clergy, noting that he told a grand jury in 2004 that he couldn’t find the list.
Philly prosecutors rest in rare clergy-abuse trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WSET
Posted: May 17, 2012 12:28 PM
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - After eight weeks, Philadelphia prosecutors have rested in the trial of a Roman Catholic church official accused of helping bury complaints that priests were raping or molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his administrative role in the priest-abuse scandal. Prosecutors say the former secretary for clergy helped known predators stay in ministry. He is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy.
Defense lawyers counter that Lynn tried to address the problem, but took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Jurors have heard painful testimony from more than a dozen men and women who say they were abused by priests as children. And they have viewed about 2,000 documents, most unearthed from the secret archives.
WSET
Posted: May 17, 2012 12:28 PM
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) - After eight weeks, Philadelphia prosecutors have rested in the trial of a Roman Catholic church official accused of helping bury complaints that priests were raping or molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his administrative role in the priest-abuse scandal. Prosecutors say the former secretary for clergy helped known predators stay in ministry. He is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy.
Defense lawyers counter that Lynn tried to address the problem, but took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Jurors have heard painful testimony from more than a dozen men and women who say they were abused by priests as children. And they have viewed about 2,000 documents, most unearthed from the secret archives.
After 8 Weeks, Prosecution Expected To Rest In Priest Abuse Trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After two months of testimony and evidence, including evidence yesterday from a secret church archive safe, the prosecution in the clergy abuse case is expected to rest today.
Evidence from inside church safes showed the aptly named secret archives were protected by locks and alarms. Old documents were shredded and discs were electronically wiped clean.
Among the documents that survived is an infamous list of 35 alleged and even admitted predator priests compiled by defendant Monsignor William Lynn, which was later allegedly shredded by other church officials.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Monsignor William J. Lynn confessed to a grand jury back in 2004 that he wasn't qualified to investigate sexually abusive priests.
The monsignor's admission came in response to a grand jury prosecutor, who asked Lynn if he realized that he needed more training to investigate sex crimes committed by priests against minors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
"Today I do," the monsignor told the grand jury back in 2004. When the grand jury prosecutor asked Lynn point-blank if he was qualified to investigate sex abuse, he responded simply, "No."
The monsignor told the grand jury that he studied theology and philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and also had a master's degree in education administration. But when you're trying to outwit a pedophile, "a degree in psychology, that would help," the monsignor told the grand jury. So would some law enforcement seminars.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After two months of testimony and evidence, including evidence yesterday from a secret church archive safe, the prosecution in the clergy abuse case is expected to rest today.
Evidence from inside church safes showed the aptly named secret archives were protected by locks and alarms. Old documents were shredded and discs were electronically wiped clean.
Among the documents that survived is an infamous list of 35 alleged and even admitted predator priests compiled by defendant Monsignor William Lynn, which was later allegedly shredded by other church officials.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — With the prosecution winding down in the clergy abuse case, a last segment of testimony by defendant William Lynn before a grand jury back in 2004 was presented Wednesday.
Lynn has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and endangering children by allowing predator priests to remain in ministry.
Monsignor William Lynn, Secretary for Clergy from 1992 to 2004, acknowledged before the grand jury that, in hindsight, he did not have the training, background and experience he should have for that job. But he told the jury he still did an adequate job. He also explained his methods–he says an admission by a priest or a diagnosis of pedophilia or ephebophilia, a sexual attraction to adolescents, would result in removal from ministry even though a number of cases cited during this trial did not. He also told the jury that on instruction from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, he ignored any anonymous or secondhand allegations and indicated that on more than one occasion, the priest’s reputation was a significant concern.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
“On the job training,” was what Msgr. William J. Lynn told the grand jury in 2004, describing the preparation he had to be the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s chief investigator of allegations about priests sexually molesting minors.
There was little direction from then Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua and only “rare” questions from the archbishop when he filed a report on a wayward priest, Lynn’s testimony reads.
That portrait of Lynn drawn from his grand jury testimony — an innocent, inexperienced priest thrust into a job that required the training of a lawyer, detective and psychologist — has been a mainstay of his defense in the landmark Common Pleas Court trial in which he accused of enabling pedophile priests to continue to prey on children.
City prosecutors today continued trying to undercut that portrait using documents from the church’s Secret Archives on abusive priests that were turned over to prosecutors in February on the eve of the trial.
A 2002 memo from Bishop Joseph Cistone to Lynn, introduced by Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington, refers to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the church’s lobbying arm in Harrisburg, and its effort to prevent the legislature from extending the deadline for purported victims of sexual abuse by priests to file lawsuits against the church.
Minneapolis Star Tribune
Article by: MARYCLAIRE DALE , Associated Press
Updated: May 16, 2012 - 2:19 PM
PHILADELPHIA - Evidence in a groundbreaking priest-abuse trial shows the men running the Philadelphia archdiocese used byzantine methods to keep child sex-abuse complaints from prying eyes.
Memos unearthed from long-secret archives show the complaints were not just under lock and key — but protected by locks, keys, alarms, safes, computer passwords and other measures.
One 1994 list shown to jurors Wednesday lists three diagnosed pedophile priests and 13 more deemed "guilty" of abuse, often because they had admitted it.
Yet most remained active priests until the "zero tolerance" policy adopted by U.S. bishops in 2002. And some remained priests years later.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Father Michael J. McCarthy like to sleep naked with teenage boys who stayed over his beach house at the Jersey Shore. He also ran a travel business on the side, planning gay cruises to places like Thailand.
Prosecutors on Tuesday used documents from the secret archive files to tell Father McCarthy's story to the jury in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington suggested that the church had turned a blind eye to Father McCarthy's transgressions with teenage boys, as long as scandal could be avoided by transferring the priest to another parish. In September 1992, the cardinal promoted Father McCarthy to pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Norristown, despite a complaint of sex abuse.
It was the priest's business venture that got him into trouble, the prosecutor said, especially after the cardinal found out that Father McCarthy was competing against a business owner who had just donated $25,000 to the archdiocese for Catholic Life 2000.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
In 1991, Msgr. William J. Lynn wrote a memo outlining his interview with a man who said he had been molested by the Rev. Michael McCarthy, a longtime teacher at Cardinal O’Hara.
But Lynn made a mistake, at least in the eyes of his boss at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Lynn had told the accuser that his was not the first complaint against McCarthy.
“Unnecessary statement,” the Rev. James E. Molloy, then the assistant vicar for administration scrawled in the margins of the memo. “Never admit to victims that there are other cases.”
Both sides highlighted the note Tuesday for jurors at Lynn’s landmark conspiracy and child-endangerment trial. A prosecutor pointed to it as a hallmark of the church’s attempt to minimize scandal and conceal clergy sex abuse. Lynn’s lawyer suggested it was proof of a strict chain of command that limited Lynn as he investigated abuse claims against priests.
San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 12:33 p.m., Tuesday, May 15, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Documents from a clergy-abuse trial show Catholic church officials ignored complaints a Philadelphia priest had molested two boys until they heard he was running a travel agency — and competing with a big donor.
The documents involving defrocked priest Michael McCarthy come as the prosecution details how the archdiocese handled abuse complaints against about 20 priests. They were never charged with crimes because authorities didn't know about the complaints for years.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial, charged with helping the church hide abuse complaints as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004. Lynn has pleaded not guilty.
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on May 15, 2012
A lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia testified yesterday that he was lied to about child sex abuse when he questioned aides to former Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. One of those aides was Rev. Joseph Cistone, who today is the Bishop of Saginaw.
This disturbing testimony unfortunately comes as no surprise. Catholic Church officials have had a long and sordid history of promoting those who protect abusers instead of kids. Time and time again we see the upper levels of the church hierarchy taking steps to cover-up abuse, avoid scandal, and move predators around. Later, their subterfuge is often rewarded with a miter and more power in a new city.
This cycle must end. For the protection of kids, the church must reverse course and instruct bishops, monsignors and others to immediately turn any suspicions of abuse over the police, not to destroy evidence and move predators around. Only when the secular and independent authorities are allowed to take the lead in abuse investigations will children be safe. We hope that every Catholic prelate across the country, starting with Cistone, will begin to honor their decade-old promise to be open and honest about child-sex crimes.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A secret list of sexually abusive priests that Cardinal Bevilacqua ordered shredded in 1994 is now at the center of a tangled web of deception, lies and suspicious memory lapses.
Prosecutors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case Monday tried to unravel the mystery in court, with messy results. On the witness stand was Timothy R. Coyne, a lawyer who was the former director of the archdiocese office for legal services. Coyne told the jury that when he originally went looking for the list in 2002, the first person he visited was Msgr. Lynn.
"He said he didn't know where it was," Coyne testified. Two years later, with grand jury subpoenas flying around, Coyne went on another search for the memo. He sent faxes to Cardinal Bevilacqua and three top aides, but once again, nobody knew where the list was.
But in 2006, when the list was suddenly rediscovered in a locked archdiocese safe, Coyne realized he'd been had.
"Somebody lied to me, or everybody lied to me," Coyne told the jury about his former bosses at the archdiocese.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A longtime lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia says a deceased Roman Catholic cardinal and his top aides lied about shredding a key piece of evidence in the clergy-abuse scandal.
Tim Coyne, recently suspended as an archdiocesan lawyer, testified today that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua never replied to his requests, in 2004 and again in 2006, for the internal list compiled in 1994 of potentially dangerous priests.
Coyne says Bevilacqua’s top aides — including Monsignor William Lynn, bishop-elect Edward Cullen (through an attorney), and monsignors James Molloy and Joseph Cistone — all denied they had the list or knew its whereabouts.
The Morning Call
By Peter Hall, Of The Morning Call
2:49 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A former attorney for the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese testified Monday that top church officials including retired Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen lied to him about a list of priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
Tim Coyne, who served as the church's general counsel, said a prosecutor asked him in 2004, in the midst of a grand jury investigation of sexual abuse by Philadelphia-area priests, to track down the list of 35 suspected child abusers Monsignor William Lynn had produced in 1994.
Coyne said he contacted five church leaders including Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua; Cullen, who was the cardinal's top aide; and Bishop Joseph Cistone, who is now head of the Saginaw, Mich. diocese, but the effort was unsuccessful.
The Seattle Times
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA —
A longtime Archdiocese of Philadelphia lawyer says a deceased Roman Catholic cardinal and his top aides lied about shredding a key piece of evidence in the clergy-abuse scandal.
Lawyer Tim Coyne said Monday that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua never replied when he was trying to find an internal list of 35 predator-priests in 2004 and 2006. Coyne says Bevilacqua's top aides denied knowing where to find it.
Prosecutors pursuing a grand jury investigation were seeking the 1994 list.
The list was found early this year - 10 days after Bevilacqua died. An attached memo says Bevilacqua ordered top aides to shred it in 1994, after Monsignor William Lynn prepared it.
The Morning Call
By Peter Hall, Of The Morning Call
2:49 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A former attorney for the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese testified Monday that top church officials including retired Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen lied to him about a list of priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
Tim Coyne, who served as the church's general counsel, said a prosecutor asked him in 2004, in the midst of a grand jury investigation of sexual abuse by Philadelphia-area priests, to track down the list of 35 suspected child abusers Monsignor William Lynn had produced in 1994.
Coyne said he contacted five church leaders including Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua; Cullen, who was the cardinal's top aide; and Bishop Joseph Cistone, who is now head of the Saginaw, Mich. diocese, but the effort was unsuccessful.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A nun who was sexually abused as a minor by a predator priest called out Monsignor William J. Lynn Thursday from her perch on the witness stand.
It was a dramatic confrontation as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial wrapped up its seventh week of testimony. Lynn is on trial for allegedly conspiring to endanger the welfare of children by allowing abusive priests to continue in ministry
All along, the defense mantra has been that the monsignor was just a cog in the wheel down at archdiocese headquarters on 222 N. 17th St., and that the ultimate villain in the case was the guy who wielded the ultimate power in the archdiocese, the conveniently dead Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua.
But the nun on the witness stand refused to play along.
It started when Thomas Bergstrom, a defense lawyer for Msgr. Lynn, tried to get the nun on cross-examination to agree that Msgr. Lynn did not have the power to remove a pastor who had sexually abused her and at least 10 other young women.
dotCommonweal
Posted by Paul Moses
The trial of Monsignor William Lynn on charges of child endangerment for allegedly permitting predatory priests to continue in ministry took an interesting turn today with the testimony of a sister who said Lynn could’ve removed an abusive priest if he really wanted to.
The sister, not named in news accounts because she was herself a sexual-abuse victim as a girl, challenged Monsignor Lynn’s defense, which is based on the assertion that he didn’t have authority to remove a priest from his job.
The sister said Lynn, who was secretary of the Office of Clergy in the Philadelphia archdiocese, had the power to at least suggest removing a miscreant priest, and that given his position, the archbishop would have likely signed off. And besides, she said, there was another choice: “You can also say, ‘I cannot do this.’ … You can walk away.”
The Miami Herald
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- A Roman Catholic nun testified Thursday that she and two relatives were sexually abused by a priest described by a church leader as "one of the sickest people I ever knew."
The nun testified in the clergy-abuse trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the first U.S. church official charged with felony child endangerment for allegedly leaving predator-priests in ministry.
The nun said she, her sister and cousin went to the archdiocese in 1991 to report 1970s-era abuse by the Rev. Nicholas Cudemo, and ask that he be removed as a parish pastor. They met with Monsignors James Molloy and Lynn, who worked in the Office for Clergy.
The sisters had been molested as girls and the cousin repeatedly raped, they reported.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/10/2793277/nun-catholic-official-could-have.html#storylink=cpy
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A few months after she started working in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia clergy office in late 2005, Louise Sullivan was handed a task: straighten up the file room.
After more than two years of grand-jury investigations into allegedly sexually abusive priests, the room on the 10th floor of the archdiocese’s 17th Street headquarters was cluttered with cardboard boxes and random files. Sitting atop one cabinet in the corner was a safe.
Sullivan, the office’s newly appointed director of operations, asked around: Whose safe was it? And what was inside?
No one knew, she told Common Pleas Court jurors on Thursday.
The backstory of the safe -- and its contents -- remain a disputed but potentially critical piece of evidence in the conspiracy and child endangerment trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn, who once ran the office.
The Australian
From correspondents in Philadelphia
From: AP
May 11, 20125:39AM
A ROMAN Catholic nun has testified that she and two relatives were sexually abused by the same priest when they were children.
The testimony is the latest in the landmark trial of a Philadelphia Archdiocese official charged with child endangerment for allegedly leaving abusive priests in ministry.
The nun said all three went to the archdiocese in 1991 to ask monsignors James Malloy and William Lynn of the Office for Clergy that the priest be removed.
She said she felt "misled" because the priest was put on leave but allowed to say Mass elsewhere.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A defense lawyer and a detective went snorkeling through the archdiocese's confidential files Wednesday in search of the real Father James J. Brennan.
In an often tedious cross-examination, the defense lawyer tried to paint Father Brennan as a talented priest who was also a spiritual searcher, while the detective saw the 48-year-old Father Brennan as a tormented soul trying to hide a secret.
Meanwhile, the jury's attention span was challenged, as they often stared off into space while the defense lawyer and detective did battle during a long afternoon of questioning.
Defense lawyer Richard J. Fuschino Jr. asked Detective James Dougherty to dig into the priest's personnel jacket. Some 70 formerly confidential documents began with the priest's background as a seminarian. Father Brennan was the fourth of seven children born into an Irish-Catholic family. His father was a lapsed Catholic, his mother a true believer. The tensions in the Brennan marriage revolved around the couple's religious differences.
San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 12:36 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Defense lawyers for an accused predator-priest are challenging evidence that their client once said he had been sexually abused as a boy.
The exchange involves the Rev. James Brennan, who's charged with sexually assaulting a teenager in 1996.
Philadelphia Archdiocese records show that Brennan requested a leave that year to deal with childhood sexual abuse.
But Brennan later denied telling Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (beh-vih-LAH'-kwah) or Monsignor William Lynn that he had been abused by four young men.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After two months of testimony and evidence, including evidence yesterday from a secret church archive safe, the prosecution in the clergy abuse case is expected to rest today.
Evidence from inside church safes showed the aptly named secret archives were protected by locks and alarms. Old documents were shredded and discs were electronically wiped clean.
Among the documents that survived is an infamous list of 35 alleged and even admitted predator priests compiled by defendant Monsignor William Lynn, which was later allegedly shredded by other church officials.
Monsignor Confesses He Wasn't Qualified To Be A Gumshoe
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Monsignor William J. Lynn confessed to a grand jury back in 2004 that he wasn't qualified to investigate sexually abusive priests.
The monsignor's admission came in response to a grand jury prosecutor, who asked Lynn if he realized that he needed more training to investigate sex crimes committed by priests against minors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
"Today I do," the monsignor told the grand jury back in 2004. When the grand jury prosecutor asked Lynn point-blank if he was qualified to investigate sex abuse, he responded simply, "No."
The monsignor told the grand jury that he studied theology and philosophy at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, and also had a master's degree in education administration. But when you're trying to outwit a pedophile, "a degree in psychology, that would help," the monsignor told the grand jury. So would some law enforcement seminars.
After 8 Weeks, Prosecution Expected To Rest In Priest Abuse Trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - After two months of testimony and evidence, including evidence yesterday from a secret church archive safe, the prosecution in the clergy abuse case is expected to rest today.
Evidence from inside church safes showed the aptly named secret archives were protected by locks and alarms. Old documents were shredded and discs were electronically wiped clean.
Among the documents that survived is an infamous list of 35 alleged and even admitted predator priests compiled by defendant Monsignor William Lynn, which was later allegedly shredded by other church officials.
Monsignor Lynn’s 2004 Testimony Before Grand Jury Presented In Court
PHILADELPHIA (PA)CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — With the prosecution winding down in the clergy abuse case, a last segment of testimony by defendant William Lynn before a grand jury back in 2004 was presented Wednesday.
Lynn has pleaded not guilty to conspiracy and endangering children by allowing predator priests to remain in ministry.
Monsignor William Lynn, Secretary for Clergy from 1992 to 2004, acknowledged before the grand jury that, in hindsight, he did not have the training, background and experience he should have for that job. But he told the jury he still did an adequate job. He also explained his methods–he says an admission by a priest or a diagnosis of pedophilia or ephebophilia, a sexual attraction to adolescents, would result in removal from ministry even though a number of cases cited during this trial did not. He also told the jury that on instruction from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, he ignored any anonymous or secondhand allegations and indicated that on more than one occasion, the priest’s reputation was a significant concern.
Secret Archives deployed to undercut Monsignor’s innocence
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
“On the job training,” was what Msgr. William J. Lynn told the grand jury in 2004, describing the preparation he had to be the Archdiocese of Philadelphia’s chief investigator of allegations about priests sexually molesting minors.
There was little direction from then Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua and only “rare” questions from the archbishop when he filed a report on a wayward priest, Lynn’s testimony reads.
That portrait of Lynn drawn from his grand jury testimony — an innocent, inexperienced priest thrust into a job that required the training of a lawyer, detective and psychologist — has been a mainstay of his defense in the landmark Common Pleas Court trial in which he accused of enabling pedophile priests to continue to prey on children.
City prosecutors today continued trying to undercut that portrait using documents from the church’s Secret Archives on abusive priests that were turned over to prosecutors in February on the eve of the trial.
A 2002 memo from Bishop Joseph Cistone to Lynn, introduced by Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington, refers to the Pennsylvania Catholic Conference, the church’s lobbying arm in Harrisburg, and its effort to prevent the legislature from extending the deadline for purported victims of sexual abuse by priests to file lawsuits against the church.
Priest-abuse files kept behind lock, key, alarms at Philly archdiocese; priests stayed on job
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Minneapolis Star Tribune
Article by: MARYCLAIRE DALE , Associated Press
Updated: May 16, 2012 - 2:19 PM
PHILADELPHIA - Evidence in a groundbreaking priest-abuse trial shows the men running the Philadelphia archdiocese used byzantine methods to keep child sex-abuse complaints from prying eyes.
Memos unearthed from long-secret archives show the complaints were not just under lock and key — but protected by locks, keys, alarms, safes, computer passwords and other measures.
One 1994 list shown to jurors Wednesday lists three diagnosed pedophile priests and 13 more deemed "guilty" of abuse, often because they had admitted it.
Yet most remained active priests until the "zero tolerance" policy adopted by U.S. bishops in 2002. And some remained priests years later.
Planning a Gay Cruise to Thailand? Call Father Mike
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Father Michael J. McCarthy like to sleep naked with teenage boys who stayed over his beach house at the Jersey Shore. He also ran a travel business on the side, planning gay cruises to places like Thailand.
Prosecutors on Tuesday used documents from the secret archive files to tell Father McCarthy's story to the jury in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington suggested that the church had turned a blind eye to Father McCarthy's transgressions with teenage boys, as long as scandal could be avoided by transferring the priest to another parish. In September 1992, the cardinal promoted Father McCarthy to pastor of Epiphany of Our Lord Church in Norristown, despite a complaint of sex abuse.
It was the priest's business venture that got him into trouble, the prosecutor said, especially after the cardinal found out that Father McCarthy was competing against a business owner who had just donated $25,000 to the archdiocese for Catholic Life 2000.
‘Never admit there are other cases,’ Msgr. Lynn was told
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
In 1991, Msgr. William J. Lynn wrote a memo outlining his interview with a man who said he had been molested by the Rev. Michael McCarthy, a longtime teacher at Cardinal O’Hara.
But Lynn made a mistake, at least in the eyes of his boss at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Lynn had told the accuser that his was not the first complaint against McCarthy.
“Unnecessary statement,” the Rev. James E. Molloy, then the assistant vicar for administration scrawled in the margins of the memo. “Never admit to victims that there are other cases.”
Both sides highlighted the note Tuesday for jurors at Lynn’s landmark conspiracy and child-endangerment trial. A prosecutor pointed to it as a hallmark of the church’s attempt to minimize scandal and conceal clergy sex abuse. Lynn’s lawyer suggested it was proof of a strict chain of command that limited Lynn as he investigated abuse claims against priests.
Philly church mum on priest until donor complained
PHILADELPHIA (PA)San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 12:33 p.m., Tuesday, May 15, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Documents from a clergy-abuse trial show Catholic church officials ignored complaints a Philadelphia priest had molested two boys until they heard he was running a travel agency — and competing with a big donor.
The documents involving defrocked priest Michael McCarthy come as the prosecution details how the archdiocese handled abuse complaints against about 20 priests. They were never charged with crimes because authorities didn't know about the complaints for years.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial, charged with helping the church hide abuse complaints as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004. Lynn has pleaded not guilty.
Church lawyer says Michigan bishop lied to him
UNITED STATESSurvivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on May 15, 2012
A lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia testified yesterday that he was lied to about child sex abuse when he questioned aides to former Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. One of those aides was Rev. Joseph Cistone, who today is the Bishop of Saginaw.
This disturbing testimony unfortunately comes as no surprise. Catholic Church officials have had a long and sordid history of promoting those who protect abusers instead of kids. Time and time again we see the upper levels of the church hierarchy taking steps to cover-up abuse, avoid scandal, and move predators around. Later, their subterfuge is often rewarded with a miter and more power in a new city.
This cycle must end. For the protection of kids, the church must reverse course and instruct bishops, monsignors and others to immediately turn any suspicions of abuse over the police, not to destroy evidence and move predators around. Only when the secular and independent authorities are allowed to take the lead in abuse investigations will children be safe. We hope that every Catholic prelate across the country, starting with Cistone, will begin to honor their decade-old promise to be open and honest about child-sex crimes.
A Shredded Memo, A Dead Cardinal, and A Bunch of Liars
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A secret list of sexually abusive priests that Cardinal Bevilacqua ordered shredded in 1994 is now at the center of a tangled web of deception, lies and suspicious memory lapses.
Prosecutors in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case Monday tried to unravel the mystery in court, with messy results. On the witness stand was Timothy R. Coyne, a lawyer who was the former director of the archdiocese office for legal services. Coyne told the jury that when he originally went looking for the list in 2002, the first person he visited was Msgr. Lynn.
"He said he didn't know where it was," Coyne testified. Two years later, with grand jury subpoenas flying around, Coyne went on another search for the memo. He sent faxes to Cardinal Bevilacqua and three top aides, but once again, nobody knew where the list was.
But in 2006, when the list was suddenly rediscovered in a locked archdiocese safe, Coyne realized he'd been had.
"Somebody lied to me, or everybody lied to me," Coyne told the jury about his former bosses at the archdiocese.
May 14, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The top lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia testified Monday that church’s leaders lied to him when he asked them a decade ago about a secret list of 35 area priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
“Everyone I spoke to said they didn’t know where it was, and they didn’t have a copy of it,” the lawyer, Timothy Coyne, told jurors at the landmark conspiracy and clergy sex-abuse trial against Msgr. William J. Lynn.
He added: “Somebody lied to me — or a lot of people lied to me.”
But defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom pressed Coyne to concede he had no proof that Lynn lied to him, but sufficient reason to think others did. Coyne also acknowledged that the potentially incriminating list finally came to light this February, less than two weeks after the death of Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, the retired archbishop of Philadelphia whose tenure is at the center of the scandal.
“Everyone I spoke to said they didn’t know where it was, and they didn’t have a copy of it,” the lawyer, Timothy Coyne, told jurors at the landmark conspiracy and clergy sex-abuse trial against Msgr. William J. Lynn.
He added: “Somebody lied to me — or a lot of people lied to me.”
But defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom pressed Coyne to concede he had no proof that Lynn lied to him, but sufficient reason to think others did. Coyne also acknowledged that the potentially incriminating list finally came to light this February, less than two weeks after the death of Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, the retired archbishop of Philadelphia whose tenure is at the center of the scandal.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CNN
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 7:04 PM EDT, Mon May 14, 2012
updated 7:04 PM EDT, Mon May 14, 2012
Philadelphia (CNN) -- A lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia testified Monday that church officials lied to him about the whereabouts of a hidden list of 35 priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
"Everyone I spoke to said they didn't know where it was," Timothy Coyne, former director of legal services for the archdiocese, told jurors at the landmark child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial of two Philadelphia priests. "Somebody lied to me."
Jurors also heard from two priests and a paralegal from the law firm representing the archdiocese regarding items found in two separate locked safes.
One safe drilled open by a locksmith contained an accordion-style file folder that housed a memo ordering the shredding of the list of 35 Catholic priests accused or found guilty of sexual misconduct, the list of priests and other personnel documents.
"Everyone I spoke to said they didn't know where it was," Timothy Coyne, former director of legal services for the archdiocese, told jurors at the landmark child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial of two Philadelphia priests. "Somebody lied to me."
Jurors also heard from two priests and a paralegal from the law firm representing the archdiocese regarding items found in two separate locked safes.
One safe drilled open by a locksmith contained an accordion-style file folder that housed a memo ordering the shredding of the list of 35 Catholic priests accused or found guilty of sexual misconduct, the list of priests and other personnel documents.
Key Witness Says Philadelphia Clergy Lied To Hide List of Predator Priests
PHILADELPHIA (PA)CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — A longtime lawyer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia says a deceased Roman Catholic cardinal and his top aides lied about shredding a key piece of evidence in the clergy-abuse scandal.
Tim Coyne, recently suspended as an archdiocesan lawyer, testified today that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua never replied to his requests, in 2004 and again in 2006, for the internal list compiled in 1994 of potentially dangerous priests.
Coyne says Bevilacqua’s top aides — including Monsignor William Lynn, bishop-elect Edward Cullen (through an attorney), and monsignors James Molloy and Joseph Cistone — all denied they had the list or knew its whereabouts.
Church lawyer testifies Cullen, other clergy lied to him
PHILADELPHIA (PA)The Morning Call
By Peter Hall, Of The Morning Call
2:49 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A former attorney for the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese testified Monday that top church officials including retired Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen lied to him about a list of priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
Tim Coyne, who served as the church's general counsel, said a prosecutor asked him in 2004, in the midst of a grand jury investigation of sexual abuse by Philadelphia-area priests, to track down the list of 35 suspected child abusers Monsignor William Lynn had produced in 1994.
Coyne said he contacted five church leaders including Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua; Cullen, who was the cardinal's top aide; and Bishop Joseph Cistone, who is now head of the Saginaw, Mich. diocese, but the effort was unsuccessful.
Church lawyer: Philly cardinal, aides lied to me
PHILADELPHIA (PA)The Seattle Times
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA —
A longtime Archdiocese of Philadelphia lawyer says a deceased Roman Catholic cardinal and his top aides lied about shredding a key piece of evidence in the clergy-abuse scandal.
Lawyer Tim Coyne said Monday that Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua never replied when he was trying to find an internal list of 35 predator-priests in 2004 and 2006. Coyne says Bevilacqua's top aides denied knowing where to find it.
Prosecutors pursuing a grand jury investigation were seeking the 1994 list.
The list was found early this year - 10 days after Bevilacqua died. An attached memo says Bevilacqua ordered top aides to shred it in 1994, after Monsignor William Lynn prepared it.
Church lawyer testifies Cullen, other clergy lied to him
PHILADELPHIA (PA)The Morning Call
By Peter Hall, Of The Morning Call
2:49 p.m. EDT, May 14, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A former attorney for the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese testified Monday that top church officials including retired Allentown Bishop Edward Cullen lied to him about a list of priests suspected of sexually abusing children.
Tim Coyne, who served as the church's general counsel, said a prosecutor asked him in 2004, in the midst of a grand jury investigation of sexual abuse by Philadelphia-area priests, to track down the list of 35 suspected child abusers Monsignor William Lynn had produced in 1994.
Coyne said he contacted five church leaders including Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua; Cullen, who was the cardinal's top aide; and Bishop Joseph Cistone, who is now head of the Saginaw, Mich. diocese, but the effort was unsuccessful.
Nun Calls Out Monsignor Lynn
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A nun who was sexually abused as a minor by a predator priest called out Monsignor William J. Lynn Thursday from her perch on the witness stand.
It was a dramatic confrontation as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial wrapped up its seventh week of testimony. Lynn is on trial for allegedly conspiring to endanger the welfare of children by allowing abusive priests to continue in ministry
All along, the defense mantra has been that the monsignor was just a cog in the wheel down at archdiocese headquarters on 222 N. 17th St., and that the ultimate villain in the case was the guy who wielded the ultimate power in the archdiocese, the conveniently dead Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua.
But the nun on the witness stand refused to play along.
It started when Thomas Bergstrom, a defense lawyer for Msgr. Lynn, tried to get the nun on cross-examination to agree that Msgr. Lynn did not have the power to remove a pastor who had sexually abused her and at least 10 other young women.
A lesson from Msgr. Lynn’s trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)dotCommonweal
Posted by Paul Moses
The trial of Monsignor William Lynn on charges of child endangerment for allegedly permitting predatory priests to continue in ministry took an interesting turn today with the testimony of a sister who said Lynn could’ve removed an abusive priest if he really wanted to.
The sister, not named in news accounts because she was herself a sexual-abuse victim as a girl, challenged Monsignor Lynn’s defense, which is based on the assertion that he didn’t have authority to remove a priest from his job.
The sister said Lynn, who was secretary of the Office of Clergy in the Philadelphia archdiocese, had the power to at least suggest removing a miscreant priest, and that given his position, the archbishop would have likely signed off. And besides, she said, there was another choice: “You can also say, ‘I cannot do this.’ … You can walk away.”
Nun: Catholic official could have quit over abuse
PHILADELPHIA (PA)The Miami Herald
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- A Roman Catholic nun testified Thursday that she and two relatives were sexually abused by a priest described by a church leader as "one of the sickest people I ever knew."
The nun testified in the clergy-abuse trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the first U.S. church official charged with felony child endangerment for allegedly leaving predator-priests in ministry.
The nun said she, her sister and cousin went to the archdiocese in 1991 to report 1970s-era abuse by the Rev. Nicholas Cudemo, and ask that he be removed as a parish pastor. They met with Monsignors James Molloy and Lynn, who worked in the Office for Clergy.
The sisters had been molested as girls and the cousin repeatedly raped, they reported.
Read more here: http://www.miamiherald.com/2012/05/10/2793277/nun-catholic-official-could-have.html#storylink=cpy
Locked safe held list of pedophile priests, witness says
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A few months after she started working in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia clergy office in late 2005, Louise Sullivan was handed a task: straighten up the file room.
After more than two years of grand-jury investigations into allegedly sexually abusive priests, the room on the 10th floor of the archdiocese’s 17th Street headquarters was cluttered with cardboard boxes and random files. Sitting atop one cabinet in the corner was a safe.
Sullivan, the office’s newly appointed director of operations, asked around: Whose safe was it? And what was inside?
No one knew, she told Common Pleas Court jurors on Thursday.
The backstory of the safe -- and its contents -- remain a disputed but potentially critical piece of evidence in the conspiracy and child endangerment trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn, who once ran the office.
Nun claims US priest abused her as a child
PHILADELPHIA (PA)The Australian
From correspondents in Philadelphia
From: AP
May 11, 20125:39AM
A ROMAN Catholic nun has testified that she and two relatives were sexually abused by the same priest when they were children.
The testimony is the latest in the landmark trial of a Philadelphia Archdiocese official charged with child endangerment for allegedly leaving abusive priests in ministry.
The nun said all three went to the archdiocese in 1991 to ask monsignors James Malloy and William Lynn of the Office for Clergy that the priest be removed.
She said she felt "misled" because the priest was put on leave but allowed to say Mass elsewhere.
Detective, Defense Lawyer Battle Over the Soul of Father Brennan
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A defense lawyer and a detective went snorkeling through the archdiocese's confidential files Wednesday in search of the real Father James J. Brennan.
In an often tedious cross-examination, the defense lawyer tried to paint Father Brennan as a talented priest who was also a spiritual searcher, while the detective saw the 48-year-old Father Brennan as a tormented soul trying to hide a secret.
Meanwhile, the jury's attention span was challenged, as they often stared off into space while the defense lawyer and detective did battle during a long afternoon of questioning.
Defense lawyer Richard J. Fuschino Jr. asked Detective James Dougherty to dig into the priest's personnel jacket. Some 70 formerly confidential documents began with the priest's background as a seminarian. Father Brennan was the fourth of seven children born into an Irish-Catholic family. His father was a lapsed Catholic, his mother a true believer. The tensions in the Brennan marriage revolved around the couple's religious differences.
Lawyer questions reason for accused priest's leave
PHILADELPHIA (PA)San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 12:36 p.m., Wednesday, May 9, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Defense lawyers for an accused predator-priest are challenging evidence that their client once said he had been sexually abused as a boy.
The exchange involves the Rev. James Brennan, who's charged with sexually assaulting a teenager in 1996.
Philadelphia Archdiocese records show that Brennan requested a leave that year to deal with childhood sexual abuse.
But Brennan later denied telling Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua (beh-vih-LAH'-kwah) or Monsignor William Lynn that he had been abused by four young men.
Updates for May 9 - May 2
Defense: Pa. church trial veering far from charges
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with conspiring to hide child sex-abuse complaints against two co-defendant priests, and endangering children by keeping them in ministry. But a judge has let jurors hear weeks of testimony about how Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, handled abuse complaints lodged against 20 other priests.
"This case has come down to (the Rev. Stanley) Gana and (the Rev. Nicholas) Cudemo, despite the fact they're not charged," defense lawyer Thomas Bergstrom argued outside of the jury's presence.
Gana and Cudemo were accused of heinous, repeated sexual assaults in a 2005 grand jury report. Both were defrocked in the years that followed, but neither was charged criminally because of legal time limits. Prosecutors have spent days detailing their alleged crimes to the jury, through testimony from accusers and church documents.
Prosecutor Seeks Road Trip to Prove Monsignor Is A Liar
Ralph Cipriano
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington got worked up in court Tuesday, repeatedly calling the defendant, Monsignor William J. Lynn, a liar.
"The lies, the outrageous lies that he [Lynn] continues to tell," Blessington shouted. That prompted an objection from Thomas Bergstrom, a defense lawyer who rarely raises his voice.
Judge M. Teresa Sarmina, often mistaken for a member of the prosecution team, continued the surprises by siding with the defense. "Stick to the facts, Mr. Blessington," the judge admonished.
Blessington was trying to convince the judge to take a road trip to a cloistered convent in North Philadelphia, as part of his recent campaign to prove that the monsignor is a liar.
Priest Seeks Spiritual Highs; Winds Up Singing White Christmas to Chickens
Ralph Cipriano
Father James J. Brennan dreamed of becoming a Trappist monk. He thought the monastic life would bring him closer to God as he meditated and prayed in solitude for hours on end.
But after he joined the Trappists in 2000, Father Brennan found the reality of the monastic life was far different then he had imagined. He was getting up at 3 a.m. to feed the chickens on the monks' organic farm. The priest who used to lead church choirs was reduced to serenading hens to the tune of White Christmas.
"I think too much of me is being wasted on chickens," he wrote Msgr. William J. Lynn in 2001, asking to come back to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
On Tuesday at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial, the prosecution had Detective James Dougherty spend several hours reading into the court record more than 60 formerly confidential records from Father Brennan's personnel files and the archdiocese's secret archive files.
Documents Of Accused Priest Read In Court
My Fox Philly
Kristen Byrne, Blogger
MyFoxPhilly.com
Documents from the file of an accused priest were read to the jury in a clergy-abuse case involving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
On Tuesday, Detective James Dougherty read numerous documents outlining Rev. James Brennan’s assignments and leave of absence from the archdiocese. The documents spanned from 1989, which was the year Brennan was ordained, to 2006.
In 1995, complaints began to surface regarding Brennan’s “inappropriate behavior” at Divine Providence Village, where he both resided and served as chaplain. There had been reports of a younger man living with him, whom he claimed to be his nephew, and later his cousin.
According to a memorandum filed by Monsignor William Lynn, Brennan confronted him requesting a leave of absence from the ministry in 1996. Brennan said he was leaving for personal reasons; to face his issues with sexual and emotional abuse. However, in Brennan’s 2008 canonical testimony read last week, the jurors heard that Brennan denied claims that he ever experienced sexual abuse as a child.
Lynn’s response to sex-abuse presented to jurors
May 08, 2012|By John P. Martin, and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Weeks before prosecutors say he tried to rape a 14-year-old boy, the Rev. James J. Brennan called the clergy office at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
At the time, Brennan had just started a leave of absence to deal with “inner turmoil” he blamed in part on being sexually abused as a child.
Brennan complained to Msgr. William J. Lynn, who ran the clergy office, that other priests had been gossiping that he really took the leave so he could “shack up” with one of his former students at
“I told him not to be concerned about the rumors, that we only take facts as we find them,” Lynn wrote in a June 1996 memo.
Cloistered nuns' testimony sought in Philly trial
San Antonio Express-News
PHILADELPHIA (AP) —
They say Monsignor William Lynn lied when he told a man the nuns were keeping an eye on his alleged priest-rapist in 1997, and knew about the priest's history.
The priest had been sent to their monastery after sex-offender treatment. Prosecutors say he was soon saying Mass — and working with altar boys — nearby.
Lynn's lawyers object to the nuns' depositions, calling the subject "far afield" of the charges against Lynn.
Prosecutors Say Philadelphia Monsignor Lied To Police During 2001 Sex Abuse Probe
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The prosecution in the
The police interview in 2001 was related to an allegation of abuse two decades earlier by Father Nicolas Cudemo.
Police officer Denise Holmes testified today that she interviewed Msgr. Lynn about the allegations against Father Cudemo. During the interview, she says, Lynn told her of allegations of abuse against by Cudemo by members of the priest’s own family.
But when she asked about any other complaints, she recorded this response: “Not that I am aware of.”
Did Lynn mislead cop about sex-abuse accusations?
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Msgr. William J. Lynn seemed to downplay the sex-crime allegations against the Rev. Nicholas V. Cudemo — one of the Archdiocese’s most notorious priests — during a 2001 interview with a Philadelphia police sex crimes officer investigating an assault charge involving against Cudemo.
Officer Denise Holmes told a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court jury this morning that during a 2001 interview with Lynn, the church official said the only allegations of sexual abuse against Cudemo were made in 1991 by three female relatives of the priest.
Holmes asked to meet with Lynn on Jan. 22, 2001, after getting a call from a woman complaining that Cudemo sexually molested her 20 years before when she was a student at the school in the St. Irenaeus parish in Southwest Philadelphia.
Holmes testified that Lynn, then secretary for clergy and the ranking Archdiocesan official responsible for investigating sex-abuse allegations against priests, said he knew nothing of an allegation against Cudemo during his time at St. Irenaeus. Lynn also claimed not to know where Cudemo was living, except for “Florida, maybe.”
Former Teen "Jesus" Talks About Being Abused in Perverted Archdiocese Passion Play
Ralph Cipriano
He was a 13-year-old eighth-grader chosen by his classmates for the lead role in the annual parish passion play.
"I was elected to play Jesus," Shawn Magee told the jury Monday in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse case. Magee, now 39, recalled how he originally thought it was an honor back in 1986 to be singled out by his classmates at Annunciation BVM Church in Havertown.
Then he found out the passion play was being directed by a pervert priest, Father Thomas J. Smith.
Magee told the jury how Father Smith brought him upstairs to the sacristy, and locked the door behind him. He had the boy disrobe until he was "completely naked," Magee said. Then Father Smith kneeled down in front of him, with his mouth full of safety pins.
Magee told the jury how Father Smith's face was "six to eight inches" from his groin while the priest took between 15 and 20 minutes to pin the boy's loincloth together. This was done before every performance, Magee testified. He estimated that he had to strip for the priest between 15 and 20 times, as the passion play hit the road, and was performed at other parishes, as well as
Ex-FBI Agent Tells About His Interview With Father Brennan
Ralph Cipriano
Former FBI Agent Jack Rossiter told jurors Monday about his interview with Father James J. Brennan, on trial for the attempted rape of a 14-year-old-boy.
The jury has now heard three versions of the story. First, the former alleged victim, Mark Bukowski, testified about he was allegedly sexually assaulted by the priest during a 1996 sleepover at Father Brennan's apartment in West Chester. Bukowski also told the jury that three years later, the priest allegedly exposed himself and masturbated in front of Bukowski while standing in a shed outside Father Brennan's church. At the time, Bukowski told the jury, he was doing community service, and that as part of a jail sentence after being arrested, Father Brennan was allowing him to mow church lawns.
Msgr. Kevin Quirk, who presided over a 2008 church inquiry into the alleged attempted rape, then told the jury Father Brennan's version of the story, namely that he he never sexually assaulted the boy or exposed himself. Quirk also told the jury that Bukowski had backtracked on the alleged 1999 masturbation incident, saying, "the accused had withdrawn that part of the allegation."
In court Monday, Rossiter gave jurors a third version of the story, as he recounted his efforts to investigate the priest on behalf of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Rossiter told the jury that Bukowski's parents had asked Father Brennan to take the boy for a weekend, because he was angry and exhibiting "anti-social behavior." The parents told Father Brennan that he had a good relationship with Mark, and that maybe after spending a weekend with the boy, he could figure out what was wrong with him.
Investigator Hired by Archdiocese Had No Experience with Sex Crimes
The Legal Intelligencer Blog
By Amaris Elliott-Engel
Of the Legal Staff
A retired FBI agent hired by the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia to look into alleged sex abuse by priests testified today that he had no background in investigating allegations of sex crimes and that he did not receive training on investigating possible sexual abuse.
Lawyers for Monsignor William J. Lynn, who is on trial for endangering the welfare of two men who say they were abused by priests as youths, have made the argument that Lynn also did not receive training as the personnel director for priests when he was assigned to look into allegations of abuse by priests.
The church investigator, Jack Rossiter, testified Monday that he believed the man who said Lynn’s co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan, had abused him, even though the accuser had a criminal history. Rossiter said he weighed that factor in his analysis.
Rossiter has since been named in a civil lawsuit brought by the alleged victim, M.B., against church officials, Rossiter testified today. The Legal is not naming the alleged victims.
Catholic official: Little training for abuse probe
WQOW
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
Monsignor William Lynn, 61, faces years in prison for allegedly helping the church keep accused predators in jobs around children. Excerpts of testimony from his 2004 testimony before a grand jury were read in court Monday during his child-endangerment trial.
In his testimony, Lynn said he attended at most a workshop or two on the sexual abuse of minors, but otherwise had no training on how to interview the priests, their accusers or other potential witnesses.
Lynn said a case he investigated in 1994 led him to scrutinize secret archives kept by the Philadelphia Archdiocese. Lynn, on the job two years, had wanted "to make sure we don't have anybody in ministry that shouldn't be."
Private Eye Says He Verified Philadelphia Priest’s Child Abuse at Start of Scandal
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The jury in the
Former FBI agent John Rossiter told the jury that Father James Brennan denied the allegations even while admitting there was sex talk, that he had slept in the same bed with the teen, and conceded there could have been unintentional contact while the two slept in the priest’s apartment during an overnight visit.
Rossiter also says Brennan admitted that he had allowed the boy to look at pornography on the Internet — and that they watched it together — after the boy threatened to break the computer if he couldn’t look at porn.
In hindsight, Brennan said, he shouldn’t have done that.
Ex-FBI agent: Priest’s accuser told truth
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A former FBI agent who investigated clergy sex abuse for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia concluded that a Bucks County man was telling the truth when he said the Rev. James J. Brennan tried to rape him when he was 14.
Testifying Monday at Brennan’s trial, the investigator, Jack Rossiter, said the priest consistently denied any “intentional” sexual contact with the teen.
But during three interviews with Rossiter a decade after the alleged 1996 assault at a West Chester townhouse, Brennan gave conflicting statements on why he had shared his bed with the boy, how long their visit lasted and his ties to another young man, Rossiter said.
In the end, Rossiter gave church officials a report that supported the accuser’s account. “It indicated I believed him,” Rossiter told the Common Pleas Court jury.
Priest James Brennan Accused Of Sexual Assault By Man With Money Problems: Ex-FBI Agent
Huffington Post
By MARYCLAIRE DALE 05/07/12
PHILADELPHIA — Roman Catholic parishioners were told their priest had to leave his church in 1992 because he had Lyme disease, even though his removal actually came after an altar boy's fondling complaint, a witness testified Monday.
Mary Mignogno, who knew about the boy's complaint, didn't know what to say to her children when she heard the lie from the pulpit.
A nurse and school volunteer, Mignogno had helped the boy tell his parents about the abuse. The boy said that the Rev. Robert L. Brennan routinely touched him inappropriately in exchange for candy or prizes. The parents had threatened to go public if Brennan wasn't removed from their Schwenksville parish.
Mignogno testified as the seventh week got under way in the child-endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the secretary for clergy in Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004. Lynn is accused of helping the church transfer problem priests to new parishes.
Ex-FBI agent testifies about Pa. priest accuser
Fox News
Published May 07, 2012
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA – A former FBI agent hired by the Philadelphia archdiocese has testified that one priest accuser and his family had money and legal problems.
Prosecutors called Jack Rossiter to testify Monday about his 2006 interviews with the Rev. James Brennan. Brennan is on trial for the alleged 1996 sexual assault of a teenage boy.
Rossiter said he found the accuser credible, even though the man's criminal record gave him pause.
On cross-examination, Rossiter said the man's family had money problems when they came forward with the decade-old allegation about Brennan.
Philly trial reveals unreliability of religions' self-policing policies
UNITED STATESNational Catholic Reporter
by Maureen Paul Turlish on May. 04, 2012 Examining the crisis
I found out something significant about the Code of Canon Law of the Roman Catholic Church as I sat inside Judge M. Teresa Sarmina's criminal courtroom in Philadelphia April 30 and listened to Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk, a church canon lawyer from the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, W. Va.
Quirk, the presiding judge during the 2008 canonical trial of Rev. James J. Brennan – one of two defendants in the current Philadelphia priest abuse trial – for charges of child sex-abuse, was on the stand to authenticate the transcript of that trial, as well as provide insight into the procedures of a canonical trial.
One revelation proved startling.
While possible victims of childhood sexual abuse and other lay witnesses are asked to take an oath to “tell the truth, the whole truth etc.” during a canonical trial concerning the public good, an alleged priest-perpetrator is not. Canon 1728.2 says, “The accused is not bound to confess the delict [crime] nor can an oath be administered to the accused.”
Why in God's name would anyone believe that an individual like the criminally charged Brennan is necessarily telling the truth during a canonical trial when he is not even required to swear to the truth of his statements?
Hopes Dim for Cardinal Bevilacqua's Resurrection
Ralph Cipriano
One of the featured coming attractions of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial was the hope of seeing Cardinal Bevilacqua come back from the dead to testify in a videotaped deposition.
On Nov. 29, 2011, prosecutors, defense lawyers and Judge M. Teresa Sarmina all made the trek out to the retired cardinal's residence on the grounds of the Charles Borromeo Seminary in Wynnewood, so they could depose the 88-year-old Bevilacqua. The deposition went on for two days and covered at least four hours of videotape.
Ever since Bevilacqua died on Jan. 31, a day after Judge Sarmina had ruled him competent to testify as a witness, speculation has been that the prosecution would use the videotape at trial.
But in court this week, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Coelho told the judge that she doesn't expect that the Commonwealth will play the videotape during the trial, which just wrapped up its sixth week of testimony.
Documents In Priest Abuse Trial Charge Lynn Lied To Police
My Fox Philly
Kristen Byrne, Blogger
MyFoxPhilly.com
Prosecutors in the Philadelphia Archdiocese clergy-abuse trial charged that Monsignor William Lynn lied to police about numerous accusations involving a priest.
Countless documents detailing passionate kissing and inappropriate touching by former priest Nicholas Cudemo were read to the jury on Thursday. Between the 1960s and 1970s, Cudemo allegedly sexually assaulted at least eleven young girls, including three of his cousins.
Cudemo’s molestations occurred before Lynn’s tenure as secretary of clergy, from 1992 to 2004. The first allegation of abuse took place in 1966, when Cudemo was an assistant pastor at St. Stanislaus parish in Lansdale. Cudemo was laicized in 2005.
The archdiocese first learned of the abuse in 1991. Lynn and his then-supervisor, Monsignor James Molloy, documented the complaints in various memorandums. Various women, including Cudemo’s three cousins, came and told their horrifying stories of “mind control”, fondling and oral sex.
Prosecutors: Priest Began Abusing Young Girls In The 60’s
CBS Philly
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – Jurors in the clergy abuse case have pored over church documents to look at the career of a defrocked priest, who is not on trial. The prosecution was attempting to show the lengths to which the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had allegedly perpetuated a policy of moving around ‘problem priests.’
The allegations against the Reverend Nicholas Cudemo began in the mid 1960′s, according to church records. Prosecutors detailed nine mostly young girls who made complaints against him, including three relatives, through the 70′s and 80′s, up to and including 1991.
That’s when one alleged victim’s family filed a lawsuit against Cudemo and the Archdiocese. Within days, the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua asked that Cudemo withdraw from his parish, until an evaluation was done.
"One of the Sickest Individuals" Gets Away With It
Ralph Cipriano
Father Louis DeSimone heard a commotion. When he went to investigate, he found Father Nicholas V. Cudemo "trying to calm a hysterical girl."
The girl left the church shouting that she loved Father Cudemo. When Father DeSimone asked what was going on, Father Cudemo explained that the girl had a crush on him.
The year was 1969, and the hysterical girl was one of the first victims mentioned in the secret archive files of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. In court Thursday, Detective Joseph Walsh methodically read from the secret files the stories of 10 more victims of Father Cudemo, described memorably to a grand jury by the late Msgr. James E. Molloy, Cardinal Bevilacqua's former vicar for administration, as "one of the sickest individuals I ever knew."
Six months after the hysterical girl, church officials reported that Father Cudemo had a woman in his rectory room for half an hour with the door closed. When confronted, Father Cudemo claimed "he was not misbehaving."
Why Didn’t Good Priests Speak Out?
The American Conservative
Rod Dreher May 3rd, 2012
One of the mysteries of the Catholic sex abuse scandal was why didn’t good priests who knew, or strongly suspected, something awful was going on speak out? There are lots of reasons. A good one was just revealed in the ongoing Philadelphia trial of Msgr. William Lynn, who was the Archdiocese of Philadephia official in charge of clergy assignments under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. He’s on trial now for allegedly reassigning molester priests into parishes, knowing of their propensity for sexual abuse. A reader sent this startling account of recent revelations in the trial. Excerpts:
If you’re a priest in the archdiocese of Philadelphia, you can “act out sexually” all you want. You can get away with it for years, even decades at a time, while they transfer you from parish to parish, in between recuperative stays at St. John Vianney’s, the friendly archdiocese clinic for sex abusers. Just make sure that you don’t disobey an order from the archbishop. Because in the archdiocese of Philadelphia, that’s the one unpardonable sin for which there is zero tolerance.
To make that point Wednesday, the prosecution had Detective James Dougherty read into the record 34 formerly confidential documents regarding the case of Monsignor Michael C. Picard. And then, the prosecution brought the monsignor to the witness stand to tell his story.
Msgr. Picard was the pastor of an archdiocesan parish who, upon learning that a priest who had the reputation of being a sexually active gay man was being transferred into his parish, protested to Msgr. Lynn at the chancery. More:
Priest who preyed on teen girls: 'They were more than willing'
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Prosecutors today began dissecting the career of the Rev. Nicholas V. Cudemo — transferred among Archdiocesan high schools over more than two decades after being accused of molesting a series of teenage girls — as the trial continued to explore the church’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse by some priests.
“As a male celibate, he needs female companionship and friendship,” Archdiocesan officials reported Cudemo told them when confronted in October , 1991 about allegations by several cousins that the priest had fondled them during their teen and preteen years.
That statement and others were contained in church archives that were read to the Philadelphia Common Pleas Court jury hearing the case against Msgr. William J. Lynn, who as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004 was the designated investigator of complaints of sexual misconduct against priests.
Most of Cudemo’s predations against teenage girls occurred before Lynn’s tenure as secretary for clergy. Cudemo was ordained in 1963 and the first allegation against him — involving a junior at Lansdale Catholic High School — was in 1966 at his first post as assistant pastor at St. Stanislaus parish in the Montgomery County community. Now 75, Cudemo was defrocked in 2005.
Gerald T. Slevin, Is Another Shoe about to Fall in the Philly Priests Horror Story?
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin continues to follow the trial of Philadelphia archdiocesan officials carefully, and has provided another statement responding to news that Archbishop Chaput convened archdiocesan priests yesterday and will hold a press conference tomorrow. What follows is Jerry's posting:
ONGOING TRIAL: The Philly criminal trial of alleged predator priests, including Fr. Brennan, and their protector, Monsignor Lynn, former top aide to the Philadelphia Archdiocese's Cardinal Rigali, has continued for its sixth week with no end in sight. The Philadelphia Inquirer has continued its play-by-play reporting of more obscene and bizarre episodes of priestly perversions and clerical cover-ups revealed at the trial and Inquirer news coverage of the trial is online here.
The Philadelphia Archdiocese has been the subject of almost a decade of periodic criminal grand jury investigations culminating in a 2005 grand jury report and a second 2011 grand jury report as discussed by me previously here.
NEW DEVELOPMENT: A new related development occurred yesterday afternoon in a suddenly scheduled, closed-door meeting of Archbishop Chaput with many of his Philadelphia Archdiocese (Philly AD) priests in attendance. Apparently, Chaput also has a press conference planned for tomorrow presumably to report on the matters discussed with his priests.
The Cardinal Sin: Disobeying the Big Guy
Ralph Cipriano
Monsignor William J. Lynn doesn't get excited when he's told that archdiocese priests are sexually abusing altar boys.
He doesn't loose his cool when he discovers that one priest has young boys living with him in the rectory, or that another priest has a farm where he keeps three young boys rotating through his bedroom.
That same monsignor doesn't hit the panic button when he learns that one of his predator priests just busted out of the sex clinic, and is AWOL from the archdiocese, or that another predator priest who just molested a 13-year-old girl has fled the Commonwealth.
Nope, after six weeks of testimony, the monsignor comes across as a guy who doesn't rattle easily, even when he's getting grilled by a grand jury prosecutor who's obviously gunning for him. But Wednesday at the archdiocese of Philadelphia sex abuse trial, we finally learned what gets a rise out of the monsignor, and by extension, his late boss, Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua.
Complaints about fellow cleric led to punishment for Bucks priest
May 02, 2012|By Joseph A. Slobodzian, INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
In 1996, the Rev. Michael C. Picard was accused of disobedience, and brought up on the ecclesiastical equivalent of a court-martial for besmirching the name of a fellow priest to prevent him from becoming an associate pastor at Picard’s growing Bucks County parish.
On Wednesday, the tables turned.
Picard sat in the witness box of a
Through Picard’s words, and reams of internal correspondence from the secret archives of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington portrayed now-Msgr. Picard as a whistleblower. Lynn and church superiors, including the late Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua, had retaliated against Picard in an effort to tamp down the threat of public scandal over the 1996 assignment of the Rev. Donald J. Mills to Picard’s St. Andrew parish in Newtown, the prosecutor said.
As secretary of clery from 1992 to 2004, Lynn was Bevilacqua’s designated investigator of allegations of sexual abuse against priests. Now 61, he is charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of children for enabling some priests to be transferred to other parishes despite accusations of improprieties.
Lynn, the highest-ranking church official criminally charged in the church sex-abuse scandal, has denied the charges. His attorneys have argued that he was thrust into the job without legal training and was often the first to stop what has been described as a revolving-door policy of reassigning
Updated May 2, 2012
Trial evidence...
Trial evidence: Philadelphia-area pastor punished for raising concerns about predator priest
By Associated Press
Documents show the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua vowed not to tolerate “even the appearance of disobedience” from the pastor.
Monsignor Michael Picard was punished for complaining when the priest was assigned to his Newtown , Pa. 1996. In disciplinary meetings with the cardinal, Picard said he had heard disturbing information about the priest.
Prosecutors say the subject of Picard’s concern was sent elsewhere. In 2005, the priest was accused of sexually assaulting a minor in 1982. The priest died in 2006.
Ralph Cirpriano
On Tuesday, Assistant District Attorney Anthony Pomeranz took the witness stand and read another volume of Monsignor William J. Lynn's grand jury testimony into the record.
Pomeranz is growing into the role. He's got that deer-in-the-headlights look down pat, and he reads his lines with the carefree assurance of a man with a grant of immunity, which is what the monsignor must have thought he had when he appeared before the grand jury in 2002, and made one forehead-slapping admission after another.
The most recent volume of grand jury testimony was about the hapless monsignor's pursuit back in 2000 of a 27-year-old Lothario priest named Father Sylwester Wiejata.
Father Wiejata was having affairs with married women. To the jury, hearing the priest's heterosexual exploits must have been a welcome relief from the usual tales in Courtroom 304, where gay predator priests are usually stalking pre-pubescent altar boys. But sadly, Father Wiejata had another problem; not only did he love the moms, but he also couldn't keep his hands off the daughters.
Witness Says Monsignor William Lynn Enabled Predator Priest
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A witness has testified in the clergy abuse case that defendant monsignor William Lynn misled parish staff after they raised concerns about the conduct of a priest in the early 1990’s. Lynn, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with endangering two boys, but this evidence is alleged to show a pattern of conduct by the Archdiocese, including Monsignor Lynn, dating back decades.
Anthony Bozeman, then a youth minister, has testified he and others, including priests and a nun in Our Lady of Hope parish inPhiladelphia
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A witness has testified in the clergy abuse case that defendant monsignor William Lynn misled parish staff after they raised concerns about the conduct of a priest in the early 1990’s. Lynn, who has pleaded not guilty, is charged with endangering two boys, but this evidence is alleged to show a pattern of conduct by the Archdiocese, including Monsignor Lynn, dating back decades.
Anthony Bozeman, then a youth minister, has testified he and others, including priests and a nun in Our Lady of Hope parish in
They went to Monsignor William Lynn, the Secretary for Clergy, who ordered a mental health evaluation, but also said Sicoli had no previous problems. However, evidence in the church’s secret archives, reviewed by Monsignor Lynn showed Father Sicoli had a history of allegations of misconduct dating back to the 1970’s.
Story of ‘ladies man’ priest turned molestor unfolds in court
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Young and darkly handsome, Sylvester Wiejata had an eye for the ladies, especially married ones.
Problem was, Wiejata was a priest.
This morning a Philadelphia Common Pleas Court jury listened to the grand jury testimony of Msgr. William J. Lynn as he tried to explain his alleged failure to act as Wiejata’s sexual overtures went from married women to single women in their 20s and, ultimately in August 2000, allegations that he had fondled the 13-year-old daughter of a woman with whom he had an affair.
As secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004,
Lynn had denied the charge that his alleged inaction enabled deviate priests to continue preying on children and his lawyers have argued that he was the first church official here to move against priests against whom there were years of record allegations of sexual misconduct.
Testimony: In 2008, priest admitted to sleepover, letting teen look at porn
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
Monsignor Kevin Quirk, the presiding priest over the 2008 canonical trial of Rev. James Brennan, read Brennan's testimony into the court record on Monday. Brennan is accused of attempted rape in the 1996 incident and is currently standing trial in criminal court.
"Did I allow it happen? Yes. I take full responsibility for it," Brennan testified in 2008, adding that the behavior was "borderline" inappropriate. Brennan denied touching the 14-year-old or exposing himself, according to the 2008 testimony that Quirk recounted for the court on Monday.
Priest: I shared bed, didn't touch
BY JOHN P. MARTIN
Inquirer Staff Writer
THE REV. James Brennan told church investigators four years ago that he let a 14-year-old boy view online pornography and share his bed in 1996 but denied that he touched the teen or exposed himself, according to documents revealed Monday at his landmark clergy sex-abuse trial.
Brennan told his interrogators at a 2008 canonical proceeding that his decision to let the boy view the images and sleep next to him that night was "borderline" inappropriate. Still, he said he was blindsided when the young man came forward after a decade and accused him of sexual assault.
"I was just devastated," Brennan testified, according to a transcript read to jurors.
His statements emerged as the trial against Brennan and Monsignor William Lynn began its sixth week.
One Courtroom, Two Defendants and Two Cases Headed in Opposite Directions
Ralph Cipriano
There are two defendants on trial in Courtroom 304, Monsignor William J. Lynn and Father James J. Brennan.
Msgr. Lynn is charged with conspiring to endanger the welfare of children by covering up for abuser priests, and allowing them to remain in ministry; the main charge against Father Brennan is the attempted rape of a 14-year-old.
The back story at the archdiocese of
Philly abuse trial: Jurors read defendants' grand jury testimonies
National Catholic Reporter
by Brian Roewe on May. 01, 2012 NCR Today
The trial of two priests alleged in a conspiracy of covering up cases of priest sex abuse in the
Today, prosecutors from the
Lynn was the secretary of clergy in the archdiocese from 1992-2004, during which time he reviewed allegations against Wiejeta of inappropriate touching of a teen girl and sexual advances toward young women, as well as an affair with a married woman.
Wiejeta was defrocked in 2002, six years after his ordination.
From the
In August 2000,
Testimony: In 2008, priest admitted to sleepover, letting teen look at porn
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
Monsignor Kevin Quirk, the presiding priest over the 2008 canonical trial of Rev. James Brennan, read Brennan's testimony into the court record on Monday. Brennan is accused of attempted rape in the 1996 incident and is currently standing trial in criminal court.
"Did I allow it happen? Yes. I take full responsibility for it," Brennan testified in 2008, adding that the behavior was "borderline" inappropriate. Brennan denied touching the 14-year-old or exposing himself, according to the 2008 testimony that Quirk recounted for the court on Monday.
Updates April 28, 2012
Prolific predator priest lives by playground, SNAP calls for action
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Barbara Dorris on April 27, 2012
It is one thing to punish a priest for his crimes and misdeeds he committed while wearing the collar. It is quite another to wash your hands of him, knowing full well what he has done and will likely continue to do, and consider the matter resolved. The Archdiocese of Philadelphia acted irresponsibly with their handling of Fr. David Sicoli in the past. They are acting negligently with regard to Sicoli now.
Sicoli, who was known to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to have molested at least 12 boys during his career as a priest, was quietly defrocked from the church in 2008. Today, he lives across the street from the largest playground in
We call on Archbishop Chaput to use all of his resources to warn parents and parishioners in
Gerald T. Slevin, Philly Predator Priests & Papal Politics
UNITED STATESBilgrimage
As this work week ends, another outstanding piece from Jerry Slevin, commenting on the ongoing trial in the archdiocese of Philadelphia, the current political strategy of the Vatican and U.S. Catholic bishops, and the mandate to "reform" American religious women--and how these pieces fit together. This is a rich and detailed posting, and I'm grateful to Jerry for providing this information to all of us who are trying to understand how these various pieces interlock. What follows is Jerry's posting:
The nauseating selected stories oozing out of the Philadelphia Archdiocese sexual swamp are being issued almost daily from a courtroom near Constitution Hall. The stories, only a fraction of those many uncovered so far, just keep coming, as reported regularly in detail at the Philly.com website.
An aerial view of the swamp is available at my previous posting at the Bilgrimage site, and in this Wikipedia article tracking the abuse story in the
The Vatican has faced similar deluges of negative publicity before, for example, in Ireland, Australia, Belgium, the Netherlands, Germany, Chile, and even Boston and Los Angeles. But never before has a case apparently carried such implications for the papacy. The steady stream of clerical filth exposed at the current Philly trial has flowed through the leadership periods of three important Cardinals, with extensive papal connections, especially the last one, Cardinal Justin Rigali.
Rigali's ties to the
Prosecutors: Predator Priest Served For 30 Years Despite Abuse Allegations
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The jury in the clergy abuse case has now heard the very disturbing case of Father David Sicoli, who allegedly abused nearly a dozen boys over decades, starting shortly after he was ordained in 1975. This evidence is alleged to show a pattern of conduct of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia of protecting predator priests.
Evidence from the church’s secret archives shows three boys came forward in 1977 and alleged abuse and misconduct by Father David Sicoli, then in his first assignment.
Another priest found the allegations to be credible, but Sicoli remained in ministry and over the next 25 years he was the subject of countless allegations by other priests, nuns, school staff and parishioners.
A nun wrote that ‘the poor man needs help’ and begged the archdiocese to not let him get involved with youth activities to try to keep him from hurting anyone else.
Ralph Cipriano
For more than two hours Thursday, the jury in Courtroom 304 got to hear the defendant, Monsignor William J. Lynn, testify candidly about his bumbling pursuit of a sexually abusive priest on the loose from the archdiocese of Philadelphia
Only it wasn't the real monsignor up on the witness stand, just a man who gets paid to play him in court. As he has done several times previously, Assistant District Attorney Anthony Pomeranz took the witness stand Thursday to read another volume of Lynn 's 2002 grand jury testimony to the jury in the archdiocese of Philadelphia
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington once again reprised his role as the grand jury prosecutor, asking the questions, while Pomeranz read Lynn
But the play acting turned serious Thursday as the grand jury testimony focused on what Lynn
UNITED STATES
Lez Get Real
Lez Get Real
Posted by: Bridgette P. LaVictoire on April 26, 2012.
The Roman Catholic Church has been waging a war against women lately, thinking that their push to enforce absolute conformity will rebuild their problems. This has to do with what they are trying to get away from- the child sexual abuse scandal.
On Wednesday, a young man told a jury about how he was sexually assaulted as an altar boy by two priests inPhiladelphia 11 in order to try and deal with the abuse. He has tried drug treatment almost two dozen times in order to deal with the addictions to painkillers, heroin and other drugs. He was the son of a police officer.
According to the young man, parish priest Edward Avery raped him twice after Mass back in 1999. At the time, he was ten. He is testifying in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, a former secretary for clergy at thePhiladelphia
On Wednesday, a young man told a jury about how he was sexually assaulted as an altar boy by two priests in
According to the young man, parish priest Edward Avery raped him twice after Mass back in 1999. At the time, he was ten. He is testifying in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, a former secretary for clergy at the
At trial, following a defrocked priest's 25-year trail
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
For weeks, jurors at the Philadelphia clergy sex-abuse trial have sat through a meticulous paper case, hearing painstaking recitations of every complaint, memo, or interview related to priests suspected, but not charged, with abusing minors over the last half-century.
Time and again, one question has been left dangling: Where are these priests now?
On Thursday, a prosecutor and an investigator sought to answer that at the start of their presentation on the Rev. David Sicoli, a former pastor who was transferred eight times in 25 years amid a trail of complaints about his infatuation and misconduct with teen boys.
Sicoli was removed from ministry in 2004 and defrocked four years later. Church officials ultimately logged at least 11 credible claims against him.
Landmark church sex abuse case ends testimony
CBS Evening News
By Elaine Quijano
(CBS News) It could be a pivotal case for prosecutors in the nationwide scandal of child sex-abuse by Roman Catholic priests.
Five weeks of testimony concluded Thursday in the
It's the first time in the
CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano reports that Monsignor William Lynn is accused of endangering children by helping reassign priests suspected of child sex abuse to jobs where they continued to prey on boys and girls.
Ex-altar boy testifies about sexual abuse by Philadelphia priests
Reuters
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA | Wed Apr 25, 2012
(Reuters) - A 23-year-old man testified on Wednesday in the child sex abuse case against the Philadelphia Catholic Archdiocese that he was molested by two priests, one of whom prosecutors said had been known to church officials as a sex abuser years earlier.
The testimony came at the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, former secretary of the clergy, who is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy over accusations he covered up abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
The case has put a spotlight on the Philadelphia Archdiocese, the nation's sixth largest with 1.5 million adherents, and experts say has likely caught the eye of the Vatican, given Lynn's rank as the highest U.S. church official to go to trial in the abuse scandal.
Church On Trial: Priest Ordered 10 Year Old Boy To Perform Striptease
The New Civil Rights Movement
by David Badash on April 26, 2012
A 23-year old man testified in court Wednesday that as a 10-year old boy he was forced by a Catholic Priest to perform a strip tease in a church storage room, Reuters reports:
Wednesday’s witness testified that in 1998 when he was 10 years old and serving as an altar boy, he was abused by Rev. Charles Engelhardt and Edward Avery, who is no longer a priest, at
Avery ordered him to do a strip tease in a church storage room, he testified.
“I was swaying back and forth and took off my clothes,” he said before detailing sex acts that he said Avery demanded.
My Fox Philly
Kristen Byrne, Blogger
MyFoxPhilly.com
MyFoxPhilly.com
A young man took the stand Wednesday in a clergy-sex-abuse trial involving the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, telling the jury of the sexual abuse he suffered at the hands of two priests; leading to his use of drugs.
The 23-year-old testified that former priest Edward Avery sexually abused him twice in the church storage room at St. Jerome Parish in northeastPhiladelphia
Prosecutors showed the jury a photograph of the young man when he was a smiling fifth grader as the jury listened to him describe his involvement in school before the abuse.
The victim told the jury that Avery would have him do a striptease to fast-paced church music as he looked on with an “eerie smile”. The witness and Avery would then masturbate and perform oral sex on each other.
The 23-year-old testified that former priest Edward Avery sexually abused him twice in the church storage room at St. Jerome Parish in northeast
Prosecutors showed the jury a photograph of the young man when he was a smiling fifth grader as the jury listened to him describe his involvement in school before the abuse.
The victim told the jury that Avery would have him do a striptease to fast-paced church music as he looked on with an “eerie smile”. The witness and Avery would then masturbate and perform oral sex on each other.
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
"He told me God loves me, this is what God wants, and it was time for me to become a man," the witness told jurors.
Just days before the trial began, defrocked priest Edward Avery of the Philadelphia Archdiocese pleaded guilty to involuntary deviate sexual intercourse and conspiracy to endanger the welfare of a child after admitting that he sexually assaulted the 10-year-old altar boy during the 1998-99 school year. Avery, 69, was sentenced to two-and-a-half to five years.
2 Abuse Victims Testify at Church Official’s Trial
The New York Times
By JON HURDLE
Published: April 25, 2012
One victim, now 23, told the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas how Mr. Avery abused him in the sacristy of
The man said that he had already been abused by the Rev. Charles Engelhardt, another priest who is charged with abuse, and that Mr. Avery said he intended to do the same thing with him.
“He said he heard about my sessions with Father Engelhardt and that ours were going to begin soon,” said the man, who was an altar boy.
No Return to the Courtroom for Father Avery
Ralph Cipriano
Shortly before 2 p.m., Jeff Lindy, one of Msgr. William J. Lynn's defense lawyers, stood up in Courtroom 304 of the Criminal Justice Center to announce a deal.
The Commonwealth and the defense had agreed that there would be no questions on cross-examination of the former altar boy raped in 1998 by Edward V. Avery, the former archdiocese of
Avery pleaded guilty on the eve of the archdiocese sex abuse trial to charges of conspiring to endanger the welfare of children, and raping a 10-year-old. His former victim, now 23, testified in court Wednesday about what the priest did to him. He described two sessions of oral sex and masturbation that took place after Mass in a supply closet at
Defense lawyers seemed eager to cross-examine the former altar boy, who was tearful, and did not appear overly confident on the witness stand. But the defense decided that the price of trying to poke holes in the witness's story was too high.
Sex Abuse Victim: "I Felt Betrayed"
Ralph Cipriano
The soft-spoken 49-year-old doctor on the witness stand said he was angry at himself, because the last thing he wanted to do was cry.
But it's not easy to sit in front of a jury of strangers and tell all the tawdry details from your worst personal nightmare. The doctor, however, pulled himself together, and described how he felt after a priest he trusted and admired had just molested him.
"I froze," the doctor said. "I felt betrayed, I felt confused."
The grown men in the front row of the jury box looked uncomfortable as the doctor shared his story. They stared straight ahead, or looked away, as if they shared his anguish. It was a powerful moment in Courtroom 304, and a bad day to be a defendant at the archdiocese of
He was a sixth grader when he met Father Ed Avery, the assistant pastor at St. Philip Neri in Pennsburg. The boy was impressed by the priest. Father Ed was an "outgoing, energetic, gregarious individual, very charismatic, very popular with the young people," the witness testified. "I got a lot of affirmation from him."
Two testify in pillar of priest abuse case
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
The two men followed starkly different paths to the witness stand.
The 49-year-old was raised in the outer suburbs, graduated from medical school, got married, and had five children. The 23-year-old from
But in tense and emotional testimony to a
Ex-altar boys testify of sex assaults by priest
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
Two former altar boys on Wednesday described being sexually assaulted decades apart by the Rev. Edward Avery, a priest who remained in ministry for years after the Archdiocese of Philadelphia logged its first complaint about him.
The first witness, a 49-year-old physician, told a
Accuser at heart of Pa. clergy-abuse case on stand
Fox News
Published April 25, 2012
Associated Press
A policeman's son, the witness said he started smoking marijuana at age 10 to deal with the abuse and has since tried drug treatment 23 times to battle addictions to heroin, painkillers and other drugs.
The 23-year-old testified at the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, a former secretary for clergy at the
The witness told jurors that parish priest Edward Avery twice raped him after Mass in 1999, when he was a 10-year-old altar boy.
Victim Describes Sex Abuse By Philadelphia Priest Previously Named as Pedophile
CBS Philly
April 25, 2012
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Today was another day of disturbing and potentially devastating testimony in the clergy abuse case, as two victims of admitted predator priest Edward Avery describe the abuse to the jury.
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with endangering the second victim by not removing Avery from ministry after the first victim came forward.
The first victim told the jury he was molested by Father Edward Avery and came forward a decade later, in 1992, because he was concerned that Avery could hurt others.
In a soft voice at times choked with emotion, the second victim, now 23, today said he was assaulted during the 1998-99 school year, when he was a 10-year-old altar boy. He says Avery sexually assaulted him twice, telling him afterward that he “did a good job” and that God loves him.
49-year old doctor testifies about priest abuse
Daily Times
Published: Wednesday, April 25, 2012
MARYCLAIRE DALE,Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A 49-year-old doctor is testifying in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse case about molestation he says he suffered at the hands of a now-defrocked
The man said he was abused by Edward Avery at the ages of 15 and 18. He said he told the archdiocese about the abuse in 1992.
Avery's guilty plea days before his trial confirms that he went on to abuse a boy seven years later, in 1999, while still in parish work.
On cross examination of the doctor, he acknowledged that defendant Monsignor William Lynn not only responded to his letter but arranged a 1993 confrontation with Avery at a facility where the priest was being treated.
Philly church official facing triple accuser
WTRF
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
The former altar boy says he was raped by two priests and a teacher in the late 1990s.
And he says the Archdiocese of Philadelphia had an earlier complaint against 1 of them.
Defense lawyers have attacked the man's credibility based on his history of drug and legal problems.
But one defendant, defrocked priest Edward Avery, pleaded guilty days before trial.
Jurors don't know about the plea, but could learn of it if defense lawyers go too far in challenging the witness.
Cardinal Bevilacqua Appointed A Known Pedophile As Assistant Pastor
Ralph Cipriano
The therapist, Dr. Thomas J. Tyrrell, warned in the secret archive files in 1989 that his patient, Father Peter J. Dunne, was "a very sick man" who should be "relieved from active ministry."
Father Dunne was, according to the archdiocese's secret files, an extremely intelligent homosexual with addictive sexual behavior. He was also an untreatable pedophile, and a narcissist with an obsessive-compulsive personality disorder. "We are sitting on a powder keg," Dr. Tyrrell warned in 1989.
Archdiocese officials had known since 1986 that Father Dunne had sexually abused a 13-year-old member of his Boy Scout troop. The archdiocese knew that the abuse went on for three years, and that the priest had paid the victim $40,000 to keep quiet. They also knew there had to be other victims. In the archdiocese's secret files, Dr. Terrell stated that he suspected the priest was guilty of being involved in a "myriad number of sexual misconduct cases."
In
Update: Victim Of Guilty Former Priest Set To Testify
My Fox Philly
Kristen Byrne, Blogger
MyFoxPhilly.com
Blogger Kristen Byrne is in the courtroom at the Philadelphia Archdiocese priest-abuse trial.
The defense in a landmark priest-sex-abuse case involving the Philadelphia Archdiocese will have to tread softly as they question a former priest’s victim tomorrow. Defrocked priest Edward Avery, whom pleaded guilty, is no longer on trial with Monsignor William Lynn and Rev. James Brennan.
Though Avery does not stand on trial he has become a prominent player this past week.
Defense attorneys and prosecutors argued over whether the jury should be informed of Avery’s guilty plea in lieu of his victim’s testimony. The defense argued that Avery’s plea could incriminate Lynn, who is charged with conspiracy and endangering the welfare of a child.
Records: Archdiocese ignored warnings about ‘powder keg’ pedophile
An Archdiocese of Philadelphia priest active in schools and scouting was allowed to work in suburban parishes for five years after doctors diagnosed him as a pedophile, called him “a very sick man,” and told church officials he was a “powder keg” waiting to explode.
The priest, the Rev. Peter F. Dunne, paid off one accuser himself and repeatedly resisted or ignored recommendations for therapy, according to internal church records shown Tuesday to a
When the pastor overseeing Dunne at a
Prosecutors say the files on Dunne and other priests suggest Lynn and other church leaders had long recognized the signs and depth of clergy sex abuse but chose not to act.
Will Father Avery Return to Court In a Jump Suit, Part 2
Ralph Cipriano
The issue of whether former priest Edward V. Avery would return to Courtroom
Avery is the defrocked archdiocese priest who pleaded guilty on the eve of the archdiocese of
On Wednesday, the former altar boy that Avery raped is scheduled to appear in court as a witness. He's going to tell his story of abuse, and then the defense lawyers in the case will have to decide how hard to go after the witness in cross-examination.
As it stands now, the former altar boy poses all the risks of a suicide bomber. If the defense decides to aggressively challenge the witness's credibility, Judge M. Teresa Sarmina may grant the prosecution permission to tell the jury about Avery's guilty plea.
Documents: Accused Pa. priest kept in parishes
Posted: Tuesday, April 24, 2012
Associated Press
Two Roman Catholic archbishops moved a troubled priest to new parishes despite dire warnings he was having sex with minors, according to church documents read in a
Cardinal John Krol of
And Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua sent Dunne to a northeast
Defense lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn noted that at least three other top aides at the archdiocese knew of the diagnosis. Yet Dunne refused requests to seek laicization, and remained
Testimony ...
Testimony:
By Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Jurors in a clergy-abuse trial heard Tuesday about a priest who was left in ministry for years after therapists called him a manipulative pedophile and a ticking time bomb.
The evidence was presented by prosecutors in the child-endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy in
Tuesday’s evidence focused on the late Father Peter Dunne, who had served as a Boy Scout leader and director of a
The archdiocese had Dunne evaluated after an
Memos: Pa. priest labeled pedophile stayed in job
The Evening Sun
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
Posted: 04/24/2012
The trial Tuesday is focusing on the late Peter Dunne, a Boy Scout leader who ran a school for troubled boys.
Church memos show a doctor complained in 1986 that Dunne had abused him, and asked for money for counseling.
Therapists evaluating Dunne warned he should never be around children.
Records: Archdiocese ignored warnings about ‘powder keg’ pedophile
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia allowed a priest to remain in parish ministry in 1989 after psychiatrists diagnosed him as a pedophile, described him as “a very sick man” and strongly recommended that he never be allowed to work around young people, according to internal church records.
One of the doctors who evaluated the priest, the Rev. Peter J. Dunne, “stated quite bluntly that we are sitting on a powder keg,” a church official later noted in a memo.
Dunne’s records emerged Tuesday in the trial of Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary of clergy accused of enabling child-sex abuse by failing to remove priests suspected of sexual misconduct. Prosecutors are introducing evidence about decades-old allegations against Dunne and other priests to suggests church officials for years understood the signs and depth of clergy sex abuse, but chose instead to hide the problem from parishioners, endangering children.
Dunne had been long active in scouting and archdiocesan schools when a
Bevilacqua May Have Leveraged Pedophiles for PR
PHILADLEPHIA (PA)Catholics4Change
April 24, 2012 by Susan Matthews
Click here to read: “What the Cardinal Knew, Or How to Hoover A Pedophile,” by Ralph Cipriano, The Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog, April 23, 2012
Excerpt: “Why would Cardinal Bevilacqua knowingly consort with two known pedophile priests, and indeed allow his Archdiocese PR machine to parade the two abusers out in public with him? Maybe because the cardinal thought he owned these guys, in the tradition of J. Edgar Hoover. Both Sicoli and Gana knew that their crimes were documented in the archdiocese’s secret archives, and that they served at the whim of the archbishop, who, at the scrawl of a pen, could send them packing. So when it came to Sicoli and Gana, the cardinal had them “Hoovered,” he had their unquestioned loyalty.”
Editor’s note: I had the “privilege” of covering Cardinal Bevilacqua in the 90s as an editor with The Catholic Standard & Times and later as a freelancer for a now defunct
Similar news from the west coast
Catholic church to pay $3.75M in Kelly claim
STOCKTON (CA)Union Democrat
Written by Union Democrat staff
April 23, 2012
The Catholic Diocese of Stockton, which includes parishes in Tuolumne and Calaveras counties, has agreed to settle for $3.75 million a legal claim by a
In exchange for the settlement, the plaintiff has agreed to drop his case against the diocese and Kelly, according to a statement from Bishop Stephen Blaire.
“The settlement brings an end to litigation that began more than 4 1/2 years ago and that has occupied a great deal of time and focus,” he said. “We respect the right of everyone to have their day in court and we abide by the decisions that were made.”
The settlement was the latest development in a week full of surprises in the case.
Updates April 22, 2012
Bishop’s aide must testify in abuse trial
WEST VIRGINIA
News and Sentinel
April 21, 2012
By JOHN McCABE , The Wheeling Intelligencer
WHEELING - Monsignor Kevin Quirk, an aide to the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, will testify in the clergy sex abuse trial currently under way in Philadelphia, a judge has ruled.
Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson issued the four-page ruling late Thursday. He said Quirk "is a material witness and that his live testimony at this trial, where he will be subject to direct and cross examination, is essential to ascertaining the truth."
Wheeling attorney William Kolibash, who is representing Quirk, confirmed his client will now testify in the case of the Rev. James Brennan, who's on trial in Philadelphia for an alleged 1996 child-sex assault. Brennan has denied those charges.
News and Sentinel
April 21, 2012
By JOHN McCABE , The Wheeling Intelligencer
WHEELING - Monsignor Kevin Quirk, an aide to the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield, bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, will testify in the clergy sex abuse trial currently under way in Philadelphia, a judge has ruled.
Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson issued the four-page ruling late Thursday. He said Quirk "is a material witness and that his live testimony at this trial, where he will be subject to direct and cross examination, is essential to ascertaining the truth."
Wheeling attorney William Kolibash, who is representing Quirk, confirmed his client will now testify in the case of the Rev. James Brennan, who's on trial in Philadelphia for an alleged 1996 child-sex assault. Brennan has denied those charges.
Bishop: Presumed innocent
WEST VIRGINIA
Gazette-Mail
Editorial
Ugly allegations have been made, indirectly, against the spiritual leader of West Virginia's 76,000 Catholics. But everyone should keep America's justice principles clearly in mind: No criminal charge has been filed against Bishop Michael Bransfield regarding events 30 years ago. Under law, each person is presumed innocent unless convicted. Nobody should rush to judgment.
Testimony in a disturbing Philadelphia trial implied that the West Virginia bishop was connected to child-molesting priests, made suggestive comments to altar boys, and allowed priests to take boys to his beach home. Thursday, Bransfield issued a statement saying, in part:
"I have never sexually abused anyone.... This case has gone on for seven years or more.... Contrary to the statements, I do not own, and never owned, a farm in the Scranton area, upstate New York, or anywhere else, for that matter.
Gazette-Mail
Editorial
Ugly allegations have been made, indirectly, against the spiritual leader of West Virginia's 76,000 Catholics. But everyone should keep America's justice principles clearly in mind: No criminal charge has been filed against Bishop Michael Bransfield regarding events 30 years ago. Under law, each person is presumed innocent unless convicted. Nobody should rush to judgment.
Testimony in a disturbing Philadelphia trial implied that the West Virginia bishop was connected to child-molesting priests, made suggestive comments to altar boys, and allowed priests to take boys to his beach home. Thursday, Bransfield issued a statement saying, in part:
"I have never sexually abused anyone.... This case has gone on for seven years or more.... Contrary to the statements, I do not own, and never owned, a farm in the Scranton area, upstate New York, or anywhere else, for that matter.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CNN
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
Philadelphia (CNN) - It's been four weeks since the beginning of the trial of the highest ranking U.S. Catholic Church leader charged with covering up the crimes of priests against children.
The main issue is not whether sex abuse occurred, as defense attorneys have pointed out, but how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia - Monsignor William Lynn in particular - handled the allegations against priests in the diocese.
The trial against Lynn and the alleged offending priest, the Rev. James Brennan, has already created a shake-up in Philadelphia's Catholic leadership, according to Catholic commentator and blogger Rocco Palmo.
"It's a shift you see once in 200 years," Palmo told CNN.
Philadelphia (CNN) - It's been four weeks since the beginning of the trial of the highest ranking U.S. Catholic Church leader charged with covering up the crimes of priests against children.
The main issue is not whether sex abuse occurred, as defense attorneys have pointed out, but how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia - Monsignor William Lynn in particular - handled the allegations against priests in the diocese.
The trial against Lynn and the alleged offending priest, the Rev. James Brennan, has already created a shake-up in Philadelphia's Catholic leadership, according to Catholic commentator and blogger Rocco Palmo.
"It's a shift you see once in 200 years," Palmo told CNN.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
Inquirer Staff Writers
Six years have passed since Stanley Gana was ousted from the priesthood over child-sex abuse claims, and another decade since he was removed as a pastor by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Yet prosecutors at the conspiracy and endangerment case against two Philadelphia priests spent much of last week telling jurors about the 69-year-old defrocked cleric.
As the landmark trial reached its midway point, Gana, who was left in ministry despite claims he raped multiple boys, represented a centerpiece of sorts.
His was a textbook example, prosecutors say, of how the archdiocese and its former secretary for clergy, Msgr. William J. Lynn, cared more about protecting the institution than abuse victims.
It also served as a backdrop for the most stunning revelation in the trial's first month: Allegations from two witnesses and a prosecutor that a sitting prelate, Bishop Michael Bransfield of West Virginia, may have known about sexual misconduct by Gana or abused minors himself.
Yet prosecutors at the conspiracy and endangerment case against two Philadelphia priests spent much of last week telling jurors about the 69-year-old defrocked cleric.
As the landmark trial reached its midway point, Gana, who was left in ministry despite claims he raped multiple boys, represented a centerpiece of sorts.
His was a textbook example, prosecutors say, of how the archdiocese and its former secretary for clergy, Msgr. William J. Lynn, cared more about protecting the institution than abuse victims.
It also served as a backdrop for the most stunning revelation in the trial's first month: Allegations from two witnesses and a prosecutor that a sitting prelate, Bishop Michael Bransfield of West Virginia, may have known about sexual misconduct by Gana or abused minors himself.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
U-T San Diego
U-T San Diego
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
11:16 a.m., April 21, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — Graphic testimony in a Philadelphia clergy-abuse trial this month has ripped open secret church files and reopened old wounds among Catholics as scarred men and women tell jurors that priests groped, molested or raped them as teens.
The testimony has proven both painful and poignant, especially that of a 48-year-old man who said he had been in love with his parish priest during a five-year sexual relationship that began in ninth grade - and jealous when the priest allegedly bedded down at his farmhouse with other teens.
The stories have been told before, in two Philadelphia grand jury reports and in lawsuits filed around the country.
The testimony has proven both painful and poignant, especially that of a 48-year-old man who said he had been in love with his parish priest during a five-year sexual relationship that began in ninth grade - and jealous when the priest allegedly bedded down at his farmhouse with other teens.
The stories have been told before, in two Philadelphia grand jury reports and in lawsuits filed around the country.
WEST VIRGINIA
GoErie
GoErie
MORGANTOWN, W.Va. -- An aide to West Virginia's Catholic bishop has been ordered to testify in a clergy sexual abuse trial under way in Philadelphia after a state judge declared him "a necessary and material witness."
Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson issued the ruling late Thursday, and Monsignor Kevin Quirk's attorney, William Kolibash, provided it to the Associated Press on Friday.
Kolibash referred further questions to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
"We needed to have a valid legal process, which we do now have," the diocese said in an e-mail. "Accordingly, Monsignor Quirk will appear."
Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson issued the ruling late Thursday, and Monsignor Kevin Quirk's attorney, William Kolibash, provided it to the Associated Press on Friday.
Kolibash referred further questions to the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
"We needed to have a valid legal process, which we do now have," the diocese said in an e-mail. "Accordingly, Monsignor Quirk will appear."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writer
Inquirer Staff Writer
After a week of interstate legal maneuvering, a West Virginia judge has ordered a Catholic church official in Wheeling to testify in the Philadelphia trial involving alleged sex abuse by some priests in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
The ruling late Thursday by Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald E. Wilson ended an impasse over a demand from Philadelphia prosecutors for live testimony from Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk.
Philadelphia prosecutors want Quirk to testify about his questioning of the Rev. James J. Brennan at a 2008 canonical trial where Quirk was one of three church judges.
Brennan, 48, is one of two Philadelphia clerics on trial in Common Pleas Court. He is accused of trying to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
The ruling late Thursday by Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald E. Wilson ended an impasse over a demand from Philadelphia prosecutors for live testimony from Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk.
Philadelphia prosecutors want Quirk to testify about his questioning of the Rev. James J. Brennan at a 2008 canonical trial where Quirk was one of three church judges.
Brennan, 48, is one of two Philadelphia clerics on trial in Common Pleas Court. He is accused of trying to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — One day after a West Virginia bishop responded to sex abuse allegations in the Philadelphia clergy abuse case (see related story), another issue related to the Wheeling-Charleston diocese has been settled.
Prosecutors in the case against Father James Brennan and Monsignor William Lynn want Monsignor Kevin Quirk as a witness against defendant Father Brennan, who is charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in 1996, but had suggested Quirk’s appearance was being obstructed.
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — One day after a West Virginia bishop responded to sex abuse allegations in the Philadelphia clergy abuse case (see related story), another issue related to the Wheeling-Charleston diocese has been settled.
Prosecutors in the case against Father James Brennan and Monsignor William Lynn want Monsignor Kevin Quirk as a witness against defendant Father Brennan, who is charged with sexually assaulting a teenage boy in 1996, but had suggested Quirk’s appearance was being obstructed.
Prosecutor Patrick Blessington told the court this week that Quirk, a judge at Brennan’s canonical trial, had taken statements from Brennan that were inculpatory, and that Quirk, who now reports directly to Bishop Michael Bransfield in the Wheeling-Charleston diocese, was ready and willing to appear — until he checked with the diocese and trouble began.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Bilgrimage
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin has sent another strong statement about the situation in Philadelphia, where, as he notes, the ongoing seamy revelations in the trial of Msgr. Lynn have become more HBO than MSNBC--though as Jerry notes, the American mainstream media appear to a great extent to remain reluctant to deal with the abuse story, even as they give the U.S. Catholic bishops extensive face-time to spread talk about their "religious liberty" crusade.
The following is Jerry's statement:
The daily revelations, as reported in the Philadelphia Inquirer, coming from the Philly criminal trial of Msgr. Lynn, former top aide to Cardinal Dolan's mentor, Cardinal Rigali, are becoming increasingly sordid and shocking, much more like HBO's "Rome" series and Showtime's "Borgias" series than any MSNBC or CNN news analysis.
These revelations included details of (1) a near naked children's "Passion Play" organized by a "sick" priest, and (2) testimony under oath of two unrelated witnesses relating to some alleged sexual misconduct with young boys involving Philly native, Bishop Michael Bransfield. He is the current treasurer of Dolan's US bishops' group, the USCCB, as well as head of the elite US Catholic donors' group, the Papal Foundation.
Information and details about the Papal Foundation, with pictures of its elite members, are included in the Foundation's annual report available at the organization's website. Videos of Bransfield's and the group's 2010 and 2011 annual personal meetings with the pope at the Vatican are accessible On YouTube here and here. Some of the group's members are also involved with other wealthy US Catholic donor groups, such as LEGATUS, FADICA, the Leadership Roundtable and the Knights of Malta.
Many of the members of these groups apparently benefit from the continuance of the Bush tax cuts favoring disproportionately the top 1% of American taxpayers. The pope's strong efforts to replace Obama with Romney are apparently well appreciated by many of these groups' members, since the Bush tax breaks for the wealthy will likely expire if Obama wins re-election. The pope surely is aware of this.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian and John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
A West Virginia judge has ordered a Catholic church official formerly from Philadelphia to testify at the clergy sex-abuse trial now under way in the city.
The ruling late Thursday by Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald E. Wilson ends a weeklong stalemate over testimony by Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk.
Philadelphia prosecutors want Quirk to testify about his questioning of the Rev. James J. Brennan during a 2008 canonical trial at which Quirk served one of three church judges.
The trial is adjourned until Monday.
Brennan, 48, is one of two Philadelphia clerics on trial in Common Pleas Court; he is charged with the attempted rape of a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
The ruling late Thursday by Ohio County Circuit Judge Ronald E. Wilson ends a weeklong stalemate over testimony by Msgr. Kevin Michael Quirk.
Philadelphia prosecutors want Quirk to testify about his questioning of the Rev. James J. Brennan during a 2008 canonical trial at which Quirk served one of three church judges.
The trial is adjourned until Monday.
Brennan, 48, is one of two Philadelphia clerics on trial in Common Pleas Court; he is charged with the attempted rape of a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
WHEELING (WV)
WTRF
WTRF
WHEELING, W.Va. (AP) - A West Virginia judge says Monsignor Kevin Quirk must testify as a material witness in a clergy sexual abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.
Quirk's attorney, William Kolibash, said Friday that Hancock County Circuit Judge Ronald Wilson has ruled that Quirk is a material witness in the case against the Rev. James Brennan.
Kolibash says his client must appear to testify between April 29 and May 1.
The Philadelphia District Attorney's Office couldn't subpoena Quirk because he lives outside Pennsylvania. It needed a West Virginia judge to issue the subpoena.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The New York Times
The New York Times
By JON HURDLE
Published: April 19, 2012
Published: April 19, 2012
Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston issued a statement saying that to hear the “horrific” allegations against him was “unbelievable and shocking.”
Bishop Bransfield, 68, a native of Philadelphia, was formerly a priest in the city’s archdiocese, which grand juries in 2005 and 2011 said had failed to stop the widespread abuse of children by its clergy. He was named the bishop for the West Virginia diocese in 2004.
A man alleging sexual abuse by a member of the clergy testified in the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas on Wednesday that Stanley Gana, a former priest in the city, once told him that Bishop Bransfield was having sex with a teenage boy. The conversation occurred when the man was in high school.
The man, who is now 48, described Bishop Bransfield as a “personal friend” of Father Gana’s. He said he had been working on Father Gana’s farm in upstate New York when Bishop Bransfield drove up with several teenage boys in his car. ...
David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, criticized the bishop for issuing a written statement rather than taking questions openly and for questioning the court testimony under oath of two alleged victims.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
In formerly secret grand jury testimony that was read into the court record Thursday, Msgr. William J. Lynn tried to explain back in 2002 why the archdiocese chose not to investigate when told about minors who were possible victims of sex abuse.
The issue came up when a prosecutor in the grand jury asked Lynn about an interview he had with Robert D. Karpinski, a seminarian studying for the priesthood who came forward in 1992 to allege that he had been sexually abused as a 13-year-old by Father Stanley M. Gana.
Karpinski, who testified in court earlier this week, told Lynn back in 1992 that the abuse from Father Gana, namely oral and anal sex, continued for five years. Karpinski also told Lynn that Father Gana was living with himself and two other boys at a 110 acre farm in northern Pennsylvania that the priest owned. The priest used the boys as farm hands, and put them on a nightly rotation, so they could take turns sharing his bed.
Karpinksi identified the other two boys being abused by Gana as "Toby" and "Mark." But the archdiocese decided not to talk to either boy, Lynn told the grand jury. As a result, Father Gana continued in active ministry and the archdiocese did nothing until 1995, when Mark Berkery came forward and essentially told Lynn the same story that Karpinski did, namely that Berkery had been abused by Father Gana for years, including oral and anal sex, beginning when he was 14.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian and John P. Martin
Inquirer Staff Writers
Inquirer Staff Writers
Complaining that he was blindsided while on church business in the Vatican, the bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., on Thursday angrily denied trial testimony in Philadelphia alleging that he sexually abused a child during the late 1970s.
"I have never sexually abused anyone," Bishop Michael J. Bransfield said in a statement the diocese released.
Bransfield, 68, issued his statement after two witnesses at the child sex-abuse and conspiracy trial involving Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests referenced him while describing their own alleged abuse, and a prosecutor said Bransfield had been accused in a separate instance of fondling a minor.
On Wednesday, a 48-year-old man identified only as "John" in the 2005 Philadelphia grand jury report, told a Common Pleas Court jury how he was molested for more than six years beginning in the eighth grade by the Rev. Stanley Gana, a priest in his Kensington parish.
"I have never sexually abused anyone," Bishop Michael J. Bransfield said in a statement the diocese released.
Bransfield, 68, issued his statement after two witnesses at the child sex-abuse and conspiracy trial involving Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests referenced him while describing their own alleged abuse, and a prosecutor said Bransfield had been accused in a separate instance of fondling a minor.
On Wednesday, a 48-year-old man identified only as "John" in the 2005 Philadelphia grand jury report, told a Common Pleas Court jury how he was molested for more than six years beginning in the eighth grade by the Rev. Stanley Gana, a priest in his Kensington parish.
WEST VIRGINIA
My Fox Philly
My Fox Philly
West Virginia Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Bransfield on Thursday denied sexual abuse accusations made by a witness at a priest abuse trial in Philadelphia. "I have never sexually abused anyone," Bransfield, the leader of West Virginia's 76,000 Catholics, said in a statement released through the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Bransfield said he's deeply saddened by the child-abuse scandal that's been linked to former colleagues and friends from a Pennsylvania seminary where he graduated in 1971.
"Over the years, I have felt devastation for both the victims and the church as I learned about the terrible actions they took with innocent victims," Bransfield said. "To now be unfairly included in that group and to hear the horrific allegations that are being made of me is unbelievable and shocking." ...
Advocates for abuse victims criticized Bransfield for issuing a statement instead of taking questions.
"It's important to remember that both accusers gave testimony yesterday under oath. Bransfield didn't," said David Clohessy, St. Louis director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Earlier this week, a prosecutor at the trial complained of problems getting a Wheeling priest to come testify. The would-be witness, Monsignor Kevin Quirk, is an aide to Bransfield. A Wheeling judge now wants proof he's a material witness.
WEST VIRGINIA/PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on April 19, 2012
We’re disappointed that Bishop Bransfield is:
■apparently still not forcing his priest, Fr. Kevin Quirk, to testify at the trial in Philadelphia (as requested by prosecutors),
■has issued a written statement, instead of taking questions openly, about the child sex allegations against him,
■is apparently ignoring the allegation that he had a “lewd conversation” with a child,
■refusing to answer the allegation that he brought kids to the beach house he owns
■is only now making statements, seven years after it was first disclosed, about his alleged ownership of property with a child-molesting cleric, and
■continues to attack the judicial system and the judge and prosecutors in Philadelphia, especially since this is a trial that he has not attended. He apparently feels comfortable, from a distance, calling it a “circus.” But yesterday, he refused (through his lawyers) to respond to sworn testimony from that trial (he called the testimony “rumors.”)
■complains that his seminary is being “connected” to the priest abuse scandal (the truth is that dozens of former seminarians from there have been accused of abuse, including Fr. William Ayres, Fr. Edward Avery, Fr. Michael Bolesta, Fr. Robert Brennan, Fr. Gerard Chambers, Fr. John Close, Fr. James Coonan, Fr. Nicholas Cudemoo, Fr. John Delli Carpini, Fr.Philip Dowling, Fr. Peter Dunne, Fr. Thomas Durkin, Msgr. Francis Giliberti, and Fr. James McGuire. So no one’s “connecting” the seminary to abuse – many former seminarians have, in fact, abused.)
It’s important to remember that both accusers gave testimony yesterday under oath. Bransfield didn’t.
■apparently still not forcing his priest, Fr. Kevin Quirk, to testify at the trial in Philadelphia (as requested by prosecutors),
■has issued a written statement, instead of taking questions openly, about the child sex allegations against him,
■is apparently ignoring the allegation that he had a “lewd conversation” with a child,
■refusing to answer the allegation that he brought kids to the beach house he owns
■is only now making statements, seven years after it was first disclosed, about his alleged ownership of property with a child-molesting cleric, and
■continues to attack the judicial system and the judge and prosecutors in Philadelphia, especially since this is a trial that he has not attended. He apparently feels comfortable, from a distance, calling it a “circus.” But yesterday, he refused (through his lawyers) to respond to sworn testimony from that trial (he called the testimony “rumors.”)
■complains that his seminary is being “connected” to the priest abuse scandal (the truth is that dozens of former seminarians from there have been accused of abuse, including Fr. William Ayres, Fr. Edward Avery, Fr. Michael Bolesta, Fr. Robert Brennan, Fr. Gerard Chambers, Fr. John Close, Fr. James Coonan, Fr. Nicholas Cudemoo, Fr. John Delli Carpini, Fr.Philip Dowling, Fr. Peter Dunne, Fr. Thomas Durkin, Msgr. Francis Giliberti, and Fr. James McGuire. So no one’s “connecting” the seminary to abuse – many former seminarians have, in fact, abused.)
It’s important to remember that both accusers gave testimony yesterday under oath. Bransfield didn’t.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Roman Catholic bishop of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., today denied allegations he sexually abused a child during the late 1970s or that he knowingly let other priests use his properties for that purpose when he was a priest in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
"I have never sexually abused anyone," Bishop Michael J. Bransfield said in a statement released by his diocese.
The statement by Bransfield, 68, a native of Roxborough who was ordained in 1970 by the late Cardinal John Krol, came one day after the testimony of a sex-abuse victim in the trial of two Philadelphia clerics in the church sex abuse trial involving the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
On Wednesday, a 48-year-old man, identified only as "John" in the 2005 report of the Philadelphia County grand jury, alleged he was molested for years beginning in high school by the Rev. Stanley Gana, a priest in his Kensington parish.
The man also described an encounter one summer when he lived on Gana's 110-acre farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The witness said was building a flagstone wall when a car driven by then-Rev. Bransfield pulled up with several teenage boys inside.
"I have never sexually abused anyone," Bishop Michael J. Bransfield said in a statement released by his diocese.
The statement by Bransfield, 68, a native of Roxborough who was ordained in 1970 by the late Cardinal John Krol, came one day after the testimony of a sex-abuse victim in the trial of two Philadelphia clerics in the church sex abuse trial involving the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
On Wednesday, a 48-year-old man, identified only as "John" in the 2005 report of the Philadelphia County grand jury, alleged he was molested for years beginning in high school by the Rev. Stanley Gana, a priest in his Kensington parish.
The man also described an encounter one summer when he lived on Gana's 110-acre farm in Northeastern Pennsylvania. The witness said was building a flagstone wall when a car driven by then-Rev. Bransfield pulled up with several teenage boys inside.
WEST VIRGINIA
Lebanon Daily News
Lebanon Daily News
By JOHN RABY Associated Press
Updated: 04/19/2012
Updated: 04/19/2012
CHARLESTON, W.Va.—West Virginia Roman Catholic Bishop Michael Bransfield on Thursday denied sexual abuse accusations made by a witness at a priest-abuse trial in Philadelphia.
"I have never sexually abused anyone," said Bransfield, the leader of West Virginia's 76,000 Catholics, said in a statement released through the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston.
Bransfield said he's deeply saddened by the child-abuse scandal that's been linked to former colleagues and friends from a Pennsylvania seminary where he graduated in 1971.
"Over the years, I have felt devastation for both the victims and the church as I learned about the terrible actions they took with innocent victims," Bransfield said. "To now be unfairly included in that group and to hear the horrific allegations that are being made of me is unbelievable and shocking."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
ABC News
ABC News
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA April 19, 2012 (AP)
Philadelphia priest described by prosecutors as a serial predator was never investigated after a seminarian's lurid 1992 complaint because the case "fell through the cracks."
That's what Monsignor William Lynn told a grand jury, according to testimony read Thursday in Lynn's child-endangerment trial.
Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is also charged with conspiracy for his handling of priest-abuse complaints.
The seminarian has testified that the priest, Stanley Gana, had sex with him throughout high school, and that he reported it to Lynn in 1992.
That's what Monsignor William Lynn told a grand jury, according to testimony read Thursday in Lynn's child-endangerment trial.
Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy for the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, is also charged with conspiracy for his handling of priest-abuse complaints.
The seminarian has testified that the priest, Stanley Gana, had sex with him throughout high school, and that he reported it to Lynn in 1992.
WEST VIRGINIA
WTOV
WTOV
By NEWS9
The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston bishop issued a statement Thursday stating he never sexually abused anyone.
The statement comes a day after a man testified during a clergy sex-abuse trial in Philadelphia that he was raped at a home owned by current Wheeling-Charleston Bishop Michael Bransfield. The witness also testified he was told the bishop also sexually abused a boy.
The 48-year-old witness said he saw Bransfield bring several boys to a farm owned by now-defrocked priest Stanley Gana. The witness says Gana told him Bransfield was having sex with one of them.
The man said Gana raped him for years, including at Bransfield's beach house. The Associated Press does not generally identify people who say they were sexually abused.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Intelligencer
The Intelligencer
April 19, 2012
By HEATHER ZIEGLER - Associate City Editor , With AP Dispatches
PHILADELPHIA- A man testified Wednesday in a clergy abuse trial that a priest raped him in the 1970s at a beach house owned by the Most Rev. Michael J. Bransfield and that he was told that Bransfield, who currently serves as bishop of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, also sexually abused a boy.
Today, Bransfield issued a statement denying all allegations.
"I have been deeply saddened by the priest child abuse scandal that has been connected to a handful of my former colleagues and friends from St. Charles Seminary. Over the years, I have felt devastation for both the victims and the church as I learned about the terrible actions they took with innocent victims.
Today, Bransfield issued a statement denying all allegations.
"I have been deeply saddened by the priest child abuse scandal that has been connected to a handful of my former colleagues and friends from St. Charles Seminary. Over the years, I have felt devastation for both the victims and the church as I learned about the terrible actions they took with innocent victims.
WEST VIRGINIA
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston
I have been deeply saddened by the priest child abuse scandal that has been connected to a handful of my former colleagues and friends from St. Charles Seminary. Over the years, I have felt devastation for both the victims and the church as I learned about the terrible actions they took with innocent victims.
To now be unfairly included in that group and to hear the horrific allegations that are being made of me is unbelievable and shocking. As a native of Roxboro, I consider Philadelphia my home. I have openly been an advocate for the eradication of the abusive behavior of priests in every diocese, and have demonstrated this in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, where I now live and serve.
I have never sexually abused anyone.
I understand that I am a public figure and therefore subject to public criticism. The nature of these statements and the manner in which they were released however go way beyond any sense of fairness and propriety. This case has gone on for seven years or more and simple facts like whether I own, or owned, a farm in the Scranton area were easily determinable. Contrary to the statements, I do not own, and never owned a farm in the Scranton area, upstate New York, or anywhere else for that matter.
The statement that a former seminarian of mine, Stanley Gana, abused a minor at a home which I owned on the shore and at which I permitted numerous friends and priests to use is misleading. What did not get released was additional information available to the Prosecutor that I was not aware of the incident and was not present at the house at the time. Gana has confirmed those facts in prior reports.
I was in Rome attending meetings at the Vatican when this false story about me was publicly released by the media without my knowledge or input. To say I was shocked and saddened would be an understatement.
I ask you to pray for me and the parishioners of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston as well as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. At the same time, please join me in prayer for all those who have been affected by sexual abuse.
To now be unfairly included in that group and to hear the horrific allegations that are being made of me is unbelievable and shocking. As a native of Roxboro, I consider Philadelphia my home. I have openly been an advocate for the eradication of the abusive behavior of priests in every diocese, and have demonstrated this in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, where I now live and serve.
I have never sexually abused anyone.
I understand that I am a public figure and therefore subject to public criticism. The nature of these statements and the manner in which they were released however go way beyond any sense of fairness and propriety. This case has gone on for seven years or more and simple facts like whether I own, or owned, a farm in the Scranton area were easily determinable. Contrary to the statements, I do not own, and never owned a farm in the Scranton area, upstate New York, or anywhere else for that matter.
The statement that a former seminarian of mine, Stanley Gana, abused a minor at a home which I owned on the shore and at which I permitted numerous friends and priests to use is misleading. What did not get released was additional information available to the Prosecutor that I was not aware of the incident and was not present at the house at the time. Gana has confirmed those facts in prior reports.
I was in Rome attending meetings at the Vatican when this false story about me was publicly released by the media without my knowledge or input. To say I was shocked and saddened would be an understatement.
I ask you to pray for me and the parishioners of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston as well as the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. At the same time, please join me in prayer for all those who have been affected by sexual abuse.
===========
Updates April 14, 2012
Philadelphia Priest Trial...
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Huffington Post
Philadelphia Priest Trial: Mother Of Abuse Victim Stayed Friendly With Accused Reverend James Brennan
By JOANN LOVIGLIO
PHILADELPHIA — A woman whose son gave emotional testimony about his alleged abuse at the hands of a Roman Catholic priest took the stand herself Wednesday at a landmark trial in the priest abuse scandal and said she regrets maintaining contact with the priest for years afterward.
The woman said the Rev. James Brennan was like a brother to her, a confidant and spiritual adviser at a vulnerable time when she was caring for her terminally ill mother and raising three young children, so she remained friendly with him even after her son told her "something weird" happened on an overnight trip with the priest.
"Regrettably, I did not," she replied Wednesday when asked if she cut ties with Brennan after the alleged 1996 molestation, "and I'll never forgive myself for it."
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly shifting priests suspected of molestation from parish to parish without warning anyone of prior sex-abuse complaints. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Huffington Post
Philadelphia Priest Trial: Mother Of Abuse Victim Stayed Friendly With Accused Reverend James Brennan
By JOANN LOVIGLIO
PHILADELPHIA — A woman whose son gave emotional testimony about his alleged abuse at the hands of a Roman Catholic priest took the stand herself Wednesday at a landmark trial in the priest abuse scandal and said she regrets maintaining contact with the priest for years afterward.
The woman said the Rev. James Brennan was like a brother to her, a confidant and spiritual adviser at a vulnerable time when she was caring for her terminally ill mother and raising three young children, so she remained friendly with him even after her son told her "something weird" happened on an overnight trip with the priest.
"Regrettably, I did not," she replied Wednesday when asked if she cut ties with Brennan after the alleged 1996 molestation, "and I'll never forgive myself for it."
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly shifting priests suspected of molestation from parish to parish without warning anyone of prior sex-abuse complaints. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Witness: Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws when he ordered aides in 1994 to shred a list identifying dozens of Philadelphia-area priests suspected of molesting children, an expert on canon law and clergy sex abuse testified Thursday.
"That was like obstructing justice cubed," the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle told a Common Pleas Court jury. "He's got a list of men who may have abused children - and he's going to shred it?"
The assertion thrust the late cardinal squarely into the spotlight for the first time in the landmark child-sex-abuse and endangerment trial against his former secretary for clergy, Msgr. William J. Lynn.
And though an attorney for Lynn strove to paint Bevilacqua as a bossy micromanager who dictated how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia handled abuse cases, Doyle wouldn't give Lynn a pass.
Gerald T. Slevin, Philly Priest Child Abuse Trial and U.S. Bishops Standard Operating Procedures
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin and Joseph A. Slobodzian
Inquirer Staff Writers
Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws when he ordered aides in 1994 to shred a list identifying dozens of Philadelphia-area priests suspected of molesting children, an expert on canon law and clergy sex abuse testified Thursday.
"That was like obstructing justice cubed," the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle told a Common Pleas Court jury. "He's got a list of men who may have abused children - and he's going to shred it?"
The assertion thrust the late cardinal squarely into the spotlight for the first time in the landmark child-sex-abuse and endangerment trial against his former secretary for clergy, Msgr. William J. Lynn.
And though an attorney for Lynn strove to paint Bevilacqua as a bossy micromanager who dictated how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia handled abuse cases, Doyle wouldn't give Lynn a pass.
Gerald T. Slevin, Philly Priest Child Abuse Trial and U.S. Bishops Standard Operating Procedures
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin has sent another excellent statement about the abuse trial involving the Catholic archdiocese of Philadelphia. The following text is Jerry's latest commentary on the Philadelphia trial:
The ongoing Philly trial of Msgr. Lynn for the crime of "child endangerment" for allegedly retaining and reassigning known Philly child predator priests over a long period under two Cardinals is unprecedented.
The Philly trial is quickly becoming a veritable goldmine of readily available information in English on how top US Catholic Cardinals typically handled abuse cases for over a half century period almost through the present.
For daily reports of key Philly trial events, including today's major testimony by Fr. Tom Doyle, the world's leading expert on the priest abuse scandal, please read the brief, but comprehensive, Philadelphia Inquirer's "Complete Coverage---Clergy Abuse Case," accessible at this link.
The broad domestic and international backgrounds of the Philly Archdiocese Cardinals in charge during the period implicated in the current trial (Cardinal Krol, 1961 to 1988, Cardinal Bevilacqua, 1988 to 2003, and Cardinal Rigali, 2003 to 2011) make these Cardinals' dismal "abusive priest management" records a fair and representative case study of senior Catholic hierarchical policy and practice during this half century period by top US Cardinals.
Canon law expert...
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin has sent another excellent statement about the abuse trial involving the Catholic archdiocese of Philadelphia. The following text is Jerry's latest commentary on the Philadelphia trial:
The ongoing Philly trial of Msgr. Lynn for the crime of "child endangerment" for allegedly retaining and reassigning known Philly child predator priests over a long period under two Cardinals is unprecedented.
The Philly trial is quickly becoming a veritable goldmine of readily available information in English on how top US Catholic Cardinals typically handled abuse cases for over a half century period almost through the present.
For daily reports of key Philly trial events, including today's major testimony by Fr. Tom Doyle, the world's leading expert on the priest abuse scandal, please read the brief, but comprehensive, Philadelphia Inquirer's "Complete Coverage---Clergy Abuse Case," accessible at this link.
The broad domestic and international backgrounds of the Philly Archdiocese Cardinals in charge during the period implicated in the current trial (Cardinal Krol, 1961 to 1988, Cardinal Bevilacqua, 1988 to 2003, and Cardinal Rigali, 2003 to 2011) make these Cardinals' dismal "abusive priest management" records a fair and representative case study of senior Catholic hierarchical policy and practice during this half century period by top US Cardinals.
Canon law expert...
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Washington Post
Canon law expert: Shredding list of 35 accused Phila. priests ‘obstruction of justice cubed’
By Associated Press, Updated: Friday, April 13
PHILADELPHIA — An expert on “canon” law angrily called it “obstruction of justice, cubed” for a Roman Catholic archbishop to have shredded a list of 35 active priests accused of molesting children.
Defense lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn say he prepared such a list in 1994 based on secret archives at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and gave it to the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. Bevilacqua ordered his top aides to destroy it, according to church documents aired in court.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, an expert on Roman Catholic law, testified at Lynn’s child-endangerment trial Thursday. Lynn, 61, is the first Catholic church official in the U.S. charged with child endangerment for allegedly failing to protect children from suspected priest-predators.
Church law requires church officials to investigate the complaints, Doyle said. And the archbishop — following the teachings of Christ — should have sought out victims to offer pastoral care, he added.
“He’s got a list of men who are sexually abusing children, and he’s going to shred it?” an incredulous Doyle asked on cross-examination from defense lawyers.
Bevilacqua is assailed
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Daily News
CARDINAL ANTHONY J. Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws when he ordered aides in 1994 to shred a list that identified dozens of Philadelphia-area priests suspected of molesting children, an expert on canon law and clergy sex abuse testified on Thursday.
"That was like obstructing justice cubed," the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle told a Common Pleas jury. "He's got a list of men who may have abused children, and he's going to shred it?"
The assertion thrust the late cardinal squarely into the spotlight for the first time in the landmark child-sex-abuse and endangerment trial against his former secretary for clergy, Monsignor William J. Lynn.
And although an attorney for Lynn strove to paint Bevilacqua as a bossy micromanager who dictated how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia handled abuse cases, Doyle wouldn't give Lynn a pass.
Philadelphia Daily News
CARDINAL ANTHONY J. Bevilacqua broke civil and church laws when he ordered aides in 1994 to shred a list that identified dozens of Philadelphia-area priests suspected of molesting children, an expert on canon law and clergy sex abuse testified on Thursday.
"That was like obstructing justice cubed," the Rev. Thomas P. Doyle told a Common Pleas jury. "He's got a list of men who may have abused children, and he's going to shred it?"
The assertion thrust the late cardinal squarely into the spotlight for the first time in the landmark child-sex-abuse and endangerment trial against his former secretary for clergy, Monsignor William J. Lynn.
And although an attorney for Lynn strove to paint Bevilacqua as a bossy micromanager who dictated how the Archdiocese of Philadelphia handled abuse cases, Doyle wouldn't give Lynn a pass.
Canon Law Expert: Cardinal Bevilacqua Obstructed Justice
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A priest who is an expert on canon law testified Thursday that in his opinion, the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was guilty of obstructing justice when he ordered the shredding of a confidential memo in 1994 that listed 35 archdiocese priests accused of sex abuse.
Father Thomas P. Doyle, an outspoken advocate for victims of clerical sex abuse, was asked on cross-examination what advice he would have given Bevilacqua.
"He's got a list of 35 men who are sexually abusing children, and he's going to shred it?" Doyle asked incredulously.
"No way," Father Doyle told the jury. "That's like obstruction of justice."
Father Doyle said his advice to Bevilacqua, who died Jan. 31, would have been to take off his gold ring and bishop's robes, and go visit the families of the victims. Instead, by shredding the memo, Doyle said, the cardinal destroyed evidence.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
A priest who is an expert on canon law testified Thursday that in his opinion, the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua was guilty of obstructing justice when he ordered the shredding of a confidential memo in 1994 that listed 35 archdiocese priests accused of sex abuse.
Father Thomas P. Doyle, an outspoken advocate for victims of clerical sex abuse, was asked on cross-examination what advice he would have given Bevilacqua.
"He's got a list of 35 men who are sexually abusing children, and he's going to shred it?" Doyle asked incredulously.
"No way," Father Doyle told the jury. "That's like obstruction of justice."
Father Doyle said his advice to Bevilacqua, who died Jan. 31, would have been to take off his gold ring and bishop's robes, and go visit the families of the victims. Instead, by shredding the memo, Doyle said, the cardinal destroyed evidence.
Expert: Shredding priest list 'obstruction cubed'
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
One News Now
MARYCLAIRE DALE - 4/12/2012
A trial expert calls it "obstruction of justice cubed" for a Roman Catholic archbishop in Philadelphia to have shredded a list of 35 active priests accused of molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn says he prepared such a list in 1994 and gave it to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. The documents show that Bevilacqua had top aides destroy it.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, an expert on Roman Catholic law, grew angry testifying about the destruction of the list at Lynn's child-endangerment trial Thursday.
Doyle says church law requires church officials to investigate the complaints. And he says the church should have sought out victims to offer pastoral care.
One News Now
MARYCLAIRE DALE - 4/12/2012
A trial expert calls it "obstruction of justice cubed" for a Roman Catholic archbishop in Philadelphia to have shredded a list of 35 active priests accused of molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn says he prepared such a list in 1994 and gave it to Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. The documents show that Bevilacqua had top aides destroy it.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle, an expert on Roman Catholic law, grew angry testifying about the destruction of the list at Lynn's child-endangerment trial Thursday.
Doyle says church law requires church officials to investigate the complaints. And he says the church should have sought out victims to offer pastoral care.
Expert: Church can investigate sex-abuse reports
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS
PHILADELPHIA — An expert on Roman Catholic church law is testifying in the trial of a Philadelphia monsignor charged with endangering children during the priest sex-abuse scandal.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle says nothing in church law prevents church officials from fully investigating complaints, removing priests from their jobs during investigations or contacting civil authorities.
Philadelphia prosecutors say Monsignor William Lynn conspired with abusers and other church officials to keep church members and police in the dark about scores of sex-abuse complaints reported to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since about 1950.
CBS
PHILADELPHIA — An expert on Roman Catholic church law is testifying in the trial of a Philadelphia monsignor charged with endangering children during the priest sex-abuse scandal.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle says nothing in church law prevents church officials from fully investigating complaints, removing priests from their jobs during investigations or contacting civil authorities.
Philadelphia prosecutors say Monsignor William Lynn conspired with abusers and other church officials to keep church members and police in the dark about scores of sex-abuse complaints reported to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since about 1950.
Lawyer-priest: Bishops had duty to pursue sex abuse claims
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A priest who is also a lawyer and expert on Catholic church law told a Philadelphia jury today that canon law requires bishops to investigate and bring to trial by church tribunal allegations of sex abuse of minors.
Thomas P. Doyle, a Dominican priest who said he has studied and consulted with church officials since the first sex-abuse case involving minors erupted in 1984 in Louisiana, was called by city prosecutors to explain to the Common Pleas Court jury the arcane elements of Catholic theology and canon law.
Doyle rebutted several popular misconceptions about church law involving wayward priests. He said bishops who do not investigate and try allegations of sex-abuse of minors could themselves be prosecuted under church law.
Doyle testified that canon law requires priests, bishops and other clerics to obey the law of the country in which the church is located - except in cases where a municipal law would violate an absolute church or moral teaching.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A priest who is also a lawyer and expert on Catholic church law told a Philadelphia jury today that canon law requires bishops to investigate and bring to trial by church tribunal allegations of sex abuse of minors.
Thomas P. Doyle, a Dominican priest who said he has studied and consulted with church officials since the first sex-abuse case involving minors erupted in 1984 in Louisiana, was called by city prosecutors to explain to the Common Pleas Court jury the arcane elements of Catholic theology and canon law.
Doyle rebutted several popular misconceptions about church law involving wayward priests. He said bishops who do not investigate and try allegations of sex-abuse of minors could themselves be prosecuted under church law.
Doyle testified that canon law requires priests, bishops and other clerics to obey the law of the country in which the church is located - except in cases where a municipal law would violate an absolute church or moral teaching.
Expert: Church could have probed abuse reports
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
York Dispatch
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
Updated: 04/12/2012
PHILADELPHIA—An expert on Roman Catholic church law is testifying in the trial of a Philadelphia monsignor charged with endangering children during the priest-abuse scandal.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle says nothing in church or "canon" law prevents church officials from fully investigating complaints, removing priests from their jobs during investigations, and contacting civil authorities.
Philadelphia prosecutors say Monsignor William Lynn conspired with abusers and other church officials to keep church members and police in the dark about scores of complaints reported to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since about 1950.
Lynn could spend years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment. He is the first Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his administrative response to abuse complaints.
York Dispatch
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
Updated: 04/12/2012
PHILADELPHIA—An expert on Roman Catholic church law is testifying in the trial of a Philadelphia monsignor charged with endangering children during the priest-abuse scandal.
The Rev. Thomas Doyle says nothing in church or "canon" law prevents church officials from fully investigating complaints, removing priests from their jobs during investigations, and contacting civil authorities.
Philadelphia prosecutors say Monsignor William Lynn conspired with abusers and other church officials to keep church members and police in the dark about scores of complaints reported to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia since about 1950.
Lynn could spend years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment. He is the first Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his administrative response to abuse complaints.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A mother’s pain and allegedly mis-placed trust is detailed at the clergy abuse trial. The jury has now heard from the mother of a man, who testified last week that he was assaulted in 1996 during an overnight stay at a priest’s residence.
The witness has testified Father James Brennan was like a brother to her, uncle to her children. But things changed after that overnight incident. Her son would only say something weird happened. She and her husband confronted Father Brennan, who, she says, acknowledged something inappropriate happened, but said they had to talk to their son.
Father Brennan has pleaded not guilty.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) - A mother’s pain and allegedly mis-placed trust is detailed at the clergy abuse trial. The jury has now heard from the mother of a man, who testified last week that he was assaulted in 1996 during an overnight stay at a priest’s residence.
The witness has testified Father James Brennan was like a brother to her, uncle to her children. But things changed after that overnight incident. Her son would only say something weird happened. She and her husband confronted Father Brennan, who, she says, acknowledged something inappropriate happened, but said they had to talk to their son.
Father Brennan has pleaded not guilty.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
BY JOHN P. MARTIN & JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN
Inquirer Staff Writers
THE BUCKS COUNTY mother was perplexed.
Her 14-year-old son was visibly shaken after spending the night with the Rev. James Brennan in 1996, she said. The boy clung to his mother and refused to sleep alone in his bed. But he wouldn't tell her what happened at the priest's apartment, she said.
Brennan, an inspiring priest and friend so close she considered him a brother, was just as evasive when she and her husband pressed him days later for answers, she told a Common Pleas jury Wednesday.
"He said something inappropriate happened and it will never happen again," she said.
Prosecutors called the woman in a bid to bolster their claim that Brennan tried to rape the teen. They say his co-defendant, Monsignor William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, knew or had reason to suspect that Brennan would sexually abuse minors.
Philadelphia Inquirer
BY JOHN P. MARTIN & JOSEPH A. SLOBODZIAN
Inquirer Staff Writers
THE BUCKS COUNTY mother was perplexed.
Her 14-year-old son was visibly shaken after spending the night with the Rev. James Brennan in 1996, she said. The boy clung to his mother and refused to sleep alone in his bed. But he wouldn't tell her what happened at the priest's apartment, she said.
Brennan, an inspiring priest and friend so close she considered him a brother, was just as evasive when she and her husband pressed him days later for answers, she told a Common Pleas jury Wednesday.
"He said something inappropriate happened and it will never happen again," she said.
Prosecutors called the woman in a bid to bolster their claim that Brennan tried to rape the teen. They say his co-defendant, Monsignor William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, knew or had reason to suspect that Brennan would sexually abuse minors.
UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary
Posted by Joelle Casteix on April 14, 2012
I am a huge fan of the US justice system. After more than 200 years, our impartial courts have “gotten it right” a vast majority of the time. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best in the world.
Here’s a great example:
Last week, a jury unanimously found that Fr. Michael Kelly was liable for abusing a boy in the 1980s. The trial is currently in its second phase to determine whether or not the Diocese of Stockton knew about the abuse and covered it up. It took the alleged victim years to get the case in front of a jury, and 12 impartial citizens made their decisions based on the evidence. (One of Kelly’s supporters has been accused of jury tampering. Let’s hope that if true, that person is punished to the fullest extent of the law).
And another:
A Missouri judge has refused to drop misdemeanor criminal charges against Kansas City- St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese. The charges stem from allegations that Finn knew that one of his priests possessed child pornography. Instead of reporting to law enforcement (possession of child pornography is a federal crime, remember?), Finn allegedly sat on the information, sent the priest out of state (?!), and didn’t warn local families that their kids may have been victims of abuse. The priest who took and kept the photos has been indicted on 13 counts of exploiting five children ages 2 to 13.
But sometimes, judges get it wrong:
A bankruptcy judge in Milwaukee has refused to make public secret church documents and depositions that outline the scope and scale of child sex abuse and cover-up in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The documents were produced when the Archdiocese of Milwaukee sought bankruptcy protection to avoid potentially embarrassing public civil trials.
Judge Susan V. Kelley’s reasoning? They were “too scandalous.”
Note to Judge : Civil law exists to punish wrongs, compensate victims for injury and DETER FURTHER WRONGDOING. The only way to truly punish the Archdiocese and deter further wrongdoing is to expose the full scope and scale of the abuse. If we don’t know what church officials knew and did, how can we be sure that they won’t turn around and do it again?
This bankruptcy has nothing to do with finances. Instead, it has everything to do with silencing victims and denying them their days in court.
Yes, scandal is ugly. No one likes to learn that hundreds of kids were abused and that priests and bishops knew about the crimes and did nothing to help kids. But shining a public light on secret church files will serve every community where a predator worked. The documents will also help law enforcement who, in places like Delaware and California, used these kinds of documents to put child molesters behind bars.
The Worthy Adversary
Posted by Joelle Casteix on April 14, 2012
I am a huge fan of the US justice system. After more than 200 years, our impartial courts have “gotten it right” a vast majority of the time. It’s not perfect, but it’s the best in the world.
Here’s a great example:
Last week, a jury unanimously found that Fr. Michael Kelly was liable for abusing a boy in the 1980s. The trial is currently in its second phase to determine whether or not the Diocese of Stockton knew about the abuse and covered it up. It took the alleged victim years to get the case in front of a jury, and 12 impartial citizens made their decisions based on the evidence. (One of Kelly’s supporters has been accused of jury tampering. Let’s hope that if true, that person is punished to the fullest extent of the law).
And another:
A Missouri judge has refused to drop misdemeanor criminal charges against Kansas City- St. Joseph Bishop Robert Finn and the Diocese. The charges stem from allegations that Finn knew that one of his priests possessed child pornography. Instead of reporting to law enforcement (possession of child pornography is a federal crime, remember?), Finn allegedly sat on the information, sent the priest out of state (?!), and didn’t warn local families that their kids may have been victims of abuse. The priest who took and kept the photos has been indicted on 13 counts of exploiting five children ages 2 to 13.
But sometimes, judges get it wrong:
A bankruptcy judge in Milwaukee has refused to make public secret church documents and depositions that outline the scope and scale of child sex abuse and cover-up in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee. The documents were produced when the Archdiocese of Milwaukee sought bankruptcy protection to avoid potentially embarrassing public civil trials.
Judge Susan V. Kelley’s reasoning? They were “too scandalous.”
Note to Judge : Civil law exists to punish wrongs, compensate victims for injury and DETER FURTHER WRONGDOING. The only way to truly punish the Archdiocese and deter further wrongdoing is to expose the full scope and scale of the abuse. If we don’t know what church officials knew and did, how can we be sure that they won’t turn around and do it again?
This bankruptcy has nothing to do with finances. Instead, it has everything to do with silencing victims and denying them their days in court.
Yes, scandal is ugly. No one likes to learn that hundreds of kids were abused and that priests and bishops knew about the crimes and did nothing to help kids. But shining a public light on secret church files will serve every community where a predator worked. The documents will also help law enforcement who, in places like Delaware and California, used these kinds of documents to put child molesters behind bars.
UPDATED April 4, 2012
Accuser calls priest 'sexual predator' at trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Huffington Post
JOANN LOVIGLIO | April 4, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A 30-year-old man says he was a good student with a bright future until he was molested by a priest he calls a "sexual predator."
PHILADELPHIA — A 30-year-old former Marine testified in a landmark clergy abuse case Wednesday that he was a good child with a bright future until he was molested by a priest he described as a "sexual predator."
The man described a life of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide attempts and a criminal history including robbery and fraud that defined his life after what he testified was a sexual assault by the Rev. James Brennan.
Brennan is charged with raping the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996. The man, who was discharged from the Marines because of mental health issues, wept as he testified about being molested at Brennan's apartment in West Chester.
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly keeping predator priests in parish work. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Several alleged victims of clergy abuse have taken the stand since the trial began March 26, but Brennan's accuser is the first whose claim falls within the statute of limitations.
He testified Wednesday that Brennan was a family friend who frequently visited his home in suburban Philadelphia, a "drinking buddy" of his mother, a guy who rode a motorcycle and was like a cool uncle. He described his family as devout Roman Catholics who sent their children to parochial schools and faithfully attended Sunday Mass at St. Andrew Church in Newtown, where Brennan was assigned.
"When the collar came down, he was Jim. He was one of the guys," the man testified.
He occasionally looked over at Brennan, who showed no emotion. He faced the jury when he described what he said happened the summer after he finished eighth grade.
He said that in the summer of 1996, Brennan took him to his apartment with a plan to watch movies in the evening and get up the next morning for a day of golfing. At the apartment, Brennan showed him online pornography, fondled himself then got into bed with him, the man testified.
"I was a little boy. I didn't know what to do," he said, sobbing.
Both were clothed as Brennan pressed his genitals against the boy's buttocks, according to the man's testimony.
"As soon as he laid down he put his arms around me ... and he kept squeezing me and inching forward and forward and forward," he testified. He remembered praying to be able to fall asleep, and said he wet himself, but does not remember anything beyond that.
Brennan's lawyers say the accuser has a history of lying and has been in trouble with the law. The accuser testified during cross-examination that he has had psychological problems and grappled with substance abuse as a result of the molestation.
Huffington Post
JOANN LOVIGLIO | April 4, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A 30-year-old man says he was a good student with a bright future until he was molested by a priest he calls a "sexual predator."
PHILADELPHIA — A 30-year-old former Marine testified in a landmark clergy abuse case Wednesday that he was a good child with a bright future until he was molested by a priest he described as a "sexual predator."
The man described a life of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide attempts and a criminal history including robbery and fraud that defined his life after what he testified was a sexual assault by the Rev. James Brennan.
Brennan is charged with raping the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996. The man, who was discharged from the Marines because of mental health issues, wept as he testified about being molested at Brennan's apartment in West Chester.
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly keeping predator priests in parish work. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Several alleged victims of clergy abuse have taken the stand since the trial began March 26, but Brennan's accuser is the first whose claim falls within the statute of limitations.
He testified Wednesday that Brennan was a family friend who frequently visited his home in suburban Philadelphia, a "drinking buddy" of his mother, a guy who rode a motorcycle and was like a cool uncle. He described his family as devout Roman Catholics who sent their children to parochial schools and faithfully attended Sunday Mass at St. Andrew Church in Newtown, where Brennan was assigned.
"When the collar came down, he was Jim. He was one of the guys," the man testified.
He occasionally looked over at Brennan, who showed no emotion. He faced the jury when he described what he said happened the summer after he finished eighth grade.
He said that in the summer of 1996, Brennan took him to his apartment with a plan to watch movies in the evening and get up the next morning for a day of golfing. At the apartment, Brennan showed him online pornography, fondled himself then got into bed with him, the man testified.
"I was a little boy. I didn't know what to do," he said, sobbing.
Both were clothed as Brennan pressed his genitals against the boy's buttocks, according to the man's testimony.
"As soon as he laid down he put his arms around me ... and he kept squeezing me and inching forward and forward and forward," he testified. He remembered praying to be able to fall asleep, and said he wet himself, but does not remember anything beyond that.
Brennan's lawyers say the accuser has a history of lying and has been in trouble with the law. The accuser testified during cross-examination that he has had psychological problems and grappled with substance abuse as a result of the molestation.
Tearful witness describes assault by priest
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A former Bucks County altar boy testified today that one of the two Philadelphia priests on trial for conspiracy and child endangerment molested him when he stayed at the cleric's apartment in 1996.
The witness, now 30, broke down several times as he told a Common Pleas Court jury about the assault by the Rev. James J. Brennan that he said plunged him into a spiral of drugs, crime and suicide attempts and still haunts him.
He said Brennan, a family friend he once loved like an uncle, showed him Internet sex-chat rooms, proposed they masturbate together then ordered him into a bed where the priest, clad in boxer shorts, wrapped his arms around him and pressed his private parts against the boy.
"He kept pulling me forward, forward, forward," the man testified, fighting back tears. "I couldn't get off the bed. I still feel the sensation today. It's horrible."
His testimony ended abruptly after nearly two hours of sometimes contentious cross-examination by the priest's lawyer, William Brennan.
The lawyer repeatedly pressed him to explain inconsistencies in his past testimony, reminded jurors of his criminal record and of drug abuse, and highlighted his efforts to get money from the church in a lawsuit.
After one tense exchange later in the day, the witness told Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina he was tired and confused, and asked to end his testimony for the day. "I can't do anymore," he said.
With the lawyers consent, she recessed for the day,
The witness was the fifth alleged abuse victim to testify since the trial began last week against the Brennan and Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, but the most significant so far.
While the others described being molested decades ago by priests who have since been defrocked or died, this man's accusation fell within the statute of limitations and became one of the cornerstones of a February 2011 grand jury report that led to the landmark trial against Lynn and Brennan.
Prosecutors say Lynn, as the church official who recommended priests assignments and investigated their misconduct, enabled or covered-up child-sex abuse by failing to act against priests he suspected or knew had abused children, including Brennan, a priest who has been on restricted ministry since the allegation first surfaced in 2006.
Brennan and Lynn have denied any wrongdoing. Their lawyers have promised a vigorous cross-examination of the man.
In court filings and pretrial arguments, Brennan's lawyers, William Brennan, no relation, and Richard Fuschino, called the man "a serial confabulator" with a criminal record of creating "colorful, elaborate lies" for law enforcement. They noted the man has a lawsuit pending against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and allege that he made up the claim about Brennan to excuse his drug habit and to get money.
Prosecutors disputed that contention.
"This is just a smear campaign against a rape victim," Assistant District Mark Cipolletti complained to Sarmina.
But conflicting signs have emerged about the alleged victim's account. The grand jury report and a lawsuit filed by the man said that Brennan had anally raped him, an accusation that led prosecutors to charge Brennan with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Late last year, the charge was amended to attempted rape. In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Coelho said the evidence will show the boy was wearing underwear in bed when Brennan groped him.
His testimony wil resume Thursday morning.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A former Bucks County altar boy testified today that one of the two Philadelphia priests on trial for conspiracy and child endangerment molested him when he stayed at the cleric's apartment in 1996.
The witness, now 30, broke down several times as he told a Common Pleas Court jury about the assault by the Rev. James J. Brennan that he said plunged him into a spiral of drugs, crime and suicide attempts and still haunts him.
He said Brennan, a family friend he once loved like an uncle, showed him Internet sex-chat rooms, proposed they masturbate together then ordered him into a bed where the priest, clad in boxer shorts, wrapped his arms around him and pressed his private parts against the boy.
"He kept pulling me forward, forward, forward," the man testified, fighting back tears. "I couldn't get off the bed. I still feel the sensation today. It's horrible."
His testimony ended abruptly after nearly two hours of sometimes contentious cross-examination by the priest's lawyer, William Brennan.
The lawyer repeatedly pressed him to explain inconsistencies in his past testimony, reminded jurors of his criminal record and of drug abuse, and highlighted his efforts to get money from the church in a lawsuit.
After one tense exchange later in the day, the witness told Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina he was tired and confused, and asked to end his testimony for the day. "I can't do anymore," he said.
With the lawyers consent, she recessed for the day,
The witness was the fifth alleged abuse victim to testify since the trial began last week against the Brennan and Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, but the most significant so far.
While the others described being molested decades ago by priests who have since been defrocked or died, this man's accusation fell within the statute of limitations and became one of the cornerstones of a February 2011 grand jury report that led to the landmark trial against Lynn and Brennan.
Prosecutors say Lynn, as the church official who recommended priests assignments and investigated their misconduct, enabled or covered-up child-sex abuse by failing to act against priests he suspected or knew had abused children, including Brennan, a priest who has been on restricted ministry since the allegation first surfaced in 2006.
Brennan and Lynn have denied any wrongdoing. Their lawyers have promised a vigorous cross-examination of the man.
In court filings and pretrial arguments, Brennan's lawyers, William Brennan, no relation, and Richard Fuschino, called the man "a serial confabulator" with a criminal record of creating "colorful, elaborate lies" for law enforcement. They noted the man has a lawsuit pending against the Archdiocese of Philadelphia and allege that he made up the claim about Brennan to excuse his drug habit and to get money.
Prosecutors disputed that contention.
"This is just a smear campaign against a rape victim," Assistant District Mark Cipolletti complained to Sarmina.
But conflicting signs have emerged about the alleged victim's account. The grand jury report and a lawsuit filed by the man said that Brennan had anally raped him, an accusation that led prosecutors to charge Brennan with involuntary deviate sexual intercourse. Late last year, the charge was amended to attempted rape. In her opening statement, Assistant District Attorney Jacqueline Coelho said the evidence will show the boy was wearing underwear in bed when Brennan groped him.
His testimony wil resume Thursday morning.
April 4, 2012
Sixteen years after alleged abuse, tearful witness faces priest at Philadelphia trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Newsworks
April 4, 2012
By Elizabeth Fiedler
A 30-year-old accuser took the stand today in the sexual abuse trial of Philadelphia priest Reverend James Brennan, who is charged with assaulting the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
The accuser broke into tears a numbers of times while describing the molestation he alleges he suffered at the hands of Father James Brennan. He said when he was a boy his family had a close relationship with Brennan -- often inviting him into their home for dinner and parties. He said in the years after the encounter with Brennan, his grades fell and he used drugs and alcohol.
Brennan's lawyer attempted to question the accuser's credibility, mentioning his struggle with mental health issues and substance abuse. The lawyer also thoroughly grilled the witness on why he remembered what Brennan was wearing during an encounter -- but not the date it happened.
The accuser also talked about his interaction with a victim assistance representative sent by the Archdiocese. He said that representative seems more interested in protecting Brennan.
Brennan, who sat quietly during the testimony, is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn. Lynn is accused of transferring priests accused of sexual abuse to unsuspecting parishes. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Newsworks
April 4, 2012
By Elizabeth Fiedler
A 30-year-old accuser took the stand today in the sexual abuse trial of Philadelphia priest Reverend James Brennan, who is charged with assaulting the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996.
The accuser broke into tears a numbers of times while describing the molestation he alleges he suffered at the hands of Father James Brennan. He said when he was a boy his family had a close relationship with Brennan -- often inviting him into their home for dinner and parties. He said in the years after the encounter with Brennan, his grades fell and he used drugs and alcohol.
Brennan's lawyer attempted to question the accuser's credibility, mentioning his struggle with mental health issues and substance abuse. The lawyer also thoroughly grilled the witness on why he remembered what Brennan was wearing during an encounter -- but not the date it happened.
The accuser also talked about his interaction with a victim assistance representative sent by the Archdiocese. He said that representative seems more interested in protecting Brennan.
Brennan, who sat quietly during the testimony, is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn. Lynn is accused of transferring priests accused of sexual abuse to unsuspecting parishes. Both men have pleaded not guilty.
Gripping Testimony From Former Altar Boy in Philadelphia Priest Sex Abuse Trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — One of the main figures in the Philadelphia clergy child abuse trial has taken the witness stand to point a finger of blame at Father James Brennan, who is charged with attempted rape.
The accuser, now 30 years old, took the stand confidently, but by the time he recounted his overnight visit to Father Brennan’s apartment in West Chester in 1996, when he was just 14, he was trembling and sobbing.
He says Brennan showed him pornographic chat rooms on the computer and talked explicitly about male body parts. Then, Brennan insisted they both sleep in one bed. That’s when, the accuser says, the priest sexually assaulted him.
The man said he went from a being straight ‘A’ student to a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, and crime. He attempted suicide three times.
He says he last saw Father Brennan in 1999, while he was doing community service at age 17 for several crimes, including forgery, ID theft, and making a false report to police. As he fetched tools while doing landscaping work on church grounds at Assumption BVM in Feasterville, he caught Brennan in a shed with his pants down. He says he walked away when Brennan invited him in.
The defense used cross-examination to attack the credibility of the priest’s troubled accuser.
Brennan, who is charged with attempted rape, has denied any wrongdoing (see previous story).
CBS Philly
By Steve Tawa
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — One of the main figures in the Philadelphia clergy child abuse trial has taken the witness stand to point a finger of blame at Father James Brennan, who is charged with attempted rape.
The accuser, now 30 years old, took the stand confidently, but by the time he recounted his overnight visit to Father Brennan’s apartment in West Chester in 1996, when he was just 14, he was trembling and sobbing.
He says Brennan showed him pornographic chat rooms on the computer and talked explicitly about male body parts. Then, Brennan insisted they both sleep in one bed. That’s when, the accuser says, the priest sexually assaulted him.
The man said he went from a being straight ‘A’ student to a downward spiral of drugs, alcohol, and crime. He attempted suicide three times.
He says he last saw Father Brennan in 1999, while he was doing community service at age 17 for several crimes, including forgery, ID theft, and making a false report to police. As he fetched tools while doing landscaping work on church grounds at Assumption BVM in Feasterville, he caught Brennan in a shed with his pants down. He says he walked away when Brennan invited him in.
The defense used cross-examination to attack the credibility of the priest’s troubled accuser.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The man wrote the archdiocese in 1996, claiming that as an adolescent, he had been sexually abused by Father Stanley M. Gana. The man wanted the archdiocese to pay for his therapy, which he said, were a direct result of the abuse he had suffered from Father Gana.
There was a problem, however, Monsignor William J. Lynn explained in writing to the victim. The archdiocese had a policy where it would only pay the bills of alleged victims if the priest accused of abuse had confessed. Father Gana, Lynn explained, was still denying the allegations. So the archdiocese, according to its own policy, was not required to pay for the man's therapy.
However, Lynn wrote, out of the archdiocese's "charitable concern" for the victim's "emotional, physical and spiritual well-being," the archdiocese had decided to make an exception in this case, and pay the victim's therapy bills. The letter was signed, "Sincerely yours in the Lord, William J. Lynn."
Sadly, as far as the archdiocese was concerned, however, this wasn't a charity case, as was revealed Tuesday in the ongoing sex abuse trial. Father Gana had made a full confession, according to formerly confidential documents that the prosecutor entered into evidence. The documents showed that Monsignor Lynn knew about the priest's confession, but decided not to share this knowledge with the victim.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The man wrote the archdiocese in 1996, claiming that as an adolescent, he had been sexually abused by Father Stanley M. Gana. The man wanted the archdiocese to pay for his therapy, which he said, were a direct result of the abuse he had suffered from Father Gana.
There was a problem, however, Monsignor William J. Lynn explained in writing to the victim. The archdiocese had a policy where it would only pay the bills of alleged victims if the priest accused of abuse had confessed. Father Gana, Lynn explained, was still denying the allegations. So the archdiocese, according to its own policy, was not required to pay for the man's therapy.
However, Lynn wrote, out of the archdiocese's "charitable concern" for the victim's "emotional, physical and spiritual well-being," the archdiocese had decided to make an exception in this case, and pay the victim's therapy bills. The letter was signed, "Sincerely yours in the Lord, William J. Lynn."
Sadly, as far as the archdiocese was concerned, however, this wasn't a charity case, as was revealed Tuesday in the ongoing sex abuse trial. Father Gana had made a full confession, according to formerly confidential documents that the prosecutor entered into evidence. The documents showed that Monsignor Lynn knew about the priest's confession, but decided not to share this knowledge with the victim.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The New York Times
By JON HURDLE
Published: April 3, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A victim of alleged sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest told a court on Tuesday that church officials took more than 10 years to resolve his complaint that he had been molested at a summer camp.
Walter J. Daly, 64, told jurors at the landmark trial of a senior church official and another priest that he wrote to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in October 1992 complaining that he had been abused by the Rev. John Cannon, a priest who ran the camp in Lancaster County, Pa., where Mr. Daly went as an elementary and high school student.
In response, Mr. Daly was invited to a meeting in November 1992 with three church officials, including Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the archdiocese and the first senior church official in the United States to be tried on charges that he endangered children by placing priests in positions where they were able to molest them.
The officials listened to Mr. Daly’s description of having been abused an estimated 25 times over successive summers at the camp but did not appear to resolve his complaints and did not seem very sympathetic, he told the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
The New York Times
By JON HURDLE
Published: April 3, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — A victim of alleged sexual abuse by a Roman Catholic priest told a court on Tuesday that church officials took more than 10 years to resolve his complaint that he had been molested at a summer camp.
Walter J. Daly, 64, told jurors at the landmark trial of a senior church official and another priest that he wrote to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in October 1992 complaining that he had been abused by the Rev. John Cannon, a priest who ran the camp in Lancaster County, Pa., where Mr. Daly went as an elementary and high school student.
In response, Mr. Daly was invited to a meeting in November 1992 with three church officials, including Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy at the archdiocese and the first senior church official in the United States to be tried on charges that he endangered children by placing priests in positions where they were able to molest them.
The officials listened to Mr. Daly’s description of having been abused an estimated 25 times over successive summers at the camp but did not appear to resolve his complaints and did not seem very sympathetic, he told the Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas.
Gerald Slevin, Open Appeal To Philadelphia Inquirer Reporters II...
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Bilgrimage
Gerald Slevin, Open Appeal To Philadelphia Inquirer Reporters II: The Philadelphia Archdiocese Priests Child Abuse Trial, the Pope, Secrecy, Santorum and the Upcoming Pennsylvania Primary
Jerry Slevin has now shared a supplement to his open letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer that I posted on his behalf two days ago. As the trial of Philadelphia Catholic archdiocesan officials continues, Jerry continues to monitor the litigation and news about it, and this is his latest response to what's now unfolding in Philadelphia:
What follows is Jerry Slevin's second open letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
--------------------------------
This supplements my April 1, 2012 Open Appeal I to you accessible here. Hopefully, this will be of some help to you as you assess the continuing developments in this hierarchical criminal case that is extremely significant for Catholics worldwide.
Yesterday on TV, convicted child sexual abuser, Fr. Avery, was hurried seemingly smiling past reporters into jail accompanied apparently by two well dressed lawyers. Avery's apparent lack of any remorse for his horrible crime or any obligation to give evidence against others, as well as his sudden plea bargain, mild sentence, hurried imprisonment and general public unavailability, have all been very disturbing to watch, but it is only one example of what appears to be an unwarranted almost veil of secrecy on too many aspects of this important case. Many hundreds of Philly children were harmed by priest sexual predators with at least the tacit knowledge in many cases of bishops and cardinals; many thousands more were at risk of serious and permanent harm. Philly citizens are entitled to get the full story and we are depending on you to keep doing your best to get it.
For video footage from NBC's Philadelphia affiliate of Fr. Avery's smiling past reporters as he is whisked into jail, please see here.
To this day, the Philly Archdiocese still does not really require prompt reporting of all abuse claims to the police and apparently has only appointed persons that are accountable to Archbishop Chaput to monitor abuse claims. He is not accountable, it appears, to anyone and has not committed to a truly independent child protection audit procedure. He continues to operate, in the main, secretly as a typical medieval monarch. His cheerleading at a private priests' party several months ago for Monsignor Lynn and some suspended priests under suspicion of misconduct with minors suggests he has failed to get the true child protection message and merely mouths, like the pope, pious platitudes about children.
Bilgrimage
Gerald Slevin, Open Appeal To Philadelphia Inquirer Reporters II: The Philadelphia Archdiocese Priests Child Abuse Trial, the Pope, Secrecy, Santorum and the Upcoming Pennsylvania Primary
Jerry Slevin has now shared a supplement to his open letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer that I posted on his behalf two days ago. As the trial of Philadelphia Catholic archdiocesan officials continues, Jerry continues to monitor the litigation and news about it, and this is his latest response to what's now unfolding in Philadelphia:
What follows is Jerry Slevin's second open letter to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
--------------------------------
This supplements my April 1, 2012 Open Appeal I to you accessible here. Hopefully, this will be of some help to you as you assess the continuing developments in this hierarchical criminal case that is extremely significant for Catholics worldwide.
Yesterday on TV, convicted child sexual abuser, Fr. Avery, was hurried seemingly smiling past reporters into jail accompanied apparently by two well dressed lawyers. Avery's apparent lack of any remorse for his horrible crime or any obligation to give evidence against others, as well as his sudden plea bargain, mild sentence, hurried imprisonment and general public unavailability, have all been very disturbing to watch, but it is only one example of what appears to be an unwarranted almost veil of secrecy on too many aspects of this important case. Many hundreds of Philly children were harmed by priest sexual predators with at least the tacit knowledge in many cases of bishops and cardinals; many thousands more were at risk of serious and permanent harm. Philly citizens are entitled to get the full story and we are depending on you to keep doing your best to get it.
For video footage from NBC's Philadelphia affiliate of Fr. Avery's smiling past reporters as he is whisked into jail, please see here.
To this day, the Philly Archdiocese still does not really require prompt reporting of all abuse claims to the police and apparently has only appointed persons that are accountable to Archbishop Chaput to monitor abuse claims. He is not accountable, it appears, to anyone and has not committed to a truly independent child protection audit procedure. He continues to operate, in the main, secretly as a typical medieval monarch. His cheerleading at a private priests' party several months ago for Monsignor Lynn and some suspended priests under suspicion of misconduct with minors suggests he has failed to get the true child protection message and merely mouths, like the pope, pious platitudes about children.
In thinking about this as a lawyer, I tried to think about what has been, and what may still be, important to the top hierarchical boss here, the pope. By now, the pope must also be worrying about how the Philly case could hurt him in the related six month old abuse cover-up case against him and senior Vatican Cardinals Bertone, Levada and Sodano. Over six months ago, the priest abuse survivors network, SNAP, filed a criminal complaint with the International Criminal Court (ICC) in the Netherlands alleging a worldwide priest child abuse cover-up. As reported in the March 12, 2012 NY Times, and recently on Cardinal Rigali's protege, NY Cardinal Dolan's website, Dolan and his longtime ally, Bill Donohue, appear hell-bent on demolishing SNAP before the ICC case advances too far.
Currently, as reported on March 21, 2012 in the NY Times and also the Irish Times, the Dutch parliament is in an uproar over a recent government commission's report that over 800 Dutch Catholic priests abused over several decades more than 20,000 children, a few of whom were reportedly castrated unjustifiably. This is an inauspicious national setting for the ICC prosecutor's office in the Netherlands to be reviewing the charges that the pope and his clique conspired to cover-up worldwide priest sexual abuse of children.
Since Philly's Cardinal Rigali, who was in charge of the Philly Archdiocese for over eight years until a few months ago, had also served for many years in senior Vatican positions as a colleague of the pope's, what happens in the Philly trial to Rigali's former top aide may be of considerable importance to the pope. Rigali still serves periodically in Rome on several important Vatican committees, including the Committee of Bishops, which clears most worldwide episcopal appointments.
The University of Toledo in Ohio on Monday held an international law conference on the current status of the ICC case against the pope, as described below in press and video links.
Given the above and what is otherwise available publicly, the pope's Philly options were and are limited. Retire Rigali and replace him with a strong executive, even though Rigali is much younger than the pope, but protect Rigali at all costs. Hence, the pope recently "accepted" Rigali's tender of retirement and brought in Archbishop Chaput, who showed in Denver he would resist child abuse claims very vigorously.
Chaput also served the pope dutifully in assisting recently with the virtual ecclesiastical execution of Bishop William Morris of Australia, mainly for daring to propose consideration of opening discussions about married and women priests to help relieve the severe priest shortage in Morris' diocese.
How could Chaput protect Rigali and also reduce the ultimate financial drain on the Philadelphia Archdiocese, was the pope's and Chaput's challenge. Rigali had been Cardinal in Philly for two years when the 2005 Philly grand jury report reporting over 60 separate abuse claims was issued, although the abuse claims related mainly to Cardinals Bevilacqua's and Krol's tenure. Rigali appointed an investigator and in 2006 committed to take specific actions to curtail priest abuse. Last year, the new 2011 grand jury issued a further report, which identified almost two dozen Philly priests still working that had serious abuse charges. It also appeared that some of the specific actions committed to in 2006 had not really been implemented effectively.
Several priests, including Fr. Avery, were indicted in 2011 on sexual abuse charges, as was Monsignor Lynn for alleged child endangerment. Lynn had served as priest personnel chief under Bevilacqua and briefly under Riglai, until he was appointed one of Rigali's top pastors, presumably available still to discuss predator priest cases, etc.
How could Rigali possibly be spared legal jeopardy? Judging by the trial events so far, it appears that the pope's strategy is to try to blame Bevilacqua and Lynn and hope that the Philly District Attorney (DA) will not look past 2004 when Rigali took over. Chaput can then dismiss this all as old news about his "bad" predecessors and hope Rigali can keep his head down. How could, and why would, the Philly DA fall for this ploy? It would be a real travesty of justice if he did.
Judging by the witnesses and old cases selected to date, the pope's and Chaput's apparent strategy may be working so far. It is unclear whether and when the Philly DA will in the trial get past 2004, even though the cover-up apparently continued long after 2004. Hiding a crime is usually also a separate crime. The apparent suppression from 2006 to 2011 of the copy of the memo implicating Cardinal Bevilacqua and Bishops Cistone and Cullen's possible complicity in destroying potentially incriminating evidence may also have been a separate continuing crime. The recent suspension of Chaput's top in-house lawyer has also not yet been explained or addressed by the Philly DA. Hopefully, one of you reporters will try to raise these and similar questions with the Philly DA.
Against this backdrop, the continuance of the gag order and the "silent" handling of Avery raise a lot of unanswered questions. Why can't Avery be interviewed by the press? Has he received or will he receive directly or indirectly any financial commitments or assistance from the Philadelphia Archdiocese? Who is paying his lawyers?
Enough already! Defenseless Philly kids have been raped in a clerical conspiracy.and the lawyers are being gagged and reporters are being stymied. This isn't China or Syria or Iran. Philly citizens are entitled to know fully what is going on, in the name of God.
Meanwhile, one of Rigali's other proteges, Opus Dei Bishop Finn of Kansas City, is expected this week to receive critical judicial decisions regarding his abuse cover-up related case. As reported in today's National Catholic Reporter, Finn is trying to weasel out on a technicality and possibly lay the blame on his monsignor subordinate, as his mentor Rigali appears to be doing with Lynn. For NCR's updated article on the abuse case involving the imminent decisions that are expected to affect Rigali's Opus Dei protege, Bishop Finn, please see here.
With the likely final contested presidential primary scheduled in Pennsylvania in three weeks on April 24, this will give reporters an excellent opportunity to ask the candidates about the Philly case. Rick Santorum is particularly relevant here. He has raised children in PA and held senior Federal legislative positions during most of the time periods covered by the Lynn trial. He likely knew Bevilacqua, knows Rigali and may even know Lynn. So Rick, what did you know and when did you know it?
As shown in this January 5, 2012 video footage from Boston's CBS affiliate, WBZ, Rick basically ran from Boston reporters when, a few months ago, they tried to ask him about priests sexually abusing defenseless children scandal in New Hampshire. Hopefully, some Philly reporters will wear their track shoes when they interview Rick.
Kids were abused on his legislative watch. He should be man enough to discuss the subject and what he proposes to do to curtail priest predators in the future. For example, will he push for a Federal mandate, with stiff penalties, to call the police promptly when an abuse claim is first made?.
Finally, the Philly trial setbacks and negative revelations on a daily basis are compounding the pope's and US bishops' other problems and, thankfully, undercutting some of the pope's unusual sexual prohibitions. The pope's "anti-contraceptive crusade" to replace Obama with a Republican has backfired and just increased Obama's women voter support significantly.
As reported in yesterday's Washington Post, the pope's former student and theological collaborater, Cardinal Schönbrun of Vienna, has backed a gay Catholic, living openly in a civilly registered relationship with his partner, as a member of a local Catholic parish council. Today , the NY Times editorial board chastised the National Organization for Marriage (NOM) for its underhanded tactics to try to undercut gay marriage. NOM's leaders are among the co-signers with Rigali, Donahue, Dolan, Chaput, et al., on the late 2009 Manhattan Declaration that in many ways is the roadmap for the pope's 2012 election year strategy. The pope and US bishops appear clearly to be on the run and not just in Philly.
++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++
For details of Monday's conference at the University of Toledo Law School of the conference on the background and status of SNAP'S criminal complaint against the pope and his clique, please see here.
For video footage from Toledo's Fox News affiliate of yesterday's conference at the University of Toledo Law School about the current SNAP complaint against the pope at the International Criminal Court featuring SNAP'S president and SNAP'S lawyer from New York's Center for Constitutional Rights, please see here.
For a useful summary of the Philadelphia Archdiocese's abuse scandal, with footnotes, please see here.
Accuser expected to testify at Philly priest trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Morning Call
7:34 a.m. EDT, April 4, 2012
The Morning Call
7:34 a.m. EDT, April 4, 2012
A 30-year-old former Marine testified in a landmark clergy abuse case Wednesday that he was a good child with a bright future until he was molested by a priest he described as a "sexual predator."
The man described a life of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide attempts and a criminal history including robbery and fraud that defined his life after what he testified was a sexual assault by the Rev. James Brennan.
Brennan is charged with raping the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996. The man, who was discharged from the Marines because of mental health issues, wept as he testified about being molested at Brennan's apartment in West Chester.
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly keeping predator priests in parish work. Both have pleaded not guilty.
Several alleged victims of clergy abuse have taken the stand since the trial began March 26, but Brennan's accuser is the first whose claim falls within the statute of limitations.
He testified Wednesday that Brennan was a family friend who frequently visited his home in suburban Philadelphia, a "drinking buddy" of his mother, a guy who rode a motorcycle and was like a cool uncle. He described his family as devout Roman Catholics who sent their children to parochial schools and faithfully attended Sunday Mass at St. Andrew Church in Newtown, where Brennan was assigned.
"When the collar came down, he was Jim. He was one of the guys," the man testified.
He occasionally looked over at Brennan, who showed no emotion. He faced the jury when he described what he said happened the summer after he finished eighth grade.
He said that in the summer of 1996, Brennan took him to his apartment with a plan to watch movies in the evening and get up the next morning for a day of golfing. At the apartment, Brennan showed him online pornography, fondled himself then got into bed with him, the man testified.
"I was a little boy. I didn't know what to do," he said, sobbing.
Both were clothed as Brennan pressed his genitals against the boy's buttocks, according to the man's testimony.
"As soon as he laid down he put his arms around me … and he kept squeezing me and inching forward and forward and forward," he testified. He remembered praying to be able to fall asleep, and said he wet himself, but does not remember anything beyond that.
The man described a life of drug and alcohol abuse, mental illness, suicide attempts and a criminal history including robbery and fraud that defined his life after what he testified was a sexual assault by the Rev. James Brennan.
Brennan is charged with raping the man when he was a 14-year-old boy in 1996. The man, who was discharged from the Marines because of mental health issues, wept as he testified about being molested at Brennan's apartment in West Chester.
Brennan is on trial with Monsignor William Lynn, the first Roman Catholic official in the U.S. charged with endangering children for allegedly keeping predator priests in parish work. Both have pleaded not guilty.
He testified Wednesday that Brennan was a family friend who frequently visited his home in suburban Philadelphia, a "drinking buddy" of his mother, a guy who rode a motorcycle and was like a cool uncle. He described his family as devout Roman Catholics who sent their children to parochial schools and faithfully attended Sunday Mass at St. Andrew Church in Newtown, where Brennan was assigned.
"When the collar came down, he was Jim. He was one of the guys," the man testified.
He occasionally looked over at Brennan, who showed no emotion. He faced the jury when he described what he said happened the summer after he finished eighth grade.
He said that in the summer of 1996, Brennan took him to his apartment with a plan to watch movies in the evening and get up the next morning for a day of golfing. At the apartment, Brennan showed him online pornography, fondled himself then got into bed with him, the man testified.
"I was a little boy. I didn't know what to do," he said, sobbing.
Both were clothed as Brennan pressed his genitals against the boy's buttocks, according to the man's testimony.
"As soon as he laid down he put his arms around me … and he kept squeezing me and inching forward and forward and forward," he testified. He remembered praying to be able to fall asleep, and said he wet himself, but does not remember anything beyond that.
Brennan's lawyers say the accuser has a history of lying and has been in trouble with the law. The accuser testified during cross-examination that he has had psychological problems and grappled with substance abuse as a result of the molestation.
Priest allegedly bragged about having sex with boys
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WFMZ
PHILADELPHIA -
Jurors in the Philadelphia priest sex abuse trial heard startling testimony Monday about a priest who allegedly bragged about having sex with boys.
A detective took the stand and read a memo about a priest who quote "joked about how difficult it was to have sex with three boys in one week."
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. He is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints.
Testimony earlier in the day included a 1992 complaint about a priest who allegedly molested boys at a church-owned camp in the early 1960s.
Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files.
Another priest is on trial for trying to rape a 14-year-old boy.
Copyright 2012 WFMZ. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Jury Hears Dozens of Memos From Philly Archdiocese
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
ABC News
PHILADELPHIA April 3, 2012 (AP)
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jury-hears-dozens-memos-philly-archdiocese-16062104
A series of confidential memos outlining multiple allegations of sexual abuse against a now-defrocked priest were read to jurors Tuesday in the landmark clergy abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.
The memos describe how the archdiocese handled the allegations lodged in the 1990s against the Rev. Stanley Gana. Prosecutors are trying to show that the archdiocese didn't do enough to protect children from Gana after the accusations arose.
Monsignor William Lynn, 61, supervised more than 800 priests as the secretary for clergy in Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004. He's the first U.S. church official charged over his handling of abuse complaints against priests.
Prosecutors charge that he kept dangerous priests in parish work around children to protect the church's reputation and avoid scandal. He faces up to 28 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment.
A detective read confidential memos and other documents to jurors about Gana that dated back to 1992. The documents include reports made to the church, and conversations with Lynn and others, by several young men who said they were molested by Gana for years as adolescents.
Jurors were told that Gana remained as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows parish in Bridgeport, Pa., until 1995 — three years after the first accusations surfaced but shortly after concerns arose among archdiocesan officials that one accuser might go public with his story.
After repeatedly denying his accusers' allegations, Gana entered a Canadian treatment facility in 1996 where "he broke down ... he admitted everything," according to a note from the treatment center that was sent to Lynn and presented in court. Still, the facility concluded that Gana was not a pedophile and said his improper sexual conduct stemmed from alcohol and drug addiction.
Because he was not deemed a pedophile, Gana remained a priest. He was not removed from ministry until 2002, when the archdiocese announced a change in policy in the wake of the priest molestation scandals that were surfacing in Boston.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington suggested to the jury that Gana's removal from priestly duties was largely the result of a policy change spurred by the Boston scandal.
Lynn's lawyers contend he tried to address the abuse allegations as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked at the time by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom pointed out memos where Lynn recommended in the 1990s that Gana's priestly duties be limited and that he be closely supervised pending the completion of a drug and alcohol treatment program, but that higher-ups in the church, including Bevilacqua, disagreed and told Lynn to revise his recommendations to say the archdiocese would "not stand in his way" if Gana sought an assignment elsewhere.
"That would certainly be one way of getting rid of Father Gana (in Philadelphia), wouldn't it," Bergstrom said. "That's not the recommendation that Monsignor Lynn made."
Bevilacqua died in January, although the jury might see the videotaped deposition he gave weeks earlier. Lynn's child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last several months.
Gana was defrocked in 2006 but never criminally charged. A phone listing for him could not immediately be located, and the archdiocese declined to comment on the allegations against him, citing a judge's gag order.
Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan, who is charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in 1996. He and Lynn have both entered not guilty pleas.
A third co-defendant, defrocked priest Edward Avery, entered a guilty plea on the eve of the trial to some of the charges.
Prosecutors Detail Long History Of Alleged Abuse By Priests
ABC News
PHILADELPHIA April 3, 2012 (AP)
http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/jury-hears-dozens-memos-philly-archdiocese-16062104
A series of confidential memos outlining multiple allegations of sexual abuse against a now-defrocked priest were read to jurors Tuesday in the landmark clergy abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.
The memos describe how the archdiocese handled the allegations lodged in the 1990s against the Rev. Stanley Gana. Prosecutors are trying to show that the archdiocese didn't do enough to protect children from Gana after the accusations arose.
Monsignor William Lynn, 61, supervised more than 800 priests as the secretary for clergy in Philadelphia from 1992 to 2004. He's the first U.S. church official charged over his handling of abuse complaints against priests.
Prosecutors charge that he kept dangerous priests in parish work around children to protect the church's reputation and avoid scandal. He faces up to 28 years in prison if convicted of conspiracy and child endangerment.
A detective read confidential memos and other documents to jurors about Gana that dated back to 1992. The documents include reports made to the church, and conversations with Lynn and others, by several young men who said they were molested by Gana for years as adolescents.
Jurors were told that Gana remained as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows parish in Bridgeport, Pa., until 1995 — three years after the first accusations surfaced but shortly after concerns arose among archdiocesan officials that one accuser might go public with his story.
After repeatedly denying his accusers' allegations, Gana entered a Canadian treatment facility in 1996 where "he broke down ... he admitted everything," according to a note from the treatment center that was sent to Lynn and presented in court. Still, the facility concluded that Gana was not a pedophile and said his improper sexual conduct stemmed from alcohol and drug addiction.
Because he was not deemed a pedophile, Gana remained a priest. He was not removed from ministry until 2002, when the archdiocese announced a change in policy in the wake of the priest molestation scandals that were surfacing in Boston.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington suggested to the jury that Gana's removal from priestly duties was largely the result of a policy change spurred by the Boston scandal.
Lynn's lawyers contend he tried to address the abuse allegations as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked at the time by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom pointed out memos where Lynn recommended in the 1990s that Gana's priestly duties be limited and that he be closely supervised pending the completion of a drug and alcohol treatment program, but that higher-ups in the church, including Bevilacqua, disagreed and told Lynn to revise his recommendations to say the archdiocese would "not stand in his way" if Gana sought an assignment elsewhere.
"That would certainly be one way of getting rid of Father Gana (in Philadelphia), wouldn't it," Bergstrom said. "That's not the recommendation that Monsignor Lynn made."
Bevilacqua died in January, although the jury might see the videotaped deposition he gave weeks earlier. Lynn's child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last several months.
Gana was defrocked in 2006 but never criminally charged. A phone listing for him could not immediately be located, and the archdiocese declined to comment on the allegations against him, citing a judge's gag order.
Also on trial is the Rev. James Brennan, who is charged with raping a 14-year-old boy in 1996. He and Lynn have both entered not guilty pleas.
A third co-defendant, defrocked priest Edward Avery, entered a guilty plea on the eve of the trial to some of the charges.
Prosecutors Detail Long History Of Alleged Abuse By Priests
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The prosecution in the clergy abuse case alleges defendant Monsignor William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing alleged and admitted predator priests to remain in ministry, is guilty of a pattern of conduct that dates back decades in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
The prosecution has presented evidence of a priest, Father John Cannon, who allegedly sexually assaulted a series of boys at a school summer camp from 1959 through 1964 and admitted it to church officials. But, he remained in ministry for decades.
And, authorities allege Monsignor William Lynn, who became secretary for clergy in 1992, knew of these allegations, but neither he nor any other church official did anything until a victim came forward in 1992 and threatened legal action.
Then, mental health treatment was ordered, but still Father Cannon continued as chaplain at a girl’s high school until 2004. Cannon was never charged with any crimes. The archdiocese says he has accepted a supervised life of prayer and penance.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) – The prosecution in the clergy abuse case alleges defendant Monsignor William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing alleged and admitted predator priests to remain in ministry, is guilty of a pattern of conduct that dates back decades in the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
The prosecution has presented evidence of a priest, Father John Cannon, who allegedly sexually assaulted a series of boys at a school summer camp from 1959 through 1964 and admitted it to church officials. But, he remained in ministry for decades.
And, authorities allege Monsignor William Lynn, who became secretary for clergy in 1992, knew of these allegations, but neither he nor any other church official did anything until a victim came forward in 1992 and threatened legal action.
Then, mental health treatment was ordered, but still Father Cannon continued as chaplain at a girl’s high school until 2004. Cannon was never charged with any crimes. The archdiocese says he has accepted a supervised life of prayer and penance.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Mail (United Kingdom)
By Damien Gayle
A priest joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week, claimed internal Catholic church documents revealed in court for the first time yesterday.
The startling testimony came in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, 61, who is accused of helping the Philadelphia archdiocese bury priest abuse complaints in secret files.
Lynn, who faces charges of child endangerment and conspiracy, is the first Roman Catholic church official to be charged in the U.S. for his handling of priest abuse complaints.
The scandal of child sex abuse by Catholic priests has reverberated internationally, and caused a worldwide crisis of faith in the Roman church.
Daily Mail (United Kingdom)
By Damien Gayle
A priest joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week, claimed internal Catholic church documents revealed in court for the first time yesterday.
The startling testimony came in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, 61, who is accused of helping the Philadelphia archdiocese bury priest abuse complaints in secret files.
Lynn, who faces charges of child endangerment and conspiracy, is the first Roman Catholic church official to be charged in the U.S. for his handling of priest abuse complaints.
The scandal of child sex abuse by Catholic priests has reverberated internationally, and caused a worldwide crisis of faith in the Roman church.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
April 02, 2012|By John P. Martin,
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
One priest, the Rev. John Cannon, sneaked into a cabin at night at a church-run camp, groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.
Another, the Rev. Stanley Gana, had a stable of boys rotate through his rectory bedroom, once inviting two at the same time so neither thought he was playing favorites.
In both cases, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia left the men in ministry for years after allegations against them first surfaced, a Philadelphia jury was told Monday.
As the landmark conspiracy and endangerment trial started a second week, prosecutors offered scores of secret church documents in their bid to prove that Msgr. William J. Lynn and other church leaders ignored or failed to act swiftly on claims that priests were sexually abusing children.
By that time, Cannon had similar complaints in his secret file, according to records read at the trial by Detective David Fisher of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.
Philadelphia Inquirer
April 02, 2012|By John P. Martin,
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
One priest, the Rev. John Cannon, sneaked into a cabin at night at a church-run camp, groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.
Another, the Rev. Stanley Gana, had a stable of boys rotate through his rectory bedroom, once inviting two at the same time so neither thought he was playing favorites.
In both cases, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia left the men in ministry for years after allegations against them first surfaced, a Philadelphia jury was told Monday.
As the landmark conspiracy and endangerment trial started a second week, prosecutors offered scores of secret church documents in their bid to prove that Msgr. William J. Lynn and other church leaders ignored or failed to act swiftly on claims that priests were sexually abusing children.
By that time, Cannon had similar complaints in his secret file, according to records read at the trial by Detective David Fisher of the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office.
UNITED STATES
The Worthy Adversary
Posted by Joelle Casteix on April 2, 2012
Why, oh why, does the Catholic Church continue to bestow honors and awards on tragically flawed wrong-doers?
Trial watchers in Philadelphia have been treated to a firsthand view of vile and disgusting human behavior. What makes it worse is that the evildoers are priests and the victims are children. The lede from the Philadephia Inquirer’s Sunday story on the trial is enough to make even the hard-hearted ill:
Stalking. Groping. Gay bondage porn.
A sexually graphic love letter to a grade-school boy.
That they emerged in testimony about priests – and at times, from priests – only amplified the uneasiness.
One would think that the big boss who allowed this activity to continue and flourish would be castigated and forced to live a life of penance and contrition. Not so much.
Disgraced Philly Cardinal Justin Rigali—who retired last year after the Philadelphia Grand Jury exposed the fact that he was keeping more than two dozen accused priests in ministry in 2011—has been honored by the Pope as a special envoy and this week will be a special Mass celebrant at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
The Worthy Adversary
Posted by Joelle Casteix on April 2, 2012
Why, oh why, does the Catholic Church continue to bestow honors and awards on tragically flawed wrong-doers?
Trial watchers in Philadelphia have been treated to a firsthand view of vile and disgusting human behavior. What makes it worse is that the evildoers are priests and the victims are children. The lede from the Philadephia Inquirer’s Sunday story on the trial is enough to make even the hard-hearted ill:
Stalking. Groping. Gay bondage porn.
A sexually graphic love letter to a grade-school boy.
That they emerged in testimony about priests – and at times, from priests – only amplified the uneasiness.
One would think that the big boss who allowed this activity to continue and flourish would be castigated and forced to live a life of penance and contrition. Not so much.
Disgraced Philly Cardinal Justin Rigali—who retired last year after the Philadelphia Grand Jury exposed the fact that he was keeping more than two dozen accused priests in ministry in 2011—has been honored by the Pope as a special envoy and this week will be a special Mass celebrant at St. Patrick’s Cathedral in New York.
Priest, admitted abuser, told to keep a low profile
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia let a pastor who admitted abusing adolescent boys at a Northeast Philadelphia parish return to limited ministry in 1997 because doctors said his problem had been substance abuse, not pedophilia, jurors were told today.
After his return from treatment, the Rev. Stanley Gana was assigned as the chaplain for a monastery of Carmelite nuns,
Msgr. William J. Lynn, the administrator who recommended his assignment and had interviewed two of his victims, told Gana he could also occasionally assist at parishes - as long as he kept "a low-profile" in the diocese.
"I said it would be fine if Gana helps out, if it was not a Northeast parish or a parish with a school," Lynn wrote in a confidential memo.
Philadelphia prosecutors introduced the records today as they sought to prove that Lynn, the archdiocese's former secretary for clergy, endangered children by enabling or failing to remove priests suspected of abusing children.
Gana is not charged, but he's one of nearly two dozen priests that prosecutors say jurors need to hear about because they illustrate how Lynn and other church officials handled decades of abuse complaints.
The documents presented in court today showed that Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua allowed Gana to resign as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Bridgeport in 1995 after two men had alleged he abused them a decade earlier at Our Lady of Calvary in Northeast Philadelphia. Gana's resignation letter and Bevilacqua's acceptance said he was stepping down for "health" reasons.
Gana had repeatedly denied the abuse allegations, but admitted them in 1996 to a nun who was counseling him at Southdown, an Ontario, Canada treatment center, the records show. She told Lynn about the confession.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington highlighted one memo that said the treatment center doctors concluded that Gana did not suffer from pedophilia or ephebophilia - sexual disorders involving children or teens - but acted out sexually because of deep substance abuse addiction.
"He's admitted to having sex with 11- and 12-year-old boys, but he's not a pedophile or an ephebophile?" Blessington asked Det. Joseph Walsh of the prosecutor's office, one of the lead investigators in the case.
"That's what the report says," Walsh testified.
Because of that diagnosis, the archdiocese took him back. In September 1997, Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua wrote Gana a letter welcoming him.
But the records show that church leaders were concerned about where to put Gana, if his past accusers would resurface and if more accusers might come forward. In one memo to the cardinal, Lynn said Gana's monastery assignment would "minimize the possibility of unwanted publicity."
Gana was removed in 2002, after the clergy sex-abuse exploded and the archdiocese implemented a new policy barring any priest from active ministry following accusations of abuse. He was defrocked in 2006.
One of Lynn's lawyers, Thomas Bergstrom, pointed out that the nuns running the monastery knew Gana's past and that he was not allowed unsupervised time with children.
Bergstrom also highlighted documents showing that Bevilacqua and two of his top aides, Bishops Edward Cullen and Joseph Cistone, were actively involved in decisions regarding Gana. In one memo he cited, Cullen directed Lynn to revise his recommendations for when and how Gana could return to ministry.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The Archdiocese of Philadelphia let a pastor who admitted abusing adolescent boys at a Northeast Philadelphia parish return to limited ministry in 1997 because doctors said his problem had been substance abuse, not pedophilia, jurors were told today.
After his return from treatment, the Rev. Stanley Gana was assigned as the chaplain for a monastery of Carmelite nuns,
Msgr. William J. Lynn, the administrator who recommended his assignment and had interviewed two of his victims, told Gana he could also occasionally assist at parishes - as long as he kept "a low-profile" in the diocese.
"I said it would be fine if Gana helps out, if it was not a Northeast parish or a parish with a school," Lynn wrote in a confidential memo.
Philadelphia prosecutors introduced the records today as they sought to prove that Lynn, the archdiocese's former secretary for clergy, endangered children by enabling or failing to remove priests suspected of abusing children.
Gana is not charged, but he's one of nearly two dozen priests that prosecutors say jurors need to hear about because they illustrate how Lynn and other church officials handled decades of abuse complaints.
The documents presented in court today showed that Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua allowed Gana to resign as pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows in Bridgeport in 1995 after two men had alleged he abused them a decade earlier at Our Lady of Calvary in Northeast Philadelphia. Gana's resignation letter and Bevilacqua's acceptance said he was stepping down for "health" reasons.
Gana had repeatedly denied the abuse allegations, but admitted them in 1996 to a nun who was counseling him at Southdown, an Ontario, Canada treatment center, the records show. She told Lynn about the confession.
Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington highlighted one memo that said the treatment center doctors concluded that Gana did not suffer from pedophilia or ephebophilia - sexual disorders involving children or teens - but acted out sexually because of deep substance abuse addiction.
"He's admitted to having sex with 11- and 12-year-old boys, but he's not a pedophile or an ephebophile?" Blessington asked Det. Joseph Walsh of the prosecutor's office, one of the lead investigators in the case.
"That's what the report says," Walsh testified.
Because of that diagnosis, the archdiocese took him back. In September 1997, Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua wrote Gana a letter welcoming him.
But the records show that church leaders were concerned about where to put Gana, if his past accusers would resurface and if more accusers might come forward. In one memo to the cardinal, Lynn said Gana's monastery assignment would "minimize the possibility of unwanted publicity."
Gana was removed in 2002, after the clergy sex-abuse exploded and the archdiocese implemented a new policy barring any priest from active ministry following accusations of abuse. He was defrocked in 2006.
One of Lynn's lawyers, Thomas Bergstrom, pointed out that the nuns running the monastery knew Gana's past and that he was not allowed unsupervised time with children.
Bergstrom also highlighted documents showing that Bevilacqua and two of his top aides, Bishops Edward Cullen and Joseph Cistone, were actively involved in decisions regarding Gana. In one memo he cited, Cullen directed Lynn to revise his recommendations for when and how Gana could return to ministry.
DAILY GRINDER: Priest Abuse Case Gets Sicker
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Weekly - Daily Grinder
Apr 3, 2012 by Randy LoBasso
Priest abuse cases are always bad. Sure. But there’s something about the Philadelphia case, specifically, that sort of makes me throw up a little, each time I read about it. Maybe it’s the detailed, alleged maniacal perversion of the individual, uncharged priests who will never see the inside of a jail cell or that Cardinal Lynn apparently let it all happen. Or maybe it’s the fact that Archbishop Charles Chaput has publicly endorsed Lynn and focused on national healthcare and school vouchers instead of, I don’t know, showing any remorse for what happened or, let’s say apologizing to the victims of the crimes he and his organization have now come to represent in this city. Either way, yesterday a detective read internal church memos about one priest who “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” Another priest, Rev. John Cannon, used to sneak into a cabin at a church-run camp, “groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.”
Priest abuse cases are always bad. Sure. But there’s something about the Philadelphia case, specifically, that sort of makes me throw up a little, each time I read about it. Maybe it’s the detailed, alleged maniacal perversion of the individual, uncharged priests who will never see the inside of a jail cell or that Cardinal Lynn apparently let it all happen. Or maybe it’s the fact that Archbishop Charles Chaput has publicly endorsed Lynn and focused on national healthcare and school vouchers instead of, I don’t know, showing any remorse for what happened or, let’s say apologizing to the victims of the crimes he and his organization have now come to represent in this city. Either way, yesterday a detective read internal church memos about one priest who “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” Another priest, Rev. John Cannon, used to sneak into a cabin at a church-run camp, “groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.” With friends/members like these, it doesn’t matter if you can get your school vouchers or not. The laws of rationality say less people are putting their children under the supervision of Catholic priests.
This debate has begun: Pennsylvania House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) has taken up the issue of trimming the state House by 50 seats. Pennsylvania has the largest full-time legislature in the country.
According to one report, the Sunoco oil refinery has at least four potential bidders, and the ConocoPhillips one has one or two.
Does new Philadelphia Media Network ownership mean I have to suffer through full-page Wawa ads that take 10 seconds to load? Because that keeps happening.
In the meantime, pledges have been made: The new owners will not meddle in news affairs. They’ve also publicly stated they’re interested in increasing staff, not more layoffs.
Gov. Tom Corbett has made a “request for qualifications” from companies who think they may be able to run the Pennsylvania lottery, instead of the state. And with that, he’s taken the first step toward privatizing the scam as old as scams themselves.
Rick Santorum recently said the only poll that shows he’s slipping was conducted by a “Democratic hack” in one Terry Madonna. But now a new poll, out of Mercyhurst College (oh, right. That place!), also shows the former Pennsylvania Senator slipping…slipping…he leads Romney by just six points.
And here’s a photo/video dump of Rick Santorum drinking beer. Because sure.
Philadelphia Weekly - Daily Grinder
Apr 3, 2012 by Randy LoBasso
Priest abuse cases are always bad. Sure. But there’s something about the Philadelphia case, specifically, that sort of makes me throw up a little, each time I read about it. Maybe it’s the detailed, alleged maniacal perversion of the individual, uncharged priests who will never see the inside of a jail cell or that Cardinal Lynn apparently let it all happen. Or maybe it’s the fact that Archbishop Charles Chaput has publicly endorsed Lynn and focused on national healthcare and school vouchers instead of, I don’t know, showing any remorse for what happened or, let’s say apologizing to the victims of the crimes he and his organization have now come to represent in this city. Either way, yesterday a detective read internal church memos about one priest who “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” Another priest, Rev. John Cannon, used to sneak into a cabin at a church-run camp, “groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.”
Priest abuse cases are always bad. Sure. But there’s something about the Philadelphia case, specifically, that sort of makes me throw up a little, each time I read about it. Maybe it’s the detailed, alleged maniacal perversion of the individual, uncharged priests who will never see the inside of a jail cell or that Cardinal Lynn apparently let it all happen. Or maybe it’s the fact that Archbishop Charles Chaput has publicly endorsed Lynn and focused on national healthcare and school vouchers instead of, I don’t know, showing any remorse for what happened or, let’s say apologizing to the victims of the crimes he and his organization have now come to represent in this city. Either way, yesterday a detective read internal church memos about one priest who “joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week.” Another priest, Rev. John Cannon, used to sneak into a cabin at a church-run camp, “groped the boys in their beds, and forced them to do the same to him.” With friends/members like these, it doesn’t matter if you can get your school vouchers or not. The laws of rationality say less people are putting their children under the supervision of Catholic priests.
This debate has begun: Pennsylvania House Speaker Sam Smith (R-Jefferson) has taken up the issue of trimming the state House by 50 seats. Pennsylvania has the largest full-time legislature in the country.
According to one report, the Sunoco oil refinery has at least four potential bidders, and the ConocoPhillips one has one or two.
Does new Philadelphia Media Network ownership mean I have to suffer through full-page Wawa ads that take 10 seconds to load? Because that keeps happening.
In the meantime, pledges have been made: The new owners will not meddle in news affairs. They’ve also publicly stated they’re interested in increasing staff, not more layoffs.
Gov. Tom Corbett has made a “request for qualifications” from companies who think they may be able to run the Pennsylvania lottery, instead of the state. And with that, he’s taken the first step toward privatizing the scam as old as scams themselves.
Rick Santorum recently said the only poll that shows he’s slipping was conducted by a “Democratic hack” in one Terry Madonna. But now a new poll, out of Mercyhurst College (oh, right. That place!), also shows the former Pennsylvania Senator slipping…slipping…he leads Romney by just six points.
And here’s a photo/video dump of Rick Santorum drinking beer. Because sure.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The boys, nine of them, came forward in the early 1960s, each recounting how the Rev. John A. Cannon had molested them, sometimes repeatedly, at a summer camp run by their South Philadelphia parish, St. Monica's.
A priest documented the accusations, Cannon was transferred to another parish, and a letter about the claims went into his personnel file at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
When one of the boys, now a man, came forward in 1992 and later threatened to sue, Msgr. William J. Lynn told him that Cannon would be immediately removed, as were all priests accused of abuse.
"He was told they are never assigned where children are concerned," according to a memo on their meeting shown to jurors today at Lynn's trial in Common Pleas Court.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
The boys, nine of them, came forward in the early 1960s, each recounting how the Rev. John A. Cannon had molested them, sometimes repeatedly, at a summer camp run by their South Philadelphia parish, St. Monica's.
A priest documented the accusations, Cannon was transferred to another parish, and a letter about the claims went into his personnel file at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
When one of the boys, now a man, came forward in 1992 and later threatened to sue, Msgr. William J. Lynn told him that Cannon would be immediately removed, as were all priests accused of abuse.
"He was told they are never assigned where children are concerned," according to a memo on their meeting shown to jurors today at Lynn's trial in Common Pleas Court.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Local News
The child endangerment trial of the Rev. Monsignor William Lynn resumes in Philadelphia. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Roman Catholic Church official to be charged in the United States in connection with clerical sexual abuse.
While the 61-year-old priest himself has not been charged with sexually abusing children, he has been accused of protecting known pedophile priests from criminal prosecution by not reporting them to civil authorities and instead placing them in assignments where they still had access to children.
Defense attorneys maintain that Lynn, who served as secretary of the clergy from 1992 to 2004 and was responsible for investigating clerical sexual abuse, was just following orders of his two superiors, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal Justin Rigali, former archbishops of Philadelphia. Bevilacqua, who was battling cancer, died Jan. 31, the day after a judge ruled that his deposition videotaped last November could be included in Lynn’s trial.
Daily Local News
The child endangerment trial of the Rev. Monsignor William Lynn resumes in Philadelphia. He has the dubious distinction of being the first Roman Catholic Church official to be charged in the United States in connection with clerical sexual abuse.
While the 61-year-old priest himself has not been charged with sexually abusing children, he has been accused of protecting known pedophile priests from criminal prosecution by not reporting them to civil authorities and instead placing them in assignments where they still had access to children.
Defense attorneys maintain that Lynn, who served as secretary of the clergy from 1992 to 2004 and was responsible for investigating clerical sexual abuse, was just following orders of his two superiors, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and Cardinal Justin Rigali, former archbishops of Philadelphia. Bevilacqua, who was battling cancer, died Jan. 31, the day after a judge ruled that his deposition videotaped last November could be included in Lynn’s trial.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Olympian
By MARYCLAIRE DALE | Associated Press • Published April 02, 2012
Two jurors in the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia were dismissed Monday, just one week into the trial that could last three months or more.
It's not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed, but two of the eight alternates seated replaced them.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics. ...
The testimony Monday included a 1992 complaint about a priest who allegedly molested boys at a church-owned camp three decades earlier.
Several junior counselors complained in the early 1960s that the priest was on the prowl at night, molesting them in their tents. They said it was a well-known secret among teen counselors for several years.
The priest remained in ministry, working at three archdiocesan high schools and serving as assistant superintendent of Catholic schools in the mid-1960s. Confronted after a man complained to the archdiocese in 1992, the priest admitted to the "sin" of masturbation and said he had read up on that subject because so many people were mentioning it in the confessional.
The campers, too, referred to it as a "sin" that they had committed with the priest on various occasions. Some did not report it then because they "lacked courage" or feared the consequences, a detective testified, based on his reading of the church files.
The Olympian
By MARYCLAIRE DALE | Associated Press • Published April 02, 2012
Two jurors in the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia were dismissed Monday, just one week into the trial that could last three months or more.
It's not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed, but two of the eight alternates seated replaced them.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics. ...
The testimony Monday included a 1992 complaint about a priest who allegedly molested boys at a church-owned camp three decades earlier.
Several junior counselors complained in the early 1960s that the priest was on the prowl at night, molesting them in their tents. They said it was a well-known secret among teen counselors for several years.
The priest remained in ministry, working at three archdiocesan high schools and serving as assistant superintendent of Catholic schools in the mid-1960s. Confronted after a man complained to the archdiocese in 1992, the priest admitted to the "sin" of masturbation and said he had read up on that subject because so many people were mentioning it in the confessional.
The campers, too, referred to it as a "sin" that they had committed with the priest on various occasions. Some did not report it then because they "lacked courage" or feared the consequences, a detective testified, based on his reading of the church files.
Gerald T. Slevin, Open Appeal to Reporters at the Philadelphia Inquirer: A Time of Truth About Child Abuse
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin, a retired Wall Street lawyer who frequently comments at Catholic blog sites about the abuse situation in the American Catholic church, has sent me a copy of an open letter he wrote yesterday calling on the Philadelphia Inquirer to keep light shining as brightly as possible on the case now going on in Philadelphia, as well as on the abuse situation in the archdiocese of Philadelphia. I'm very happy to post Jerry's open letter here and at Open Tabernacle. It's well-written, powerfully stated, and full of valuable information--as with everything he writes. It also fits right in with what I just posted about E.J. Dionne's article critiquing centrist complicity in the extremist strategies of the far right.
---------------------------------------
Today's Philadelphia Inquirer articles make clear that last week's opening of the criminal trial of Monsignor Lynn, the Philadelphia Archdiocese's former top priest personnel aide to two former Cardinals, was a watershed moment for Philly Catholics and potentially for worldwide Catholicism. Each of you are both witnesses to, and key participants in, the unfolding events. While the Associated Press and NY Times' columnists and reporters, among others, have followed this story closely, this has mainly been the Philadelphia Inquirer's story from the start.
The world is watching closely to see if America's justifiably fabled free press can finally break through the countless diversions offered worldwide by the Catholic hierarchy and their well funded apologists and well placed advocates. Vatican experts recently indicated at an "abuse summit" in Rome that over 100,000 American children have been sexually abused by priests, yet no bishop has yet been held accountable under the American criminal law system. The Lynn trial may lead to changing that, assuming that Philly District Attorney, Seth Williams, doesn't stop at Lynn and follows through by investigating diligently up the hierarchical ladder to the ultimate decision makers, the Philly Bishops and Cardinals.
The deceitful hierarchical myth that the priest child sexual abuse problem resulted from a few rogue "bad apples" has already been laid to rest forever by the trial, thanks to the exceptional reporting by you and others. The answers to the bigger questions, whether the full truth will be uncovered and whether the hierarchs ultimately responsible will receive justice, remain to be seen.
Bilgrimage
Jerry Slevin, a retired Wall Street lawyer who frequently comments at Catholic blog sites about the abuse situation in the American Catholic church, has sent me a copy of an open letter he wrote yesterday calling on the Philadelphia Inquirer to keep light shining as brightly as possible on the case now going on in Philadelphia, as well as on the abuse situation in the archdiocese of Philadelphia. I'm very happy to post Jerry's open letter here and at Open Tabernacle. It's well-written, powerfully stated, and full of valuable information--as with everything he writes. It also fits right in with what I just posted about E.J. Dionne's article critiquing centrist complicity in the extremist strategies of the far right.
---------------------------------------
Today's Philadelphia Inquirer articles make clear that last week's opening of the criminal trial of Monsignor Lynn, the Philadelphia Archdiocese's former top priest personnel aide to two former Cardinals, was a watershed moment for Philly Catholics and potentially for worldwide Catholicism. Each of you are both witnesses to, and key participants in, the unfolding events. While the Associated Press and NY Times' columnists and reporters, among others, have followed this story closely, this has mainly been the Philadelphia Inquirer's story from the start.
The world is watching closely to see if America's justifiably fabled free press can finally break through the countless diversions offered worldwide by the Catholic hierarchy and their well funded apologists and well placed advocates. Vatican experts recently indicated at an "abuse summit" in Rome that over 100,000 American children have been sexually abused by priests, yet no bishop has yet been held accountable under the American criminal law system. The Lynn trial may lead to changing that, assuming that Philly District Attorney, Seth Williams, doesn't stop at Lynn and follows through by investigating diligently up the hierarchical ladder to the ultimate decision makers, the Philly Bishops and Cardinals.
The deceitful hierarchical myth that the priest child sexual abuse problem resulted from a few rogue "bad apples" has already been laid to rest forever by the trial, thanks to the exceptional reporting by you and others. The answers to the bigger questions, whether the full truth will be uncovered and whether the hierarchs ultimately responsible will receive justice, remain to be seen.
Philadelphia Priest Charged With Endangering Children Was Protecting Them, Defense Says
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The defense in the Philadelphia clergy child abuse case (see related stories) used some prosecution evidence today in the defense of Msgr. William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing predatory priests to remain in ministry.
Testimony has continued to focus on a despicable letter allegedly written by a priest to a boy soliciting sex — a letter that was never sent (see related story).
The defense has presented evidence through cross-examination that Lynn acted within days of learning of the letter, talking to Father Michael Murtha and ordering Murtha to treatment.
The defense told the jury Lynn did his job, but he was not responsible for priest placements.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The defense in the Philadelphia clergy child abuse case (see related stories) used some prosecution evidence today in the defense of Msgr. William Lynn, charged with endangering children by allowing predatory priests to remain in ministry.
Testimony has continued to focus on a despicable letter allegedly written by a priest to a boy soliciting sex — a letter that was never sent (see related story).
The defense has presented evidence through cross-examination that Lynn acted within days of learning of the letter, talking to Father Michael Murtha and ordering Murtha to treatment.
The defense told the jury Lynn did his job, but he was not responsible for priest placements.
2 jurors removed ...
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Washington Post
2 jurors removed from Philly priest-abuse trial for unknown reasons; trial enters 2nd week
By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, April 2
Two jurors have been dismissed just one week into the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.
It’s not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed Monday, but two of eight alternates replaced them.
Monsignor William Lynn’s child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last three months or more.
The 61-year-old Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files.
Washington Post
2 jurors removed from Philly priest-abuse trial for unknown reasons; trial enters 2nd week
By Associated Press, Updated: Monday, April 2
Two jurors have been dismissed just one week into the landmark priest-abuse trial under way in Philadelphia.
It’s not clear why the pair were removed before the trial resumed Monday, but two of eight alternates replaced them.
Monsignor William Lynn’s child endangerment and conspiracy trial could last three months or more.
The 61-year-old Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files.
A Monsignor Goes on Trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The New York Times
Editorial
A long overdue step of accountability in the sex abuse of children by wayward Catholic priests — the first-ever trial of a diocesan supervisor for allegedly covering up the scandal — has opened in Philadelphia. The issue of hierarchal responsibility is finally front and center.
Msgr. William Lynn, the supervisor of Philadelphia priests for 12 years, is defending himself from criminal conspiracy charges by alleging that culpability for the scandal extended to the head of the archdiocese — via a secret archive he compiled on predator priests that he said was ordered shredded in 1994 by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Whether the jury believes Monsignor Lynn’s contention that he innocently did his duty by compiling the archive and handing it on to his superiors is an open question. But its value in shedding light on backroom maneuvering is already clear. A copy was found in a diocesan safe six years ago and turned over to authorities this year as criminal investigators looked into years of alleged rapes and other abuses of schoolchildren. Cardinal Bevilacqua was expected to testify but died earlier this year.
The trial is recapitulating painful aspects of the nationwide scandal in which more than 700 priests had to be dismissed in a three-year period while the church’s upper echelons faced no criminal charges. The trial unfolds eight years after a review panel of laity appointed by the nation’s bishops urgently warned that to repair the church’s reputation “there must be consequences” for ranking church officials who engineered cover-ups.
The New York Times
Editorial
A long overdue step of accountability in the sex abuse of children by wayward Catholic priests — the first-ever trial of a diocesan supervisor for allegedly covering up the scandal — has opened in Philadelphia. The issue of hierarchal responsibility is finally front and center.
Msgr. William Lynn, the supervisor of Philadelphia priests for 12 years, is defending himself from criminal conspiracy charges by alleging that culpability for the scandal extended to the head of the archdiocese — via a secret archive he compiled on predator priests that he said was ordered shredded in 1994 by Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Whether the jury believes Monsignor Lynn’s contention that he innocently did his duty by compiling the archive and handing it on to his superiors is an open question. But its value in shedding light on backroom maneuvering is already clear. A copy was found in a diocesan safe six years ago and turned over to authorities this year as criminal investigators looked into years of alleged rapes and other abuses of schoolchildren. Cardinal Bevilacqua was expected to testify but died earlier this year.
The trial is recapitulating painful aspects of the nationwide scandal in which more than 700 priests had to be dismissed in a three-year period while the church’s upper echelons faced no criminal charges. The trial unfolds eight years after a review panel of laity appointed by the nation’s bishops urgently warned that to repair the church’s reputation “there must be consequences” for ranking church officials who engineered cover-ups.
In the courtroom, a series of priests have testified for the prosecution in obvious discomfort, telling of rogue colleagues merely being moved among parishes by the diocese to avoid public scandal. One told of how the diocese tried to treat pedophile priests like alcoholics with “Sexaholics Anonymous” programs.
Cardinal Justin Rigali has suspended two dozen priests since a grand jury severely criticized him and reported that dozens of credibly accused priests still remained in ministry despite a proclaimed “zero tolerance” policy. Cardinal Rigali has insisted the diocese was aggressive in rooting out bad priests.
Catholic parishioners deserve the fullest possible accounting of the scandalous abuse of their children. The trial of Monsignor Lynn is a step in the right direction.
Lawyers, Judge Go At It
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The archdiocese sex abuse trial erupted Tuesday, as defense lawyers sought more latitude to defend their clients.
William Brennan, representing Father James Brennan, pressed Judge M. Teresa Sarmina to allow him to question an alleged sex abuse victim on an incident where he allegedly filed a false statement with police about a non-existent home invasion. The alleged victim has, according to attorney Brennan, been in and out of jail, and "He makes up stories."
"Stop yelling at me," the judge told Brennan. She agreed to take a two-page motion filed by Brenann under advisement. The motion concerned ground rules for questioning the alleged victim on Wednesday morning. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington countered that this argument had been ruled on by the judge in preliminary trial motions, and that the only thing new in the debate was that attorney Brennan had gotten louder.
Also, the judge asked the jury to step out after defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom tried to question a detective on cross examination on whether the state's mental health procedures act would prevent his client, Msgr. William J. Lynn, to disclose facts concerning the psychiatric evaluation of Father Stanley M. Gana.
Lynn had been asked by a man who had been abused by Gana whether the priest had confessed to molesting him. Lynn replied that the priest had continued to deny the man's allegations, even though Lynn knew that the priest had in fact confessed to his therapist that the allegations by the alleged victim, and two others, were all true.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The archdiocese sex abuse trial erupted Tuesday, as defense lawyers sought more latitude to defend their clients.
William Brennan, representing Father James Brennan, pressed Judge M. Teresa Sarmina to allow him to question an alleged sex abuse victim on an incident where he allegedly filed a false statement with police about a non-existent home invasion. The alleged victim has, according to attorney Brennan, been in and out of jail, and "He makes up stories."
"Stop yelling at me," the judge told Brennan. She agreed to take a two-page motion filed by Brenann under advisement. The motion concerned ground rules for questioning the alleged victim on Wednesday morning. Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington countered that this argument had been ruled on by the judge in preliminary trial motions, and that the only thing new in the debate was that attorney Brennan had gotten louder.
Also, the judge asked the jury to step out after defense attorney Thomas Bergstrom tried to question a detective on cross examination on whether the state's mental health procedures act would prevent his client, Msgr. William J. Lynn, to disclose facts concerning the psychiatric evaluation of Father Stanley M. Gana.
Lynn had been asked by a man who had been abused by Gana whether the priest had confessed to molesting him. Lynn replied that the priest had continued to deny the man's allegations, even though Lynn knew that the priest had in fact confessed to his therapist that the allegations by the alleged victim, and two others, were all true.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Jurors in a landmark priest-abuse trial heard Monday about a priest-turned-camp prowler and another who allegedly bragged about having sex with three boys in one week.
Also Monday, two jurors were replaced by alternates, but a gag order prevents lawyer from discussing the reasons for the move.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics.
In the day's most startling testimony, a detective read internal church memos about a priest who allegedly "joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week." His accuser also stated that the priest had a "rotation process" of boys spending time sleeping with him.
Defense lawyers argue that Lynn tried to address the problem as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked by the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and others in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — Jurors in a landmark priest-abuse trial heard Monday about a priest-turned-camp prowler and another who allegedly bragged about having sex with three boys in one week.
Also Monday, two jurors were replaced by alternates, but a gag order prevents lawyer from discussing the reasons for the move.
Monsignor William Lynn is on trial for child endangerment and conspiracy. Lynn, 61, is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged for his handling of priest-abuse complaints. Prosecutors say he helped the church bury them in secret files, far from the prying eyes of investigators, civil attorneys and concerned Catholics.
In the day's most startling testimony, a detective read internal church memos about a priest who allegedly "joked about how hard it was to have sex with three boys in one week." His accuser also stated that the priest had a "rotation process" of boys spending time sleeping with him.
Defense lawyers argue that Lynn tried to address the problem as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, but was blocked by the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and others in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
===========
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NBC 10
By David Chang and MaryClaire Dale
Monday, Apr 2, 2012
Defrocked priest Edward Avery began serving a prison sentence on Monday for his alleged role in the Philadelphia Archdiocese sex abuse scandal.
Avery pleaded guilty nearly two weeks ago for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy aback in 1999. He turned himself in to authorities in Center City Monday morning. He is sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison.
According to court documents obtained by NBC10, Avery admitted that in 1999, he "engaged in oral sexual intercourse" with a 10-year-old boy while Avery was a priest at St. Jerome's Parish in northeast Philadelphia. Avery was 57 at the time.
===========
NBC 10
By David Chang and MaryClaire Dale
Monday, Apr 2, 2012
Defrocked priest Edward Avery began serving a prison sentence on Monday for his alleged role in the Philadelphia Archdiocese sex abuse scandal.
Avery pleaded guilty nearly two weeks ago for sexually assaulting a 10-year-old altar boy aback in 1999. He turned himself in to authorities in Center City Monday morning. He is sentenced to two and a half to five years in prison.
According to court documents obtained by NBC10, Avery admitted that in 1999, he "engaged in oral sexual intercourse" with a 10-year-old boy while Avery was a priest at St. Jerome's Parish in northeast Philadelphia. Avery was 57 at the time.
===========
Monsignor Lynn And The Duty To Prevent Child Abuse
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
This post by Max Kennerly is cross-posted on his Litigation and Trial blog.
From the war on drugs to criminal copyright infringement, a number of commentators, legal scholars, politicians and even sitting judges have criticized the breadth of American criminal law, like the prevalence of non-violent or “victimless” crimes that don’t have a direct victim, and the Draconian mandatory penalties that are meted out, even where the judge and jury applying those laws think that less severe penalties would be appropriate. As a consequence of this “overcriminalization,” the United States has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world, so that, with only five percent of the world’s population, we nonetheless have twenty-five percent of its prisoners, most of them imprisoned for non-violent offenses, typically drug offenses.
Historically, and continuing to the present, there have been two glaring exceptions to this expansion of criminality: abuse within the family (whether spousal abuse or child abuse) and criminal conduct by large institutions (like corporations, universities, or churches), both of which have generally gone unpunished, without prosecution, and without even investigation. Child abuse was not considered a crime until the 1870s, when Mary Connolly was prosecuted for “attacking her foster child with a pair of scissors and repeatedly beating her with a rawhide whip and cane.” (Quote from the Logan article discussed below.) She was convicted, and after that various “children’s guardian” boards were created. The prosecution of child abuse, however, remained rare until the 1960s, when new mandatory reporting laws were enacted that required healthcare professionals to report suspicions of child abuse to government authorities. Similarly, in the 1980s, public awareness of the sexual abuse of children increased dramatically, so that today child abuse prosecutions are no longer the rare, newsworthy events that they once were.
Prosecutions of crimes that occur within the context of a large institution are even less common than prosecutions for spousal abuse or child abuse, and they even more rarely result in a conviction. Outside of a handful of prominent examples — like Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Skilling — financial institution fraud prosecutions have fallen over the past 20 years, down to under 1,400 a year across the entire country.
Many prosecutions of alleged crimes that occurred inside a corporation with the knowledge of other employees, like the prosecution of GlaxoSmithKline associate counsel Lauren Stevens, ended in failure, dismissed prior to a jury ruling.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
This post by Max Kennerly is cross-posted on his Litigation and Trial blog.
From the war on drugs to criminal copyright infringement, a number of commentators, legal scholars, politicians and even sitting judges have criticized the breadth of American criminal law, like the prevalence of non-violent or “victimless” crimes that don’t have a direct victim, and the Draconian mandatory penalties that are meted out, even where the judge and jury applying those laws think that less severe penalties would be appropriate. As a consequence of this “overcriminalization,” the United States has by far the highest incarceration rate in the world, so that, with only five percent of the world’s population, we nonetheless have twenty-five percent of its prisoners, most of them imprisoned for non-violent offenses, typically drug offenses.
Historically, and continuing to the present, there have been two glaring exceptions to this expansion of criminality: abuse within the family (whether spousal abuse or child abuse) and criminal conduct by large institutions (like corporations, universities, or churches), both of which have generally gone unpunished, without prosecution, and without even investigation. Child abuse was not considered a crime until the 1870s, when Mary Connolly was prosecuted for “attacking her foster child with a pair of scissors and repeatedly beating her with a rawhide whip and cane.” (Quote from the Logan article discussed below.) She was convicted, and after that various “children’s guardian” boards were created. The prosecution of child abuse, however, remained rare until the 1960s, when new mandatory reporting laws were enacted that required healthcare professionals to report suspicions of child abuse to government authorities. Similarly, in the 1980s, public awareness of the sexual abuse of children increased dramatically, so that today child abuse prosecutions are no longer the rare, newsworthy events that they once were.
Prosecutions of crimes that occur within the context of a large institution are even less common than prosecutions for spousal abuse or child abuse, and they even more rarely result in a conviction. Outside of a handful of prominent examples — like Bernie Madoff and Jeffrey Skilling — financial institution fraud prosecutions have fallen over the past 20 years, down to under 1,400 a year across the entire country.
Many prosecutions of alleged crimes that occurred inside a corporation with the knowledge of other employees, like the prosecution of GlaxoSmithKline associate counsel Lauren Stevens, ended in failure, dismissed prior to a jury ruling.
Landmark clergy-abuse case hears evidence in Philadelphia
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Adelaide Now (Australia)
A WITNESS in a landmark priest-abuse cover-up trial in Philadelphia described feeling "helpless and trapped" as a 13-year-old, because her priest was fondling her when she worked weekends at the rectory.
The woman says she didn't tell anyone for years, and later learned the same priest had fondled her younger sisters.
The woman testified on the fourth day of the child-endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy in Philadelphia. Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged with child endangerment for allegedly leaving predators in jobs around children.
Defense lawyers say Lynn took orders from two archbishops. No other church administrators are charged.
The priest who allegedly fondled the woman at a suburban parish in Bristol around 1970 was removed from ministry after the church sex-abuse scandal broke in 2004. By then, he had admitted to an archdiocesan review board his "longstanding habit" of fondling girls' breasts, according to a 2005 grand jury report. The Associated Press is not naming him because he was never charged.
Adelaide Now (Australia)
A WITNESS in a landmark priest-abuse cover-up trial in Philadelphia described feeling "helpless and trapped" as a 13-year-old, because her priest was fondling her when she worked weekends at the rectory.
The woman says she didn't tell anyone for years, and later learned the same priest had fondled her younger sisters.
The woman testified on the fourth day of the child-endangerment trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the longtime secretary for clergy in Philadelphia. Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official in the U.S. charged with child endangerment for allegedly leaving predators in jobs around children.
Defense lawyers say Lynn took orders from two archbishops. No other church administrators are charged.
The priest who allegedly fondled the woman at a suburban parish in Bristol around 1970 was removed from ministry after the church sex-abuse scandal broke in 2004. By then, he had admitted to an archdiocesan review board his "longstanding habit" of fondling girls' breasts, according to a 2005 grand jury report. The Associated Press is not naming him because he was never charged.
Detective: Lynn Worried About Hierarchy, Not Victims
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Detective James Dougherty is a silver-haired former Philadelphia police homicide investigator now assigned to the district attorney's Special Victims Unit. He's an expert on the archdiocese's "secret archive files" that detail the sins of pedophile priests.
This week, prosecutors in the archdiocese sex abuse trial had Dougherty take jurors on a two-day excursion through 160 formerly classified documents regarding the 40-year career of one offender, Father Raymond O. Leneweaver.
Father Leneweaver was identified in the 2005 grand jury report on archdiocese sex abuse as a "chronic abuser" of altar boys. The priest had special T-shirts printed up for his victims that identified them as "Philadelphia Rovers."
The details in the grand jury report are sickening.
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
Detective James Dougherty is a silver-haired former Philadelphia police homicide investigator now assigned to the district attorney's Special Victims Unit. He's an expert on the archdiocese's "secret archive files" that detail the sins of pedophile priests.
This week, prosecutors in the archdiocese sex abuse trial had Dougherty take jurors on a two-day excursion through 160 formerly classified documents regarding the 40-year career of one offender, Father Raymond O. Leneweaver.
Father Leneweaver was identified in the 2005 grand jury report on archdiocese sex abuse as a "chronic abuser" of altar boys. The priest had special T-shirts printed up for his victims that identified them as "Philadelphia Rovers."
The details in the grand jury report are sickening.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NPR
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The long, typed letter fantasizes about a seventh-grader's body, and asks if the boy wants to try various sex acts.
"You are soooo cute. I have been thinking about you for a long time. ... You're the cutest in our grade," the author wrote in a rare G-rated line.
But the anonymous author was not a classmate at the boy's Catholic school in northeast Philadelphia. It was a parish priest. One with a cache of gay pornography and sadomasochistic videos in the rectory.
Files show the letter-writing priest was sent to a church-run treatment center for priests, where staff concluded he did not have "a pathological interest in children or adults." Doctors racked the letter up to a single fantasy. And they believed him when he said he hadn't sent it — or acted out with children.
"Cardinal Bevilacqua is granting him a health leave, and that should be the announcement to the (St. Anselm's) parish," reads a December 1995 memo, found in secret personnel files at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
NPR
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The long, typed letter fantasizes about a seventh-grader's body, and asks if the boy wants to try various sex acts.
"You are soooo cute. I have been thinking about you for a long time. ... You're the cutest in our grade," the author wrote in a rare G-rated line.
But the anonymous author was not a classmate at the boy's Catholic school in northeast Philadelphia. It was a parish priest. One with a cache of gay pornography and sadomasochistic videos in the rectory.
Files show the letter-writing priest was sent to a church-run treatment center for priests, where staff concluded he did not have "a pathological interest in children or adults." Doctors racked the letter up to a single fantasy. And they believed him when he said he hadn't sent it — or acted out with children.
"Cardinal Bevilacqua is granting him a health leave, and that should be the announcement to the (St. Anselm's) parish," reads a December 1995 memo, found in secret personnel files at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.
Pa. Trial Shows Church Abuse Allegations Strategy
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
ABC News
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA March 31, 2012 (AP)
The long, typed letter fantasizes about a seventh-grader's body, and asks if the boy wants to try various sex acts.
"You are soooo cute. I have been thinking about you for a long time. ... You're the cutest in our grade," the author wrote in a rare G-rated line.
But the anonymous author was not a classmate at the boy's Catholic school in northeast Philadelphia. It was a parish priest. One with a cache of gay pornography and sadomasochistic videos in the rectory.
Files show the letter-writing priest was sent to a church-run treatment center for priests, where staff concluded he did not have "a pathological interest in children or adults." Doctors racked the letter up to a single fantasy. And they believed him when he said he hadn't sent it — or acted out with children.
ABC News
By MARYCLAIRE DALE Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA March 31, 2012 (AP)
The long, typed letter fantasizes about a seventh-grader's body, and asks if the boy wants to try various sex acts.
"You are soooo cute. I have been thinking about you for a long time. ... You're the cutest in our grade," the author wrote in a rare G-rated line.
But the anonymous author was not a classmate at the boy's Catholic school in northeast Philadelphia. It was a parish priest. One with a cache of gay pornography and sadomasochistic videos in the rectory.
Files show the letter-writing priest was sent to a church-run treatment center for priests, where staff concluded he did not have "a pathological interest in children or adults." Doctors racked the letter up to a single fantasy. And they believed him when he said he hadn't sent it — or acted out with children.
Witness recalls gropings by priest in her teen years
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
She was a 13-year-old girl, fifth child of seven in a devout Catholic family in suburban Roslyn whose mother attended Mass once or twice daily.
But the girl dreaded Sunday mornings.
Not because of a crisis of faith but because she knew it would mean another morning of groping by the Rev. Albert T. Kostelnick.
The woman, now in her mid-50s, told a Philadelphia jury this morning about how Kostelnick, now retired, fondled her for two years as she worked in the rectory of St. John of the Cross church in Roslyn - and then did the same to two of her sisters who followed her into the job.
"I didn't know what to do," the woman told the Common Pleas Court jury. "I felt helpless and trapped. My parents expected me to work."
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
She was a 13-year-old girl, fifth child of seven in a devout Catholic family in suburban Roslyn whose mother attended Mass once or twice daily.
But the girl dreaded Sunday mornings.
Not because of a crisis of faith but because she knew it would mean another morning of groping by the Rev. Albert T. Kostelnick.
The woman, now in her mid-50s, told a Philadelphia jury this morning about how Kostelnick, now retired, fondled her for two years as she worked in the rectory of St. John of the Cross church in Roslyn - and then did the same to two of her sisters who followed her into the job.
"I didn't know what to do," the woman told the Common Pleas Court jury. "I felt helpless and trapped. My parents expected me to work."
Prosecutors Of Philadelphia Priests Raise Decades Of Buried Abuse Cases
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The prosecution in the Philadelphia clergy sex abuse case has alleged a history of coverup and enabling by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (see related stories).
Today, as they built their case against Msgr. William Lynn and another priest, prosecutors presented evidence of similar actions by the archdiocese going back decades.
In one case dating back to the 1960s, prosecutors say, an alleged serial pedophile priest was allowed to remain in ministry for two decades after admitting his crimes.
Prosecution evidence alleges that Fr. Raymond Leneweaver repeatedly admitted to the archdiocese that he was having sex with boys at various times from the late ’60s to the late ’70s.
CBS Philly
By Tony Hanson
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — The prosecution in the Philadelphia clergy sex abuse case has alleged a history of coverup and enabling by the Archdiocese of Philadelphia (see related stories).
Today, as they built their case against Msgr. William Lynn and another priest, prosecutors presented evidence of similar actions by the archdiocese going back decades.
In one case dating back to the 1960s, prosecutors say, an alleged serial pedophile priest was allowed to remain in ministry for two decades after admitting his crimes.
Prosecution evidence alleges that Fr. Raymond Leneweaver repeatedly admitted to the archdiocese that he was having sex with boys at various times from the late ’60s to the late ’70s.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NBC 10
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
| Thursday, Mar 29, 2012
Jurors in the Philadelphia priest-abuse trial are hearing about one of the most notorious priests named in a 2005 grand jury report.
Church documents show the priest admitted in the 1970s that he had sexually assaulted three eight-grade boys in one year alone. He remained in ministry through 1980, and taught Latin at a Main Line Philadelphia public school in 2004.
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with child endangerment for allegedly keeping him and other accused predators in ministry.
Defense lawyers say Lynn, the secretary for clergy, took orders from the archbishop.
NBC 10
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
| Thursday, Mar 29, 2012
Jurors in the Philadelphia priest-abuse trial are hearing about one of the most notorious priests named in a 2005 grand jury report.
Church documents show the priest admitted in the 1970s that he had sexually assaulted three eight-grade boys in one year alone. He remained in ministry through 1980, and taught Latin at a Main Line Philadelphia public school in 2004.
Monsignor William Lynn is charged with child endangerment for allegedly keeping him and other accused predators in ministry.
Defense lawyers say Lynn, the secretary for clergy, took orders from the archbishop.
UNITED STATES
Religion in the News
by Andrew Walsh
As the Catholic clerical sexual abuse scandal grinds into its fourth weary decade, the costs tote up: thousands of abused victims, about 700 predator priests removed from ministry, scores convicted of molestation of minors and other crimes, billions in legal settlements and costs, devastating grand jury reports about hierarchical collusion and cover up, and an unfathomable sum of heartbreak and shattered faith.
How goes the struggle to reform? Not so well, at least according to prosecutors in Kansas City and Philadelphia. In 2011, for the first time in American history, criminal indictments were pressed against high church officials for failing to report suspected child abuse and child endangerment. In both cases, the charges deal with administrative decisions made by church leaders in the recent past, not old cases dating decades back. Both trials are expected to begin this spring.
Why, despite the largest, longest scandal in the history of religion in America, are some Catholic bishops still struggling to evade or escape legal requirements that they automatically call the cops whenever clergy are accused of sexual misconduct?
One plausible answer is that old habits die hard. For the last 1,800 years, the Catholic Church has pretty much consistently argued that its bishops have the exclusive right to discipline their clergy, a standard that entered Roman law as early as 412, when the Emperor Theodosius II agreed that only bishops—and not imperial courts—should prosecute and punish clergy accused of crimes.
Religion in the News
by Andrew Walsh
As the Catholic clerical sexual abuse scandal grinds into its fourth weary decade, the costs tote up: thousands of abused victims, about 700 predator priests removed from ministry, scores convicted of molestation of minors and other crimes, billions in legal settlements and costs, devastating grand jury reports about hierarchical collusion and cover up, and an unfathomable sum of heartbreak and shattered faith.
How goes the struggle to reform? Not so well, at least according to prosecutors in Kansas City and Philadelphia. In 2011, for the first time in American history, criminal indictments were pressed against high church officials for failing to report suspected child abuse and child endangerment. In both cases, the charges deal with administrative decisions made by church leaders in the recent past, not old cases dating decades back. Both trials are expected to begin this spring.
Why, despite the largest, longest scandal in the history of religion in America, are some Catholic bishops still struggling to evade or escape legal requirements that they automatically call the cops whenever clergy are accused of sexual misconduct?
One plausible answer is that old habits die hard. For the last 1,800 years, the Catholic Church has pretty much consistently argued that its bishops have the exclusive right to discipline their clergy, a standard that entered Roman law as early as 412, when the Emperor Theodosius II agreed that only bishops—and not imperial courts—should prosecute and punish clergy accused of crimes.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
TheMediaReport
Dave Pierre
For over a year, the media has whole-heartedly embraced and loudly trumpeted the graphic and shocking details of last year's high-profile Philadelphia grand jury report.
The report, which depicted stomach-turning allegations of depraved abuse and cover-ups by Catholic clergy, has served as the foundation for this week's highly watched trial.
The media has never so much as aired a peep of criticism or skepticism about the report or the criminal charges against the clergy – until now.
However, in a startling article this week at the start of the Philadelphia trial, Monica Yant Kinney at the Philadelphia Inquirer appears to be the first journalist in the United States to openly acknowledge that there may be serious credibility issues with the criminal charges in the current cases.
TheMediaReport
Dave Pierre
For over a year, the media has whole-heartedly embraced and loudly trumpeted the graphic and shocking details of last year's high-profile Philadelphia grand jury report.
The report, which depicted stomach-turning allegations of depraved abuse and cover-ups by Catholic clergy, has served as the foundation for this week's highly watched trial.
The media has never so much as aired a peep of criticism or skepticism about the report or the criminal charges against the clergy – until now.
However, in a startling article this week at the start of the Philadelphia trial, Monica Yant Kinney at the Philadelphia Inquirer appears to be the first journalist in the United States to openly acknowledge that there may be serious credibility issues with the criminal charges in the current cases.
Posted by Kathy Shaw at 3:33 PM
Philadelphia Priest Sex Abuse Trial: Rev. Francis Trauger Stalked Boy, Witness Says
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Huffington Post
By Michael McLaughlin | Posted: 03/28/2012
Msgr. William Lynn is on trial for allegedly not informing law enforcement officials about suspected cases of sexual abuse by clergymen.
In a far-reaching sex crimes coverup trial underway in Philadelphia, a former Catholic high school student testified today that a priest stalked him, locked him in a school conference room and ordered him to unzip his pants.
The student -- now a 36-year-old man -- said loud banging on the locked door halted the priest, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The explosive testimony came on the third day of a historic trial against two Roman Catholic priests in the Philadelphia archdiocese. The Rev. James Brennan is accused of attempting to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Monsignor William Lynn is accused of two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for covering up cases of molestation and abuse by members of the clergy.
Huffington Post
By Michael McLaughlin | Posted: 03/28/2012
Msgr. William Lynn is on trial for allegedly not informing law enforcement officials about suspected cases of sexual abuse by clergymen.
In a far-reaching sex crimes coverup trial underway in Philadelphia, a former Catholic high school student testified today that a priest stalked him, locked him in a school conference room and ordered him to unzip his pants.
The student -- now a 36-year-old man -- said loud banging on the locked door halted the priest, the Philadelphia Inquirer reported.
The explosive testimony came on the third day of a historic trial against two Roman Catholic priests in the Philadelphia archdiocese. The Rev. James Brennan is accused of attempting to rape a 14-year-old boy in 1996. Monsignor William Lynn is accused of two counts of endangering the welfare of a child for covering up cases of molestation and abuse by members of the clergy.
Abuse victim testifies in Philadelphia church trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
RI NPR
(2012-03-28)
(Reuters) -
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The jury in the Philadelphia Archdiocese pedophilia case on Wednesday got a look at the lurid lives of priests that were allegedly ignored by a top church official now on trial for child endangerment.
Testimony by a former altar boy who said he was abused and by a priest who stumbled upon his fellow clergy's misdeeds came during the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the most senior church official to go to trial in the child sex abuse case rocking the Roman Catholic Church.
Lynn, 61, who served as secretary of the clergy under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy for covering up allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
Lynn, who was effectively the archdiocese's personnel director, said he tried to expose suspect priests by giving a list of their names to Bevilacqua but his boss ordered the paperwork shredded.
RI NPR
(2012-03-28)
(Reuters) -
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - The jury in the Philadelphia Archdiocese pedophilia case on Wednesday got a look at the lurid lives of priests that were allegedly ignored by a top church official now on trial for child endangerment.
Testimony by a former altar boy who said he was abused and by a priest who stumbled upon his fellow clergy's misdeeds came during the trial of Monsignor William Lynn, the most senior church official to go to trial in the child sex abuse case rocking the Roman Catholic Church.
Lynn, 61, who served as secretary of the clergy under the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy for covering up allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
Lynn, who was effectively the archdiocese's personnel director, said he tried to expose suspect priests by giving a list of their names to Bevilacqua but his boss ordered the paperwork shredded.
PA trial: Priests struggled with 'sexual sobriety'
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Sun News
By MARYCLAIRE DALE - Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- A string of Roman Catholic priests testified Wednesday in a landmark clergy-abuse case, saying they reported fellow priests to the archdiocese after finding them with pornography or in unhealthy relationships with children.
The priests, uncomfortably, are prosecution witnesses in the trial of a longtime supervisor in the Philadelphia archdiocese, Monsignor William Lynn. The former secretary for clergy is charged with endangering children by allegedly helping the church cover up abuse complaints.
The Rev. Joseph Okonski told jurors Wednesday that he found pornographic magazines and videos, and a sexually explicit letter to a seventh-grade boy, in another priest's bedroom in 1995.
The graphic letter, which purported to be from a classmate, asked if the boy wanted oral sex. The author said he fantasized about seeing the boy getting spanked by his father. The boy was told to write "Yes" on a bulletin board at the parish school if he wanted to engage in sex acts with his "secret lover."
The Sun News
By MARYCLAIRE DALE - Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA -- A string of Roman Catholic priests testified Wednesday in a landmark clergy-abuse case, saying they reported fellow priests to the archdiocese after finding them with pornography or in unhealthy relationships with children.
The priests, uncomfortably, are prosecution witnesses in the trial of a longtime supervisor in the Philadelphia archdiocese, Monsignor William Lynn. The former secretary for clergy is charged with endangering children by allegedly helping the church cover up abuse complaints.
The Rev. Joseph Okonski told jurors Wednesday that he found pornographic magazines and videos, and a sexually explicit letter to a seventh-grade boy, in another priest's bedroom in 1995.
The graphic letter, which purported to be from a classmate, asked if the boy wanted oral sex. The author said he fantasized about seeing the boy getting spanked by his father. The boy was told to write "Yes" on a bulletin board at the parish school if he wanted to engage in sex acts with his "secret lover."
( Getty Images / March 26, 2012 )
Monsignor William Lynn returns after a lunch break to Philadelphia Criminal Justice Center Monday in Philadelphia
Common Pleas Court jury.
Common Pleas Court jury that he was 15 when Avery let him get drunk in a
After undergoing treatment at church-owned hospital, Avery was reassigned and allowed to live and celebrate Mass at
“This is what God wants,” the priest told him, man testified.
The abuse by Avery and another priest plunged him into years of drug abuse and at least one suicide attempt, the witness said.
Common Pleas Court jury Wednesday, both former altar boys described a bond: Each said he was sexually abused by his parish priest, Edward Avery.
"God loves you, and this is what God wants," Avery allegedly told the Philadelphia altar boy after forcing him to dance a striptease and engage in oral sex at St. Jerome's Church in 1999, when the boy was 10.
Together, their testimony represented a pillar of the landmark conspiracy and endangerment case prosecutors are trying to prove against Msgr. William J. Lynn, the former secretary for clergy under Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua. They contend
Prosecution rests in Philadelphia Archdiocese child sex abuse trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Reuters
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA | Thu May 17, 2012 6:17pm EDT
(Reuters) - The prosecution rested its case on Thursday against Philadelphia Archdiocese Monsignor William Lynn, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go to trial in the Roman Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal.
During nearly eight weeks of startling testimony about the lurid lives of predatory priests, Lynn, a former secretary of the clergy, has sat stoically in his clerical garb as the case unfolded in an often-packed courtroom.
Lynn, 61, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy over accusations he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted.
Reuters
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA | Thu May 17, 2012 6:17pm EDT
(Reuters) - The prosecution rested its case on Thursday against Philadelphia Archdiocese Monsignor William Lynn, the most senior U.S. clergyman to go to trial in the Roman Catholic Church's pedophilia scandal.
During nearly eight weeks of startling testimony about the lurid lives of predatory priests, Lynn, a former secretary of the clergy, has sat stoically in his clerical garb as the case unfolded in an often-packed courtroom.
Lynn, 61, is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy over accusations he covered up child sex abuse allegations against priests, many of whom were simply transferred to unsuspecting parishes.
He faces the possibility of 28 years in prison if convicted.
Judge dismisses conspiracy count against Monsignor, priest
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian and John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
A Philadelphia judge has dismissed the count alleging a conspiracy to endanger children against Msgr. William J. Lynn and the Rev. James J. Brennan.
In a ruling shortly before 4 p.m. today, Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina granted motions for acquittal on the conspiracy count against the two clerics in the landmark trial over child sex-abuse by Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests.
But Sarmina denied defense motions to throw out the remaining counts against Lynn and Brennan, meaning that those charges will be left to the jury to decide.
The rulings by the judge were made outside the jury’s presence after a curtailed morning session in which the prosecutors rested their case after calling nearly 50 witnesses and presenting close to 1,900 pieces of evidence.
Verdict
Marcia A. Hamilton
The most developed record in the country of a cover-up of child sex abuse by an entire Roman Catholic diocese now exists in Philadelphia. Why? Because recent Philadelphia prosecutors have proactively sought the truth, even when it was far from flattering to the diocese’s hierarchy. For an elected official, that takes guts. Fortunately, both former District Attorney Lynne Abraham and current District Attorney Seth Williams have plenty of guts.
The Philadelphia Archdiocese is being unmasked, day by day, as an institution that operated in such a way as to endanger children. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting Msgr. William Lynn for his integral role in suppressing the identities of priest perpetrators. The policies that Lynn implemented have now been put under the harsh glare of the public spotlight, for the first criminal trial of a member of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy is now underway. Each and every day of the trial—which already has lasted six weeks, and is expected to last up to three months—the prosecution further peels back the diocese’s veneer, exposing it as a truly horrific place for children. Recently, it has also added to its profile of callousness by re-victimizing the victims it had a hand in creating.
This trial is only going forward because of former D.A. Abraham’s steely determination to know the truth of what happened in Philadelphia. A decade ago, she instituted the first grand jury investigation of the Archdiocese, knowing in all likelihood that she might not find victims whose cases she could prosecute, because Pennsylvania statutes of limitations regarding child sex abuse were so short. But once they got the go-ahead, Abraham’s dogged and brilliant attorneys, including Charlie Gallagher and Mariana Sorenson, pursued the truth in just the way we want our public servants to do so: They cared about the truth first, and the political fallout second.
Compare Abraham and her Office to the many District Attorneys and their Offices, across the country, who have refused, when asked, to investigate dioceses, saying that they can’t do anything until a victim comes forward whose claims fall within the statute of limitations. Abraham’s work reveals those excuses as being more political than prosecutorial
PA Priest Was Removed For Running Business, Not Molesting Children
Philadelphia Inquirer
By Joseph A. Slobodzian and John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITERS
A Philadelphia judge has dismissed the count alleging a conspiracy to endanger children against Msgr. William J. Lynn and the Rev. James J. Brennan.
In a ruling shortly before 4 p.m. today, Common Pleas Court Judge M. Teresa Sarmina granted motions for acquittal on the conspiracy count against the two clerics in the landmark trial over child sex-abuse by Archdiocese of Philadelphia priests.
But Sarmina denied defense motions to throw out the remaining counts against Lynn and Brennan, meaning that those charges will be left to the jury to decide.
The rulings by the judge were made outside the jury’s presence after a curtailed morning session in which the prosecutors rested their case after calling nearly 50 witnesses and presenting close to 1,900 pieces of evidence.
The Truth About the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Child Sex Abuse by Its Priests, and Its Latest Missteps –
PHILADELPHIA (PA)Verdict
Marcia A. Hamilton
The most developed record in the country of a cover-up of child sex abuse by an entire Roman Catholic diocese now exists in Philadelphia. Why? Because recent Philadelphia prosecutors have proactively sought the truth, even when it was far from flattering to the diocese’s hierarchy. For an elected official, that takes guts. Fortunately, both former District Attorney Lynne Abraham and current District Attorney Seth Williams have plenty of guts.
The Philadelphia Archdiocese is being unmasked, day by day, as an institution that operated in such a way as to endanger children. The Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office is prosecuting Msgr. William Lynn for his integral role in suppressing the identities of priest perpetrators. The policies that Lynn implemented have now been put under the harsh glare of the public spotlight, for the first criminal trial of a member of the Catholic Church’s hierarchy is now underway. Each and every day of the trial—which already has lasted six weeks, and is expected to last up to three months—the prosecution further peels back the diocese’s veneer, exposing it as a truly horrific place for children. Recently, it has also added to its profile of callousness by re-victimizing the victims it had a hand in creating.
This trial is only going forward because of former D.A. Abraham’s steely determination to know the truth of what happened in Philadelphia. A decade ago, she instituted the first grand jury investigation of the Archdiocese, knowing in all likelihood that she might not find victims whose cases she could prosecute, because Pennsylvania statutes of limitations regarding child sex abuse were so short. But once they got the go-ahead, Abraham’s dogged and brilliant attorneys, including Charlie Gallagher and Mariana Sorenson, pursued the truth in just the way we want our public servants to do so: They cared about the truth first, and the political fallout second.
Compare Abraham and her Office to the many District Attorneys and their Offices, across the country, who have refused, when asked, to investigate dioceses, saying that they can’t do anything until a victim comes forward whose claims fall within the statute of limitations. Abraham’s work reveals those excuses as being more political than prosecutorial
PA Priest Was Removed For Running Business, Not Molesting Children
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Lez Get Real
Posted by: Bridgette P. LaVictoire on May 17, 2012.
Monsignor William Lynn’s biggest problem may end up being that the evidence against him comes from within his own church. Lynn is accused of and charged with endangering children and conspiring to cover up alleged abuse from various priests over the years.
Documents specifically relating to the alleged abuse by defrocked priest Michael McCarthy have become part of the case as the prosecution details how the archdiocese handled abuse complaints against some twenty priests over the years. None of the priests were ever charged because the complaints were never brought to the authorities. The complaints were kept locked away in the archdiocese for years.
The documents show that the archdiocese ignored the complaints until a donor complained about a competing business that McCarthy was apparently running. McCarthy has denied the allegations that he molested two young boys, including one at the house where he lives today.
The accuser informed the archdiocese back in 1991 about the abuse. McCarthy, then a teacher at Cardinal O’Hara High School, allegedly plied the minor with alcohol, removed his underwear while wrestling, and fondled the young man in bed. The youth did not complain fearing that he would be retaliated against.
Lez Get Real
Posted by: Bridgette P. LaVictoire on May 17, 2012.
Monsignor William Lynn’s biggest problem may end up being that the evidence against him comes from within his own church. Lynn is accused of and charged with endangering children and conspiring to cover up alleged abuse from various priests over the years.
Documents specifically relating to the alleged abuse by defrocked priest Michael McCarthy have become part of the case as the prosecution details how the archdiocese handled abuse complaints against some twenty priests over the years. None of the priests were ever charged because the complaints were never brought to the authorities. The complaints were kept locked away in the archdiocese for years.
The documents show that the archdiocese ignored the complaints until a donor complained about a competing business that McCarthy was apparently running. McCarthy has denied the allegations that he molested two young boys, including one at the house where he lives today.
The accuser informed the archdiocese back in 1991 about the abuse. McCarthy, then a teacher at Cardinal O’Hara High School, allegedly plied the minor with alcohol, removed his underwear while wrestling, and fondled the young man in bed. The youth did not complain fearing that he would be retaliated against.
Prosecutor: Pa. diocese 'disgraceful,' 'criminal'
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 04:37 p.m., Thursday, May 17, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After eight weeks of wrenching testimony, Philadelphia prosecutors rested their case Thursday in the trial of a Roman Catholic church official accused of helping bury complaints that priests were raping and molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of the abuse complaints. Prosecutors say the former secretary for clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia helped known predators stay in ministry, and they charged him with child endangerment and conspiracy.
In arguing to send the case to the jury, a prosecutor said the church needed the priests to run the "business," protecting church assets — and secrets — over the lives of children.
"They turned a religious institution into a financial institution," Assistant District Patrick Blessington argued. "It's disgraceful. It's criminal."
San Antonio Express-News
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 04:37 p.m., Thursday, May 17, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — After eight weeks of wrenching testimony, Philadelphia prosecutors rested their case Thursday in the trial of a Roman Catholic church official accused of helping bury complaints that priests were raping and molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of the abuse complaints. Prosecutors say the former secretary for clergy of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia helped known predators stay in ministry, and they charged him with child endangerment and conspiracy.
In arguing to send the case to the jury, a prosecutor said the church needed the priests to run the "business," protecting church assets — and secrets — over the lives of children.
"They turned a religious institution into a financial institution," Assistant District Patrick Blessington argued. "It's disgraceful. It's criminal."
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A priest assigned to help handle child sex-abuse complaints at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia told jurors Tuesday that Monsignor William Lynn was the only other person who could have created a typed list of suspected pedophile priests.
Monsignor James Beisel's testimony came as the defense began its case in Lynn's child-endangerment and conspiracy trial. Rev. James Brennan also is on trial, charged with molesting a teenager.
Prosecutors have introduced the list as evidence that Lynn and other church officials were aware the archdiocese had known predators in jobs around children for years or decades. But defense lawyers argue Lynn took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. And witnesses Tuesday agreed that only the cardinal could transfer a priest or remove him from ministry.
Atlanta Journal-Constitution
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA — A priest assigned to help handle child sex-abuse complaints at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia told jurors Tuesday that Monsignor William Lynn was the only other person who could have created a typed list of suspected pedophile priests.
Monsignor James Beisel's testimony came as the defense began its case in Lynn's child-endangerment and conspiracy trial. Rev. James Brennan also is on trial, charged with molesting a teenager.
Prosecutors have introduced the list as evidence that Lynn and other church officials were aware the archdiocese had known predators in jobs around children for years or decades. But defense lawyers argue Lynn took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. And witnesses Tuesday agreed that only the cardinal could transfer a priest or remove him from ministry.
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 7:12 PM EDT, Tue May 22, 2012
Philadelphia (CNN) -- A priest who assisted Monsignor William Lynn investigate clergy sex abuse claims testified Tuesday that it was not the archdiocese's policy to contact law enforcement or other victims of abuse.
"Our legal counsel said there was not a requirement to report," Monsignor Michael McCulken told jurors.
The defense called its first three witnesses Tuesday in the child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial of two Philadelphia priests, after the prosecution rested last week.
On trial are the Rev. James Brennan, who is accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old, and Monsignor William Lynn, who is accused of knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children.
CNN
By Sarah Hoye, CNN
updated 7:12 PM EDT, Tue May 22, 2012
Philadelphia (CNN) -- A priest who assisted Monsignor William Lynn investigate clergy sex abuse claims testified Tuesday that it was not the archdiocese's policy to contact law enforcement or other victims of abuse.
"Our legal counsel said there was not a requirement to report," Monsignor Michael McCulken told jurors.
The defense called its first three witnesses Tuesday in the child sexual abuse and conspiracy trial of two Philadelphia priests, after the prosecution rested last week.
On trial are the Rev. James Brennan, who is accused of the attempted rape of a 14-year-old, and Monsignor William Lynn, who is accused of knowingly allowing dangerous priests to continue in the ministry in roles in which they had access to children.
Priest: We weren't prepared for abuse complaints
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Associated Press
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A priest assigned to help with child sex-abuse complaints at the Philadelphia archdiocese in the early 1990s says he was "woefully unprepared" and left after a year.
Monsignor James Beisel's (BYE'-zuhlz) testimony comes in the child-endangerment and conspiracy trial of his friend, Monsignor William Lynn.
Lynn is accused of keeping accused priests in ministry. Defense lawyers have started their case by calling three of his church colleagues.
The priests say Lynn talked compassionately with abusers and sent accused priests for mental-health evaluations.
The Associated Press
By MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A priest assigned to help with child sex-abuse complaints at the Philadelphia archdiocese in the early 1990s says he was "woefully unprepared" and left after a year.
Monsignor James Beisel's (BYE'-zuhlz) testimony comes in the child-endangerment and conspiracy trial of his friend, Monsignor William Lynn.
Lynn is accused of keeping accused priests in ministry. Defense lawyers have started their case by calling three of his church colleagues.
The priests say Lynn talked compassionately with abusers and sent accused priests for mental-health evaluations.
Defense starts in Philadelphia priest-abuse trial
PHILADLEPHIA (PA)
The Palm Beach Post
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:31 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — The defense in a groundbreaking child-endangerment trial laid blame for the transfer of predator-priests at the feet of a dead archbishop.
Lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn called two colleagues to the stand Tuesday to try to counter eight weeks of searing evidence from the prosecution. The priests testified that Lynn, as secretary for clergy, never had the authority to remove problem priests or move them to new parishes.
Instead, Lynn could only make recommendations to his superiors, and "ultimately to the cardinal," Monsignor Joseph P. Garvin testified.
Lynn, 61, served as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, most of it under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. Bevilacqua died in January, two months before Lynn went on trial. Prosecutors preserved his testimony in a videotaped deposition late last year, but rested without playing it for jurors.
The Palm Beach Post
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
The Associated Press
Updated: 2:31 p.m. Tuesday, May 22, 2012
PHILADELPHIA — The defense in a groundbreaking child-endangerment trial laid blame for the transfer of predator-priests at the feet of a dead archbishop.
Lawyers for Monsignor William Lynn called two colleagues to the stand Tuesday to try to counter eight weeks of searing evidence from the prosecution. The priests testified that Lynn, as secretary for clergy, never had the authority to remove problem priests or move them to new parishes.
Instead, Lynn could only make recommendations to his superiors, and "ultimately to the cardinal," Monsignor Joseph P. Garvin testified.
Lynn, 61, served as secretary for clergy from 1992 to 2004, most of it under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. Bevilacqua died in January, two months before Lynn went on trial. Prosecutors preserved his testimony in a videotaped deposition late last year, but rested without playing it for jurors.
Defense witness: Lynn had no power over accused priests
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A priest who helped Msgr. William J. Lynn investigate child-sex abuse complaints in the 1990s on Tuesday described the former clergy secretary as a low-level manager who pressed accused clerics to enter treatment but who had no authority to order them to do so.
The priest, Msgr. Michael T. McCulken, testified that Lynn’s recommendations typically needed the approval of three bosses above him, including Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua. At the time, Lynn was one of six priests who held the title of “secretary” within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, overseeing areas ranging from education to Catholic life.
“Was there any level in the official hierarchy that was below the secretaries — or would they be the bottom rung?” defense lawyer Jeffrey Lindy asked McCulken.
“They would be the bottom rung,” McCulken said.
His testimony in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court came as lawyers for Lynn and his codefendant, the Rev. James J. Brennan, opened their defense in the landmark clergy-sex abuse trial. Prosecutors say Lynn, secretary for clergy between 1992 and 2004, endangered children when he allowed Brennan and another priest, Edward Avery, to live or work in parishes despite signs they might abuse minors. They say Brennan tried to rape a 14-year-old in 1996, an accusation he has denied.
Philadelphia Inquirer
By John P. Martin
INQUIRER STAFF WRITER
A priest who helped Msgr. William J. Lynn investigate child-sex abuse complaints in the 1990s on Tuesday described the former clergy secretary as a low-level manager who pressed accused clerics to enter treatment but who had no authority to order them to do so.
The priest, Msgr. Michael T. McCulken, testified that Lynn’s recommendations typically needed the approval of three bosses above him, including Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua. At the time, Lynn was one of six priests who held the title of “secretary” within the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, overseeing areas ranging from education to Catholic life.
“Was there any level in the official hierarchy that was below the secretaries — or would they be the bottom rung?” defense lawyer Jeffrey Lindy asked McCulken.
“They would be the bottom rung,” McCulken said.
His testimony in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court came as lawyers for Lynn and his codefendant, the Rev. James J. Brennan, opened their defense in the landmark clergy-sex abuse trial. Prosecutors say Lynn, secretary for clergy between 1992 and 2004, endangered children when he allowed Brennan and another priest, Edward Avery, to live or work in parishes despite signs they might abuse minors. They say Brennan tried to rape a 14-year-old in 1996, an accusation he has denied.
First defense witness in Philadelphia priest-abuse trial says cardinal made priest transfers
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Daily Journal
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: May 22, 2012 - 11:16 am
PHILADELPHIA — The first defense witness in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial says the defendant lacked the authority to transfer priests within the Philadelphia archdiocese.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official charged for allegedly helping transfer suspected predator-priests to new parishes.
Monsignor Joseph Garvin, former secretary for Catholic Human Services, testified Tuesday as the first defense witness.
He says Lynn could recommend that a priest be transferred — but says the cardinal ultimately makes the decision. That fits with Lynn's argument that he took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Daily Journal
THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
First Posted: May 22, 2012 - 11:16 am
PHILADELPHIA — The first defense witness in a groundbreaking clergy-abuse trial says the defendant lacked the authority to transfer priests within the Philadelphia archdiocese.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first Roman Catholic church official charged for allegedly helping transfer suspected predator-priests to new parishes.
Monsignor Joseph Garvin, former secretary for Catholic Human Services, testified Tuesday as the first defense witness.
He says Lynn could recommend that a priest be transferred — but says the cardinal ultimately makes the decision. That fits with Lynn's argument that he took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Defense to start in Philly priest-abuse trial
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
NECN
May 22, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The defense is set to start Tuesday in the trial of a former Roman Catholic church official charged with helping cover-up child sex-abuse complaints in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
Monsignor William Lynn has been on trial for eight weeks. The prosecution evidence included testimony from more than a dozen people who say they were abused by priests.
Jurors have also seen hundreds of internal church documents found in secret archives.
The 61-year-old Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of abuse complaints. Defense lawyers argue that he took orders from the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
NECN
May 22, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — The defense is set to start Tuesday in the trial of a former Roman Catholic church official charged with helping cover-up child sex-abuse complaints in the Philadelphia archdiocese.
Monsignor William Lynn has been on trial for eight weeks. The prosecution evidence included testimony from more than a dozen people who say they were abused by priests.
Jurors have also seen hundreds of internal church documents found in secret archives.
The 61-year-old Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his handling of abuse complaints. Defense lawyers argue that he took orders from the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Monsignor: I didn't put list of predators in safe
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Albany Times Union
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 05:48 p.m., Thursday, May 24, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Roman Catholic church official testified Thursday that he typed a list of suspected pedophile priests on his computer, but couldn't find it 10 years later to show a grand jury.
Monsignor William Lynn endured a second day of searing cross-examination as he fights charges he endangered children by protecting priests. He's due back on the stand Tuesday.
Lynn denies locking the 1994 list in an archdiocese safe, where church employees say it was found in 2006 and then buried in a lawyer's files until this year.
The list was turned over to city prosecutors in February, days after Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua died. They've made it something of a smoking gun since the trial started in March.
Prosecutors believe it shows the Philadelphia archdiocese knew it had diagnosed pedophiles and other predators on duty, but left them in jobs with access to children.
"They have that collar on. It attracts kids like candy," Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington said as he peppered Lynn with questions.
Albany Times Union
MARYCLAIRE DALE, Associated Press
Updated 05:48 p.m., Thursday, May 24, 2012
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — A Roman Catholic church official testified Thursday that he typed a list of suspected pedophile priests on his computer, but couldn't find it 10 years later to show a grand jury.
Monsignor William Lynn endured a second day of searing cross-examination as he fights charges he endangered children by protecting priests. He's due back on the stand Tuesday.
Lynn denies locking the 1994 list in an archdiocese safe, where church employees say it was found in 2006 and then buried in a lawyer's files until this year.
The list was turned over to city prosecutors in February, days after Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua died. They've made it something of a smoking gun since the trial started in March.
Prosecutors believe it shows the Philadelphia archdiocese knew it had diagnosed pedophiles and other predators on duty, but left them in jobs with access to children.
"They have that collar on. It attracts kids like candy," Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington said as he peppered Lynn with questions.
Day 2 Of Cross Examination In Priest Sex Abuse Trial Proves Intense
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
CBS Philly
By Pat Ciarrocchi
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Monsignor William Lynn walked to lunch with his family surrounding him, and for the first time all morning, his face wasn’t blazing red.
The second day of cross examination was intense from the start.
The prosecutor, Assistant DA Patrick Blessington, named cases involving notorious priests — with credible allegations of sexual abuse of children who remained in ministry.
One was Father Stanley Gana, who Blessington described as a monster with multiple victims. Blessington wanted to know how this case fell through the cracks.
“There was no excuse for it falling through the cracks. I’m not perfect,” Lynn answered.
“Do you agree; Gana is a monster?” Blessington pressed.
“I agree he did horrible things,” Lynn confirmed.
CBS Philly
By Pat Ciarrocchi
PHILADELPHIA (CBS) — Monsignor William Lynn walked to lunch with his family surrounding him, and for the first time all morning, his face wasn’t blazing red.
The second day of cross examination was intense from the start.
The prosecutor, Assistant DA Patrick Blessington, named cases involving notorious priests — with credible allegations of sexual abuse of children who remained in ministry.
One was Father Stanley Gana, who Blessington described as a monster with multiple victims. Blessington wanted to know how this case fell through the cracks.
“There was no excuse for it falling through the cracks. I’m not perfect,” Lynn answered.
“Do you agree; Gana is a monster?” Blessington pressed.
“I agree he did horrible things,” Lynn confirmed.
Senior U.S. priest defends response to child sex abuse complaint
PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WKZO
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A senior church official on Thursday defended his response to a child abuse victim who was told that a predator priest could not be punished because he had sex with women too and therefore was "not a pure pedophile."
Under intense cross-examination by the prosecution, Monsignor William Lynn of the Philadelphia Archdiocese testified in his own defense for the second day at his trial on charges of child endangerment and conspiracy. He is accused of covering up child sex abuse allegations against priests, often by transferring them to unsuspecting parishes.
Lynn, 61, the former secretary of the clergy in the archdiocese, is the highest-ranking U.S. clergyman to go to trial in the Roman Catholic church's pedophilia scandal. His job was to supervise 800 Philadelphia priests, including investigating sex abuse claims against them, from 1992 to 2004.
The pedophilia scandal has rocked the Philadelphia Archdiocese, with 1.5 million members the sixth largest in the country. Nationwide, more than 10,000 allegations of child sex abuse were brought against priests between 1950 and 2002, according to a report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
WKZO
By Dave Warner
PHILADELPHIA (Reuters) - A senior church official on Thursday defended his response to a child abuse victim who was told that a predator priest could not be punished because he had sex with women too and therefore was "not a pure pedophile."
Under intense cross-examination by the prosecution, Monsignor William Lynn of the Philadelphia Archdiocese testified in his own defense for the second day at his trial on charges of child endangerment and conspiracy. He is accused of covering up child sex abuse allegations against priests, often by transferring them to unsuspecting parishes.
Lynn, 61, the former secretary of the clergy in the archdiocese, is the highest-ranking U.S. clergyman to go to trial in the Roman Catholic church's pedophilia scandal. His job was to supervise 800 Philadelphia priests, including investigating sex abuse claims against them, from 1992 to 2004.
The pedophilia scandal has rocked the Philadelphia Archdiocese, with 1.5 million members the sixth largest in the country. Nationwide, more than 10,000 allegations of child sex abuse were brought against priests between 1950 and 2002, according to a report commissioned by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
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