02-15-2011, 02:51 AM
Quote:Why 37 accused priests are still serving
A Phila. grand jury cited allegations of abuse and inappropriate behavior. Three cases show how the archdiocese rejected them.
February 13, 2011|By David O'Reilly and Nancy Phillips, Inquirer Staff Writers
A bomb was buried deep in last week's grand-jury report on clergy sex abuse in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia:
At least 37 priests accused of molestation and other inappropriate behavior toward children have been allowed to remain in active ministry.
"These simply are not the actions of an institution that is serious about ending sexual abuse of its children," the report said. "There is no other conclusion."
Cardinal Justin Rigali was quick to respond.
"I assure all the faithful that there are no archdiocesan priests in ministry today who have an admitted or established allegation of sexual abuse of a minor against them," he said in a short letter to all 267 parishes in the 1.5 million-member archdiocese, sent hours after the report's release Thursday.
Rigali's assurances did little to assuage concern among the many Catholics across the region reeling at the grand jury's other surprise: the indictment of Msgr. William Lynn, former secretary for clergy under Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, on charges of endangering the welfare of children, a felony offense.
Lynn, 60, is accused of putting children at risk by assigning known abusers to parishes. Through his lawyers, he has denied any wrongdoing. Also charged were two other priests, a defrocked priest, and a parochial-school teacher, accused of raping two altar boys, ages 10 and 14, in 1996 and 1998.
The grand jury's assertion that dozens of others facing abuse allegations are still in parish ministry brought angry demands from victim advocates for names and action.
"Suspend these dozens of priests immediately," said David Clohessy, national director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, who led a small rally outside archdiocesan headquarters in Center City on Friday. "Suspend first, investigate later."
The archdiocese declined Friday to respond to additional questions from The Inquirer about the grand jury's finding on suspect priests.
Three members of the independent advisory group responsible for reviewing abuse accusations for the archdiocese said Saturday that they were perplexed by the allegations that dozens of abusive priests remain in ministry.
They said their board had considered allegations against more than 50 priests in the last eight years, that it most often had voted for the archdiocese to remove or take other action against the accused priests, and that its recommendations almost always had been adopted...a
http://articles.philly.com/2011-02-13/ne...d-clohessy
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