Have faith that the Catholic church sex abuse report will be released

By Paul Muschick
Morning Call
June 27, 2018

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/muschick/mc-opi-catholic-church-sex-abuse-grand-pa-jury-report-muschick-20180626-story.html

Adding responses from the accused to a pending grand jury report on priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania would be welcome, but attempts to block publication of the report or strike allegations should be fought at all costs. Photo by Tim Boyle

The anger and disappointment over the last-minute hold on a potentially damning grand jury report on priest sex abuse in Pennsylvania is understandable.

The victims, the Catholic faithful and the public have waited too long already for these secrets to be spilled. We want the names. We want to know whether church officials or others tried to cover up their despicable actions.

The legal maneuvering to delay, or permanently block, publication of the report is being viewed as just another attempt to keep these secrets buried. I can see why. History shows the church has not handled these scandals well. Fears of continued cover-ups are warranted.

But I’m willing to keep the faith, at least for a reasonable amount of time, that the grand jury’s report will be released.

This report has been two years in the making. A delay of several weeks or maybe even a few months wouldn’t be detrimental, considering how extensive the grand jury proceeding has been.

If the result is that the report is amended to include responses from some of the accused, as appears could be the case, it will be a better product.

Pennsylvania’s grand jury law says that people who are named in a report without being charged with a crime may be allowed to see the document before it is released and reply to the accusations so their side of the story can be included.

The state Supreme Court said it stopped publication of the report, which could have been released last week, so it can consider petitions from “many” people who contend their constitutional rights were violated during the grand jury proceeding because they were not allowed to testify.

If the court allows their side of the story to be presented in the report, I’m for it. I’d love to see what some of the accused have to say. It could round out this story. The world will see through any shallow excuses and finger-pointing.

If the Supreme Court moves to permanently block publication of the entire report, or to strike allegations against uncharged individuals, that would be another story. That should be fought at all costs.

As the justices review the matter, they should be guided by what they told the public in an opinion on Monday, that they are “cognizant” that the report “is a matter of great public interest.”