Monsignor William Lynn last week became the first Catholic official in the nation to be held criminally responsible for covering up sex-abuse allegations within the church.
A Philadelphia jury last Friday found Lynn guilty of one count of endangering the welfare of a child, a felony. Common Pleas Court Judge Teresa Sarmina remanded bail, and Lynn was immediately taken into custody.
On Tuesday, Sarmina conditionally approved a defense motion to grant Lynn entry into a monitored house-arrest program until his August sentencing. However, she ordered him to remain in prison until July 5, when attorneys will return for a hearing to address precautions to prevent Lynn from fleeing the country.
Prosecutors argued against granting the convicted cleric bail, pointing to dozens of cases of accused priests who fled the country to the Vatican, which does not have an extradition agreement with the United States.
Lynn could face up to seven years in prison.
The case marked the first time a member of the church hierarchy was brought to trial for failing to adequately address abuse.
The jury, which deliberated for 12-and-a-half days, acquitted Lynn, 61, of another child-endangerment charge and of one count of conspiracy.
It failed, however, to reach a verdict in the charges against Lynn’s co-defendant, James Brennan. The former Archdiocesan priest was charged with child endangerment and attempted rape for allegedly abusing a teen boy in the 1990s.
As of press time, Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams had not announced if his office would retry the case against Brennan.
Williams said in a statement that Lynn’s conviction was “a long time coming.”
“It is an important day for all institutional abuse victims,” he said. “It is no easy thing to overcome decades of cover-up and a culture of silence. This verdict will help put an end to the blind eye and the deaf ear with which so many victims of abuse have been received.”
Without directly commenting on the conviction, the Archdiocese of Philadelphia released a statement last Friday offering a “heartfelt apology” to victims and pledging to “continuing to take vigorous steps to ensure safe church environments for all the faithful in Philadelphia.”
“The Archdiocese of Philadelphia is on a journey of reform and renewal that requires honesty and hope,” the statement continued. “We are committed to providing support and assistance to parishion-ers as they and the church seek to more deeply understand sexual violence, and to create an environment that is safe and welcoming to all, including past victims.”
In September, jury selection will begin for the joint trial of Charles Engelhardt, a former Archdiocesan priest, and former Archdiocesan lay teacher Bernard Shero, accused of sexually abusing the same boy. The pair was indicted along with Lynn and Brennan after a sweeping grand-jury report released early last year.
Also indicted was Edward Avery, a former priest who was scheduled for trial with Lynn and Brennan but who pleaded guilty to rape and conspiracy. The child-endangerment charge that the jury convicted Lynn on was connected to his handling of Avery’s case.
Lynn served as secretary for clergy from 1992-2004 and was responsible for overseeing complaints of wrongdoing against Archdiocesan priests.
Prosecutors contended Lynn knew of credible allegations of sex abuse against priests but consented to having them transferred to other parishes.
Throughout the trial, the defense laid the blame for insufficiently handled cases on the late Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua, Lynn’s boss, who died shortly before the trial started.
Williams said there was “no doubt” others in the Archdiocese were also culpable, but said the evidence against Lynn was substantial.
“Lynn was charged because the church’s own documentation demonstrated his direct participation. Many bad men have done evil things and then hidden behind higher-ups,” he said. “With this verdict, there should be no doubt about the nature of Monsignor Lynn’s actions. As a Catholic, I am hopeful that his successors in the church, and in other institutions, will not tolerate such behavior in the future.”