Letter to Bishop Conlon of Joliet Diocese

Note: This letter is written and endorsed by private individuals concerned about the current status of
the investigation into the sexual abuse of minors and adults by priests and bishops of the Catholic
Church. This letter is not endorsed by any group or organization and only represents the views of the
undersigned.

November 29, 2018
Bishop Daniel Conlon, Diocese of Joliet, IL

Bishop Conlon

We write today as concerned parishioners of the Catholic Diocese of Joliet and the Archdiocese of
Chicago. The sexual abuse crisis (and make no mistake, this IS a crisis) that has plagued the church for
decades has not shown any sign of going away. With the recent Pennsylvania Grand Jury investigation, the Cardinal McCarrick abuse revelations and the letter from Cardinal Vigano we are, in fact, seeing the scandal widen.

With the first unveiling of the crimes against priests in Boston, to the current state of affairs, it is clear that the Catholic faithful are looking to its bishops and the Holy Father for leadership. It is also clear that we are not getting this leadership. The original commission following the Boston report made some
excellent progress in helping to protect minors from predator priests and to help ensure the safety of our children.
However, the John Jay report in 2002 indicated that the scandal was not primarily a problem of pedophilia. In fact the majority of the problem centered on the large homosexual community within the church and seminaries. Bishops and priests using their power to harass priests and seminarians and also
to engage in homosexual activities violating their vows of chastity. Only a minority of courageous bishops and priests have been willing to stand up and proclaim this truth from the pulpit and to the
media.

The members of the Dallas commission were not allowed to investigate complicity by bishops in terms of acts of abuse or the cover up of guilty priests. The Pennsylvania Grand Jury report was clear about the involvement of bishops over the years. The recent meeting of bishops in Baltimore also demonstrates
the unwillingness of the church to adequately pursue these matters. While the synod was contemplating
the formation of a commission consisting of lay members as well as professionals in the field of sexual
abuse, the Vatican stalled the process by asking the bishops to withhold a vote on the matter until next year. The Vatican recently appointed Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago to head the meeting examining the abuse crisis in Rome this coming February. With all due respect to Cardina Cupich, the concern we have is that when
he was made aware of Cardinal Vigano's letter regarding Pope Francis' possible awareness of Cardinal McCarrick's involvement in the crisis, he stated that the Pope "has a bigger agenda" than dealing with this crisis. We question Cardinal Cupich's motivation in truly rooting out the corruption in the church that has led to
these behaviors. This is a "rabbit hole" that must be explored.

Much of the lay faithful, only see this as a cover-up attempt. To delay action in the hope that this matter
"goes away". The persistence of this scandal over the decades shows that this matter will not go away. The sexual abuse crisis has undermined the church and undermined the credibility we all have as Catholics. The scandal has compromised faith in the leadership ability of our bishops or our ability as servants of Christ to evangelize and proclaim the message of the Gospel. Not to mention the pain experienced by the victims of sexual abuse.
Please help to LEAD the Lord's Church at this crucial moment in history.

Faithfully Yours in Christ