Maryland probe finds 158 pedophile priests in Archdiocese of Baltimore’s past 80 years
sting in the rafters:
Source
Quote
An investigation by Maryland’s attorney general identified 158 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore who have been accused of sexually and physically abusing more than 600 victims over the past 80 years, according to court records filed Thursday.
Attorney General Brian Frosh announced that his office has completed a 463-page report on the investigation, which began in 2019. He filed a motion in Baltimore Circuit Court to make the report public. Court permission is required because the report contains information from grand jury subpoenas. It’s unclear when the court will make a decision.
While the court filing noted that more than 600 victims were identified, it also said “there are almost certainly hundreds more, as the Department of Justice’s Annual Crime Victimization Report has demonstrated that most incidents of sexual assault go unreported.”
Both boys and girls were abused, according to the court filing, with ages ranging from preschool through young adulthood.
“Although no parish was safe, some congregations and schools were assigned multiple abusive priests, and a few had more than one sexually abusive priest at the same time,” the court filing said. “One congregation was assigned eleven sexually abusive priests over 40 years.”
In the court filing, Frosh argues that “publicly airing the transgressions of the Church is critical to holding people and institutions accountable and improving the way sexual abuse allegations are handled going forward.”
This one always hits close to home. My childhood pastor, a man whom my parents personally welcomed to bless the home my brothers and I took our first steps in, is the sole ranking church official to serve prison time related to child abuse in the USA. The Maryland AG’s report describes horrors all too familiar for the cornucopia of Catholics, devout, Christmas, lapsed, or otherwise, which populate the Mid-Atlantic. Perhaps the church should lift the restriction on marriage; clerical celibacy only become widespread in the 11th century to ensure inheritance returned to the church. At any rate survivor advocacy remains important as we otherwise may never know the extent of suffering the Catholic Church has perpetrated upon our communities.
Enduro:
Jail all of them. (If it's true, likely is, but let's make sure)
Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.:
The modern (as in, post-Trent, not necessarily post-Vatican II or even post-Vatican I) theology of the priesthood, and all the more the cultural norms surrounding the priesthood and devout laypeople's reflexive deference to it, is rotten to the core and needs to be jettisoned into a black hole.
ETA: Wasn't John Geoghan shanked in prison? PennLive might be defining "Church official" more narrowly than "priest" since it seems like Lynn had an official role at the diocesan level for a while, which Geoghan never did.
sting in the rafters:
Quote from: Ed Miliband Revenge Tour on November 18, 2022, 10:12:51 PM
ETA: Wasn't John Geoghan shanked in prison? PennLive might be defining "Church official" more narrowly than "priest" since it seems like Lynn had an official role at the diocesan level for a while, which Geoghan never did.
Good call, edited my original post for accuracy. The article distinguishes Lynn as the diocese's secretary. Forgive my laziness in parroting a false factoid I've heard uttered around my locale.
jojoju1998:
Some thoughts. Quote from: Ed Miliband Revenge Tour on November 18, 2022, 10:12:51 PM
The modern (as in, post-Trent, not necessarily post-Vatican II or even post-Vatican I) theology of the priesthood, and all the more the cultural norms surrounding the priesthood and devout laypeople's reflexive deference to it, is rotten to the core and needs to be jettisoned into a black hole.
ETA: Wasn't John Geoghan shanked in prison? PennLive might be defining "Church official" more narrowly than "priest" since it seems like Lynn had an official role at the diocesan level for a while, which Geoghan never did.
Two parts here. 1. The Theological aspects of the priesthood, transubstation, the priesthood of Jesus Christ, those things were not rejected by Vatican 2 at all. in fact they were strengthed. But the Second Vatican Council, also included a broader view of the overall universal priesthood that has lay involvement. If that makes sense.
Quote from: KBBL Party Penguin Chairman on November 18, 2022, 04:38:20 PM
Source
Quote
An investigation by Maryland’s attorney general identified 158 Roman Catholic priests in the Archdiocese of Baltimore who have been accused of sexually and physically abusing more than 600 victims over the past 80 years, according to court records filed Thursday.
Attorney General Brian Frosh announced that his office has completed a 463-page report on the investigation, which began in 2019. He filed a motion in Baltimore Circuit Court to make the report public. Court permission is required because the report contains information from grand jury subpoenas. It’s unclear when the court will make a decision.
While the court filing noted that more than 600 victims were identified, it also said “there are almost certainly hundreds more, as the Department of Justice’s Annual Crime Victimization Report has demonstrated that most incidents of sexual assault go unreported.”
Both boys and girls were abused, according to the court filing, with ages ranging from preschool through young adulthood.
“Although no parish was safe, some congregations and schools were assigned multiple abusive priests, and a few had more than one sexually abusive priest at the same time,” the court filing said. “One congregation was assigned eleven sexually abusive priests over 40 years.”
In the court filing, Frosh argues that “publicly airing the transgressions of the Church is critical to holding people and institutions accountable and improving the way sexual abuse allegations are handled going forward.”
This one always hits close to home. My childhood pastor, a man whom my parents personally welcomed to bless the home my brothers and I took our first steps in, is the sole ranking church official to serve prison time related to child abuse in the USA. The Maryland AG’s report describes horrors all too familiar for the cornucopia of Catholics, devout, Christmas, lapsed, or otherwise, which populate the Mid-Atlantic. Perhaps the church should lift the restriction on marriage; clerical celibacy only become widespread in the 11th century to ensure inheritance returned to the church. At any rate survivor advocacy remains important as we otherwise may never know the extent of suffering the Catholic Church has perpetrated upon our communities.
I have nothing against celibacy if someone freely chooses it. To force it however at a young age as these priests probably had to go through if that makes sense, when they entered the Seminary at a young age ( around 14-15) is psychologically damaging and not pastorally helpful. It's why part of the " Dallas Charter Reforms " is a shift towards more mature seminarians, men who have gone to college or had a job of some kind.
The admittance process is also far more stricter these days. Psychological tests. Interviews. Exams. Background Checks. Back then you can get in with just a paper note. When I volunteered at Vacation Bible School at my church a few months ago, I had to undergo a fingerprint scan myself.
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