PHILADELPHIA (PA)
The Open Tabernacle: Here Comes Everybody
Posted on September 19, 2015 by Betty Clermont
Given the magnitude of the media coverage the next week, this is Pope Francis’ best opportunity to strengthen his geopolitical influence and power.
Please see “A Subversive Guide to Pope Francis’ US Visit: Washington DC and New York.” My purpose is to provide information omitted by the mainstream media.
SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 27 (PHILADELPHIA)
11:00 a.m. Visit to Curran-Fromhold Correctional Facility
Of the three cities the pope is visiting, Philadelphia children have suffered the most from clerical sex abuse. Due to a public outcry, two grand jury investigations were held.
In September 2005, a grand jury announced that Cardinal John Krol was involved with the cover-up of the sexual abuse of children by accused priests throughout the archdiocese, as was his successor, Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua. Both transferred accused priests to other parishes throughout the archdiocese. “The grand jury also demonstrated that nobody could be prosecuted due to Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations and other conditions that protect the archdiocese from being criminally accountable.”
A second grand jury in February, 2011, accused the Philadelphia Archdiocese under Cardinal Rigali of failing to stop the sexual abuse of children more than five years after the first grand jury report documented abuse by more than fifty priests. “The 2011 grand jury report said that as many as 37 priests were credibly accused of sexual abuse or inappropriate behavior toward minors [and] most of those 37 priests remain active in the ministry.”
The 2012 conviction of Msgr. William Lynn followed from the grand jury investigation. Lynn is the only Catholic official in the US to be convicted and sent to prison for covering up abuses by other priests in his charge.
Lynn was moved out of Currna-Fromhold to another state prison after the pope’s itinerary was announced.
Robert Corby, who says he was a victim of child sexual abuse by a priest, “when he heard that Francis was planning to visit inmates at a Philadelphia jail, wrote a letter to the editor suggesting that the pope instead meet with victims of sexual abuse by Philadelphia Archdiocese priests.”
So far, no such meeting is on the pope’s schedule in the US but there is some media speculation because Pope Benedict did so during his US trip. However, given the amount of time needed to carefully screen any victim who gets to meet the pope, this may not happen.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.