Posted on 03/07/2011 7:23:40 PM PST by Dr. Eckleburg
WILLIAM LYNN FIRST HIGH-RANKING CHURCH OFFICIAL TO FACE CHILD ENDANGERMENT CHARGES; DOZENS ACCUSED OF ABUSE REMAIN IN ACTIVE MINISTRY
(CBS News) Phil Gaughan can't bring himself to talk about it in detail, but said when he was a teenager, he was sexually abused by a catholic priest, reports CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano.
"It just can't happen to anybody else," Gaughan said. "Nobody should have deal with what I've dealt with for 15 years, the way that I felt and no child should ever have to go through this again."
After years of silence, Gaughan is publicly filing suit against top officials in the Philadelphia archdiocese, who he said failed to protect him from a predator priest. One of those named in his civil lawsuit is Monsignor William Lynn.
Lynn is already facing charges in a separate criminal case. For 12 years, Lynn was in charge of recommending work assignments for priests in the Philadelphia archdiocese. The district attorney believes Lynn knowingly recommended abusive priests be reassigned, without ever warning the parishes.
"They did in fact re-offend," said Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams. "They did in fact rape and sodomize other children."
Lynn has now become the first high-ranking U.S. church official ever to face criminal child endangerment charges for allegedly covering-up abuse. But prosecutors said there are other problems.
Allegations against Lynn resulted from a 124-page grand jury report that concludes, "Apparent abusers - dozens of them, we believe - remain on duty in the Archdiocese, today, with open access to new young prey."
For now, the archdiocese has suspended three priests, but according to the report, 34 others accused of abuse or inappropriate behavior with minors remain in active ministry.
The archdiocese has hired a former prosecutor to re-examine past cases.
"I will not turn my back on evidence of a cover up," said Gina Smith.
The archdiocese is not commenting on recent legal action, but church officials have vowed to do better.
"We have now taken action and we hope that our actions speak to our resolve," said Bishop Daniel Thomas with the Philadelphia Archdiocese.
That's little comfort to Gaughan, who hopes by coming forward he's giving children the protection he never had.
He is by no means a demon or any servant of evil He is from all accounts an honorable man who did the right thing.
THEIR ACTIONS and NON ACTIONS SPEAK LOUDLY on THREAD after THREAD. It’s common knowledge, not mind reading. Catholics interpret posts like they do Scripture - wrongly.
A shame that the REAL victim has to do the work catholics/organization never wanted to do. Lack of love screams from their non action.
Now it’s in the hands of the law. Catholics should be ashamed. They brag how big they are; yet one sole victim is left with the task that their big organization refused to do.
Good bye.
All posters are equal in the Religion Forum but some are more equal than others.
Amen
Sort of like squatters rights
Or playing the “seniority card”
Fixed it for you.
The last thread locked by an Admin Moderator for "flamewar" was entitled "Protestants: Why they are wrong *Vanity* [Catholic Caucus]". While designated a caucus the title was "anti" Protestantism (non-caucus members) and therefore obviously intended to incite a flame war.
Thanks very much.
In the other category, can you shed some light on what determines if “a flamewar is in process.”
I appreciate your time.
Just more sactioned flame bait. The Pentanostril orifications never end.
Yes, in fact, they DO. It has been proven over and over that rather than face the music, the organization of the Roman church will shuffle them off somewhere else, and sweep the matter under the rug.
YOU do not approve, nor anyone here, as we have heard time and again. But we are not talking about YOU. this is not a subject where specificity matters or is even relevant, as the charge is against the whole edifice, and purposefully must be so. One cannot say that we must avoid looking at the general case, just to make that general case disappear.
You are simply making vast generalizations.
Of course it is a generalization - No one is calling YOU a pedophile. It is the entirety of the Roman church that stands indicted... And rightly so:
The tendencies of Roman priests toward alter boys is so well known and prolific that it has become a standard for jokes in western countries (much like drunken friars) - It is a part of the identity of the Roman church. And that is *not* specific to this go-around. Those jokes have been around far longer than I have been alive, or my father, or my grandfather; and one can find such references all the way back to bardic lore and late medieval drinking songs.
This is no *new* thing, as much as papist apologists would like it to be so. So is it a generality? Certainly it is. But that is because it must be to encompass the scope.
Why was number 192 deleted?
My mistake
I don't keep up with it anymore. The names of the flying monkeys may change, but it is still the same garbage than comes out of them.
Ok
I understand. It could be demanding trying to keep up with all of them, and they could see it as some kind of hall of fame.
The tendencies of Roman priests toward alter boys is so well known and prolific that it has become a standard for jokes in western countries (much like drunken friars) - It is a part of the identity of the Roman church. And that is *not* specific to this go-around. Those jokes have been around far longer than I have been alive, or my father, or my grandfather; and one can find such references all the way back to bardic lore and late medieval drinking songs.
This is no *new* thing, as much as papist apologists would like it to be so.
AMEN!
“Things are going better than than I expected. This cyberspace era has given a real boost to our endeavors.
Interesting.
1) Warm milk should help a bad night's sleep. That, and a clear conscience.
2) I've heard literally dozens of people say on this forum that they've learned an enormous amount of information about various churches and what errant practices and beliefs they hold. No nefarious dark figures or evil intent. Just a desire for the light of truth.
The internet permits millions to have access to Bibles and translations and commentaries and lexicons, and that is all to the good.
"So mightily grew the word of God and prevailed." -- Acts 19:20
You've told us many times you are in your 80's.
That was true, wasn't it?
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.