Long before his death Tuesday night, even an ailing Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua must have foreseen that one harsh epitaph for him already had been carved in stone.
The words were composed in 2005 by a Philadelphia grand jury investigating the sex-abuse scandal that exposed five dozen alleged predator priests — many of them active during Bevilacqua’s 15-year stewardship of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia. Archdiocesan officials, including Bevilacqua and his predecessor, Cardinal John Krol, stood by and then covered up hundreds of child-sexual assaults by priests, the jury alleged.
While lamenting that statutes had lapsed for the crimes, the panel said church officials’ actions in remaining silent while accused priests were shuttled around to unsuspecting parishes was “as immoral as the abuse itself” and that there was no doubt the cardinals “were personally informed of almost all of the allegations … and personally decided or approved” a cover-up.
The fact that Bevilacqua, 88, and suffering from dementia and cancer at his death, chose not to publicly answer those devastating allegations makes it less likely this epitaph will be rewritten.
Certainly, the cardinal’s death makes it all the more important that jurors in the pending trial of two priests and a former priest on sex-abuse charges get to hear his private, taped testimony.
That could offer some slim hope of revealing what one victims’ advocate called “the full truth about clergy sex crimes and cover-ups” alleged by a second grand jury. And it represents a chance, perhaps, to gain a fuller picture of Bevilacqua.
To be sure, this was a man whose ascendance to the church’s inner circle was marked by dedication — from age 14 — faith, and achievement to match his challenges and shortcomings.
With immigrant roots, Bevilacqua served as a role model by earning advanced degrees in law and political science. In his parochial work, he hewed to his humble origins as one of 11 children whose father was a stone cutter and cobbler — developing assistance programs and, in Philadelphia, bolstering a Catholic social-service mission that reached out to the minority community.
The cardinal helped give the city its second saint by championing the cause of Mother Katharine Drexel to Rome. In Drexel’s spirit, Bevilacqua spoke eloquently against racism and on behalf of social-justice issues.
Declining Mass attendance stumped him as much as any churchman, and his controversial closure of inner-city parishes and schools endeared him to none. Yet, in hundreds of one-on-one encounters during his frequent parish visits, Bevilacqua showed a warmer side that belied his button-down lawyerly exterior. Indeed, his legacy might be different had he been more shepherd than counselor.
Now he is definitely answering to a higher power. No one can fool God. Enough said.— oneway- The timing of this man's passing harkens me back to the passing of pope John after only a few days of being named a pontiff. The speculation then was that John was poised to blow the lid off of the vatican bank money laundering activity. And now? Euthanasia? My heart goes out to the victims of any sexual abuse. The editorial board here has gotten it right, and with the correct tone. The Emperor indeed has no clothes. JK— Jack Kilgallon
I hate to suggest this, but if I were the family, I would request an autopsy. Bevilacqua's death was very convenient for the Church. The first thing I thought about when I heard that he died "in his sleep" was that murderous Opus Dei albino monk Silas in The Da Vinci Code that killed to silence witnesses against the Church. They tried to protect Bevilacqua from testifying by having him declared senile. That didn't work. Could a pillow in his sleep have been plan B? Hmmmm.... Come to think of it, Did Joe Paterno have an autopsy?— DarnelC
Comment removed.- Comment removed.
- Way to go CleanUP. You tell him.
Q- What do you get when the Pope whizzes in the fan?
A- Pierre ( Say it out loud)
LOL- I got that one from WMMR...I added the pope for color.— ADCacrow - I hope that his garments are woven from asbestos.— Ichabod Mudd
- This news of Bevilacqua's death can be a very difficult time for
victims (who were once innocent children) but were sexually abused
under his watch. Especially when we see him being praised and
glorified for being such a good holy man.
Keep on thing in mind, you are not alone with your pain and anger,
and there is hope, help, and a chance to heal. Thousands who know
your pain are with you in spirit.
Judy Jones, SNAP Midwest Associate Director, USA, 636-433-2511
snapjudy@gmail.com
"Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests" and all clergy.
(SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, is the
world's oldest and largest support group for clergy abuse victims.
SNAP was founded in 1988 and has more than 12,000 members. Despite
the word "priest" in our title, we have members who were molested by
religious figures of all denominations, including nuns, rabbis,
bishops, and Protestant ministers and increasingly, victims who were
assaulted in a wide range of institutional settings like summer
camps, athletic programs, Boy Scouts, etc. Our website is SNAPnetwork.org)— SNAPJudy - well, Judy, if that's the case, then perhaps you need to change your groups' name, as your current name is misleading. — voncheck
- My heart goes out to all of the victims of abuse; I pray that they somehow find peace in their lives. But at the same time I pray for the priests of the world that are being stereotyped as child molesters. Let us remember that when we talk about abusive priests we are talking about approximately 2% of the priests in the world. The other 98% are truly remarkable people who are just as devastated by the stories of abuse as everyone else is.— PhillyAustralian
- How convieeeeeent!
Shades of Albino Luciani (JP1)— hrh - Protector of rapists, keeper of the collection basket. Shepard over the stupidest and most nauseating flock of sheep I've ever seen. WWJD? Nothing these vermin are doing in his name.— enabler1
- And probably knocked off. The Borgias. Pt 2. Nice religion.— enabler1
- And days after his elaborate funeral, it becomes public that Bevilacqua shredded documents proving that he knew about 35 pedophile priests and was active in reassigning them.
Let's be clear - Bevilacqua's only legacy is that he protected and moved known child rapists.
Saying he "also did a lot of good" is like saying John Wayne Gacy was also a good clown. BIH, Bevilacqua.— 617patrick
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