Letter to the Editor: Abusive priests deserve prison

OLEAN (NY)
Olean Times Herald

July 30, 2018

By Tom Capra

Anyone who commits sexual abuse should go to jail, including Catholic priests. Of the 42 priests listed in March by the Buffalo Diocese as having been accused of sexual abuse — or have committed it — only one has been sent to prison.

The Rev. Norbert Orsolits, living in Ashford, admitted earlier this year that he abused dozens of boys. If it was up to me he would be in Attica and never see the light of day.

It has been reported that the diocese would create a fund to settle claims of abuse. Where will it get the funds? From faithful parishioners.

The bishops moved abusive priests from parish to parish. What they should have done was call the police and have these priests arrested from the beginning, then there would not have been so many problems.

The pope should have immediately removed any bishops who tried to cover up abuse by priests — and maybe they should have been charged as co-conspirators. In any case, bishops everywhere should be ashamed of themselves, especially because their neglect tainted the good work of so many good priests.

I am going on 88. The church has changed a lot over the decades — and not for the good. I no longer attend Mass; I just can’t believe how they failed to address this issue over so many years.

Again, I’d like to see any abusive priest be sent to prison. Jerry Sandusky, the former Penn State football coach, got 60 years in prison for sexual abuse of boys. There was a local case in which a Portville man was sent to prison for many years for such crimes.

Sexual offenders must be locked up because they will never stop.

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