After a years-long investigation, the state grand jury report of sexual abuse that happened within six Pennsylvania dioceses over the course of several decades has finally been made public.
The nearly 900-page court document, which took two years to compile, spans the course of seventy years and involves over 300 priests accused of sexually assaulting countless victims, many of whom were young boys.
“Today, the most comprehensive report on child sexual abuse within the church ever produced in our country was released,” Attorney General Josh Shapiro said during a press conference this week. “Pennsylvanians can finally learn the extent of sexual abuse in these dioceses.”
According to the document, a total of 301 priests, clergy, and lay teachers, including 99 in Pittsburgh alone. Of those 99, a gang of four priests specifically worked together to groom and sexually assault dozens of little boys.
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Shapiro explained that when the priests found a boy they liked, they would “mark” him by giving him gifts.
“To make it easier to target their victims, the priests gave their favored boys gifts–gold crosses to wear as necklaces,” Shapiro said. “The crosses were markings of which boys had been groomed for abuse.”
After earning a victim’s trust, they would lure him back into the church then force him to perform sex acts, which they would record.
“One boy was forced to stand on a bed in a rectory, strip naked, and pose as Christ on the cross for the priests,” Shapiro said.
“They took photos of their victim, adding them to a collection of child pornography which they produced and shared on church grounds.”
To make matters even worse, church officials knew exactly what was going on and did nothing to stop it.
The report states:
All victims were brushed aside, in every part of the state, by church leaders who preferred to protect the abusers and their institution above all. The main thing was not to help children, but to avoid scandal.
Priests were raping little boys and girls and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing: they hid it all.
Diocesan administrators, including the Bishops, had knowledge of this conduct and yet priests were regularly placed in ministry after the Diocese was on notice that a complaint of child sexual abuse had been made. This conduct enabled offenders and endangered the welfare of children.
Shapiro described a “systematic cover up by church leaders” that included bullying victims into not reporting the abuse to police and pressuring law enforcement to turn a blind eye.
“Above all else, they protected their institution at all cost,” Shapiro said.
Related: Why homophobic Republicans are so prone to gay sex scandals, according to one psychologist
Brian
Well of course. The Boston Globe proved all of this decades ago. Nothing changes. In a weird twist, courts support the criminals. The priests get to use their job as evidence that they have “good moral character,” and so they don’t face punishment.
Kangol
It’s about time the government fully stepped in to stop this ongoing horror. Mandate that if churches or religious institutions of any kind do not immediately report alleged child sexual abuse to the authorities, the penalties will be severe not just for the alleged abuser if convicted, but all who failed to properly report the abuse, including the church officials. They’ve gotten off far too easy for far too long!
QueerTruth
I don’t mean to be disrespectful to Catholics. But Catholic Church is obviously a twisted money laundering cult.
There I said it.
misterjack
Monstrous.
bicapuno87
fgdfgdfgdf
like Timothy answered I am amazed that someone able to make $7869 in four weeks on the
computer . find out here…
Greg
Bless me Father, for I have sinned.
When I look back upon my life, it’s always with a sense of shame. I’ve always been the one to blame. At school they taught me how to be, so pure in thought and word and deed. They didn’t quite succeed. It’s a sin. Everything I’ve ever done. Everything I ever do. Every place I’ve ever been. Everywhere I’m going to. It’s a sin.
Confiteor Deo omnipotenti vobis fratres, quia peccavi nimis cogitatione,
verbo, opere et omissione, mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa
Mack
Catholic League Bill Donahue is all upset because they just investigated the Catholics and not the other religions. He’s not upset because the kids were abused, he’s upset because they investigated CATHOLICS. I really wished they would shut down the Church of the Pedophile Priests for being immoral.
DHT
This is a violent crime motivated by prejudice…when are prosecutors finally going to realize that child molestation is a hate crime?
DHT
The overwhelming majority of the victims here were male however and there is very little sympathy for male victims of hebephilies, this is why the Catholic Church, and other churches as well, felt no compunction about covering this up. This is also why so few men talk about their victimization as children. In my experience even many in the gay community tended more towards blaming the victims as well, though that is changing. I do wonder how many of these abusers actually were repressed gay men that were forced into the clergy by societal expectations and then sickened by an unhealthy environment. I feel no sympathy for them though, if there is any way they should be prosecuted they should be.
nitejonboy
Jesus Christ, and they call us sick!
djmcgamester
I’m starting to think the RCC should be banned. A clear danger to children.
DCguy
The U.S. should have frozen Vatican funds and prevented money collected here from going there the second they snuck Cardinal Law out of the country and protected hi there before he could be arrested. They would have sent that guy back in a day.
Oh, and it’s happening to other religions as well. The Mormon church tried to pass a law in Utah that outlawed people recording other people, even if it was abusive. Why? To prevent stories like this from leaking out.
https://www.sltrib.com/religion/local/2017/12/12/all-the-buzz-about-sexual-harassment-has-some-mormons-wondering-if-bishops-interviews-go-too-far-and-need-reform/
Kangol
Alleged child sexual abuse also has been an issue for years with Hasidic Jewish communities, in Brooklyn, in upstate New York, and elsewhere.
Esscourt
I say bring back crucifixion and hammer the spikes into these pervs’ hands and feet!
radiooutmike
I get why this is news as a former Catholic from New England.
But pedophilia does need to be and should not be associated with queerness.
DHT
Let’s face it, the majority of the victims were boys and they were adolescents and they were abused by young gay priests who were victimized by older gay priests. This is the best article I have read so far in the problem with abuse by Catholic priests: https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2018/07/23/the-catholic-churchs-sex-abuse-scandals-show-it-has-a-gay-priest-problem-theyre-trapped-in-the-closet/?utm_term=.42e3b81f6408