As noted a number of times during the prosecution's case in the Philadelphia Archdiocese sex abuse trial, the image of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy is nothing short of horrific and a case of total moral bankruptcy. As part of the prosecution's summation, Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington reportedly stated as follows according to the Philadelphia Inquirer:
"It was all about the good of Mother Church," Assistant District Attorney Patrick Blessington said in arguments to the judge Thursday. "They cared about money, they cared about the business of the church, not the flock and not the parishioners."
Yet people continue to give deference and respect to these foul men and their institution. It doesn't take much to conclude that the un-churched are likely far more moral and righteous than these protectors and enablers of child rapists and sexual predators. The Inquirer also had this to report on the image drawn by the prosecution:
The images they painted were searing: a 13-year-old son of a Philadelphia police officer, clutching a penknife in terror and hiding in a cabin after being fondled all night on a camping trip with the Rev. Francis Trauger; another boy, waking up naked next to the Rev. Thomas Smith in a motel room after the priest stuffed ice cubes in his underwear and got him so drunk he passed out; a Bucks County teen forced to engage in oral sex with the Rev. David Sicoli after they drove to Veterans Stadium to buy Phillies playoff tickets in the early 1980s.
The graphically detailed memos were often shared with Bevilacqua, Bishop Edward Cullen, or Joseph Cistone, assistant vicar for administration.
Meanwhile, rather than cleaning their own filthy house, the U.S. bishops have invested many hundreds of thousands of dollars to deprive LGBT individuals of their civil rights. These men simply did not and do care about the lives of children and youths. It was and is all about money, all about power, and all about the Church's unholy reputation. When I see these reports, I count myself lucky to no longer be a Catholic.
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