Catholic Priests in Pennsylvania Sexually Abused More Than 1000 Children

A grand jury report reveals hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children — and possibly many more — since the 1940s. https://t.co/fqKDpc2rcM

— The Associated Press (@AP) August 15, 2018

From the Associated Press:

An estimated 300 Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania molested more than 1,000 children — and possibly many more — since the 1940s, according to a scathing Pennsylvania grand jury report released Tuesday that accused senior church officials, including the man who is now archbishop of Washington, D.C., of systematically covering up complaints.

...The grand jury heard from dozens of witnesses and reviewed more than a half-million pages of internal diocesan documents, including reports by bishops to Vatican officials about the allegations against priests.

The panel concluded that a succession of bishops and other diocesan leaders tried to shield the church from bad publicity and financial liability. They failed to report accused clergy to police, used confidentiality agreements to silence victims and sent priests to “treatment facilities,” which “laundered” the clergymen and “permitted hundreds of known offenders to return to ministry,” the report said.

The conspiracy of silence extended beyond church grounds: Police or prosecutors sometimes did not investigate allegations out of deference to church officials or brushed off complaints as outside the statute of limitations, the grand jury said.

A former Pennsylvania county prosecutor was fired Wednesday from his job as an attorney for a county youth services office after the report showed that, as Beaver County’s elected district attorney in the 1960s, he stopped an investigation into alleged child abuse by a priest to gain political favor from the Pittsburgh Diocese.

Diocese leaders responded Tuesday by expressing sorrow for the victims, stressing how they’ve changed and unveiling, for the first time, a list of priests accused of sexual misconduct.

What I find stunning about the Catholic Church's sexual abuse scandal is that it was kept hidden for so long.

How did thousands and thousands of parents fail to demand accountability from their church? Why didn't they demand criminal charges against these abusers?

I'm Catholic. If a priest abused my child, I would not rest until the monster was arrested and punished.

Why was there just silence?

The President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Chairman for the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People have issued the following statement in response to findings outlined in today’s Pennsylvania grand jury report: https://t.co/getr725jFX pic.twitter.com/DOvTNjLVFi

— US Catholic Bishops (@USCCB) August 14, 2018

This statement from the President of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and its Chairman for the Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People is woefully inadequate.

Sorry isn't enough. Priests committed crimes and covered them up. Church leaders engaged in aiding and abetting criminals.

They aren't above the law.

Why would parents accept a priest getting away with abusing their child? Why would anyone permit church leaders to cover up criminal behavior?

It's unfathomable to me.