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  Prof Sees 'Disaster' for Church Here

By Kitty Caparella
Philadelphia Daily News [Philadelphia PA]
September 26, 2005

IF THE aftermath of Boston's pedophile-priest scandal is any indication, this is what the area's 1.5 million Catholics could face here, according to research by a Temple University religion professor:

• A drop in donations from outraged Catholics, upset with the graphic details - from abortion, to sadomasochism to repeated rape - against 63 of the 169 accused priests described in the 418-page grand jury report, released by District Attorney Lynne Abraham last week.

• Numerous civil lawsuits filed against the priests, who allegedly engaged in the sexual abuse of children, the churches where the abuse took place and the archdiocesan officials, who allegedly covered it up - just as Boston faced.

• Closing of parishes, as churches and the archdiocese deal with the financial repercussions, such as the 80 parish churches that the Boston Archdiocese proposed to close.

Some Boston parishioners vow to stay in the churches around the clock to prevent their closing.

• Possible bankruptcy, such as three dioceses have filed. More than $1 billion has been paid out in U.S. settlements, and the figure is expected to rise to $3 billion.

• Fewer priests. Fifteen percent of U.S. parishes now don't have resident pastors or priests. About 25,000 have left to get married.

That's the research that Leonard Swidler, professor of Catholic and inter-religious dialogue in Temple University's Religion Department, found in his study of the financial impact of the pedophile-priest scandal on the American Catholic church.

"This is a rolling disaster and it keeps rolling," said Swidler last night. "Philadelphia is in the midst of a horrible body blow."

As co-founder and president of the International Association for the Rights of Catholics in the Catholic Church, Swidler said, "More and more Catholics are going to insist on transparency and accountability, especially regarding money."

Swidler said his organization was preparing an amicus brief to submit to bankruptcy courts dealing with the scandal, suggesting that donors put their money in nonprofit corporations that cannot be touched by bishops, the church or plaintiffs in the sex scandal.

But yesterday, many area Catholics were still reeling from last week's explosive revelations about 63 priests and the depravity of their sexual appetites.

Published in church bulletins yesterday was a letter of apology from Cardinal Justin Rigali that listed corrective actions taken to prevent sexual abuse.

Rigali pointed out that only 35 priests were known sexual abusers in 2002 and that the archdiocese had cooperated fully with the grand jury. The letter is posted on the Internet at www.archdi ocese-phl.org.

Worshipers at area churches continued to react with anger to disbelief.

"Hang 'em!" said a 78-year-old parishioner who identified himself only as Bill, from St. Adalbert's Church, in Port Richmond. "Who the hell are they supposed to be?"

Bill said the priests were supposed to care for Catholics' spiritual needs but were engaged in molesting and raping children. "That's a shame, and they were covering it up."

Fran Tessier, 54, of Port Richmond, didn't read the grand jury report but heard news accounts.

"There's good and bad in everyone, and I pray for those with problems and that those with problems will be healed," she said, clutching her church bulletin.

Said a 64-year-old Kensington man who gave his name as Walter: "I don't have any kids. It's bad, but you don't know what to make of it."

"It's the church's responsibility," said John Miller, 57, a non-Catholic from National Park, N.J. "If they knew about it and hid the situation, they're just as guilty as the priest.

"If they had done what they were supposed to do, they'd have more of a congregation. People are turned off about it."

John Salveson, spokesman for the Philadelphia chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said SNAP and Voice of the Faithful, both Catholic reform groups, distributed fliers to eight churches suggesting how parishioners could help:

• Read the grand jury report.

• Ask your pastor how your parish can solve the problem.

• Work to change the statute of limitations on sex abuse of minors.

• Educate yourself on snap phila.org.

"Reaction was mixed," said Salveson. "Some people wanted to talk about how upset they were; others said the D.A. was a jerk. And one priest was confrontational."

 
 

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