Strange Doings in Philadelphia

[Lucky]

Catholics in Philadelphia are reeling after a grand jury reported that no less than 37 priests against whom allegations of abuse have been made are still functioning as priests in the diocese. The monsignor in charge of investigating the priests has been criminally charged for endangering the welfare of a child by leaving the priests in place. "[Monsignor]Lynn figured prominently in a scathing 2005 grand jury report that found 63 priests in the archdiocese had been credibly accused of child sexual assault over several decades while local church officials turned a blind eye." (CBS News)

The church authorities have scrambled to respond, suspending some priests, and hiring a former prosecutor to review their files to see where things went wrong:

http://www.nytimes.com/2011/03/05/us/05church.html?hp

CNN Senior Vatican analyst John Allen said the charges against the former church official appeared to be unprecedented and could have national implications.

"This is apparently the first time that a Catholic leader has been charged criminally for the cover-up as opposed to the abuse itself," he said. "It sends a shot across the bow for bishops and other diocesan officials in other parts of the country, who have to wonder now if they've got criminal exposure, too."

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2011/02/10/three-philadelphia-priests-teacher-charged-with-sexually-abusing-boys/

One suspended priest, Fr Joseph DiGrigerio has spoken out on radio after being suspended pending further investigation in the sex abuse scandal.

Father DiGregorio went on the offensive on Friday, saying he is angry and intends to fight, Action News reports.

“Angry, very angry, and I intend to fight these accusations with every legal means at my disposal,” claims Father DiGregorio. (CathNewsUSA.com)

[Lucky]

Unrelated to the above, but still qualifying as strange doings in Philadelphia, an adjunct professor at Chestnut Hill College, a Catholic institution, was dismissed for being gay. Now it turns out that he also has a very checkered past:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pennsylvania/117387368.html

More:

http://www.philly.com/philly/news/117440033.html

[Guest zipperzone]

Father DiGregorio went on the offensive on Friday, saying he is angry and intends to fight, Action News reports.

“Angry, very angry, and I intend to fight these accusations with every legal means at my disposal,” claims Father DiGregorio. (CathNewsUSA.com)

Why do I think that "every legal means at my disposal" will be paid for by the church? They are all a bunch of unconscionable bastards and deserve everything they get.

[Lucky]

A little harsh, zipperzone. It's possible that there are some innocent guys here. Allegations are easy to make, harder to prove. Can you imagine the pain that an innocent priest would be going through?

Granted, the situation does not look good, but I don't assume they are all guilty.

[TotallyOz]

Unrelated to the above, but still qualifying as strange doings in Philadelphia, an adjunct professor at Chestnut Hill College, a Catholic institution, was dismissed for being gay.

You are dismissed for being gay but not for molesting children? Jeeze, that is nuts!

[Guest zipperzone]

A little harsh, zipperzone. It's possible that there are some innocent guys here. Allegations are easy to make, harder to prove. Can you imagine the pain that an innocent priest would be going through?

Granted, the situation does not look good, but I don't assume they are all guilty.

Very harsh, I admit. I tend not to see shades of grey

But I'd also bet that many an innocent priest knows of others that are not and is keeping a closed mouth.

And still the faithful, i.e. sheep, flock to the collection plates.

[Guest CharliePS]

I have read in other sources that the parttime lecturer in theology at Chestnut Hill College was dismissed not just for being gay, but for openly getting married to another man; if he had married a woman, he would probably be dismissed, too. However, the department that hired him was unaware that he was not an ordained Roman Catholic priest at all, but a member of one of the tiny so-called Old Catholic sects, not affiliated with the RC church, which accepts both gays and married priests. The real problem here seems to have been inadequate background check, a very common problem in academic hiring.

[Lucky]

"Father DiGregorio went on the offensive on Friday, saying he is angry and intends to fight, Action News reports.

“Angry, very angry, and I intend to fight these accusations with every legal means at my disposal,” claims Father DiGregorio. (CathNewsUSA.com)"

Fr. DiGFregorio was apparently NOT one of these priests suspended, so he may well have had every right to be angry at the accusations. 8 of the 37 priests were cleared of suspicion.

UPDATE: I spoke too soon. He was one of 3 suspended on a day before the 21 were suspended. "Father DiGregorio went on the offensive on Friday, saying he is angry and intends to fight, Action News reports.

DiGregorio was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl four times in 1967 or 1968 in the Our Lady of Loreto rectory in Southwest Philadelphia and in his car. Another priest confirmed the allegations against DiGregorio, who also failed a lie-detector test when queried in 2005, grand jurors found. Yet, archdiocesan investigators cleared him. Until (Feb. 16th), DiGregorio remained a parochial vicar at Stella Maris parish, in South Philadelphia.

[Guest zipperzone]

UPDATE: I spoke too soon. He was one of 3 suspended on a day before the 21 were suspended. "Father DiGregorio went on the offensive on Friday, saying he is angry and intends to fight, Action News reports.

DiGregorio was accused of molesting a 16-year-old girl four times in 1967 or 1968 in the Our Lady of Loreto rectory in Southwest Philadelphia and in his car. Another priest confirmed the allegations against DiGregorio, who also failed a lie-detector test when queried in 2005, grand jurors found. Yet, archdiocesan investigators cleared him. Until (Feb. 16th), DiGregorio remained a parochial vicar at Stella Maris parish, in South Philadelphia.

IMO the Catholic Church is rotten to the core as is evidenced again & again. It starts at the top and trickles down and they will only do anything to put a stop to it when they are exposed by the media. The church is nothing more than a business, and a very big business at that. It does not deserve its tax exempt status.