Monsignor William Lynn, a high-ranking Roman Catholic official who was in charge of 800 Pennsylvanian priests, received a sentence of three to six years in prison on July 24, 2012, for his involvement in a child sex abuse scandal. The 61 year old former Cardinal’s aide was convicted in June on one count of endangering a child. His trial, which lasted for three months, revealed a decades-long attempt by the Philadelphia archdiocese to cover up the sexual abuse of children by priests. Monsignor Lynn, who served as the clergy secretary for the archdiocese, lied about the abuses to the public and transferred predatory priests to new parishes which were unaware of the abuse.
Monsignor Lynn’s lawyers petitioned for a probation and house arrest or work release sentence rather than prison time, but Judge M. Teresa Sarmina instead doled out three to six years in state prison – just under the maximum allowed sentence of three and a half to seven years.
Though Monsignor Lynn claimed that he “never harbored any intent to harm a child” and that he has “always tried to help people”, the judge and jury were unsympathetic. And although he told the victim’s family at sentencing that he hoped “one day [they would] accept [his] apology”, Monsignor Lynn had no comment on the accusations that his actions and inaction put children at risk.
This Catholic sex abuse scandal and others like it have shaken not just the Catholic community, but also members of other religions and secular people. They wonder what the purpose of organized religion is if its leaders don’t uphold its core values. Some wonder what it takes to get ordained, thinking that if people like Monsignor Lynn can get ordained, ordinary people should certainly be able to. This thought process leads many people to the online church known as the Universal Life Church. This church allows anybody to become a pastor by applying online, so long as they take a vow of respect and righteousness.
Some feel that the Universal Life Church is not just a church, but a social commentary on the state of organized religion. By allowing anybody to become a pastor, and not having any major tenets other than doing what is right and respecting other faiths, the church feels somewhat opposite to other modern, more dogmatic churches. It seems to serve as a return to the core principles of other religions, and it is this that appeals to so many who are seeking a less corrupt spiritual path.
To become a minister with the Universal Life Church, all one has to do is visit the online church website and provide their name, address, and email. The application is then reviewed and ordination status is approved within several days. After this, anybody who has been ordained can lead their own ministry, with the only doctrine of the church being “do that which is right”. While this is certainly a loose requirement, for many people it feels like a better belief to put their faith in than other established religions.