PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Voice from the Desert

Sister Maureen Paul Turlish

On Monday, October 15th, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced its decision to restore Rev. Joseph DiGregorio to ministry, a priest credibly accused of the sexual exploitation of a minor.

[Read the story here.]

It did so while releasing as little information as possible.

The archdiocese’s poor record of accountability and transparency began to become known as early as 2002 when on April 26th then Cardinal Anthony Bevilaequa was quoted on a CNN News night report saying, “We all are agreed that no priest guilty of even one act of sexual abuse of a minor will function in any ecclesial ministry or any capacity in our diocese.”

That was 2002.

Later the 2005 and 2011 grand jury reports highlighted in graphic detail the lack of accountability and transparency shown by three Philadelphia archbishops — Cardinals Krol, Bevilaequa and Rigali.