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.
Well they should be hating what’s happening in their church....not those who comment on it. I’d love it if the Cahtolics on this thread would ban together and demand these creepes be arrested and tried....rather than the seemingly defense they often put up.
I will say that if this were happening within the demonation of a church I was attending I’d be changing that denomination real fast! But of course in their eyes there’s no place to go. Sad really.
lolol. Every word worth repeating...
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“We’re sharing dreams? Cool! Here was mine last night:
This nice looking fella in a sheepskin shirt was talking to me.
15 “Beware of false prophets, who come to you in sheep’s clothing but inwardly are ravenous wolves.
He said we should put away our screennames and only use our real names. I asked him his name and he gave me his screenname.
26 You blind Pharisee! First clean the inside of the cup and the plate, that the outside also may be clean.
But he was a really nice guy and seemed to want to get along.
14 And no wonder, for even Satan disguises himself as an angel of light.
He said we should all just put away our differences and live in peace and everything will be better.
3 While people are saying, “There is peace and security,” then sudden destruction will come upon them as labor pains come upon a pregnant woman, and they will not escape.
I thought that was all very interesting.
6 Let no one deceive you with empty words, for because of these things the wrath of God comes upon the sons of disobedience.”
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AMEN!
“Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man’s device.
And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men every where to repent” — Acts 17:29-30
Maybe you didn’t read the post I was responding to.
That was the “paranoid” post.
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