UNITED STATES
Christian Catholicism
Jerry Slevin
Two events within the last few months confirmed conclusively that local law enforcement in the USA cannot prevent Catholic Church leaders from facilitating predatory priests who sexually abuse children. Documents just released in Los Angeles and others released in Philadelphia a few months earlier show this. Two Cardinals, Mahony and Bevilacqua, oversaw numerous predatory priests who were enabled to continue to abuse children repeatedly even after the Cardinals knew the priests were predators.
It is the same old story that played out with Cardinal Law in Boston a decade before and in many other U.S. dioceses since. Local prosecutors beholden to the political clout of local Cardinals and Bishops apparently looked the other way for decades. As a retired international lawyer and lifelong practicing Catholic, I am convinced these outrages will continue until the Federal government steps up. No one else has the clout to stand up to the power of the Vatican.
Many have already signed a petition calling on President Obama to step up. More signatures are needed and will help. Please take a minute and sign it at:
[Click here for the petition.]
President Obama should consider appointing First Lady Michelle Obama to chair the new Obama commission. She is well respected as a Harvard lawyer and devoted mother. He growing children now need less of her time and she would be an ideal choice with her established credibility.
Michelle could consult with another former practicing lawyer, Julia Gillard, Australia’s Prime Minister, who just established a national investigation commission that already has the Catholic hierarchy and the Vatican running for cover.
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.