PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Philadelphia Priest Abuse Trial Blog
Ralph Cipriano
The man wrote the archdiocese in 1996, claiming that as an adolescent, he had been sexually abused by Father Stanley M. Gana. The man wanted the archdiocese to pay for his therapy, which he said, were a direct result of the abuse he had suffered from Father Gana.
There was a problem, however, Monsignor William J. Lynn explained in writing to the victim. The archdiocese had a policy where it would only pay the bills of alleged victims if the priest accused of abuse had confessed. Father Gana, Lynn explained, was still denying the allegations. So the archdiocese, according to its own policy, was not required to pay for the man’s therapy.
However, Lynn wrote, out of the archdiocese’s “charitable concern” for the victim’s “emotional, physical and spiritual well-being,” the archdiocese had decided to make an exception in this case, and pay the victim’s therapy bills. The letter was signed, “Sincerely yours in the Lord, William J. Lynn.”
Sadly, as far as the archdiocese was concerned, however, this wasn’t a charity case, as was revealed Tuesday in the ongoing sex abuse trial. Father Gana had made a full confession, according to formerly confidential documents that the prosecutor entered into evidence. The documents showed that Monsignor Lynn knew about the priest’s confession, but decided not to share this knowledge with the victim.
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