More than 15 years after a series of reports from the Boston Globe first exposed widespread sexual abuse by Catholic priests, the church is again reeling from accusations of abuse and cover-ups in disturbing numbers. Last week, a Pennsylvania grand jury report declared church leaders covered up for more than 300 priests who abused at least 1,000 kids over more than seven decade period. There are likely many more victims who have not come forward.
After the report was released, Pope Francis admitted the church had not done enough to protect victims writing in an open letter, "we did not act in a timely manner, realizing the magnitude and the gravity of the damage done to so many lives. We showed no care for the little ones; we abandoned them."
More than 2,800 people have signed a letter on DailyTheology.org calling for all American bishops to resign, including Boston Cardinal Sean O'Malley — who leads the Pope's Commission for the Protection of Minors.
Adam Reilly, in for Jim Braude, was joined by Phil Saviano, a church abuse survivor and founder of the New England chapter of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests; former Attorney General Martha Coakley, a partner at Foley Hoag and the District Attorney who successfully prosecuted two former priests for abuse-related crimes and Mitchell Garabedian, who has represented thousands of victims of church abuse, including some who’s cases prompted the Pennsylvania grand jury investigation.
