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Clergy and nun joins protest against Philadelphia cardinal - VIDEO

23 members of the clergy now suspended after grand jury accusations of cover-up

KATE HICKEY,

IrishCentral.com Editor

Published Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 7:15 AM

Updated Tuesday, April 5, 2011, 10:42 AM

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Cardinal Justin Rigali of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia

Photo by Google Images

Read more: 21 Catholic priests suspended in Philadelphia over sexual abuse allegations

Protests outside the Archdiocese headquarters in Philadelphia are escalating as 23 priests have now been suspended by Cardinal Justin Rigali following a grand jury report accusing church officials of protecting pedophile priests.

The Archdiocese of Philadelphia placed two retired priests on administrative leave, just weeks after 21 others were suspended from service. The grand jury report released last month charged two priests, a former priest and a Catholic school teacher. A former high-ranking church official was accused of covering-up abuse in the church.

Outside the headquarters of the Archdiocese protesters have become a familiar sight. Groups organizing the protests include "Catholics 4 Change" and "Voice of the Faithful". They are demanding a stop to the cover-up of sexual abuse in the church. They were joined by a priest and a nun.

Fr. Michael Lipareli said "I am horrified and humiliated to see what our church has not done, how they have covered this up for so many years."

Sister Maureen told Fox "We should not put up with this cover-up, which is continuing to this very day."

Both of them would like to see other members of the clergy come out in protest against the Catholic Church’s actions. They feel that all of the clergy are being painted with a broad brush.

One of the protesters Buddy Schmidt said "The cardinal is the one concealing the criminal priests, the pedophiles, so he is the guilty party here. He is the one who has to step forward. Actually, he needs to step down…I can't continue putting money in the basket anymore and support this."

Also this weekend Pope Benedict XVI asked that Catholics not lose their faith despite the great "attacks of evil" in the church, according to a report on SpiritDaily.com.

He asked that Catholics "carry intact the fire of your love in this church every time that men have obscured her face…You have need of divine help if you do not want your faith to dry up as a dewdrop in the sun, if you do not want to succumb to the temptations of consumerism, if you do not want your love to be drowned in pornography, if you do not want to betray the weak and the victims of abuse and violence.

“You must know what you believe; you must know your faith with the same precision with which a specialist in information technology knows the (operating) system of a computer; you must know it as a musician knows his piece.”

These words were part of his foreword to the Youth Catechism which will pilgrim backpack for World Youth Day 2011 in Madrid.

Priest, Nun Join Catholic Protestors: MyFoxPHILLY.com

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34 Comments

15 - 34 | See all comments

Toronthab | Aug 07, 2011, 11:41 PM EDT

It is trully a tragic situation all around, and people are slow to admit their failings for the most part. The John Jay College of Criminal Justice found the root of the scandal not in the church, but in the culture of the 60's onward. Such issues affected the Boy Scouts and other churches. Most of the time psychological treatments from secular sources did not succeed sufficiently and only in the '80's did the psychological facts become more known. It was seldom a case of indifference. I don't know about Philadelphia specifically, but the demonization of the church is unwarranted in this cultural phenomena.

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Gearoid4 | Apr 07, 2011, 12:35 PM EDT

@barneyjo, Due to the decentralized nature of certain non-catholic religions, it can be difficult to glean annual statistics regarding the scourge of sex abuse. Here are links to the survey done by 3 major US Insurance companies amongst thousands of protestant churches of various hues- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all& address=275x5312. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/06/18/80877.htm.

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Collette2 | Apr 07, 2011, 01:14 AM EDT

At last! this is what has been needed from within. We the laity are steam rolled by many with "undying" misplaced loyality for decades and for those who have lived their lives honouring their vocations, it will validate them. Let's hope it takes off around the world. We owe no favours to anyone but God.

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LiamDavid | Apr 07, 2011, 12:27 AM EDT

The RC Church has much to answer for! Going back centuries, the history of this church has been a nonstop tale of lurid and grotesque crimes. Yet, the faithful have willing suffered in and for its name for those same centuries. This was the faith of my family, back to the time that Patrick, that former slave and sheep herder, returned to Ireland, thus starting our own horrendous experience with this religion. The Irish, as with all the Celtic peoples, are extremely devoted to their religion, so much so, that many learned to turn away from the crimes that were perpetrated by the clergy. During our Celtic history, our people had a special respect for the Druids who even sat at the right hand of our kings and queens. When we converted to Christianity, this respect was transferred to the priest. Today, we must open our eyes and see and recognize the sins of these sinners and remove this dirt from within our churches once and for all! Our belief and respect should be in God, and not blindly in the collar of those who were supposed to represent the almighty. Slan

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JimMcGarity | Apr 06, 2011, 11:09 PM EDT

You know it's time we took our church back. They just don't get it, we build our churches and they are ours', so lets' do our church like we should do our US government, clean house.

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Tisovertheglen | Apr 06, 2011, 07:44 PM EDT

Midst the furore of close to two years on both sides of the Atlantic since the Murphy and Ryan report 'a nun and a priest' finally show up outside an Archdiocese with twenty or so wandering around in 'protest'. What a pitiful sight and demise.

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Gearoid4 | Apr 06, 2011, 04:43 PM EDT

Here are the links, Barneyjo- http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=view_all& address=275x5312. http://www.insurancejournal.com/news/national/2007/06/18/80877.htm.

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Gearoid4 | Apr 06, 2011, 12:20 PM EDT

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jamieLM | Apr 06, 2011, 10:58 AM EDT

In general, most mainstream Protestant churches have control in the hiring and firing of their pastors. Each individual church council interviews candidates and decides whether a pastor is a good fit for their parish/congregation. If they like him/her, they offer him the job. Pastors can accept or decline a posistion. If a church doesn't like a pastor, they can go through the process of getting rid of him/her on their own. Pedophile Protestant pastors exist, but they don't have a hierarchy that has the power to protect them. If they mess up and their church finds out, they get kicked out and reported so they can't get another job. It's the SYSTEM that deals with these pedophiles that is the difference between Catholics and Protestants who both have molesters within their clergy.

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KateyMc | Apr 06, 2011, 08:28 AM EDT

Not surprised at all....these "men" (I use the term loosely) are STILL covering it all up. Power corrupts, obviously. We'll (in the end) blame only them for the demise of my beloved Church.

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ronnie4u2o | Apr 06, 2011, 02:08 AM EDT

I Have to Laugh at Pope Benedict. saying people are too much into consumerism . He must be joking. just look at Him living with all the Pomp & Glitter of a King on his Royal Throne .hes nothing but a Figure Head with his head in the sand while his Pedophile Priests & Bishops Runamuck Molesting Children. They are all a bunch of pompus Arses & should all burn in Hell. Ireland needs no part of the Corrupt Roman Church.

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seanomelbourne | Apr 05, 2011, 10:46 PM EDT

eiramach your analysis is flawed and biased religions no matter what there beliefs are will only inform you on a need to no basis.The Anglican church in Britain and the north of Ireland (and Australia)and throw in the protestant dominated boy scout movement have questions to answer.

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peterson | Apr 05, 2011, 09:43 PM EDT

Unfortunately, something has to be done. In the U.S. it has been reported, that the ministers of Protestant churches are defrocked for this terrible sin. No wonder people are leaving the Church when the guilty are not punished.

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barneyjo | Apr 05, 2011, 08:45 PM EDT

@Gearoid4 - can I ask you where you unearthed your statistics regarding accucsatons of clerical abuse by catholic priests. As I understand it, upwards of 600 priests have been endicted on abuse charges in the United States alone. I would seriously doubt your quoted statistics.

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eddies1st | Apr 05, 2011, 08:05 PM EDT

It makes me sick. I can't even comment on this disgusting situation.

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