PHILADELPHIA (PA)
WSET
Posted: May 17, 2012 12:28 PM
By MARYCLAIRE DALE
Associated Press
PHILADELPHIA (AP) – After eight weeks, Philadelphia prosecutors have rested in the trial of a Roman Catholic church official accused of helping bury complaints that priests were raping or molesting children.
Monsignor William Lynn is the first U.S. church official charged for his administrative role in the priest-abuse scandal. Prosecutors say the former secretary for clergy helped known predators stay in ministry. He is charged with child endangerment and conspiracy.
Defense lawyers counter that Lynn tried to address the problem, but took orders from Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua.
Jurors have heard painful testimony from more than a dozen men and women who say they were abused by priests as children. And they have viewed about 2,000 documents, most unearthed from the secret archives.
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