Are There Other Philadelphias?

The National Catholic Reporter’s Tom Roberts had the courage to ask the question, I’m just repeating it and offering my own thoughts on the subject. Roberts has asked the question many Catholics, survivor advocacy groups, and those interested in the protection of children want to know. Very few Catholic dioceses or archdioceses have received the scrutiny and attention Philadelphia has received. I can think of Boston, Manchester, Rockville Center, and Los Angeles as dioceses and archdioceses that have received the type of scrutiny that comes from a grand jury investigation. All of those that did receive that level of scrutiny didn’t fare so well so it’s fair to conclude there are indeed other dioceses and archdioceses that have been scandalously negligent in their failure to protect children.
It’s my opinion that there are other dioceses and archdioceses that would do about as well as Philadelphia, perhaps worse. Places like the Archdiocese of Detroit, the Archdiocese of Miami, the vast territories of the Mid-West where Catholicism is still considered mission territory, and other dioceses that have witnessed a large influx of immigrant populations.