Catholic Church Cover-up: 300 Priests Sexually Abused 1,000 Children in Pennsylvania – Blog

Jelly Baby
Decades ago Sinead O’Connor tried to shine a spotlight on this pervasive mass atrocity and her career sank as a consequence of her being an outcast.
West Winds
I am totally against any statute of limitations where child molestation is concerned. The statute of limitations is a method of silencing victims who are too frightened and intimidated to speak out for themselves as children, and muzzles the victim when old enough to be able to present his or her case before any tribunal. Just as the statute of limitations was removed for cases involving murder, the statute of limitations needs to be removed for child predators. This is men protecting men and their predacious proclivities.
Nancy Mesek
My abuser was reassigned in Ohio. I found courage to go after him but my statute of limitations was up. There should never be such a statute in any abuse.
Macnutz420
Never, never, never allow your child to be alone with a priest, preacher, or so called youth minister. These problems are also a serious issue with protestant denominations, as well. The god man is good camouflage for predators of every variety.
West Winds
I was brought up in a Catholic family. I attended Catholic churches. When I was very young, we had Fr. Birmingham as our priest. He regularly separated the boys out during catechetical classes and took them into his office for “special training”. He was later transferred to another church in the same diocese and made a Bishop. (The Bishop in each church is in charge of the safe in which all cases of child abuse or other cases against the church are kept locked away.) In later years, I learned of the RCC Jesuits, their bloody oath and their sex magic practices. I have also seen a couple of films on the history of the RCC. Personally, I have felt for many decades, that the RCC was established for and by men who practice man-on-boy, and man-on-man sex, and this accounts for their staunch refusal to allow women to have any substantive place or role in their organization. I still believe this is the case. I have seen a documentary on the current Pope, and it is full of documented accusations of child abuse. It is time the curtain be removed from the RCC, that there be full transparency about who they are and what they do. People need to know exactly what they are dealing with in order to protect themselves and their children. I have long since left the church. In good conscience, I couldn’t stay knowing what I know and feeling the way I do about such things. Thanks to Democracy Now! for highlighting this subject and giving the victims a forum in which to expose such criminal misconduct, and bless these men for their courage to come forward and tell us about that which has been covered up for so long.
Peace Freedom
This is the second program I’ve seen Shaun Dougherty on. He is an excellent speaker. He’s extremely concise and informative. I truly believe he has the ability to make a difference in the fight to expose and end these abuses of power. He is a valuable voice for all of the victims. Can someone tell me why it seems the Priests have targeted boys more than girls?
Protiti Khan
How about some RICO charges on the senior church officials who covered this up and the molesters? Lock them up. No statute of limitations on conspiracy.
Sacred Grooves
never let your kids shower with other guys, church or school. Just wear your sweaty clothes, go home and shower where it is safe!!! OMG. Why are we letting young kids shower with ANYONE??? Good Lord!
Everblue Freediving
How many cops and prosecuters looked the other way and protected the Church?
Gerry
Where is Pope Francis? Good question. This is an ongoing problem for years all over the world. And other big organizations , children’s homes etc I was physically and emotionally abused by nuns and some Catholic teachers. Not as bad as sexual abuse😢😢😢
Vee Friend
I wonder who it was that instituted the “statute of limitations” on child abuse? There should be no such statute in these cases. There is such serious trauma of the victims that, in many cases, it may take decades to face it.
Bill Dunne
great interviews and lots of time given to the interviewees.Well done
Trish Thompson
The cascade devastating affects of this abuse is incalculable.
Zelda Williams
wow! Excellent interview and very informative. What a shame these people of abuse have to suffer so much hell & hardship! I have so much empathy, compassion, and sympathy for these survivors’……peace be with them all.😔
Mattie Hebrewess
When I was a kid until adulthood, I always thought I was the only child who has been preyed upon by supposed safe adults. It’s an atrocity what this type of abuse did to me; even to this day, decades later, I feel the affects. Thank the GOD of Abraham that I am finally healed. HalleluYah. As scripture states, Satan has tricked the whole world through this evil act upon children. Many homosexuals were preyed upon as children by followers of Satan… most of whom are in the churches…I pray for healing for all people who has been affected by this demonic abuse…
Roxx
What a well spoken, beautiful man, I hope he is well and strong.
Katie Kane
No wonder the church opposed birth control, gotta have fodder for the father & not just talking collection plate. Our preoccupation with sexual repression & lack of open discussion with our kids allows this to occur. The kids must be able to trust someone to talk to & know they’ll be heard.
Grim Locke
Religion is a ruse. This is not an aberration. Make Priests, Rome, and all other organized faiths Pay.
Lyza Minelli
The damage has already been done. Forgive those that cause harm to you and God will forgive you in return. Statute of limitations in church cases is abhorrent and unreasonable.
Asenath Dagraca
To hell with the statute of limitations!!! When you commit a disgusting act against a child you kill their soul and should be held accountable
Desert Rat Gardener
Informative. As a Catholic for 9 yrs after 50 yrs of Anglicanism, most priests I’ve known are fine good men. But pedophiles will flock to be Catholic priests since they dont have to have wives, and children are everywhere. The shortage of priests also makes the Church desperate and therefore won’t vet seminarians as well as they should. Also, for the Catholic heirarchy to punish a nun who allowed an abortion to save the critically ill mother’s life is patriarchial nonsense. Smacks of antipathy toward women. Plus that they freak over Hans Kung and the like – fine intelligent priests who THINK – while protecting pedophiles and rapists, indicates a purging to the highest levels better start now. Pope Francis can make that happen. We must be vocal in our support of him taking the Temple Whip and driving out the evil amongst us.
Luis Lomeli
Thank you for posting!
Trish Thompson
It’s a crime that there is any redaction at all. Utterly ridiculous and shows there is more than 1 tier for justice and punishment Major BS!
C T
This actually scares the crap out of me. I live in NY, I’m catholic, and I’ve been going to church every Sunday my whole life. My father is the only one in my family who doesn’t go to church. I asked him why and he said because the whole church is corrupt and evil and I’m not going to celebrate the son of god with people who are pedophiles. I think I might switch to be a Protestant. I am so confused. If anyone has any advice,/help please reply
Heather Stahlnecker
thank you for reporting TRUTH.
Yolanda Calle
Heros all are we the recovering survivors. “Groomed” to fight the good fight through these groundbreaking times of full disclosure and systemic accountability. We must use our voices developed over decades of acceptance and healing to send an indelible message that wrong is wrong and will no longer be permitted regardless of the length and depth of this sick legacy. We are the true emissaries of The Message. Love is clearing the decks of all lower energies on this planet.
Nigel McKenna
They say that all the money from the collection plates from mass goes to a fund that pays compensation to families of the children that are abused. I wouldn’t give them a single penny.
Ronnie & Minh
Will any of these Priests go to prison?
hermenutic
This has happened in other religious organizations also. But it is obvious it is a policy associated with corporate organizations in general as we see evidence of it in the news regarding for profit corporations. These ‘organizations’ ‘circle the wagons’ when they are accused and when they do that integrity flies out the window and preservation of the ‘organization’ is the foremost purpose of the organization. The ‘organization’ itself is the problem that needs to be addressed. The ‘organization’ is subject to the judgment of public opinion.
Andrew
How can these perverts parade themselves as Priests / Preachers Of God ? NOT POSSIBLE AND DISGUSTING. BUT TRUE ! ! !
Wayne Bess
You can’t just take a vow of celibacy and seriously think that will do away with certain feelings. This celibacy madness must end and women must be allowed to be preist.
Double Guitars
Nuns did some awful abusive stuff in the Magdelene Laundries in Ireland. There is no reason to think Nuns being female will be automatically better. When people are given a certain amount of power over others there’s always going to be people who take advantage of that and use it negatively.
Barbara Chipman
All of this is so absurd. the cover-up. all of it. do you know what this does to the victims? No statues!!!!!!
K H
This is why Church and state should remain separate, because the law and these insurance companies are protecting sexual predators.
Martin Finn
Anyone in Newyork who was abused at anytime can now go after these abusers. So go to the authorities and tell them your story get dolan to open the files
S. Kertanguy
That attorney in Brooklyn for a while would do miracles.
T Z
We live in a society where everything is sexualized and there’s tons of pornography. How about the general public uniting against this evil instead of pointing the finger at others.
Edward Kim
I never thought I would see “church” and “criminal enterprise” in the same sentence…. lol
SparkJoy
How come we never hear about this in the Orthodox Church but only in Protestant and Catholic Churches?
David Lewis
I was 5….buried, suppressed, repressed, denied until I turned 50….well beyond the statute of limitations…the church admin knew of the statutes in every state and used this info to hide til the time passed…remove the statute of limitations and you just might see a decrease in these acts….and I emphasize “just might”…..hiw many have been involved in the cover up??? from the bottom to the top this has been known….a priest where I grew up was found to have child pornography on his computer and all the bishop said was “get this pervert out of my diocese…” This guy was guilty of a felony at the time and they allowed him to leave to teach at an all-girls high school in another state….they knew…for centuries they have known…I guess I’m still angry about what happened…
Catherine Cole
Heres what I don’t understand, these guys are often brave enough to come forward to other faith leaders, and that takes so much strength and conviction, but when the religious leaders dismissed them, why wouldnt they go to the police? Just because there are statutes of limitations on them, these priests are serial abusers, just because that survivor cannot say anything, there are current victims. Did police drop the ball, too?
Atom Baxter
I only wish Christopher Hitchens was here to combat this! It’s up to us now!
Practical Backhand
I was friends with a Jesuit priest from age 12 til his death when I was 42. He was masculine gay. Never an improper touch! Damn! How am I gonna pay off my daughter’s education loans? Should I make something up? Everybody is cashing in but me.
Michael C
The Church has always avoided the issue by blaming homosexual men. It makes it seem like they have always opposed gay rights because recognizing homosexuals have nothing to do with their pedophilia might force them to take more responsibility for it.
kapa1611
this is why freedom of speech is so important, you also saw it with Weinstein. if the powerful aren t publicly called out on their crimes, there won t be any investigations or consequences (the powerful usually protect their own). the Americans are right to protect freedom of speech to the extent that they do, and its a shame that my country (Austria) and other European countries don t. and its probably the main reason we are not as good as the Americans at dealing with our cultural problems and abuses by the powerful. at least the progress that America makes sometimes spills over to Europe. the American outcry over sexual harassment led to investigations into similar activities in my country and even in the EU parliament. European laws usually put the prestige and reputation of the powerful above people s right to free speech. we have extremely restrictive libel laws and other restrictions. Trump actually agrees with Europe on the issue of freedom of speech, in that he also opposes it, and made statements like “we have to open up those libel laws”, so that he can also sue people for criticising him, his companies, or his rich friends simply for “attacking” their reputation hold on your freedom of speech, America! its really important!
bonjour itsizzy
this is why when people preach religion to me, it disgusts me what these young boys and men have gone through by adults they thought they could trust.
Darrylizer1
The idea of celibacy as a requisite for priesthood is an insane idea. It’s directly responsible for the attraction of certain types of people into the priesthood.
Stuart Walker
Not ONE of the guilty should ever get off, this is as bad as murder and Nobody is above the law. Though i know where they will be for eternity, they must pay for their wrong doing here and now as well.
kharma smith
Of course there are these kind of evil people in every walk of life, not just the Catholic Church.  But no one can say the numbers of those exposed  comes any where close to the vast innocent priests that have to bear the cloak of suspicion as the evil one intended.  What other bastion against immorality is there outside of the Catholic Church?  No surprise at the atrocious attacks against it in the past up to the present day.
American Crow
Look at all of the karma. Look at all of the child molestors. It’s a pattern of gaslighting. It’s a pattern of torture for profit while praising prophets. I’m not the first to say it and I literally ain’t gonna be the last. Plenty of people are seriously angry at child molestors. Zero mercy and zero forgiveness.
Æ Kiwi
They should lose their tax exemption status just like all the churches should here in my country, it’s sick. The leaders are as much at fault for covering up the crimes as the priests who committed them. As someone who recently remembered they were sexually assaulted as a child all of this makes my blood boil. There is a whole lot wrong with organised religion, particularly the Abrahamic religions. The only religions/philosophies I have been somewhat able to agree with are the non dogmatic ones such as Buddhism, Satanism (yes, Satanism as in Atheistic Satanism, it’s actually about individuality & is far more moral than Christianity.) and Daoism. You don’t see them responsible for massive child sex crimes; these priests should all be prosecuted.
Gustavo A. Belfiore
Don’t stop short of denouncing Bergoglio (Pope Francis), he’s a part of this, just like Ratzinger and Wojtyla before him. This is a highly hierarchical organization, and the Pope is the head.
Mark Ross
This has totally disappeared from the news during the past year, why?
jason bag
Disgusted, disappointed, and very frustrating. However, Jesus said : let he who has never sinned cast the first stone. Let it be clear that These priests do not represent the religion, the Catholic faith, or anything good. Though they are: sinners, failed Catholics, and definitely criminals. They are subject to the laws of men and need to answer for their Crimes to society. They will also be judged by God when they die. Catholicism is about charity, kindness, selflessness, and humility. Do what is right, love everyone even your enemies, and forgiveness. To forgive isn’t to forget, but it will free you from the hate and the harm done to you. Please do not judge the religion by these evil actions. If you really want to know what good Catholics have done research for yourself their role in freedom of speech, the education of the poor and common people, real charity, caring for the sick, elderly, and poor. Research the people like Mother Theresa and of course Jesus Christ. I believe that you will find plenty of evidence and wisdom there if you can look with an open mind.
Sam Santucci
SHAMEFUL, CRIMINAL, HYPOCRITICAL!
ms sage
The bible states in several places, “The dead know nothing” The Catholic church teaches that the dead can answer our prayers, and they have holy days for the dead and raise money in the names of the dead on those days. Also catholics are taught that the pope acts as Jesus Christ and what he says is infallible. A lot of people are deathly afraid of going against a priest. Trust me, I was in the church and I started reading my bible and learned the truth. God created man and woman to be as one person to each other and to have children. God never intended that a man should not marry. The apostle Peter was married, and Christ designated him to be head of the church. I could go on and on. The catholic church is a cult.
ramlinshoes
When a person talks to himself he is crazy, when he talks to God he is religious.
Sacred Grooves
calling for the feminine divine to shift in the catholic church for balance, keep these predators away from children.
Louis Anthes
The Roman Catholic Church should lose its federal tax exempt status. They must pay taxes.
Belle R
sexual abuse is murder , may everything be exsposed and healed
beLIEve~!
How long are YOU going to put up with this insanity?
B R
When is the law going to investigate the Mormon Church?
Candice azzara
I hope they all go to jail!!!!!!!!!!
Clownish-Gambino
6:11 what kind of question is that?!
el Kay
This should have a trigger warning. It’s graphic.
humanonearth
Well there goes the Vatican.
Patrice Marie
…. “ROAD TO RECOVERY” …. WE ALL NEED THAT ……. IN THE REAL EMOTIONAL “SCOPE” …… OF TRYING TO LIVE …. A SOMEWHAT STABLE ….. AND NORMAL ….. MORE HEALTHY …… THAN NOT ….. LIFE! …… NO QUESTION ABOUT IT ….. EARLY INEPT …… SOMETIMES VERY PERVERTED & CREEPY ……. EMOTIONAL AND OR PHYSICAL MISCONDUCT …… DEEPLY WOUNDS A CHILD! ………
S. Kertanguy
Bon sang, comment des hommes de 18 ans peuvent se laisser violer par des vieux ? Il n’était pas un peu “precious” ? IL une savait pas donner des coups de poings avant de se retrouver dans un lit ? Il ne savait pas crier au secours ou tout le séminaire était complice ?
sm1ofakind
No statute of limitations on failing to pay your taxes, but a limit on child rape and molestation??
Sandra Walker
and he is still alive………zero tolerance for peodophiles and those complicit in their crimes
CranesNotSkyHooks
6 Catholic Priests watched this video.
J B
Those Devils doing this since the beginning of time. YAH is coming for the Devils!
Abundantia
I might be missing something but this is nothing new.
ANDRE MARIANO
THEY JUST RELOCATE …
Corvus Corax
Jeez…those left footers breed like f-ing rabbits. Not even the priests can keep it in their pants XD
RhondaG Designs Rhonda G Wellman
I don’t understand why they don’t get the heck out out of the church. Descusting that they don’t know how to walk away. Sick sick sick organization.
jessie james
Laws still protect them and the catholic church! More shd be in prison
Ejmatt Delacruz
Mccurick should go to jail.
gapeach14
False Prophets and Ravenous Wolves in sheep clothing God warned us about this in the book of Matthew….The bible is fulfilling itself.
Tom c
I know them to be true
Ima Farmer
And Cosby goes to jail
iloveyoumadhuri
Pennsylvania can’t get away from its child molestation nightmares. First Penn State and now 300 PA priests.
Miguel Arevalo
I wonder what’s the pope is doing about it?
Percy Blakeney
Good start. Now, onto the next state and the next state and then other countries until the gold shrouded Vatican is reached.
Nadejda Jean Schmidt
now most people can see that God do not exsist, if he did he will never aloud this to happend, i do not belive in eny God and i did never go to Church.
DetroitLives313
I wished all of these guys, children would have yelled, screamed,bitten and kicked at the time they were being molested…….Damn!
Roger Keulen
Abuse in church is older then the church it self, thus te parents could know this if they want to. Just throw the parents in jail for brainwashing and pushing child into pedofile club.
aspince laframboise
Those businesses of the gods sure make for a great tax free do nothing job eh… ÜïÖ
Elia Fuimaono
Years of journalism couldn’t inform her what digital penetration is without him defining it?
smoothlyez
Why in gods name do people follow organized religion? Why why why
Carole Clark
You’d have to be crazy to send your child to Catholic school.
Linda Utley
I can’t watch no more 😠😠😠
John daloser
I wonder where the big time Catholics are along with the countries where Catholicism is dominant? Well? 💁🏽‍♂
Jim Hammond
These monsters who abuse children are not Godly. This doesn’t mean that God doesn’t exist. Don’t lose faith in God because there are evil men who claim to be ‘all for God’. Find these predators and remove them, and prosecute them.
Have it now
Wow never knew that stealing in the Catholic Church is worse than rape, how horrible, my prayers to all.
Francis Mausley
Post Christian religions warned priests about celibacy. Muhammad stated “Nay, they made it up themselves.” And Baha’u’llah (Baha’i Faith) warned monks “Enter ye into wedlock, that after you someone may fill your place. We have forbidden you perfidious acts…” He also wrote ”We shrink, for very shame, from treating the subject of boys. Fear ye the Merciful..”
fermzy
These animals should be named,shamed and given life Disgusting creepy bastards
CalGoldDredger
All Religion is Disqusting….
Paul Capella
Very few priests have chosen to be men of God
06 Bahcelievler 19. sokak
You people stop rapping kids,boy and girls! Not only it is batshit wrong but you cats damaging these kids for eternity. Shame on you cats stop I mean right now!
S. Kertanguy
Is that man homosexual since his “3 years of ” practice ” without telling his parents , his teachers or his sheriff ?
S. Kertanguy
Since this drama happened to them they both became homosexuals only and freemasons ?