Could the Catholic Church Face Federal Investigation Over Sex Abuse Cover-Up?
By Townhall. According to a Pennyslvania attorney general, and if a national victims’ rights group gets their way, the federal government might soon be launching an investigation into the Catholic Church.
In a New York Times interview published Monday, Attorney General Josh Shapiro answered questions about Pennsylvania’s recently released grand jury report. The bombshell report, years in the making, implicated over 300 Catholic priests in the sexual abuse of over 1,000 children, over the course of decades.
The secret investigation began in 2016, before Shapiro was even sworn into office. He recalled being given the choice of whether or not to move forward with the case, saying “I made it clear I wanted the investigation to continue. I put the full force of our office into this investigation.”
During the course of the interview, the attorney general spoke out about Pope Francis, the Pennsylvania dioceses that attempted to shut down the investigation, and the attorneys general now following Pennsylvania’s lead, and potentially initiating their own respective investigations. . .
Passed by Congress in 1970, the Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organizations Act (RICO) allows prosecutors to go after not just individuals for an alleged crime, but organized groups as well. Prior to the passage of the law, there was little that could be done to address the unique problem of organized crime. (Read more from “Could the Catholic Church Face Federal Investigation Over Sex Abuse Cover-Up?” HERE)
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Is the Catholic Church Beyond Redemption?
By The New York Times. . .Reform must happen from within
You can’t possibly ask that every ordained member of the church resign. Catholicism is as much a culture as it is a religion. As hard and as terrible as it is, the only thing we can do is try to make it better and make sure it never happens again. When I say “we” I mean me, and you, and your priest, and the pope and everyone in between. Whether you’re going to be there to see it happen or not, it’s your choice. But this easy (and impossible) way out you’re asking for is unreasonable. — Ana Carolina, Brazil
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We should all stand up in the pews and speak. Letters to the nuncio are wasted paper. Prayers are misplaced energy as well. I sincerely hope there is a national commission, as there has been in Australia. If the civil authorities leave lay people to change this themselves, nothing will happen. We already know nothing will happen if we leave the church to reform itself. — Jennifer, Bronxville, N.Y.
(Read more from “Is the Catholic Church Beyond Redemption?” HERE)
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