The Houston Chronicle and San Antonio Express-News have jointly published a multi-part exposé that reaches back more than two decades into the history of the Southern Baptist church. In chilling detail, the newspapers recount a massive campaign of sexual assault and abuse by nearly 400 church officials and volunteers, one that victimized 700 boys and girls, men and women.
According to the Chronicle, high-ranking Southern Baptist officials were also aware of the rampant sexual abuse going on amongst their ranks, but turned a blind eye to it. For at least one Catholic priest, who has first-hand experience with how his church denied and covered up its own history of abuse, the circumstances were all too familiar.
“I saw the same type of behavior going on with the Southern Baptists,” explained Rev. Thomas Doyle, one of the first whistleblowers about sexual predation within the Catholic Church priesthood.
“About 220 offenders have been convicted or took plea deals, and dozens of cases are pending. They were pastors. Ministers. Youth pastors. Sunday school teachers. Deacons. Church volunteers,” the Chronicle reported.
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