Fr. Anthony Cipolla - Part III: "Demons in Roman Collars" and Their Enablers

Part 1...Part II

The Sex Abuse Case Against Father Anthony J. Cipolla

Part III – The Pittsburgh Diocese – A Study of Lies, Deceit and Treachery

By Randy Engel

Introduction

As I indicated earlier in this series, the Pittsburgh Diocese’s mishandling and cover-up of the Father Anthony Cipolla Case in the late 1970s was the rule not the exception in the second-half of the 20th century. For almost every Catholic diocese in the world, the first concern of the Corporate Sole of each diocese regarding the management of clerical sex abuse, especially those involving pederasty – adult homosexual acts performed upon minor boys – was the avoidance of scandal at all costs, most especially the cost of justice. This misguided mindset, which was evident not only in the diocesan priesthood but in religious orders as well, was reinforced by the Vatican itself through generations of “progressive” popes in the Post-Conciliar era following the Second Vatican Council.

Randy Engel: Fr. Anthony Cipolla Part II -- Life and Death

The Sex Abuse Case Against Father Anthony J. Cipolla

Part II The Life and Death of a Pederast Priest

By Randy Engel

Introduction

Father Anthony Joseph Cipolla was born on August 29, 1943 in Rochester, PA, a borough of Beaver County.  He was the youngest of five children – Ann, Vincent, Genevra, Anita, his twin sister, and Anthony –  born to Ambrose and Albina (Natale) Cipolla.                                                           His first parish, where he received his First Holy Communion on June 17, 1954, was St. Titus Church in Aliquippa. It was a heavily mixed ethnic church with German-born, Italian- speaking Father Edward Zauner serving as its long-time pastor. Fr. Cipolla, a country boy, gave credit for his vocation to Fr.  Zauner and to his mother, who by every account was a devout Catholic and a kind, generous soul.

That same year, 1954, due to the expanding population in the area, Pittsburgh Bishop John Dearden established a new parish, Our Lady of Fatima Catholic Church, in nearby Aliquippa under Father Cornelius J. Finneran. A small chapel was built on the site in September 1954, but the church was not completed until 1987. It was here that the young Anthony Cipolla learned his catechism, went to confession and attended Mass. And it was here that the Mass of Christian Burial was said for the 73-year-old priest following a fatal auto accident on August 30, 2016.    

How Abusers Groom their Targets: Warning -- Graphic Content (no pictures)

Many Catholics believe the sex abuse scandals are a thing of the past. They aren't. A number of dioceses continue to coddle homosexual priests who maintain same-sex relationships, enjoy pornography, embezzle parish funds and are a real threat to the young. As recently as last Spring, a group of laity in Miami at St. Rose of Lima put together a dossier on their pastor, Fr. Pedro Corces, who was cavorting with his gay boyfriend and making changes at the school that concerned parents. He gave his boyfriend who had an extensive criminal background a maintenance job at the parish. 

When they took their information to Bishop Thomas Wenski did he thank the parents? No, it was deja vu: attack the messengers! He excoriated the laity, conducted his own investigation, and exonerated the priest in early July although he asked him to resign as pastor. Interestingly, Corces was also vocations director from 1996-2006. Now who exactly do you think he was bringing into the seminaries? More about Fr. Corces here. I bring this up because the case below is an old one. But what happened to the family and the "grooming" techniques used to molest the children is as typical today as it was then. Find a vulnerable family, befriend them especially the young boys, take them on outings alone, and when the timing is right molest them. Sometimes the children are threatened not to tell and the abuse can go on for years. This case is heartbreaking, but things like this are still going on. And Wenski's behavior in Miami shows that the Child Protection Programs are, in many cases, a farce!

The Sex Abuse Case Against Father Anthony J. Cipolla 

Part I - Setting the Record Straight

By Randy Engel