As the Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia case opened Monday with two defendants remaining on trial, prosecutors argued that the archdiocesan official formerly in charge of investigating complaints of abuse by priests could not fulfill his duties of protecting children, protecting the privacy of priests and protecting the church all at the same time.
In her opening argument, prosecutor Jacqueline Coelho said the defendant, Monsignor William J. Lynn, had a triad of responsibilities: protecting the church, protecting children and protecting the privacy of priests.
