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Subscribe to RSSMonsignor William Lynn became the first U.S. church official convicted of a felony. NBC's Brian Williams reports.
PHILADELPHIA -- Monsignor William Lynn, the most senior U.S. Catholic clergyman convicted in the church’s decades-long sex abuse scandal, was sentenced on Tuesday to three to six years in jail for covering up child sex abuse by priests in Philadelphia.
The sentence handed down by Judge M. Teresa Sarmina was less than the maximum penalty of seven years in prison for Lynn's conviction on a single count of child endangerment.
Sarmina said the sentence was meant to punish Lynn for protecting "monsters in clerical garb who molested children … to destroy the souls of children, to whom you turned a hard heart."
She added: "You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong."
Tim Shaffer / Reuters file
Monsignor William Lynn is shown walking to the courthouse as the jury deliberates on his sexual abuse trial in Philadelphia on June 20.
As the former secretary for the clergy for the Philadelphia Archdiocese, Lynn, 61, was essentially personnel director for 800 priests from 1992 to 2004. He was convicted last month of covering up the allegations by transferring predatory priests to unsuspecting parishes.
Lynn was acquitted of conspiracy and a second endangerment count. The jury deadlocked on a 1996 abuse charge against a co-defendant, the Rev. James Brennan, and prosecutors said Monday that they would retry him.
Related: Roman Catholic Church official convicted of endangerment in priest-abuse trial
"I believe that what Lynn did was done by just about every diocese," Terence McKiernan, president of BishopAccountability.org, which tracks priest-abuse cases, told NBCPhiladelphia.com. "In most cases, I think the vicar general was well informed, and also the bishop."
More than 500 U.S. priests have now been convicted of abuse, according to his organization. But Lynn's three-month trial, he said, shows "just how hard it is to demonstrate collusion."
Bishop Robert Finn and the Kansas City diocese face a misdemeanor charge of failing to report suspected child sexual abuse. Both Finn and the diocese have pleaded not guilty, and are set to go on trial next month.
Watch US News crime videos on NBCNews.com
Lynn has been in prison since the June 22 jury verdict, when the trial judge revoked his bail, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
Defense lawyers call Lynn a scapegoat for the Philadelphia archdiocese, and plan an appeal. They will also ask that he be released while the lengthy appeals process plays out, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
They said the trial was flawed on many levels, starting with the fact Lynn was charged with child endangerment under a law revised in 2007 to include those who supervise the caretakers of children. Lynn had left the archdiocese headquarters in 2004, after serving 12 years as secretary for clergy, and returned to parish work.
Prosecutors pushed for the maximum seven-year sentence, NBCPhiladelphia.com reported.
"His active, even eager execution of archdiocese policies, carried out in the face of victims' vivid suffering, and employing constant deceit, required a more amoral character, a striving to please his bosses no matter how sinister the business," they wrote in a sentencing memo filed Friday. "At any time during those 12 years, he could have had a moment of conscience."
This article includes reporting by Reuters and The Associated Press.
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Good Riddance! Have fun in the Pokey!!!!!
agree, BUT he left his post in 2004 and the law wasn't updated to include his role in the whole cover-up in 2007. He's scum, but the crime happened prior to the update. He has a good chance for appeal on that. I just hope that the new judge won't let the appeal go through. Just like Sandusky, this guy deserves to be in jail.
It's about time criminal priests in the Catholic cult-of-pedophilia abuse get some jail time!
Now it's time to tax the Catholic church along with all the rest.
This whole case smacks of a conspiracy to cover up criminal behavior. ALL parties involved or knowing about the activities of these sick bastards should be in prison for life. Sandusky might well get life in prison, what makes these frocked ass holes any better? as a matter of fact considering their position they are lower than whale shyte!
Totally beat me to it!!!!! LOL
Since they are in Philly, I'd bet at least a couple of his parishioners went to Penn State. Do you think they are chanting for him like they did for Paterno? Maybe Monsignor should start coaching a Division I football team and then he might gain more support!
Pray your way out of a stretch in the pokey, pecker neck. This duplicity goes all the way to the Vatican.
Justice is served....
Jesus loves all his children, and so should all adults and representatives of any church/faith.... Keep our young safe... All us adults were once children too...
Barely...
Used to be you could trust a priest but those days are long gone. I do feel somewhat sorry for the ones who had no part in any abuse or coverups and all they wanted to do was help people. I imagine a great many of them have had to seriously and closely examine their faith.
500? And that's just the ones who got caught? This is sickening and I am the product of a Catholic education. It really makes you think that the priesthood has been the haven for creeps like this for years. I am really shocked that folks you should be able to put your trust in could betray us like this. Well church is for sinners.
Wow, thats just the convicted ones. I guess child abuse and rape are all just part of God's Plan', I suppose?
Anybody know if Sandusky and Paterno & crew were Catholics? Seems to be a connection there as sad as that is.
It is about time that they started putting these people in prison for playing musical chairs with these pedophile priests to hide their crimes. By moving these priests around to unsuspecting parishes they were complicit in allowing the abuse to continue and deserve to be in prison for their actions. Unfortunately, it is likely that this conviction will be overturned since it was based on a law that was not even in effect when the offenses were committed. I can not believe that they could not find a law that was in place at the time this was going on to use as a basis for the prosecution. The prosecutor and the court screwed up as it is not legal to charge someone with a crime under a law that was not in effect when the offense was committed. While in this case it may allow someone who belongs in prison to go free, I do not think that this type of retroactive prosecution should be allowed. You should not be allowed to be charged with a crime for doing something that was not illegal at the time you committed the act.
Unfortunately, mheyize has a point. Based on what is being written about the case, it seems like the priest was convicted by an ex post facto law, which would be unconstitutional. I hope there is a legal avenue for the conviction to stick, though.
The justice he gets might be more deserved if he's NOT protected, behind bars.
Pretty ironick that the judges name is M. Teresa. Just sayin.
does anyone feel like going "oink oink" when they see pics of this guy?
Only 3 to 6 years in prison for allowing all those pedophile priests to continue raping and abusing children.... Which is actually worse, raping and abusing children -- or ALLOWING IT TO HAPPEN?
This "Christian" pedophile-enabler should have been sentenced to spend the rest of his miserable life in a maximum security prison.
Stricter laws and penalties should be enacted for child abusers and those who cover them up.
Murder may be the killing of one's physical body, but sexual abuse is the killing of the soul, which are not currently reflective in our laws and sentencing.
I'm not worried about Jesus loving the children. I am worried about people in places power and influence "loving them." The one thing a child is taught, (that comes from a religious family), is that clergy are "men of god." So, how's that panning out? The Bibles of all faiths are littered with positive comments of plural marriage, selling your children into slavery, child brides, etc..
Tell me again why we need religion at all? I can't see anything but destructiveness, hatred, ignorance, pedophilia, lust for violence (against "others"), sexism, racism, anti-intellectualism, anti-science and greed. I've yet to actually see anything at all positive come from religion (that couldn't also come from a secular organization). Sure, there are some soup kitchens but for the most part religious "charity" is really about recruiting new sheep and NOT about helping the poor. For example Romney loves to talk about giving 10% of his income for "charity" but that money goes to the Mormon cult... certainly not a charity. Mormon "missions" are about recruiting more Mormons to pay into the church coffers - decidedly NOT charity work. Just look at the religious-right's position on the poor... they despise the poor and blame them for just about everything. What a shame that the major Christian religions today don't even follow their prophet Jesus... and in fact the Republican/Christian party wouldn't even accept Jesus if he were alive today. Jesus was just a bleeding-heart commie it seems....
To: TheOverlord....I see that you have figured out religion for what it really is.....you should have been a detective!
I'll be surprised if he even serves 1 day. Money will pass under the table and he'll be put on probation and suddenly called back to Rome where the Vatican will assure the courts that it will be handled.
Why is all the focus on just the Catholic Church??? That is what I don't understand.
Because the article being focused on was pertaining to a monsignor, who happens to be a representative and member of the catholic church.
Like Lady Cat, I'll have to see him serve time yet. And even if he does, he'll be out in no time. A lot of strings will be pulled, lot of stalling and postponing, and before you know it, time's up! It's time we came down really hard on these perverts or those who aid and abet this kind of behavior. This guy knew what was going on and deserves to be put behind bars for a long time. Give him a chance to think about the lives he allowed to be ruined.
You have to be joking.
The Monsignor, by the "Church's" own admission hid pedophiles and transferred them on to a new church, never disclosing that they were active child molesters.
Is this what you don't understand??
Amy Saliger made a good point about focusing on the Catholic Church....from what I understand Mormonism does a real RAPE-FEST on young girls on the Reservation in Utah. Both or many more Bureaucratic Organizations destroy their members all in the name of religion as well !
I was raised as a Catholic, Catholic school, the whole bit. I haven't attended church regularly in decades. The Vatican's hypocrisy in dealing with the entire sex abuse issue with their clergy has been an utter disgrace. It's about time these bastards are being brought to justice. Their brand of religion has nothing to do with the teachings of their savior, that's certain.
The Media reaslly jumps on the Catholic church for anycharges but you never hear them even mentioning when pastors of other denominations are arrested for molesting children. This is an anti-Catholic time in history and partly because it is a Love the Muslims time in history because of our Muslim president and the two will never mix. This priest is accused of covering up for the real molester and I'm sure he has been judged by the church as well - This was a time in the past, like the Penn State staff, when things were covered up by every walk of life - if you were a Gay, it was covered up etc etc. Yes, this priest will pay the price for not bringing this priest to public justice rather than dealing with it internally. You cannot blame the whole Church for the few bad apples. Yes, few, think of the thousands and thousands of really good priests who dedicate their lives to helping others - don't judge them all - remember too, you will be judged on your judgement day as you judged others so be careful.
But of course you're not judging (falsely I might add) President Obama, are you. Hypocricy reigns supreme among ignorant conservative apologists.
The reason that there is so many stories is, there are so many priests who have made it OK to molest little children. If you want to do something about all the stories of Catholic priests molesting children. Tell your pope to allow marriage and we won't get all these sick SOB's trying to figure out what to do with thier weenie.
Yes we can, especially as Catholics, blame the church. They moved these men around the country to unsuspecting parishes. They put our children's well being ahead of the reputation of the Catholic Church. They allowed these men to molest children and ruin their lives. All priest are not bad but the church is ultimately responsible for these men and their actions because they not only turned a blind eye but aided them in finding new, helpless victims and then turning on them when they spoke out. Shame on you for defending the actions of the Church.
Meeche, your ignorance overwhelms me.
What are you suggesting Meeche? Should we cover it up and not report what happened?
What happened, happened. Report it.
You need to keep up with the news. I remember a number of other denomination's being in the news over the shenanigans of their leaders.
Over five hundred convicted which means there were many more who escaped trial or have died - hardly a few bad apples.
And..
"Love the Muslims time in history because of our Muslim president......"
Pure ignorant nonsense.
Actually it's quite easy to blame the Catholic church. They have continually shrouded themselves in secrecy since the birth of the church and protected those within their ranks from the laws of society. The catholic church likes to hold itself up as the center piece of christianity but routinely practice these and many other attrocities. It is human nature to have sexual desires and needs yet they attempt to force celibacy on each other. Something has to give. And it usually comes out as pedophilia from someone that the church dictates must be trusted, even with our children. I vehemently believe that it's impossible to be both a good christian and a good catholic at the same time. The two are in direct contradiction.
High-ranking officials in the Catholic church have been covering up these stories of rape and molestation for years and are guilty of CAUSING the subsequent rape and molestation of children by the priests they protected. While other religious leaders may rape or molest children, their religious institutions don't have the horrendous history that the Catholic church does of protecting the criminals at the risk of harming children. This is a fact, and this fact doesn't mean the public is anti-Catholicism.... but it is fed up with this specific horrendous behavior on the part of too many leaders within the Catholic church.
Pardon me? Could you be more duplicitous? The Catholic Church is notorious for judging others and Christians look the other way, but the moment they get judged they try to take the high road. I’m sorry but this is simply another example of the immorality of religion. Do as I say not as I do. Christians just want others to turn the other cheek so they can get another swing in. Disgusting.
The fact that you choose to label President Obama as a Muslim (not that there's anything wrong with that) shows your true colors. Don't let the facts get in the way... you want to believe what you want to believe. Have fun with that. Too bad the Internet gives idiots like you a forum to spout garbage.
Meeche-942560
The above quote are your words ---- LIVE BY THEM.......PRESIDENT OBAMA IS NOT, CAN YOU UNDERSTAND THAT, NOT A MUSLIM !!! I use to be a member of the Catholic church over 40 years ago, but I saw and heard so things that I knew were not right, even as a teenager, that I stopped going to catholic churches.
Stop being so hateful and mean-spirited......!
Do not attempt to excuse these individuals for performing or sheltering the worst crime anyone can do to a child! That IMHO makes you EXACTLY as guilty - there can be no forgiving of this type of crime and it has NOTHING WHAT EVER to do with "love of muslem" crap - - not one whit!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Meeche, I think you know as well as I do that the President is NOT a Muslim. I don't think this country is anti-Catholic at all. The Catholic Church has gotten a pass for a long, long time on a number of issues. If they want to be pushing religion in the political process, they can pay taxes, too.
Meeche --
There are several things wrong with your post ...
First, we certainly CAN blame the Catholic Church. Because it is WAY more than a church. It is a deeply ingrained political beast and has been for centuries. It is an institution with tentacles all over the world, making it easy to move priests around and cover up these "issues". People complain about Islam being "political" and not just religion ... stop and think, Catholicism has it's own COUNTRY! You think it's not political? That's nothing against the individual and faithful Catholics ... but one does need to be realistic and see what is really there.
As to other denominations ... of course the problem lies there too. (It actually lies anywhere with someone in "power" over young people.) But as they are not as organized as Catholicism, it's harder for it to be covered up. "Organizational" abuse doesn't really exist. And yes, other pastors are discovered (and publicized) all the time.
Finally, Obama is NOT a Muslim, he is, however, apparently more open minded than you are.
Thanks Bert for your non-sense contribution: impossible to be a good christian and a good catholic? I guess you don't know much about the history of the church, its countless saints (ever heard of Mother Teresa, just to name one?) and all the good people who, despite their weaknesses, lived (and still live) their life loving both Jesus and their neighbors. Granted that is not an excuse for the horrors that were perpetrated in the name of the church. Otherwise, it's like saying that you cannot be an American and a decent human being when you look at the atrocities that were committed by the governments of this country. As for the "let's marry the priests and that will take care of the problem", celibacy does not lead to pedophilia. Pedophilia leads to pedophilia. Otherwise, there would be no incest. And all serious studies indicate that incest is the most frequent context for pedophilia.
Having said that, Meeche, if your are really Catholic, I am deeply saddened and offended that you seem to speak in the name of the church. First, stop watching Faux News and let go of the Obama-muslim BS. Second, there is really no excuse for what the hierarchy did (or failed to do). I can understand that a bishop didn't know how to react when faced with the first case (they were not exactly prepared for that) and there are many other cases of pedophilia and abuse that don't get reported outside the catholic church (starting within families). But case after case, year after year, and let things go, this is completely unacceptable.
@Truth,
I definitely respect your post and understand what you’re trying to say. Unfortunately you can’t call yourself a Christian and be a good follower of Christ. By lending your name to this immoral group you feed the beast. There is no good that you can do that will counteract the horror that it’s done. I know many Christians who want to do the right thing and they are good people, but they have been fooled and trapped into an organization that has convinced them that they are God and that by rejecting them you reject God. Nothing could be further from the truth, because when you embrace them, regardless of your actions in life, you embrace evil.
ABuse is abuse. Report it all. But to think Catholics are being picked on is ridiclous. NO SYMPATHY
There are 500 convicted Pedophiles and many more conspirators in your church. Your church is sick and needs help. IT is so widespread, it DESRVES the media attention. Typoical though, a catholic trying to sweep the problem off on the media. Look in the miror, your church has strayed from God. And youyr leaders have betrayed the trust of children and families, Way to go, Catholics!
They no longer appear to be guided by God, but instead by abuse of power. Catholicism has proved out to be nothing more than an old boys guilt club pretending that all they do is sanctioned under 'God's Plan'.
.
500 Bad Apples...and counting. Stop defending your church's sickness. Face it, your church has lied to you, raped your children and worse yet, covered it up. Sick. and yes, i BLAME the CHURCH, because the CHURCH allowed it to happen at every level of its organization. THe Church leaders abused and raped, the church as an organization covered it up,
Meeche, why cant you just admit that your church has betrayed YOU and GOD?
Because a drug addict will defend their habit at all costs.
@ Stally
but they have been fooled and trapped into an organization that has convinced them that they are God and that by rejecting them you reject God. Nothing could be further from the truth, because when you embrace them, regardless of your actions in life, you embrace evil.
I am sure the so called chruch you talk about is the Westboro Baptist Chruch? What you say is crazy as some of the other crazy people on these post. No true Child of God believes that hurting a child in anyway is okay!!
I'm sorry Kourtnie, if you support an organization that hurts children and you lend your name to their cause you are hurting children. You are guilty! The Church has sold its soul to politics, they have become a beast that is fed by the loyalty and money of their parishioners. The Church you embrace today has become the same type of thing, the pharasiees that put Jesus to death. What's crazy is the depth that people will go to protect it. Christians have become tainted and evil, if only by association.
One thing I've griped about many times as a Catholic is the ruling against women becoming priests, as well as men being forbidden to be priests if they are married. Someone mentioned the married part, and I wholly agree.
We are constantly hearing there is a shortage of priests... well, why the heck doesn't someone get smart and change the "laws"? My own son wanted to become a priest, but he wanted a family, too. Well, he is NOT a priest, but he IS married with three adorable children. I believe the Catholic Church is shooting itself in its collective foot with archaic rules.
No, and they should have made Cardinal Law from Boston the first example of what happens when you aid and abet a pedophile under the cloak of the Catholic Church.
I'm a former victim of Bernard Law and I know the reason why the Commonwealth of Massachusetts for one had allowed Law to flee the country to take safe refuge inside the vatican. What I'm about to say nobody will believe me and this is one of the primary reasons I never received help or justice. Bernard Law is not a pedophile. He is a homosexual. His sociopathic manifestation, he believes in the new world order and his objective was to produce a race of superhumans who would be under the control of the RCC. These superhumans were dissociates, DIDs and these victim's personality alters would become robots for the RCC to control. Many within the RCC possess this same ideology as Bernard Laws'. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) occurs with young children when subjected to emotional trauma. Believe it or not this is the reason why the RCC has pedophiles. To traumatize children with. So far what I stated here I doubt many believe me. Well back before the clergy abuse exposure came about the mentality was "priests don't do those kind of things". Excuse my language but society is @!$%#in dumb! Well I might as well tell a few other things about the RCC. They harbored nazi war criminals too and many of them were part of this cult program in transforming children into robots for the RCC. These nazis were torturers. In fact many of these nazis were giving safe haven in america with new identities courtesy of the United States Government. Just last year or so the news media reported about these nazis being given safe haven in america but the report article was small and was hidden basically among all the news entertainment garbage we normally read every day. One last story I have. Massachusetts Bishop Sean O'Malley. Where this creep is today I don't know and I don't care. Like Bernard Law Sean too was not a pedophile but he is a homosexual. Sean is a monster who did attack children sexually but not for sexual satisfaction but instead for sadistic reasons. Well I just vented myself. Believe it or not but what I just stated is TRUTH!!!..................due to PTSD symptoms, I vertigo a lot, I'm not going to try to correct my grammar and spelling here.
It takes alot of guts to say that stuff. whether it be behind a PC or in public. I hope you find peace. You may have been the victim , maybe still feel like one. What they did was wrong and should not be swept under the carpet. I only wish people of these and other violent crimes could sweep their bad feelings under the carpet.
You today are my Hero....
God Bless You and I hope you have serenity.
If you donate even ONE CENT to the catholic abomination - YOU take part in their PRACTICES of being PEDOPHILES - PERIOD !!!!!!! I AM WATCHING U
Dissociate - You forgot the part about the Freemasons, the Illuminati, the Bilderbergers, Area 51, extraterrestrials/UFOs, the JFK assassination, the Philadelphia Experiment, and water fluoridation.
Wheels within wheels, man...
To zuper"""
What is that even supposed to mean....
Dissociate:
First I would like you to know that I believe you. There are many things occurring in this world so outlandish in which many cannot begin to wrap their brain around, so all they can manage to do is make jokes or call others crazy. If people can't see how the world is progressing to a New World Order, they're blind. As that saying goes, maybe they just can't handle the truth and denial is more comforting to them.
Although my experience with the catholic church was not nearly as horrific as your own, I've personally seen their evil side, also.
Both of my great grandfathers were marriedGreek Catholic priests who immigrated from Europe to the US in the early 1900's. Once here, the vatican required them to relinquish all property to the church or be ex communicated. You see, by being married, any property at the time of death would go to the heirs and not the church. I read the letter from the "holy see" equating my great grandmothers to "legalized mistresses".
So you see, the church's refusal to allow priests to marry has nothing to do with anything religious or "godly"; it's about the money.
There is strength in the truth and I hope you have found peace.
IT'S ABOUT TIME these priest get what they deserve i would like to see more of this happen to all of them i am not judging just saying what should happen with all the cover up the church has done for so many who molested kids in the church, this is their judgment day
Should have gotten longer much longer..I got a lifetime sentence as a victim of a pedophile.....
Meeche, we can judge the church for their actions just as you'd judge all of Islam if 10,000 or so Mullahs had been accused of raping children, and other Mullahs helped cover it up.
Hope he gets ass raped and the guards cover it up.
I hope the guards chain him to the wall in the shower every day for about an hour.
I'm with you, Darrel, however by the looks of him I don't think even the most depraved, hardened inmate would want to pork his fat ugly ass. I think they need to bring in Mister Ed to do the job.
I don't support him but you are no better then he.
Let's find BIG BUBBA in priest's garb and Let him have his way with Monsignor Lynn the Monster. Give him a time he will never forget. Monsignor Monster needs to be in jail a lot longer or maybe 6 ft under....
The Victims can not escape the past.....
He should also get a $60 million fine, all of his confessions between 1992 and 2004 vacated, and a loss of 10 altar boy recruits per year for the next four years.
That was so funny.
HAHAHAHA!!!
Notice whenever the Catholics are involved children are the victims...
Funny comment although what happened at Penn State is a horror story of corrupted morality and criminality. Those poor children... must have been a living nightmare.
Does that mean Notre Dame can't play in any bowl games for 3-6 years?
Altar boy and college athlete...the 2 most dangerous things to be these days. Man, our world is messed up
Why aren't a bunch of innocent people being punished for this guys deeds , like penn states football players.
Those not involved a paying a high price.
Well said Develle! LOL
Typical Catholic response. I could see, maybe, giving the church a little leeway in criticizing it but... I have yet to hear one Catholic stand up against these priests and the church for it's inept handling of this issue. As far as I am concerned... All Catholics who are silent on this issue are as guilty as those involved.
Well said ease.sees.
And, that is and has been seen with the whole Sandusky, Penn State nightmare. It is all horrible, but this is so rampant among Priests. Sickening.
Read my response above. I do not give the church a inch.
It is high time for the Catholic Church to be put on trial for the millions of criminal act perpetrated by priests and nuns. For 2000 years, humanity has been plagued with the cover-ups of Church crimes. Time to end the deception, close down all parochial schools, close the churches and sell the real estate to pay for the debts encountered by this scandal.
What about all the Protestant (Jew, Muslim, Hindu, Native American, blah blah blah)...sexual transgressors? Are they all expected to speak out on every trans? Better get comfortable! It's going to be a long ride.
As a catholic who is does not attend church, there are many, many of us that are just as disgusted as the rest of you. Mr. Lynn going to jail hopefully is just the beginning of holding them accountable for what they have done. There are plenty like myself who feel the same way. The RCC deserves all the criticism and anger it is getting. If anyone wants to talk about the RCC being persecuted all they need to do is look at what it has done and see that it created this. It is there own fault!! The RCC no longer represents the teachings of the Gospel or Jesus.
There are however minimizers and deniers that cannot accept what has been done. They do not speak for the rest of us who would like nothing more than to see all those who perpetrated and covered it up convicted.
We are trying hard to change things not only in US, but across the globe. It just might take the 2nd coming to achieve it .
bethcat - Does that mean you want to shut Penn St down and sell it off, too?
let-me-just-say-1-thing - You say you're a Catholic, but then go on to say that, "The RCC no longer represents the teachings of the Gospel or Jesus." Sorry, but you can't have it both ways.
I don't really see any comments on here or recall any on Newsvine at all denying that these atrocities happened or that that child rape isn't so bad. I have personally defended the Catholic Church on here, but from outrageous inferences and false facts that in some cases have nothing to do with the ongoing sex abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. For example, when folks say that priests are more likely to be abusers. Then, I might post a link to a reputable news organization thusly:
http://www.thedailybeast.com/newsweek/2010/04/07/mean-men.html
To zuper"""
And what is that supposed to mean..
What about the ones that display the bumper sticker "WE SUPPORT OUR PRIEST"? It's like they don't care if their shepherd has a questionable past or not. That's faith for you!
I don't care who you are, anyone that enables the molestation of children, or fails to report the crime should be much more heavily sentenced.
Failure to report the crime should be at least ten years without parole, enabling these crimes to continue should be at least 10 years per incident and listed as a sex offender.
I'm not down on religion, but the church, school, or any organization should cut these people loose and hang them out to dry as soon as they know, and give authorities full disclosure of all information regarding the incidence(s).
Only then can people respect the cloth again.
And another member of the church of the molesters bites the dust. Now get the rest of those creeps!
The only difference I can think of between organized crime and organized religion, in this case, is that if people in organized crime found out they had child molestors working for them, said molestors would have found justice at the bottom of a river wearing a pair of concrete Nikes.
Here here! Glad to see some commons ense is still out there.
The roman empire , simply changed names, The holy roman empire....
What is mor like organized crime than a government?
Teachers, police officers, Judges and above all preist. We hold them more accountable for their actions because their jobs, their way of life is to protect others. I was raised catholic, and I am sickened by what these priest did and a 3 to 6 year sentence is a joke to what they did. when you protect someone that does wrong, then you are as guilty as they are. The so called "anti-Catholic time" is totally on the actions of these priest, not the media. I question the Catholic churches leaders for their action, not the Catholic church. But I know a lot that has left the Catholic faith, and I can't blame them. We feel betrayed.
You should feel betrayed. Lied to for centuries.
At least there will be a priest on hand to give Last Rites to his rectum.
Rectum? Damn near KILLED 'em!
Sorry. I have always wanted an excuse to use that line in a public forum, and actually have it make some kind of sense.
A+
You stole my line!
It blows my mind that people can do such horrific things to a child and then simply walk, or get such small sentences. These children will grow up and some most likely will abuse other children.
People like this genetic failure deserves worse and I hope he gets shanked in prison. There isn't many other evils in the world than a man in cloth that commits such crimes against innocence.
Especially in this faith.. so many twisted, misguided individuals.
Yes lets defend the clergy who cover for the pedophile priests,are you people morons or what? There is NEVER any reason to cover for child rapists NEVER! They all belong in prison in general population! And I will pray for them,yes to burn in HELL!
The Catholic church needs to cleanse itself of every pedophile,plus they need to have the Nazi pope retire.
And you know what? I hope the idiots from Penn State get the same. Then maybe they'll see what it's like when you're in prison and helpless like those child victims. What goes around comes around!
Can you saw "Hallelujah!" Finally, these disgusting men in the clergy are getting what they deserve, and even that mron of a Pope can do nothing. I saw invade Rome and put all of them on trial for their cover up. There is never any justification to cover up for child molesters. NEVER! I hope this man gets shafted in prison. If he, or the Catholic Church, is reading these posts, you are getting what you deserve. Pen State, Catholic Church and all you other child molesters will finally get what is coming to you.
The predatory pedophiles are finally on display and the clergy is trying to hide behind their lawyers.
Why, oh why do any gullible fools give money and trust to these monsters.
maybe now the catholic church will have some respect for the laws of the people. they assumed they could ignore the laws governing child sexual assault and deal with it as misconduct by priests making them subject to transfer. wonder how he'll like his new transfer ----they ''boys'' he'll be living with will be a lot older and probably not to his liking. now he'll get to be the non-consenting victim.
They should take this fat PIG out and cut his head off. Better yet, take him and all the rest of those Catholic creepos (including the Pope) and make the Butt F___k each other. Nah, they'd just get to liking that. Cutting their heads off would be much better
Gee, there really is a God!!! What the authorities should do for this scum is work it out so the grand Monsignor and Sandusky can be roommates that way they can take turns boinking each other for the next 50 years. This is perfect because they are both Catholic and have this thing for hiding the salami so it should make for a good time.
I agree, the possibility that there is a creator, a God(s), does exist... however I would bet my life that the Catholic Church does not follow that God(s). I feel for Catholics, following blindly while being promised heaven in return.
Another shining example of religion, conservatism, and christianity in America. We can't allow the children of homosexuals to participate in youth scouting clubs, or gay people to eat in chicken restaurants, because it's "against the word of God." But men of the cloth can rape children, and cover it up, and walk away with a slap on the wrist and retain the support of the church and millions of religious Americans.
Information, true or false, that's pounded into the minds of the young has a tendency to stay with them for life. That's a real shame when that information is incorrect or perverted. For example: women should be treated like possessions, god hates gays, those who do not believe as we do should be killed, god created the universe and everything in it so we have to believe in a book that was written by thousands of superstitious men over a period of about 2000 years, etc.
As a young boy, I was thought that sex, without marriage, was wrong, in the catholic church. Now to learn that it is condoned by them, praticed by them, and then covered up by them, REALLY makes me sick. Their vow to obstain from sex, was and always have been a mith, lies. Not only to their people, but to the god thay believe in. Thay teach that their god, sees and knows everything, Yet thay tried to hide from him, to do evil. Adam and eve ate from the forbidden tree, and was castout. Lets cast these people who commited this mortal sin, and the people that covered it up, for thay too are guilty. To vow not to have sex, then rape the innocent alterboys, is a bigger sin then what adam and eve did. Do thay think that by going to confession, that thay would be forgiven? As in our government, their sins don't just go away, but linger on forever. I once, wanted to be a priest, but dam, I woke up, and opened my eyes, before joining this group of sinners.
Melvin P.
You may want to open your eyes a bit further. All that you have been taught is a glorified fairytale by a for profit group of control freaks. Adam and Eve? Come on.........am I supposed to believe that these two fictitious people are the beginning of mankind? They (supposedly) had two son's, but only one after the first documented club fight. So, who did that leave to populate the earth? Remember.....you can't believe in dinosaurs AND jesus!
When I was a young man (13, 14 15 years old) I was TAUGHT to RESPECT priests. That the POPE was INFALLIBLE in his teachings, when teaching under the AURA of EX-CATHEDRA. That he COULD NOT make a mistake. That he took the place of Jesus Christ here on earth. As a Catholic, I COULD NOT receive HOLY COMMUNION........UNLESS, I confessed my sins to a priest.
Sometimes, believe it or not, we had to KISS the priest's hand. I did one time, and it SMELLED like semen. (Maybe he was playing DICE.) We were taught to OBEY what they TAUGHT US. And most important of all, we were supposed to BELIEVE what they taught us.
That ALL OTHER FAITHS were FALSE RELIGIONS. That the CAtholic Church was the RIGHT religion, and all others were FALSE.......deserving of ETERNAL DAMNATION. In countries where the Church would play a DOMINANT ROLE.......it was O.K. to have as many children as the couple wanted......REGARDLESS as to whether they could afford them or NOT UNDER the name of "The SANCTITY of LIFE." Hence, countries that fall under this Church's DOMINION are USUALLY POOR and UNEDUCATED.
Now, as a grown man, I have become "OLDER AND WISER", and of course....KNOW BETTER, what is really GOOD for ME.
Need I say any more?
I did learn ONE THING from them......and that is: To say my bedtime prayers: "And NOW I lay myself to sleep, I pray the Lord my soul to keep, if I should DIE before I wake, I pray the LORD my soul to take."
Well, there's one piece of crap off the streets. Six years though. It hardly seems like enough time. I mean you could get six years for stealing a package of sandwich meat. On the other hand he will probably be killed in prison by one of his victims. Justice American style.