All Comments (11)

Our Philadelphia Archdiocesan legal counsel surely doesn’t discriminate—whether the victims are young children brutalized by pedophilia or the elderly church attendees, they are dispatched in the same cold, dispassionate, and un-Christlike manner. This archdiocesan legal tradition exists solely to protect our archdiocesan leaders, lay and religious, from any accountability and liability. What would Jesus do?

(1) In the National Catholic Reporter 1999, the current Philadelphia archdiocesan counsel states:
“No matter how vigilant a pastor or principal is, he or she may still face a lawsuit, said Timothy Coyne, who represents the Philadelphia archdiocese and various religious orders. “The little old lady who says her beads daily in church will sue you if she slips and falls in church,” he warned. Coyne told priests to regard lawyers as their friends and to “call your lawyer even before you call the chancery or your insurer.” One wonders if Mr. Coyne ever sits next to elderly women when he attends Mass.
(2)C. Clark Hodgson, long-time counsel to the Philadelphia Archdiocese was quoted in a local newspaper:
“Church officials were not obligated by state law to report sex-abuse cases to civil authorities unless the actual child victim notified the church personally. If the child’s parent filed the complaint with the archdiocese, however, church officials did not have to notify police.
Mr. Hodgson was subsequently awarded the St. Thomas More Award 2006 from the St. Thomas More Society of Philadelphia (Catholic lawyers). Remarkably, St. Thomas More was martyred for his faith because he was a champion for following the “spirit of the law”, not the “letter of the law.” What is the likelihood that a young, innocent and vulnerable school age child who was subject to the humiliation, degradation and physical sexual abuse by a clergy member would have the strength to come forward when this same victim would feel so ashamed, broken, horrified and bewildered? Our archdiocesan attorneys were sure to exploit the legal loophole re reporting such pedophilia to authorities. This conduct was KNOWINGLY, DELIBERATELY and CONSCIOUSLY performed by Church attorneys at the expense of the child’s physical, emotional, psychological and moral well-being and survival. What else can be said?
(3) William Sasso, Chairman, Stradley and Ronon, according to the firm’s website:
“Attesting to Stradley Ronon’s strength in this area, we have long served as general counsel to the Archdiocese of Philadelphia.”
“An attorney for the archdiocese, William R. Sasso accused the report of exhibiting religious bias because it did not investigate allegations of child sex abuse in other denominations.
“As a lawyer, as an individual who has seen similar reports, I find it to be biased and anti-Catholic,” Sasso said.
Interestingly, on the firm’s website, there is a picture of Mr. Sasso and Bono at a dinner where Bono was honored for his humanitarian efforts and compassion to those children at risk in Africa. And what did Mr. Sasso do when archdiocesan children were not only victimized and/or abused over the years but others put in danger when the abusing priests were moved from one location to another?
(4) Mark Chopko, former counsel to US Bishops, and now head of the non-profit group at Sasso’s law firm. I particularly liked reading a summary of one of his legal arguments where he claimed that diocesan management was not liable for clergy sexual abuse behavior because the priest’s religious functioning was protected behavior by our constitution.

In light the Philadelphia Archdiocese’s duplicity, treachery and chicanery that has been clearly documented and substantiated, I personally would like the answer to the following question:
How are Archdiocesan attorneys like William Sasso, C. Clark Hodgson and Mark Chopko actually able to sleep at night knowing that former-priest predators are living throughout our communities and pose a “clear and present danger” to the youngest, most innocent and vulnerable in our communities?

The Question asked by Chester Gillis:

Will the Pope Really Listen or Just Talk?

Maybe the question should be: Will any of us listen to anyone else?

How many people on some of these postings look at what someone has written and tried to think of that someone as a fellow human being rather than thinking of them as a label?

A label that, with our preconceived notions, we sometimes automatically "KNOW" exactly what that person thinks rather than reading what they actually write rather than what we think they wrote.

Sure, some people seem to be afraid to think for themselves and merely quote others, whereas you won't know the difference unless you try to read what is there and maybe even asking them to try and explain what they wrote, instead of belittling and getting a "holier than thou" attitude.

Has anyone noticed that some of the people that don't believe that God is real can get just as much of a "holier than thou" attitude as some of those that do believe in God?

As for the "holier than thou" phrase, you can substitute such phrases as: "I am better than you", I am more intelligent than you", I am more learned than you"; there are many, many different ways of getting a false sense of superiority over others, is it not?

I was taught something very important in second grade and it was, "We are all equal in God's Eyes", it does not say that we are all the same or that we have all of the same abilities whether physical, emotional, spiritual or mental.

Also it doesn't matter whether one believes in God or not, the statement, "We are all equal in God's Eyes", I think, is something worth thinking about, do you?

I find it rather amusing that some of the "open-minded" people seem so narrow in their "open-mindedness".

I find it rather sad that some of the "christians" of all persuations, with some of the postings that they make, seem to be, to say the least, very un-christian.

I have seen it written to the effect that to repeat an untruth often enough does not make it true, sounds accurate to me, does it to you?

Take care, be ready, see you all in the Kingdom.

Sincerely, Thomas Paul Moses Baum.

"You've taken the bait of liberal theologians hook, line, sinker."

Thought you were all 'fishers of men' anyway.

I would rather listen to Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John- than people like the Jesus Seminar and Crossan the speculator. In fact, I would rather listen to the Pope over those that make false assumptions like Crossan. And I am not Catholic or ever have been

(From Wikipedia-"His dating methods and conclusions are quite controversial, particularly regarding the dating of Thomas and the "Cross Gospel." Also, many scholars think that it is presumptuous to assign "layers" to the Q Document as it is only a hypothetical source."

You've taken the bait of liberal theologians hook, line, sinker.

Yes, there is no money in the truth- all of us are sinners and Jesus the Son of God solved that problem
2000 years ago. If you want to seriously love God, and your neighbor(the actual two important commandments Jesus said were the most important) then the impact of sin in each of our lives must be encountered, and washed away by the acceptance of that one event on Calvary. Otherwise you are just grasping at straws. Not that's REAL liberation.

No matter what CCNL, you've chosen to believe in people that have over-intellectualized the main message and thrust of the gospels. Now that is just too sad.

"The problem with the Church today is being solved as members of the 1960's generation retire to be replaced by the younger, more orthodox Catholics that I see all around me."

What that is is *polarization.* This Pope is trying to consolidate around those who will be hardliners. I suppose that's his business, but I don't suspect it'll help interfaith relations much.

I'm glad that I abandoned the sinking ship of Catholicism (and Christianity) when I did. Enjoy your bronze age notions...

All,

Mr. Gillis said, "At the same time, however, I think that he will try to inspire them to live the gospel... (h)ow this balm will soothe the wounds in the American church remains to be seen."

This quote in a nutshell is what's wrong with America's Catholic educators. How can he ask of what use is the Gospel of our Lord? How can such a man be allowed to represent a Catholic university is truly beyond me.

I suspect that one of the Pope's intentions is to cleanse our Catholic universities of the weak theology such as this.

I also suspect that this lack of belief in the healing power of Jesus lead to the abuse scandal in the first place.

Yeah, 'blame the liberals,' ...that'll help.

It's interesting that the author asks the Pope to listen to his views, but doesn't seem to ask himself to listen to the Church's views.

Liberals such as Mr. Gillis have been in power in this country since the 1960's and have caused the number of Catholics in the US to drop, given the increase in the overall population. People want real faith, the kind that can transform lives, heal souls, and lead us to communion with God. We don't want more sex and gender based politics. We want less of the modern world with it's divorce, ego, endless appetite for food, sex, money and power. We want more Jesus and less accommodation with a culture that is spinning out of control.

The problem with the Church today is being solved as members of the 1960's generation retire to be replaced by the younger, more orthodox Catholics that I see all around me.

I think, as contrition goes, it would help for the Church to cut out its 'crackdown' on things affecting my civil rights and interfaith relations.

Maybe accept they haven't a leg to stand on telling other people how to live, when they aren't hurting anyone, and help us try and make a better world for the future on issues where we can all agree.

Also, any apologies, maybe, don't couch them in implications it's just so we can supposedly come back for more. In my life, Christianity will just never mean what some claim it should. Let's be good neighbors.

Bottom line:

Benedict like many of us suffers from the Three B Syndrome i.e. he was Bred, Born and Brainwashed in his religion. For this reason, he is unable to think past the shackles put upon him by the likes of Paul, Mark, Matthew, Luke and John.

The wishful thinking done by these five scribes approximately 2000 years ago continued the embellishment and fiction tradition of the Jewish scribes. The locals paid for a good story of myth and imminent second coming. There was no money in the truth but now we know the truth and it boils down to two simple statements, Do No Harm and Love Thy Neighbor as Thyself.

Time to pink slip the pope, bishops and priests!!!!