ST. LOUIS (MO)
Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
Dec. 2, 2019
Philadelphia’s top Catholic official should suspend one of his auxiliary bishops, based on a new investigative report by the Washington Post, that shows the prelate had accepted cash gifts from a now-disgraced bishop who has been accused of abuse.
From February 2009 through last year, then-Monsignor Timothy C. Senior (promoted to bishop in later in 2009) accepted $3,750 from former Bishop Michael Bransfield. For years, Senior was responsible for helping to assess sexual abuse claims against clerics in Philadelphia under Archbishop Charles Chaput, who still heads the archdiocese.
Notably, Bransfield is accused of sexually abuse in both Pennsylvania and West Virginia.
Did Senior handle the first known abuse report against Bransfield? Despite repeated pledges to be “open” about abuse and cover up cases, church officials in Philadelphia refused to say. We hope that parishioners and the public will demand answers from their prelates.
In addition, Bransfield
–once taught Senior in high school,
–“was very friendly with (Senior),” and is “a very close friend” of his, and
–said the cash gifts had no connection to the claim against him.
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