PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Catholics4Change
NOVEMBER 6, 2015 BY SUSAN MATTHEWS
“Spotlight” opens in limited-release today. This movie about the Pulitzer-prize winning Boston Globe journalists who broke the clergy abuse story, may finally raise awareness to the level of outrage needed to create real change, if not in the Church, in our laws regarding statute of limitations law reforms.
Because I’m not a victim, many have wondered about my passion for this cause. While being a Catholic and a mother is certainly enough of a reason, it’s also because I began my career as a journalist. I worked as an editor with the Catholic Standard and Times – the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Cardinal Bevilacqua was the publisher during my six years there. I worked with talented, dedicated, loving people of deep faith who sacrificed better pay and work hours to spread the news and the truth of the Church.
Years later, I know the absolute evil that was taking place just floors above us. It is enraging and sickening. That’s betrayal that every Catholic should feel. Harder to imagine is the pain of those children who were raped by a trusted and adored priest as a child and then raped again by the cover up that continued past 2011 in Philadelphia.
Many would like to believe that it’s all better now. But Father Paul situations tell us that things aren’t better yet. After allegations, he was left as Pastor of Our Lady of Calvary without parents’ knowledge of an investigation. Is this the transparency that was promised? Those allegations were eventually deemed credible. He is no longer a priest. Criminal charges were not pressed due to the statute of limitations. The Pennsylvania Catholic Conference continues lobbying against statute of limitation law reform. The Church is still siding against children. Father Paul can live anywhere he chooses.
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