Five facts, one opinion and “billion” with a b

From the NewYorkTimes:

Fact 1:

The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia announced March 8th that it had placed an astonishing 21 priests on leave from active ministry in connection with credible charges that they had sexually abused children.

Fact 2:

This mass suspension was one of the single most sweeping in the history of sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in the entire United States. 

Fact 3:

A damning grand jury investigation accused the archdiocese of a widespread cover-up of child molesting priests stretching back over decades, and that as many as 37 priests still remained active in the ministry despite credible allegations of sexual abuse against them.

Fact 4:

This is the first time Roman Catholic leaders have been criminally charged for the cover-up as opposed to the actual abuse itself.

Fact 5:

Although these crimes are well documented around the globe, the Roman Catholic Church in the United States alone has paid out more than $2.6 billion dollars in sexually-related child abuse settlements since 1950.

Opinion:

Good, hard working Roman Catholics in full knowledge of this continue to fund the church hierarchy that hides, relocates and defends the priests responsible for this sexual abuse of young children. And these parishioners do it weekly, in the name of God, and that’s the greatest crime of all.

Photo courtesy news-shark.com