Archdiocesan Lawyer Says Church Leaders Lied About List of Abusers

Today, former director of legal services for the Archdiocese of Philadelphia Timothy Coyne took the stand in the trial of Monsignor William Lynn. Coyne told the court that church leaders had lied to him about the existence of a list of possible sexual assailants within the Archdiocese. That list was found in a locked safe not long after the death of Cardinal Anthony Bevilacqua and was turned over to the prosecution before the start of the trial. Lynn’s lawyer is arguing that his client created the list because he was trying to identify priests who might be abusers and act on the claims. [Inquirer]