Archbishop Charles Chaput
absp.cchaput
ARCHDIOCESE OF PHILADELPHIA
OFFICE FOR COMMUNICATIONS
222 North Seventeenth Street ● Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19103-1299
Telephone (215) 587-3747 ● communof@adphila.org ● www.archphila.org
For Immediate Release
January 3, 2014
LETTER FROM ARCHBISHOP CHAPUT TO THE CLERGY AND FAITHFUL OF THE CHURCH IN PHILADELPHIA
On December 26, Pennsylvania's Superior Court unanimously reversed the 2012 conviction of Msgr. William Lynn on a charge of endangering the welfare of children. At my direction, the Archdiocese has provided 10 percent of Msgr. Lynn's bail – $25,000 – to assist his release from prison. Msgr. Lynn is free but constrained by a number of court restrictions pending an appeal of the reversal by civil authorities to the commonwealth's Supreme Court.
Msgr. Lynn remains on administrative leave. As such, he may not function publicly as a priest.
The Superior Court ruling does not vindicate Msgr. Lynn's past decisions. Nor does it absolve the Archdiocese from deeply flawed thinking and actions in the past that resulted in bitter suffering for victims of sexual abuse and their families. Above all, it does not and cannot erase the Archdiocese's duty to help survivors heal. We remain committed to that healing – now and in the future.
For the past three years the Archdiocese has worked vigorously to reform the way it protects the children and families it serves. New policies and procedures, new standards of ministerial behavior, new Archdiocesan Review Board members, mandated reporter training for thousands of volunteers, clergy and staff: All these things are a matter of public record. Throughout the trial of Msgr. Lynn, the Archdiocese cooperated fully and honestly with law enforcement and the court. And that cooperation will continue, whatever the final outcome of Msgr. Lynn's case. We cannot change the past. But we can and will do everything in our power to prevent it from being repeated.
I understand and accept the anger felt toward the Archdiocese by many of our people and priests, as well as the general public, for the ugly events of the past decade. Only time and a record of honest conversion by the Archdiocese can change that. Msgr. Lynn has already spent 18 months in prison on a conviction which Pennsylvania's state appellate court has reversed – unanimously – as “fundamentally flawed.” This reversal is not a matter of technicalities but of legal substance. That is made very clear in the text of the Superior Court's decision.
Msgr. Lynn presents no danger to anyone. He poses no flight risk. The funding for his bail has been taken from no parish, school or ministry resources, impacts no ongoing work of the Church and will be returned when the terms of bail are completed. Nor does it diminish in any way our determination to root out the possibility of sexual abuse from the life of our local Church.
As a result, I believe that assisting Msgr. Lynn's family and attorney with resources for his bail is both reasonable and just. We have acted accordingly.
Sincerely yours in Jesus Christ,
My Response:
Your Excellency,
As a survivor, I know that childhood sexual abuse is evil. It is an act of violence against a child that takes a sexual form. It is not pedophilia. It is not steeped in homosexuality. This is the language and perspective of the perpetrator. It represents and ontological perspective that must change. The change must be the perspective of the survivor with focus on the survivor. There is no understanding the perpetrator -- what motivates them how they "get off." Childhood sexual abuse is profound evil. It is a staple of satanic ritual. It is an evil as profound as abortion. In abortion the child is murdered in the womb. With CSA the child is buried alive. Tacit support for and tolerance of it has no place in the Church that Jesus came to found. Jesus Himself prophesied this scandal and showed us how to properly relate to it. He defined the ontological perspective.
1 At *that hour the disciples came to Jesus, saying: Who, thinkest thou, is the greater in the kingdom of heaven?
2 *And Jesus calling unto him a little child, set him in the midst of them,
3 And said: Amen I say unto you, *unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.
4 Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven.
5 And he that shall receive one such little child in my name, receiveth me.
6 *But he that shall scandalize one of these little ones that believe in me, it were better for him that a mill-stone were hanged about his neck, and that he were drowned in the depth of the sea.
7 Wo to the world because of scandals.
For it must needs be that scandals come: but nevertheless wo to that man by whom the scandal cometh.
8 *And if thy hand or thy foot scandalize thee, cut it off, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee to enter into life maimed or lame, than having two hands or two feet, to be cast into everlasting fire.
9 And if thy eye scandalize thee, pluck it out, and cast it from thee. It is better for thee with one eye to enter into life, than having two eyes to be cast into hell fire.
10 Take heed that you despise not one of these little ones: for I say to you, *that their angels in heaven always see the face of my Father who is in heaven.
Whenever I hear of an evil man who would take a collar and a cassock in order to do evil to children or protect those who do such evil. I am reminded of the vast majority of our priests holy men who labor in relative obscurity performing prodigious works of charity and love. Men who's ability to do good is surpassed only by their ability to hide the good they do. Their treasure is not of this earth but stored up in heaven. There are many I have known. I shall mention two of those who have gone to heaven, while not mentioning those who are still with us, because I know they would ant it that way.
One such priest was Fr. Leo McAlister. I knew him when he was at our Lady of the Assumption parish in Sacramento Ca. I met him and was able to speak with him privately. He had the most amazing ability to explain at daily Mass the gospel reading in full and make it relevant for today, and he did it in 5 minutes off the cuff as it seemed, because that is the way he lived. At his funeral people were amazed at the prodigious works of charity he did throughout his years as a simple and humble parish priest. I am certain that not all that he did was revealed and remains known only to God and the recipients of his faith in action.
The other was Monsignor O'Brien. Monsignor O'Brien was the pastor of my parish where I went to Catholic school while I was being sexually abused by the adults whom I was completely dependent on for everything worldly and from whom I had a right to expect love, devotion and care. What I got was sexual abuse. until I was made into something no child should ever have to experience. I became a seasoned vetern of sex at 9 years old. A sexually experienced child. A hideous feeling of betray, and worthlessness coupled with a worthiness defined by my sexual value. It was a long evolution from sexual innocence a virgin until 4 years old to a seasoned veteran at 9.
I ran from the experience and the feelings. I never wanted this did not choose it and it is so far from who I truly am. My self and ego(the seat of my hopes dreams and aspirations) the very me of me the me that is the image and likeness of God had been corrupted by my abusers. Ick Ick Ick.
Monsignor O'brien from Our Lady of Perpetual Help parish in Clovis, Ca, put an end to the abuse by speaking boldly and firmly the truth to the adults charged with my care. He was not able he did not live long enough to administer or to see that healing was administered, you know that is rightly the perpetrators job. A genuine hero in a small and yet great way.
I remember during this time the many times he called on me to serve Mass, as a child I did not know he was presenting me to God for healing during these Masses and protecting me from the adults.
This Irish Priest who spoke in Brogue, who had the courage to stand up for a child and do what was right regardless of the cost. To me he is hero and a Saint. I remember we had to hold his cassock as he ascended the steps to the alter, his arthritis was so bad he might trip if we did not. I did not really no this then. The pain he must of felt in his legs and in his heart as he had empathy for me the only adult in my life who cared about me, who did not objectify me, who saw Christ in me .as we are all called to do when we see the least among us. We had a xylophone, instead of bells to ring at daily Mass, at those moments at those moments when the miracle was actually taking place, when Jesus came down from heaven when that window opened up that window that only priests can open between heaven and earth when the bread and wine becomes the body and blood of our lord. The most mundane and yet the most spectacular metaphysical event on earth, that which cause angelic choruses in Heaven. and even the angels envy when we partake in the body and blood of our lord. Where simultaneously my angel was looking on the face of the Father. This is who I am, not a sexualized child.
And yet these evil men who would infiltrate our church and put on a collar to commit hideous acts of evil. These evil men not only harm the children but taint the majority of good and saintly priests that are the norm not the exception.
It does not matter what perpetrator say, It does not matter how they present themselves, they are evil by what they do. This is the truth. Perpetrators look wonderful on the outside, what better way to do that than with a collar and a cassock. The transference of emotions: the shame, the guilt, the sense of betrayl, the witlessness, and the worthiness as a sex object these are what befall the child the survivor instead of where it rightly belongs on the perpetrator. Is it any wonder that Jesus who understands all said what he said when he prophesied this very scandal. Is it any wonder that this evil should be a staple of Satanism. Is it any wonder that evil men would chose to hide their evil intent and ambitions with a collar and a cassock. Perpetrators slip and slide away looking perfect on the outside smiling outgoing friendly untainted by shame of their crime. What is this but evil personified.
While most societies have maintained a sense of
taboo regarding incest, in point of fact, the sense
of taboo has not been in committing incest, but
rather in talking about incest, especially by
those who have experienced it.
The perspective the language of perpetration must change. It must change to the perspective and language of the survivor. To the language and perspective of Our Lord and Savior, the very ontology of Christ.
As far as this scandal is concerned and the specific issue at hand of bailing out a priest who would support evil in the very Church that Jesus founded. In other words what would Jesus do?
We have this example from scripture:
Jesus Cleanses the Temple
12And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were buying and selling in the temple, and overturned the tables of the money changers and the seats of those who were selling doves. 13And He said to them, "It is written, 'MY HOUSE SHALL BE CALLED A HOUSE OF PRAYER'; but you are making it a ROBBERS' DEN."…
In other words Your Excellency, protects us, stand with us, gives us safety and refuge in the one place the only place that some of us can go to get relief and sustenance. In other words Your Excellency cleanse the temple make the kingdom of Heaven/God safe and holy again. Root them out and throw them out with the same passion and love for God as Jesus exhibited when he cleansed the temple. Get rid of these evil men who are attempting to destroy the Church from the inside out. Expose them for the cancerous evil that they are. Make cleansing the temple your top priority. Make the very kingdom of God/Heaven on earth a safe harbor for survivors not a safe harbor for perpetrators.
Your Excellency for some reason Our Lord and Savior has put you in this place at this time. Respectfully, I do not think you fully understand the responsibility and the ability to do good or fully what Our Lord is asking. Your words are nice, however your position charges you with action.
Support the survivor not the perpetrator
The time has come to Cleanse the temple.
Throw them out. Don't bail them out!
Pax Christi,
Fred Celio
"Trauma and Recovery" by Judith Herman M.D.
http://www.dailykos.com/story/2012/05/11/1090657/-Books-That-Changed-My-Life-Trauma-Recovery-by-Judith-Herman-M-D#
A brief video introduction.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=USTKmffoQms
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