Listen to this articleBy Len Lazarick
Len@MarylandReporter.com
In an old Catholic observance, First Fridays of the month were set aside for special devotions to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. For the last 10 years, Art Baselice, an ex-cop, First Fridays of the month have been set aside for another devotion.
From noon to 1 p.m., as he plans to do this Friday, he stands outside the Cathedral of Saints Peter and Paul in Philadelphia with a poster that says “Victim of Catholic Clergy Sex Abuse.” The poster has a picture of his late son Arthur and the Franciscan priest and brother that abused him.
I met Art by chance June 5 after visiting the cathedral while in Philadelphia for the conference of Investigative Reporters and Editors.
You might have seen this block of 18th Street during Pope Francis’s visit to Philadelphia. He said Mass at the Cathedral on Saturday, and stopped by it in the pope-mobile on his way to the huge Mass on the Benjamin Franklin Parkway Sunday.
There were no crowds when I met Baselice. He was alone and wary. His is a lonely crusade.
Lonely crusade
Baselice wants the church he grew up with in South Philly to do more to correct and punish the sex abuse by priests and religious that helped lead to the death of his son Arthur from a heroin overdose. That addiction began years earlier, financed by the high school principal that abused him at Archbishop Ryan High School, according to a lengthy article in Philadelphia magazine.
Ironically, that man, Father Charles Newman is one of those rare priests involved in the sex abuse scandal actually serving prison time. But his conviction was not for underage sex abuse — the statute of limitations had expired, as it has in most of these cases — but for the embezzlement of almost $1 million. Father Charles used some of it to fuel the drug addiction in Arthur he helped instigate to control the youth.
I thought of Art several times this past week.
First, at the strange remarks of Pope Francis to the bishops in Washington’s Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.
Said the pope: “I am also conscious of the courage with which you have faced difficult moments in the recent history of the Church in this country without fear of self-criticism and at the cost of mortification and great sacrifice. Nor have you been afraid to divest whatever is unessential in order to regain the authority and trust which is demanded of ministers of Christ and rightly expected by the faithful. I realize how much the pain of recent years has weighed upon you and I have supported your generous commitment to bring healing to victims – in the knowledge that in healing we too are healed – and to work to ensure that such crimes will never be repeated.”
The bishops gave this a long round of applause. Representatives of victims groups were appalled.
I thought of Art too after the pope’s brief private meeting with abuse victims at St. Charles Seminary on Sunday, which was far less equivocal. “I pledge to you that we will follow the path of truth wherever it may lead,” Francis said in Spanish. “Clergy and bishops will be held accountable when they abuse or fail to protect children.”
“God weeps” over what was done to the youngsters, he told the bishops right afterward.
Pope said many good things
Pope Francis in Philadelphia. Photo by US Papal Visit with Flickr Creative Commons License
The pope said many good things while he was here in the United States. I watched at least a dozen hours of coverage of his visit after I was told that my newly issued papal press credential wouldn’t grant me access to any of the venues at which he would appear because there was already too many media. It was a historic event, but I doubt I would have gushed about this haloed celebrity or said the many silly things I heard the reporters and anchors say, both Catholic and non. And what’s with all the baby kissing?
I was glad to see the pontiff here, and proud he was a Jesuit, after nine years of Jesuit education myself, including three years as a Jesuit seminarian. Three hundred students from Jesuit high schools across the country were headquartered at my high school, St. Joe’s Prep, a mile north of the Philadelphia cathedral to see the pope.
The movie on Boston’s abuse scandal
I thought of Art Baselice again Wednesday night as I watched the Washington premiere of “Spotlight,” a new movie documenting the reporting at the Boston Globe in 2002 that blew up the massive clergy abuse scandal in Boston.
It is a powerful movie that does a good job of dramatizing the painstaking, tedious, error-prone task of investigative journalism, which is why it was being showcased at the first Investigative Journalism Film Festival.
The movie was particularly evocative for me since I went to Boston College, and the cardinal’s residence was next door to my future wife’s dorm room. There are several little BC touches in the movie, and it turns out director Tom McCarthy went to BC himself. You may remember McCarthy as the unethical star reporter in the final season of The Wire.
This may explain how the festival organizers got Wire-creator David Simon to lead a discussion of the movie with the entire Boston Globe Spotlight team, including top editor Marty Baron, now editor of the Washington Post.
It was a celebratory evening, celebrating both dogged journalism that won a Pulitzer Prize and honest film making “based on actual events.” The audience applauded both the movie, and the real reporters and editors it was based on.
But the movie made me sad, sad for the victims, sad for the church, and sad for the bishops and priests who covered up the abuse.
Art’s different take on the pope
Art told me Thursday he looks forward to seeing the movie. And he was not disappointed at what the pope had to say; it was what he expected.
“It was a subliminal message that had two components. It told the people what they wanted to hear.” And “he subliminally congratulated the abusers and the people who covered up for them.”
“The pope is nothing more than a geopolitical strategist. This pope came here for damage control … I knew he was going to do this. He had to enable the abusers.”
“The church is not the victim. They are the victimizers,” Art said. “They’re not courageous; they’re cowards.”
“Philadelphia is a boil waiting to get lanced,” he said. When the full truth comes out about the Philadelphia clergy, “it’s going to make Boston look insignificant.”
There have already been two long grand jury investigations of the church, and their lengthy reports make Art’s statements look tame. A monsignor involved already sits in prison.
Resisting changes in abuse law
Despite all its protestations, in state legislatures across the country, including Maryland and Pennsylvania, the church continues to resist extending the statute of limitations on crimes of child abuse and extending the time that victims can file civil lawsuits.
Perhaps it is no surprise that Art carries on his First Friday protests outside the cathedral. He doesn’t go inside any church anymore.
I still do, as heretical as some of my views may be. I sing in the choir. I’ve filled out the forms that everyone involved in any ministry of the church in the Baltimore Archdiocese must do to show they are not a child abuser.
In 17 years of Catholic education, I had never seen or experienced or even heard of any child abuse. Maybe my cousin the monsignor, head of the church tribunal in another diocese had, or my two aunts in the Sisters of Mercy. I was appalled to learn that my scripture professor in the Jesuit novitiate was accused of abusing five of his nieces, and was sent to treatment, then shipped off far away.
The church has said a lot, but it has not done enough. The financial settlements that have bankrupted some dioceses are not enough. The pope’s words are not enough. It’s deeds, not words, that count.
As Jesus says in a parable describing the last judgment, “in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.” (Matthew 25:40)
Thank you, Mr Baselice for being a man, as opposed to the gutless pedophile protectors in the Catholic church.
“the gutless pedophile protectors in the Catholic church.” Such as Margaret Hester O’Malley?
Its not Blame,Blame, Blame, Chaput, its Justice,Justice,Justice.
( Does his name rhyme with kaput?)
The pope could meet and greet Kim Davis but not officer Baselice ? Jesus -Stop doing a facepalm and ‘splain this to me, please.
It becomes more difficult with each passing day
here in the Archdiocese of Philadelphia to remain civil and respectful
in one’s comments regarding the local RCC leadership, their statements,
conduct and decision-making, past and present, relative to the abuse,
destruction and devastation visited on child and young adult clergy
abuse victims. Deliberate and deceitful obfuscation and
hypocrisy……..Chaput asks “what more do they want us to do?”
He’s a learned, mature and educated man and he most assuredly “knows”
what must be done to protect our children now and in the future. He
also “knows” what must be done in Harrisburg to give past victims a
voice, legal access and redress (ALL CHILD VICTIMS here in the
Commonwealth of PA, regardless of the venue of the alleged
abuse…..public or private, religious or secular, in the home or in the
community). It doesn’t work, it doesn’t sell, and it is unconvincing when a
man such as Charles Chaput feigns ignorance on what steps needed to be
taken to address the protection of ALL of our children.
He has NO RIGHT to stand in the way of the protection of other
children in the Commonwealth of PA even if he wishes to defend his
institution, leadership and its finances from legitimate legal action
from victims and families that have suffered so terribly. Get out of
Harrisburg, get out of Marsico’s office and LET THE PEOPLE have an
opportunity to hear what the legislative proposals are about and what
they can do for our children. How dare you, your leadership or anyone
else, elected in Harrisburg or elsewhere, subvert and/or hijack our
system of representative democracy.
The last several clergy abuse matters under YOUR watch, Archbishop
Chaput, are clearly demonstrative of your style of leadership relative
to the dangers to children in archdiocesan facilities throughout the
region. Very little information re the allegations, risks in place in
parishes for extended periods before notification of parents and
families, and little if any information (facts, details, outcomes)
regarding the disposition of the cases. What more can be done? Such a
statement cannot be from ignorance, that we know. I believe it is from
arrogance and a smugness that says “how dare the parishioners here in
Philadelphia question my conduct, decision-making and actions in these
issues?”
It is always appropriate to end a presentation on a positive note and
theme. I want to “thank you” Archbishop Chaput for allowing many, many
people in the region and beyond, both Catholic and non-Catholic, to
come to know and love the special, unique, faithful, prayerful and
compassionate nature of two very remarkable catholic women in this area.
You know who they are; if not, then it is your loss that you do not
know the depth, sincerity and beauty of their commitment to the Catholic
faith. Yes, Archbishop, I am referring to Margie Winters and Andrea
Vettori. I have read several of the statements and letters offered in
the media by these two genuine Catholic women since the Waldron Mercy
issue in the summertime. I just can’t remember reading any finer
expressions of one’s Catholic faith, commitment, sensitivity, caring and
compassion for those in our community, especially the children. Ms.
Vettori’s letter to Pope Francis should be read by every parishioner in
the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, exemplifying how her faith and love of
Our Lord literally fills her life and the work she does.
Archbishop Chaput, unless you have not noticed yet, you are no longer
in Denver. Citizens in the Delaware Valley, Catholic and non-Catholic,
will never rest until all of our children are protected in the best way
possible from the risks and dangers of sexual predation as well as the
highest level of legal access and redress for those who should be
victimized by such evil and criminal acts. Quite simply, either join us
in these efforts or please, or just get out of the way and stop using
PARISHIONERS’ contributions and donations to fight against the
protection of ALL the children of the Commonwealth of PA.
Michael Skiendzielewski
Captain (retired)
Philadelphia Police Dept
I want to thank you, Len Lazarick, for writing this article on Arthur Baselice and his son and thank you for keeping the Archdiocese of Philadelphia in the news for the gross and criminal failures of its hierarchy, particularly former cardinal archbishops Krol, Bevilaequa and Rigali in protecting the most vulnerable among God’s own, the young. The acts of sexual predators are one thing but the lying, harassment, intimidation, swearing children who have been violated to secrecy along with their parents, threats of eternal damnation… by bishops and other church authorities is beyond the pale. Such individuals should be criminally charged, removed from all church positions of authority, the priesthood and excommunicated.
Moreover, the likes of Charles Chaput, the present bishop of the AOP who was so successful in defeating proposed legislation to better protect all children in Colorado, continues to do the same thing in Pennsylvania. He and his underlings trot out the same specious arguments. But Chaput’s most egregious of his recent remarks speak to his narcissism:
“In some ways, we should get over this wanting to go back and blame, blame, blame. The church is happy to accept its responsibility, but I’m really quite tired of people making unjust accusations against people who are not to be blamed – and that happens sometimes.”
Read more at http://www.philly.com/philly/news/pope/20150929_After_pope_s_visit__tough_talk_from_abuse_survivors_-_and_Chaput.html#TiRShJGi5HMxuuUv.99
News-Flash Archbishop – No one’s concerned about your being “quite tired.” Would you please publish a list of those “people making unjust accusations….”
Pennsylvanians: Please support proposed legislation to better protect ALL PA CHILDREN & HOLD ALL ENABLERS ACCOUNTABLE.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Advocate for Victim/Survivors & Legislative Reform
New Castle, DE
P.S. Today we were rained out so please join me next Friday, October 9th, 2015 in front of the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter & Paul in Philly from 12 noon to 1 pm.
what a great man A.J. Baselice is! am sharing this article on face book so people can see one of many parents of suicide victims of catholic priests quietly do and say while the media spews pro pope pro catholic lies.. that endanger children and adults..
Too bad the author of this article had to take away the focus on AJ by hyping the JESUITS..
(who are themselves one of the most hideous abusive religious orders on the planet)..
mentally disabled kitchen workers sodomized by Jesuit priests..in California at Los Gatos Jesuit retreat center.. (what the pope and boston and the Jesuits/catholic church don’t want you to know.).
Cloak of Silence Covered Abuse at Jesuit Retreat
http://www.reformation.org/jesuit_retreat.html
…
Two mentally disabled men who live and work at a Jesuit retreat were … other cases of sexual
abuse involving Catholic priests that … the kitchen staff …See More
Cloak of Silence Covered Abuse at Jesuit Retreat
Two mentally disabled men who live and work at a Jesuit retreat were sexually abused by members of the clergy for at least five years,
If the Roman Coward Church had just a fraction of the courage of A.J. Baselice, the clergy abuse scandal would have been properly handled and the church would still be a welcome place to visit. But the bishops and cardinals chose the path that destroyed the church and so many lives. Foolish, stupid and cowardly.