Tuesday, April 04, 2006
MORE BISHOP LENNON
From the Cleveland Plain Dealer article:
When he took over for Law at the nation's fourth-largest diocese, friends and colleagues praised him for his compassion and commitment to his faith and said he had the heart of a parish priest.
But as his time as interim leader role wore on, he was criticized by victims for allegedly continuing Law's hard-line approach, including by issuing subpoenas for victims' therapists and hiring a First Amendment lawyer to fight the sex-abuse lawsuits on the grounds that the separation of church and state bars civil courts from getting involved in how church officials supervise priests.
And
In the Cleveland Diocese, at least 17 priests have been suspended over abuse allegations since 2002. In a lawsuit deposition last July, Pilla declined to specify how many priests he had reassigned were known pedophiles.
From Rocco Palmo:
While winning plaudits for his handling of the short-term meltdown caused by massive revelations of sexual abuse by clergy and cover-up by church officials, Lennon's record as vicar general and moderator of the curia in the administration of recently-elevated Cardinal Sean O'Malley has been repeatedly marked by controversies over decisions and methods which have been met with pain and sadness among the clergy and people of the archdiocese.
Deja vu?
Lennon and the Boston scandal are hand in glove. It is his handling of the scandal during the months right after Cardinal Law resigned that catapulted him into the spotlight.
Are we on the verge of a very public airing of the scandal in Cleveland which Lennon is being brought in to handle?
There has been silence on the situation here. Is a trial about to commence? Is a settlement being planned?
Is there a basilica in Rome about to get a new rector?
