Patricia Heaton Says No Money to Catholic Church 'Until Everyone Who Abused or Abetted Is Gone'
Pro-life Christian actress Patricia Heaton has said she won't be giving any donations to the Catholic Church until the institution removes from its ranks those who have engaged in sexual abuse or covered it up.
Earlier this week, a Pennsylvania grand jury released a 1,300-page report describing in detail how 301 priests abused more than 1,000 children over the past several decades and how church hierarchy shielded the perpetrators from accountability.
In a post on Twitter Thursday, the star of long-running TV shows like "Everybody Loves Raymond" and "The Middle" expressed her disgust at the grand jury's revelations.
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"Bottom line — the Catholic Church will have zero moral authority until everyone who abused or abetted is gone. No excuses. Until then, no more money to this corrupt syndicate," tweeted Heaton.
In a follow-up tweet, Heaton drew a contrast between the process she went through to get an annulment for her first marriage and the recent sex abuse scandal.
"I ran the gauntlet to get my previous marriage annulled — interview, tracking down ex, re-consecrating my marriage — to be able to receive Eucharist," explained Heaton.
"Meanwhile these guys are buggering little boys, covering up, hiding money, running out statutes of limitations. Done, done, done."
On Tuesday, the Pennsylvania grand jury released an in-depth report documenting decades of sexual abuse by Catholic priests and how the Church leadership covered up the scandal.
At a news conference held Tuesday afternoon in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, Attorney General Josh Shapiro recounted some of the horrors.
"Priests were raping little boys and girls, and the men of God who were responsible for them not only did nothing, they hid it all, said Shapiro.
For his part, Pope Francis released a statement through spokesperson Greg Burke denouncing the abuses by the Church as described in the grand jury report, saying the guilty priests "robbed survivors of their dignity and their faith."
"The Holy Father understands well how much these crimes can shake the faith and the spirit of believers and reiterates the call to make every effort to create a safe environment for minors and vulnerable adults in the Church and in all of society," said Burke.
"Victims should know that the Pope is on their side. Those who have suffered are his priority, and the Church wants to listen to them to root out this tragic horror that destroys the lives of the innocent."
