News from: Voice of the Faithful of Greater Philadelphia

VOTF/GP URGES CARDINAL TO ADDRESS BRZYSKI CASE

Voice of the Faithful of Greater Philadelphia today called upon Cardinal Justin Rigali to end his silence and to speak out in the case the Rev. James Brzyski, who sexually assaulted 10 boys during his six years of active service in the archdiocese, from 1978 to 1984—making him one of the worst known sexual offenders of the more than 50 priests identified as sexual abusers in the archdiocese.

According to press reports, Matt Gambino, spokesman for Cardinal Rigali, said the Cardinal would have no comment on the case other than the brief notice of Brzyski's defrocking that appeared recently in the Catholic Standard and Times.

"Certainly this is not the time for silence from Church officials," said Bud Bretschneider, chairman of the local Voice of the Faithful affiliate. "This case seems especially egregious, not only because of the number of children who were harmed, but also because of the archdiocese's failure to stop this cruel treatment of the innocent and its attempt to keep a courageous priest, who reported the abuse, from speaking out."

Bretschneider was referring to the Rev. James Gigliotti, a Franciscan priest who, when he reported the molestation to the archdiocese, was told by the Rev. John W. Graf, then-assistant chancellor of the archdiocese under Cardinal John Krol, "This comes from the highest authority—you're to keep your mouth shut."

"Keeping our mouths shut, doing everything in secret, transferring abusive priests from one assignment to another," Bretschneider said, "is just what got our Church into the mess in which it finds itself. Church officials' silence is what kept parents, children, police and the public unaware of horrifying sexual crimes and allowed this malignity to go on and on, year after year."

Describing VOTF/GP as a group of deeply concerned lay Catholics, Bretschneider said that the group calls upon Cardinal Rigali to make clear in the strongest possible terms that secrecy and silence is no longer the archdiocesan policy. "Further," Bretschneider added, "we call upon our Cardinal to meet with the 10 men who as innocent children were tricked and abused, and with their families, to listen to them, to offer the Church's apologies for this torment and to explore how the Church can help them now.

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For further information contact: Walter Fox at 215-247-9645 or wfox@netreach.net