Philadelphia: The first US Roman Catholic official has been sentenced to at least three years in prison on Tuesday for covering up sexual abuses by priests under his supervision.
Common Pleas Judge M. Teresa Sarmina imposed the sentence on Msgr. William J. Lynn for three to six years. “You knew full well what was right, Monsignor Lynn, but you chose wrong,” she said.
Monsignor Lynn was found guilty last month of one count of endangering a child, after a three-month trial that revealed efforts over decades by the Philadelphia archdiocese to avoid scandal, The New York Times reported.
“I think this is going to send a very strong signal to every bishop and everybody who worked for a bishop that if they don’t do the right thing they may go to jail,” said Rev. Thomas J. Reese, a senior fellow of the Woodstock Theological Center at Georgetown University. “They can’t just say the bishop made me do it, that’s not going to be an excuse that holds up in court.”
Monsignor Lynn said, hearing the sentence: “I have been a priest for 36 years, and I have done the best I can. I have always tried to help people.”
The sentence was a victory for the Philadelphia
The Philadelphia district attorney termed the sentence a victory, saying, “Many people say that the maximum still would not have been enough.”
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