Looking Back, Looking Ahead at Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse | John Baer

By John Baer
The Inquirer
August 7, 2018

http://www.philly.com/philly/columnists/john_baer/catholic-clergy-sexual-abuse-josh-shapiro-pope-francis-john-baer-20180807.html

Even Pope Francis heard about Pennsylvania’s probe into Catholic Church sex abuse.

In anticipation of findings, however redacted, of a statewide grand jury investigation into sex abuse in six Pennsylvania Catholic dioceses, I revisited a 2005 grand jury report on the same topic in Philadelphia.

Thirteen years later, it’s as horrific as it was back then.

Findings included “how dozens of priests (at least 63) sexually abused hundreds of children” and “how Philadelphia Archdiocese officials – including Cardinal Bevilacqua and Cardinal Krol – excused and enabled the abuse.”

Details were sickening.