PHILADELPHIA (PA)
Newsbreak [Mountain View, CA]
August 11, 2023
By Cultural Anthropolist
K.S. Ph.D., author of “Escape the Gods,” writes about contradictions and hypocrisy in organized religion. On tour in Philadelphia, the silencing of victims of religious abuse is discussed.
In August 2023, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia reached an agreement to provide a settlement of $3.5 million in response to allegations that Reverend Monsignor John A. Close, who is now deceased, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old boy in 2006. It is alleged that Close took the boy’s confession and proceeded to engage in non-consensual activity. Close then stated that this sexual assault was deemed necessary to absolve the boy of his sins. Additionally, it is alleged that Close threatened the victim with potential eternal consequences should he disclose this incident to anyone. According to attorneys David Inscho and Lorraine Donnelly, the individual in question, who is now 30 years old, was reportedly attending religious classes at St. Katherine’s of Sienna in Wayne during the mentioned incident.
It should be noted that the assault was not reported until 2018, and the individual continues to experience the effects of post-traumatic stress disorder. According to the release, the case reached a settlement shortly before it was scheduled to go to trial in Philadelphia Common Pleas Court. Kenneth Gavin, chief communications officer for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, politely stated in a statement that the church acknowledges the settlement and the resolution it brings. Additionally, he mentioned that the church had no prior knowledge of this specific allegation before Close’s unfortunate passing in 2018. Gavin mentioned that the plaintiff’s attorneys had raised this matter in July 2019. Following the established policy, the archdiocese dutifully reported the allegation to law enforcement. According to the attorneys representing the plaintiff, it has been alleged that the archdiocese had knowledge of Close posing a threat to children as far back as the 1970s. This awareness reportedly arose when a pastor reported that Close had teenage boys staying overnight in his living quarters at the rectory. As a result, Close was subsequently transferred to a different parish, as stated by the attorneys.
Another individual who claims to be a victim informed the archdiocese at some point before 2004 that Close had allegedly sexually assaulted him during his time as an altar boy in the late 1960s at Christ the King parish in Philadelphia. However, this allegation was subsequently dismissed by the archdiocese following an internal investigation that revealed certain “inconsistencies” in the victim’s account. In 2011, a third individual came forward alleging that Close had sexually assaulted him during his time as a student at Archbishop Wood High School in Warminster in the early 1990s, where Close served as the principal. The archdiocese, once again, investigated the matter and found no evidence of wrongdoing on Close’s part.
To the present day, the author of “Escape the Gods,” K.S. Ph.D. has dealt with challenging situations, such as criticism from faith leaders and rounds of gunfire in Lebanon during a gathering of ex-Christians and ex-Muslims. In addition, a tragic incident involving a Congolese pastor resulted in Papy Ngoy being held by authorities for the killing of a parishioner who read the book and created a group that discussed the message.