The Maryland Attorney General, Anthony Brown, has called it a “day of reckoning” for the Archdiocese of Maryland as a 463-page report documents the “depraved and systemic failure” of the church to protect the children under its care. The report outlines the extent of the power and authority that the clergy used to exploit the trust of children and the lengths they went to in order to cover up their abuses.
The report details numerous cases of repeated and tortuous abuse, with some abusers living and working in certain parishes for decades. For instance, Saint Marks and Catonsville had 11 child abusers living and working there from 1964 to 2004, while four parishes had six abusers, including Saint Michael Overly. Some priests even used their positions of trust to normalize sexual behavior, describing it as roughhousing, while threatening victims with the prospect of going to hell if they told anyone.
The report also highlights the cover-up culture that existed within the Archdiocese. In one instance, a sexually abused child came to a priest for counseling, and his parents, trusting of the church, allowed him to spend the night. The priest then proceeded to rape him for five years. In another case, a distraught father demanded that a priest be removed, after which the priest confessed to an uncontrollable attraction to young girls and was quietly sent for psychiatric treatment and reassigned to desk work.
It is not only the churches but also schools associated with the Archdiocese that are the target of the investigation. The report cites the abuse by Father Maskell, who at least 39 people reported being sexually abused by. Nine girls described being given tea, soda, or wine, or even being hypnotized, while seven girls complained of being forced to have sex with Maskell and other men. The report indicates that Maskell and Father Magnus worked as a team, abusing girls at Archbishop Keo High School. Many victims who were sexually abused by Maskell described Magnus as participating in and being present for the abuse.
The report paints a disturbing picture of a culture of abuse and cover-up within the Archdiocese. The church is meant to be a place of safety, a place of refuge, and a place of healing. However, this report makes it clear that, for far too many children, it was a place of horror, where they were subject to unspeakable acts of sexual abuse, and where those who were meant to protect them turned a blind eye.
The Catholic Church has been under scrutiny for decades due to allegations of sexual abuse and cover-ups by church officials. In a recent report released by the Maryland attorney general’s office, it was revealed that over 150 Catholic priests and others associated with the Archdiocese of Baltimore sexually abused over 600 children. The abuse spanned from the 1940s to 2002 and often included physical and mental abuse, sexual abuse, and rape.
Anthony Brown, the attorney general of Maryland, stated that the abuse was committed by priests, seminarians, deacons, and other employees of the archdiocese. The report also accused church leaders of covering up the abuse and protecting the abusers rather than the victims.
Although only one person has been indicted through this investigation, the report has identified the names of several other abusers and church officials who are shielded from public view. This is because the information that came to the grand jury was confidential, and the circuit court for the city of Baltimore instructed the attorney general’s office to redact certain names to give those individuals notice and an opportunity to review the materials and the context in which their name would be disclosed. Ultimately, it will be the decision of the circuit court of the city of Baltimore to disclose those names.
Survivors of the abuse have expressed relief and vindication after the release of the report. David Lorenz, the Maryland state director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), stated that the report is a release of the weight of the abuse and belongs at the foot of the Catholic Church. The attorney general assured survivors that the office is listening, believes them, and will continue to be there for them.
The Archdiocese of Washington DC and the Diocese of Wilmington, Delaware, which also covers part of the eastern shore, is currently under investigation by the attorney general’s office. Although the investigations are ongoing, the attorney general’s office has issued subpoenas and has not sat idle.
The proper remedy for holding the archdiocese accountable for the abuse remains a topic of discussion. The Baltimore Sun reported that in some cases, the church spent more money on services for abusive priests than they did for the actual victims, mental health services, and so on. It is up to the court to decide how to hold the archdiocese accountable for their actions and provide justice for the survivors of the abuse.
The Attorney General has promised to do everything possible to bring abusers and those who enabled them to justice. However, this will be an insurmountable legal obstacle in some cases, given that the statute of limitations has expired. Nevertheless, the report is a call to action for the church to reform its practices, to ensure that such abuse can never happen again, and to offer redress and support to victims.
The day of reckoning has arrived for the Archdiocese of Maryland, but it is also an opportunity for the church to acknowledge its failures, to make amends, and to work towards a safer, more just future.
