Monsignor William Lynn is likely to be a free man once again as early as this afternoon.
I think that's a good thing. I still abhor what he did and the way the archdiocese has reacted to the whole issue of child sexual abuse involving predator priests.
But it's pretty clear to me - and a state appeals court - that the monsignor should not have been charged, let alone convicted, under the law, which didn't apply to him at the time the incident occurred.
Obviously, District Attorney Seth Williams disagrees with that position vehemently, and is appealing the ruling in the hope of putting Lynn back behind bars.
I have to agree with Williams on one thing. That would be the bail set for the monsignor. Not so much the fact that it was set at all, I still believe that was the right thing to do.
My issue is with who posted the bail for Lynn.
That would be the archdiocese.
At a press conference earlier this week, Williams said he found it "disgusting" that the archdiocese would post bail to free Lynn.
I might not go to that extent, but it still looks terrible.
The entire priest sex abuse scandal has been a PR disaster for the archdiocese. This is just the latest misstep. It just looks terrible.
On one hand they are saying how they feel for the victims of child sexual abuse, how they know this most recent ruling will cause them new pain, then they bail out the only high-ranking official in the United State charged in connection with these cases.
I am glad Lynn is getting out of prison. With his case basically tossed out, it's the right thing to do.
But the archdiocese just created another ugly splotch on the way they have handled this entire affair by posting his bail.
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