Southwestern PA has the nation’s 18th largest Catholic population per capita, making the Catholic presence here as significant as it is in #17 Los Angeles, #12 New York, and #11 Boston. That was reason enough for Donald Wuerl to cover up the offenses of sexually abusive priests. But how could such a thing be done? Well, one must speculate that, for a cover-up to be undertaken and sustained, only unscrupulous elected officials and less-than-honest law enforcement officers – with perhaps ties to organized crime – would have to be in Donald Wuerl’s back pocket, if not in his pocketbook. Would such a thing even be possible? Imagine, street-smart thugs partnering with a frail, effeminate, and pint-sized creature such as Donald Wuerl, with one goal in mind – to protect dysfunctional sex freaks who used innocent children as sex toys. Let’s look at the facts:
Wuerl was trained by an alleged master of sexual preying, namely, the former Bishop of Pittsburgh, John Cardinal Wright. It should be noted that Wright was hauled off to Rome once the Richard Ginder scandal began to unfold. This is what happened to Bernard Law of Boston, once his cover-ups made headline news. Now, concerning Father Richard Ginder, he was a flamboyant homosexual and notorious pedophile who would eventually die under mysterious circumstances. Furthermore, it was discovered that he had an apartment in Shadyside, Pennsylvania. It was then discovered that he harbored child pornography in that apartment.
Concerning Donald Wuerl, he spent 10 years under the tutelage of Wright in Rome, where, according to a nationally published third party, Wuerl’s network of like-minded homosexual prelates began to form. Caring for a sickly Cardinal Wright in 1978 allowed Wuerl to be the only non-red-hat at the conclave that resulted in Karol Józef Wojtya being elected the new leader of the Catholic Church. Years later, the two persons would join forces again, when Wuerl would insistently object to the Vatican’s decision to have Father Anthony Cippolla be reinstated as a priest in good standing. Wuerl’s theatrics would prevail. The pope would approve the reversal of the church’s highest court (concerning the Cipolla case) and Donald Wuerl would make sure that everyone would know about it. This resulted in Wuerl gaining the reputation of a heroic bishop who had zero tolerance for clergy abuse.
Donald Wuerl’s Documented Cover-ups are Soon to be Presented, Here
As will soon be illustrated by a guest writer, the hero status of Donald Wuerl is hogwash. Wuerl had a self-seeking motive for pursuing the Cipolla case to the end, and he also had a number of sex abuse cover-ups which eventually found their ways onto one type of court docket or another; including that of criminal court. Furthermore, Wuerl has been and continues to be a catalyst for the homosexual community. Sadly enough, Wuerl has been proven to be nothing more than another figure in the Catholic Church’s hierarchy who is more than willing to cover up clergy sex abuses. Wuerl is also said to closely resemble one of Wright’s former play toys, thereby suggesting that Wright’s choice of Wuerl as personal secretary was made for reasons other than professional competency.
Donald Wuerl’s Support System While He Was in the Pittsburgh Diocese
Former Supreme Court Chief Justices Stephen Zappala and David Cappy served on Wuerl’s legal advisory committee, along with 12 to 36 high-profile Pittsburgh attorneys. It would have been virtually impossible for a family to file a lawsuit against the diocese without Wuerl getting wind of it shortly after it was filed, and maybe even sooner.
For whatever it’s worth, Stephen Zappala Jr., current district attorney for the Allegheny County which encompasses much of Wuerl’s former terrain, has been appointed by the President of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) to a three-year term on the National Review Board. His term is to begin on June 1, 2010. Such board members collaborate with the USCCB in safeguarding minors from the sexual abuse of those dysfunctional sex freaks who have been placed in the service of the church. Ironically, Donald Wuerl is expected to receive a cardinal’s hat in June 2010, due to Cardinal McCarrick turning 80 years of age that month.
Zappala’s office has never prosecuted a clergy abuse case, and it has steadfastly refused to conduct a grand jury investigation into Pittsburgh area clergy abuse. Yet, the Philadelphia district attorney’s office held its own grand jury investigation into the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, ultimately issuing a scathing report that identified dozens of Catholic clerics who were guilty of heinous crimes against innocent children, while acknowledging the widespread cover-ups of archdiocesan leaders who protected the criminals instead of the victims who endured every imaginable form of sexual and physical abuse. The grand jury would label Anthony Bevilacqua a liar. Bevilacqua was the former Bishop of Pittsburgh. Insiders openly admit that Bevilacqua left quite a mess for Donald Wuerl to deal with, once Wuerl took over the Diocese of Pittsburgh.
The Recent Kickback Scheme
Is D.A. Stephen Zappala Jr. the right choice for preventing sexual abuse from occurring in an institution (the Catholic Church) that has been marked by widespread abuse and the subsequent cover-ups that appear to have been the accepted norm for a succession of bishops, cardinals, and popes? Recently, the D.A.’s brother, Gregory Zappala, was and may still be part of a probe involving two former Pennsylvania judges who knowingly sentenced juveniles to private detention facilities owned by Gregory Zappala, in exchange for $2.6 million in kickbacks. Over 5,000 children were sent to these homes, not because they were hardened criminals, but because in Pennsylvania – the pro-pedophile state – children have very little worth and can be exploited at every opportunity. These 5,000+ children were incarcerated for crimes such as truancy and stealing change out of parked cars – with neither legal counsel nor parents present, at times.
Originally, Gregory Zappala’s partner, John Powell, claimed that he was a victim of extortion. He has since come to his senses and pled guilty, as he will now serve time for the felonies he committed. Interestingly enough, this convicted felon claims that his former partner, Gregory Zappala, knew nothing about the kickback scheme. Quite frankly, are we to believe that a person who profited from judicial fraud is telling the truth this one time?
While Steven Zappala would argue that his little brother was the victim of a convoluted cash-for-kids plot, anyone with an I.Q. over 50 could easily argue that a seasoned financial wiz like Gregory Zappala (who has a retired PA Supreme Court Chief Justice for a dad and the district attorney of the second largest county in Pennsylvania for a brother) would be the last person to target for extortion, let alone claim to have been a victim? I’m not so sure that Stephen Zappala has the right heart or soul to reconcile the types of claims a supposedly objective member of the USCCB National Review Board would be required to address. Zappala’s appointment only adds accelerant to the search for a smoldering gun that seems to now be in reach.
Back to Shadyside Hospital
Shadyside Hospital officials knowingly covered up the crimes of John Wellinger which included feeding drugs and alcohol to an underage boy until he sank into an unconscious state. I recently sent my findings to the Pennsylvania Department of Health, and here is there response in a nutshell, provided by Andrea Beeler, R.N. Health Quality Administer:
The Department of Health, through the Office of Quality Assurance, is responsible for establishing and enforcing the standards that protect the health and safety of all patients who seek treatment within our Commonwealth. She goes on to write that, as per our telephone conversation, my concerns about the police and the Pittsburgh Catholic Diocese are beyond the purview of the department. But, what about my claim against the Shadyside Hospital administrators who hid the actions of a Pittsburgh Catholic priest from law enforcement authorities? The fix is still in. No recommendations on who might be able to help or what other agency might be able to handle this type of complaint. Again, welcome to PA – the pro-pedophile and ephebophile-friendly State.
A Recent Disclosure, Confided to me Shortly after the Brother Kenneth Ghastin Discovery
Recently, I learned from a very reliable source that a certain Pittsburgh hospital has been covering the homosexuality of a former Pittsburgh Catholic bishop. According to my source, the administrators were detailing the need to continue the cover-up, mentioning how important it was for this type of information to never leak out. Pittsburgh is certainly the right place for these types of secret agreements among hospital administrators.
Also, there may be more victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back to the time when Brother Ghastin and other Franciscan clergy members were assigned to Serra Catholic High School in McKeesport, PA. Could the City of McKeesport and its police department be responsible for covering up even more crimes against underage children?
Anyone with additional information on this report or on similar events is welcomed to send a message to my email address, Ference@icubed.com, or to call me at 412-233-5491.
Reporting live from Pittsburgh’s Golden Triangle – where the confluence of the Sicilian mob and the Democratic Party meet to form the deMOBocrats.
To read my June 5th article, Is Stephen Zappala the right choice Cardinal George?, go to:
To read my June 12th article, Citizen Investigator Won’t Be Silenced, go to:
About the Author:
Mike Ference is an entrepreneur, writer, speaker and investigative reporter who has been probing clergy abuse and government corruption in Pennsylvania for almost 20 years. Mike may be reached at 412-233-5491 or email him at
Ference@icubed.com.
