In the first criminal conviction of a Roman Catholic Church official in the United States for covering up sexual abuses, Msgr. William J. Lynn was found guilty Friday of endangering children by allowing a known pedophile priest to continue ministering to youths, resulting in an assault on a 10-year-old boy.
The 12-member jury deadlocked on two other counts against Monsignor Lynn after a three-month trial that was widely considered a milestone in the sexual abuse scandals that have shaken the Catholic church.
Still, the trial has already sent a sobering message to church officials and others overseeing children around the country.
“I think that bishops and chancery officials understand that they will no longer get a pass on these types of crimes,” said Nicholas P. Cafardi, a professor of law at Duquesne University, a canon lawyer and frequent church adviser. “Priests who sexually abuse youngsters and the chancery officials who enabled it by allowing a known sexual abuser to remain in ministry can expect criminal prosecution.” The mixed verdict was seen as a victory for the district attorney’s office in Philadelphia, which has been investigating the archdiocese aggressively since 2002. Monsignor Lynn could face a prison term of three-and-a-half to seven years.
Seven years seems reasonable.
JPL
I hope that Lynn has a good time in jail.
Joseph Nobles
It’s a much more lenient sentence than the monsignor’s boss recommended.
The Bobs
It’s a shame Bevilacqua is dead. He is the one who should be going to jail. This guy is just a scapegoat.
Keith
I’m sure Bill Donohue will send nasty emails (physical letters would be soaked in spittle) to the jury members.
trollhattan
Cue sputtering outrage from Bill Donohue in three, two, one….
shortstop
Wonderful, wonderful news. May this open the door to many more criminal prosecutions of those who enable and cover for pedophile clergy.
redshirt
More proof Obama is out to get everyone of a Religious (read: Christians) background.
FREEDOM OF RELIGION DICTATOR OBAMA!
Johannes
A small measure of justice, after all.
(edited to, y’know, make sense.)
MikeJ
Is he in custody or will the redbird express have a chance to spirit him away?
Ash Can
Excellent news. I hope he gets the maximum sentence.
Steve
I hope this sends a message.
scav
They really are so cute when they try to wiggle out on legal technicalities and avoid the moral responsibility at all costs. Where is that Doonesbury cartoon where Mark is going Guilty! Guilty! Guilty!! Should be right after Watergate.
c u n d gulag
The sentences should start with 10 years – and then take in the age of the child for additional years.
If the child is 1-11 – add another 20 years.
12-15 – add another 15 years.
16-18 – add another 10 years.
That’s IF they survive prison, where child-fecker’s aren’t regarded any too kindly – NOT that I’m advocating anything!
Just stating fact.
Tom65
It will be interesting to see how the “Obama hates Catholics” crowd responds to this.
jrg
ZOMG! Convicting someone for repeatedly putting children in contact with a known pedophile is the biggest threat to freedom of religion, ever!
This makes a Unitarian church service look like the holocaust.
shortstop
@c u n d gulag: Sandusky and Lynn will be isolated from the general pop–to keep them alive.
jonas
As Bobs said upthread, the guy who’s ultimately responsible was Bevilacqua — I wish there was some way to disinter the guy, try his corpse, posthumously hang him, and then throw his bones in the river. It’s been done before…
JGabriel
John Cole
Seconded.
We’ll need at least 2 or 3 more verdicts like this before the Church will see this prosecution and verdict as an actual risk they need to worry about, rather than an aberration to be manipulated for political gain and skirted in church policy.
.
Southern Beale
OT but relates to a thread from earlier this morning. Andrew Sullivan, reacting to news that 63% of Republicans still believe Saddam Hussein had WMD:
Nice of him to notice. A little late, but … whatever.
Schlemizel
@Tom65:
Its a problem only in lawsuit happy America, it was caused by the 60’s hippy’s free love mania, its anti-Catholic bias. Probably a few others but thats a good start.
Its a shame the whole evil lot of them can’t be imprisoned – or that their fairy tale is not true so they could spend eternity in a lake of fire.
Speaking of which, could anyone explain why the Devil is considered a bad guy when he spends eternity punishing evil do-ers? Wouldn’t that make him a good guy?
scav
@jonas: We could work out a whole system. There was an anti-pope, and there’s a whole thing about beatification and canonization etc. so maybe there could be Anti-Beatification and Anti-Canonization and Anti-Saints status for the really strong contenders. Might be a little better for the water-quality, all-in-all.
Cermet
So our lrgal system that has never found a reason not to put young black teens into jail for trival offenses has fianlly gotten out of the 15th century … wow, such progress.
mclaren
New poster for the Catholic Church:
picture of a priest behind bars with the logo
WE HAVE CONVICTIONS!
El Cid
This represses my religious freedom. It’s like a Stalinist purge of people of faith, just because of some minor discretion here or there.
Professor
@jonas: FYI, such fate befell Oliver Cromwell, the English dictator from 1649 to 1660.
burnspbesq
About damn time.
Martin
Ten years before conviction does not, however.
catpal
“Facing a $17 million deficit in its operating budget, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia on Thursday closed its youth office, shut down its Hispanic evangelization center, ended publication of its monthly newspaper, and laid off 45 employees”
“Chaput disclosed that the cost of responding to the 2011 Philadelphia grand jury report on clergy sex abuse had exceeded $11.6 million.”
THIS. the loss of the money influence and Catholics leaving is what will hopefully change the Catholic leadership into well-known joke.
Mino
I wonder if it will take Ireland this long.
burnspbesq
@c u n d gulag:
Like hell you’re not.
shortstop
@JGabriel: I fear you are right. On the other hand, if Timothy Dolan and a few others are suddenly given jobs within the walls of the Vatican City, we’ll know they’re running scared.
Martin
@Schlemizel: Sounds like Sheriff Joe.
c u n d gulag
@shortstop:
I hope things have changed since I taught college courses in a NY State Maximum Security prison for almost 4 years.
Back then, I was told that if they wanted to get someone – none of that mattered a bit. Either THEY’D get them, or find someone who could.
Of course, that was from 1978-1981.
Mino
@catpal: Will we see the Archdiocese suing the Vatican for endangerment from following its recommendations?
And how come their Catholic lawyers charged them so much. Never heard of charity?
shortstop
@burnspbesq: Well, it took Frank two minutes to pivot from “This verdict is positive” to “RCC CLERGY ARE BEING VICTIMIZED IN THIS THREAD!” I call it an improvement; previously he’d have led with sobs over the oppressed clergy.
Litlebritdifrnt
OT – but it looks like POTUS is going to punch Mr. Bain Capital in the junk this afternoon. BWAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA
(it’s a Politico link – sorry)
http://www.politico.com/politico44/2012/06/obama-no-outsourcing-pioneer-in-the-oval-office-127049.html
Countme In
The bad news is that Lynn has been given the American bishops’ anti-contraception portfolio, what with the time he’ll have on his hands.
His advice to women on avoiding pregnancy will be roughly the same as he gave to the alter-boys: kneel
burnspbesq
@Mino:
I actually started to answer your question as though it had been asked sincerely.
Then I read it again and realized you were just being an ass.
redshirt
@catpal: Is that last named pronounced like “Kaput”. Cuz if so, awesome.
burnspbesq
@shortstop:
What? Talk sense, child.
kay
@jrg:
The Philadelphia DA is Catholic. He was adopted by a Catholic family at 20 months. He says church leaders were treated like “rock stars” in his family, and he still goes to church, according to Maureen Dowd.
He is AA,though, so of course he knows Eric Holder and Obama personally and probably conspires with them on the religious liberty assault plan.
shortstop
@kay: OMG! Are we certain he wasn’t one of those guys wielding batons at a Philly polling place!?
catpal
@kay: the DA and former DA took a lot of local abuse from Catholics for this so-called “witch-hunt” against the Catholic Church.
former DA Abraham was accused of stalling the original investigation, and received threats, etc. possible because there were really vile things said by Catholic supporters against the DA.
It took a lot of guts for the Philly DA to get thru this trial and i am really glad that they did.
It is so hard to believe that this is the FIRST conviction of anyone in Catholic leadership. Wow that took a long time.
kay
@catpal:
I think it was brave, too. It’s risky, because had he lost he’d hear “witch hunt!” not to mention one more hit on trust and justice for the victims.
Ruckus
@Schlemizel:
Speaking of which, could anyone explain why the Devil is considered a bad guy when he spends eternity punishing evil do-ers? Wouldn’t that make him a good guy?
What are you doing, using logic on magic fairy stories? And who said he’s the bad guy? The ones worshiping the other guy. Not a lot of credibility there.
Ruckus
@burnspbesq:
Shoe, wrong foot.
Brachiator
@JGabriel:
Unfortunately, I don’t think that more verdicts like this will make much difference to the Church’s views on protecting offending priests.
By the way, has there been any official statement or reaction to the verdict from any Church official?
catpal
“Bail was denied for Lynn, 61, who will remain in custody until sentencing, slated for Aug. 13.”
“Defense attorney Jeffrey M. Lindy pushed hard for his release. “You can’t seriously think that Monsignor Lynn, after being investigated after 10 years, is going to flee,” he told the judge.”
there is no extradition treaty between the US and the Vatican.
El Cid
@Ruckus: I guess the evilness would be more connected with the notion that he tempts people toward choosing evil, and therefore wants more souls to rule.
These are some pretty monomaniacal characters, though.
In the early Old Testament, there’s some serious hate against those practicing fixed agriculture versus pastoralists.
The whole Cain & Abel thing seems to start with God getting pissy at being offered burned produce instead of burned fats.
Brachiator
@El Cid:
Religious symbolism later echoed in the cattle ranchers vs homesteaders in the movie Shane. Jack Palance plays Lucifer.
Odie Hugh Manatee
Kinda OT: I was listening to Catholic Radio (IH Radio, Cornbinder Radio!) in the car today and the host was announcing segments that his show would be having today:
– A guy from Jihad Watch on to discuss if Mohammed really ever existed. Why? Because bad people have been questioning the truth of Catholics for “hundreds of years” and because nobody before has bothered to ask if Mohammed ever existed.
– A segment about how Obama is somehow the same as Hitler, Stalin and other despotic leaders from history. Why? Because some nutty religious leader (a Bishop, if I remember correctly) in pretty robes wrote something that said just that and he is being picked on for doing so. The host claims that the poor guy in robes was being misunderstood.
– A segment on Holder and how he is the enemy of the Church. Why? Because he works for Obama and that proves it!
– A segment on the HHS Secretary forcing the Church to bow to their evil dictates. Why? Because the HHS Secretary works for the evil Obama!
He was listing a few other segments that were about various aspects of the Evil Obama Administration and how they hate religion. By this time I had picked up my wife and changed the channel so I wouldn’t subject her to a bunch of religious assholes who hate her body (but love little boy’s asses).
I am sooooo fucking happy I walked away from the Catholic faith so long ago.
What a bunch of assholes.
One last note is that they are announcing on Cornbinder Radio that they need “good women” for leadership positions in some Catholic organization. Their job? To bring other Catholic women back into the church by acting as good examples of how rewarding the church can be to women. All they have to do is do what the big guys in funny robes tell them to do.
Submit ladies, it’s your religious responsibility!
Jay C
@ John Cole:
Seven years seems reasonable.
Well, actually, a more traditional sentence would be more appropriate in these circumstances: IOW, the “humane” version whose components feature a large wooden stake, a cat-o-nine-tails and several buckets of salt water….
History should be respected….
wrb
How can the church stay solvent with all this political correctness?
The protestant school girls of Taunton brought good revenue, when James II sold them as slaves to the Catholic nobles, “handing them out like oysters.”
Ruckus
@El Cid:
Don’t care how you dress it up, it still smells the same.
Arclite
Convicts routinely shank child molesters. I wonder if they shank child molester enablers?
Arclite
@Southern Beale:
Yeah John Cole figured this out three years ago in this classic post:
maryQ
I blame feminists, gays, mainline Protestants, universities and abortion.
WereBear
@c u n d gulag: I live in a remote area where they love to put prisons.. and nothing has changed.
It’s a bunch of bored, violent people with nothing else to do…
El Cid
@Ruckus: What did I dress up? It’s not like it’s any saner to stake oneself out as a godlike being whose best use of his time is to get humans to do mean things so that you can trap them in a really shitty place and inflict inordinate pain on them in their magic soul form while you hope that someday you can use them to get revenge on the asshole God who put you there.
All of these conceptions imply some seriously mentally and emotionally ill ‘supreme’ beings.