Northeast Philadelphia residents discuss the importance of priests, “overdose taxes” and why the city needs change.
Cartoon was offensive
The following Letters to the Editor are in response to an editorial cartoon printed in the Northeast Times on Aug. 22:
I am submitting this letter in absolute disappointment and displeasure of your publishing of the editorial cartoon on Aug. 22. The recent grand jury report, centering on child abuse cases throughout Pennsylvania, was shocking and deplorable. There are no excuses or justifications associated with this letter. Your labeling of “predatory priests” has a reflection on all priests still active in ministry. Priests who staff the Northeast parishes of your readers and constituents and priests who visit the nursing homes and hospitals in your circulation area. Especially in these facilities, the presence of the priest is welcomed by staff, patients and families alike. Your cartoon has no place in these day-to-day situations.
On Aug. 28, the choir from St. Charles Borromeo Seminary sang the national anthem at the Phillies game. With all that is happening in the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania, this could have been the time for the crowd to share its displeasure with the church. But it didn’t happen. None of the above thoughts and opinions will change the great deal of pain that the Catholic Church has caused so many, especially the victims of sexual abuse in the church. There is still much to be done. However, for just a few moments on Aug. 28 at the Phillies game, the focus was not on “predatory priests,” rather on future priests. These future priests, we pray, who will be the beacons of hope and healing.
The Rev. William J. Chiriaco
Pastor, St. Anselm
I want you to know I am deeply offended by the cartoon depicting all priests to be pedophiles. What makes me even sadder is, I have a grandson who is in the seminary right now and has been for seven years. He will be ordained in two years. He has wanted to be a priest since he was 4 years old. The role models he has had to look up to are wonderful priests from St. Timothy Parish and many other good men from all over the diocese. I have had the good fortune of meeting Archbishop Chaput, who in my opinion has done a lot of good things for our city to correct what’s wrong in the priesthood, and I personally know how saddened he is by all of it.
I told my grandson that he will be part of the solution in the future of the priesthood because I know his heart and how much he loves being a “man of God.” There are so many good priests out there who must feel so sad by all that has happened in the past, but are truly ready to do whatever they can to finally resolve the problem and help however they can. I hope you print this to show the concerns of other Catholics who feel the same way.
Margaret Herin
Parkwood Manor
Philly needs a change
Philadelphia is in the midst of trouble. We have major problems in our city and if we keep going down the path we’re going, it might be unable to fix. A big city like Philadelphia with the strength and drive and resources it has should never be in the situation we are in. The key to it is we have to realize we can do better. This isn’t the best we can be.
We are a city of high crime, high poverty and high drug-addicted deaths. As a city, we are highly taxed and we think this is the only way it can be done. The people of Philadelphia have gotten in the voting booth and pressed one lever for years. Can someone tell me what that one lever has gotten us?
You have to ask yourself, has your neighborhood changed for the better under the same political people in charge? Has your life in Philadelphia become better under the same people in charge? It is time for change, Philadelphia, it is time for change now.
Safe injection sites are no good. If you pay attention, you know whom I’m talking about when it comes to who’s in charge. Election Day is coming. Be part of fixing Philadelphia, not keeping it the same.
David Lee
Chalfont
Is an overdose tax next?
It’s all fun and games until the first multi-million-dollar wrongful death lawsuit if the city opens safe injection sites. In this city full of lawyers, the city wants to open a shooting gallery of lawsuits. Even though the concept is to help people when someone dies, someone has to pay.
Who is going to take the blame? We all know who. The taxpayers of the city of Philadelphia. I guess we’ll move on from the soda tax to the OD tax to pay for Mayor Kenney’s further indiscriminate use of taxpayer money.
Richard Donofry
East Torresdale
