During his tenure, at least 30 students reported s£xual abuse allegations against Delbarton clergy, according to the Survivors Network of those Abused By Priests, with some describing graphic accounts of being brutally abused hundreds of times by Benedictine monks.
In June, the state’s highest court decided that a new grand jury investigation into clerical abuse across the state could proceed, with sources indicating it will involve scrutinizing claims of a cover-up at the prestigious school.
The Camden Diocese fought in court for seven years to prevent the investigation but announced in May that they were abandoning the effort, as reported by NorthJersey.
“From what I know, it would make sense for them to include Delbarton in the investigation,” New Jersey State Senator Joe Vitale told The Post regarding the grand jury investigation.
“You would certainly want to know how leadership played a role in all of that,” Vitale said. “And everyone who played a role at Delbarton at the time that abuse was alleged to have occurred should be part of the discussion.”
When current Cardinal Tobin reaches his mandatory retirement age in 2027, sources suggest Lorenzo will be among four bishops considered for the esteemed position.
One group—Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP—is demanding that Lorenzo be excluded from consideration for Newark Cardinal, asserting in a statement last week that he was “complicit in the cover-up at Delbarton.”
“Bishop Lorenzo’s rise cannot erase the pain experienced by Delbarton survivors,” said Mark Crawford, SNAP’s New Jersey coordinator. “It is unacceptable that someone who held authority during decades when so many students were being preyed upon should now be considered for further promotion.
“Our members demand transparency and accountability,” Crawford added. “Under Lorenzo’s watch, children were abused by wolves in sheep’s clothing.”
A comparable grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania in 2018 disclosed that over 1,000 children had been victims of clergy abuse, according to the AP. It was regarded as the most comprehensive review of a state’s Catholic clergy abuse at the time.
A Gentle Reminder: Every obstacle is a stepping stone, every morning; a chance to go again, and those little steps take you closer to your dream.
Nnamdi Okoli
