VOTF Statement about Philadelphia Cover-Up: Renders Dallas Charter Worthless

Abuse Survivors, Catholic Cathedral, Philadelphia, March 2011

Voice of the Faithful has just issued a statement about the evidence recently produced in the Philadelphia trial of Monsignor William Lynn--evidence that Cardinal Bevilacqua and other church officials shredded documents tracking the sexually abusive behavior of clerics.  As the VOTF statement stresses, 

The memo [i.e., the evidence produced by Lynn's defenders] also proves the Catholic Church reform group Voice of the Faithful’s long-held contention that Church hierarchy have covered up clergy sexual abuse to protect the Church’s reputation and assets at the expense of child victims of clergy sexual abuse.

VOTF also notes that the documents presented to the court by Lynn's attorneys indicate that, in addition to Bevilacqua, Bishop Edward Cullen, now emeritus bishop of Allentown, and Bishop Joseph Cistone, now bishop of Saginaw, were involved in the cover-up.  Neither gentleman is on trial.  (And for more of that part of the story, see Mike McShea's wonderful analysis at Daily Kos yesterday.)

Mark Mullaney, VOTF's president, concludes: 

These Philadelphia Church leaders showed a scandalous lack of compassion for abuse victims, and attitudes similar to theirs today, plus the fact that two bishops implicated in the Philadelphia conspiracy still lead dioceses, render the Dallas Charter guidelines to protect children worthless. When Church leaders from around the world gathered for the Vatican’s “Toward Healing and Renewal” symposium in February, they talked for four days, showing great concern for abuse victims. VOTF now calls for the Vatican to translate statements of concern into action against bishops who have covered up the truth.

The Vatican has just done a lot of talking about how it has suddenly discovered that clerical sexual abuse of children is a serious problem, and people are upset about this abuse and its coverup.  Whether the Vatican is ready to do a lot of walking to match the talk remains to be seen.

As I've just said re: the situation with right-wing Catholic darling Father Guarnizo in the Washington, D.C., archdiocese, I'm not holding my breath until church officials do the right thing.  In any and all cases in which their claims to power seem to be at stake, it's the claim to power that wins every time.  Hands down.

And not the gospels.