EWTN News reports that a New Jersey appeals court has ruled Seton Hall University need not fully disclose the “Latham report,” an internal investigation into its handling of sex abuse allegations tied to the disgraced Theodore McCarrick. The decision, handed down on June 15, 2026, shields the bulk of the report behind attorney-client privilege, allowing the university—and by extension, the structures occupying the Vatican—to continue obscuring the full extent of institutional complicity in the systematic protection of clerical predators. This ruling is not an anomaly; it is the predictable fruit of a post-conciliar system that has consistently prioritized institutional self-preservation over the protection of souls and the administration of true justice.
The Neo-Church’s Addiction to Secrecy and Self-Protection
The very existence of the “Latham report” is an indictment. Seton Hall University, a Catholic institution in name only, commissioned this investigation not out of a genuine desire for truth or justice for victims, but as a calculated legal maneuver. The university’s relentless fight to keep the report secret, invoking attorney-client privilege, exposes a mentality utterly foreign to the Catholic Church’s historical commitment to transparency in matters of grave sin and public scandal. The true Church, founded by Christ to be the light of the world, has always understood that bonum est diffusivum sui (good is diffusive of itself), and that truth, however painful, is the foundation of justice and reconciliation. The conciar sect, however, operates by the maxims of corporate law and public relations, seeking to manage scandal rather than eradicate it.
The court’s decision to allow redactions and protect “notes, communications, and other documents” prepared for legal counsel is a victory for the culture of secrecy that has defined the post-conciliar era. This is the same system that, for decades, shuffled predatory priests from parish to parish, prioritizing the “good name” of the institution over the safety of children and the spiritual well-being of the faithful. The Latham report, by its very nature, is a “self-critical analysis,” yet the court has allowed the university to hide even this self-assessment behind a veil of legal privilege. This is not justice; it is the perpetuation of a system designed to protect the powerful at the expense of the vulnerable.
The Theological Bankruptcy of the Conciliar Response
The post-conciliar “Church” has consistently demonstrated its inability to address the crisis of clerical abuse with the rigor demanded by Catholic theology. The true Church has always taught that ecclesia non sitit sanguinem (the Church does not thirst for blood), but it has also never hesitated to impose the most severe penalties on those who bring scandal to the faithful or commit grave sins against the moral law. The Council of Trent, in its Decree on Reformation, explicitly mandated the removal of pastors who are “incorrigible” or who “neglect their duties.” The current system, however, has consistently failed to apply these principles, instead opting for internal “reviews,” “independent investigations,” and legal maneuvers that serve only to delay and obfuscate.
Cardinal Joseph Tobin’s announcement of an “independent review” in February 2025 is a case in point. This review, still ongoing as of May 2026, is a bureaucratic fig leaf, designed to give the appearance of action while ensuring that the full truth remains hidden. The very fact that such a review is necessary, years after the McCarrick scandal first broke, is a testament to the systemic failure of the post-conciliar structures to address the root causes of the crisis. The true Church would have acted swiftly and decisively, removing from office any prelate found to have covered up abuse, and subjecting them to the full weight of canon law. Instead, we see a system that protects its own, even as it claims to be “reforming.”
The Role of Secular Courts and the Abdication of Ecclesiastical Authority
The involvement of secular courts in this matter is a direct consequence of the post-conciliar Church’s abdication of its own judicial authority. The true Church has always maintained its right and duty to judge its own members, especially in matters of faith and morals. The 1917 Code of Canon Law, in Canon 1552, explicitly states that “the Church has the right to judge her own members in matters pertaining to faith, morals, and discipline.” The current system, however, has ceded this authority to secular courts, allowing legal principles like attorney-client privilege to override the demands of divine law and the common good.
This abdication is not merely a practical failure; it is a theological error. The Church, as a perfect society, possesses all the means necessary to govern itself and to administer justice. By relying on secular courts to adjudicate matters of internal discipline, the post-conciliar structures implicitly deny the Church’s divine constitution and its supernatural mission. This is a direct contradiction of the teaching of Pope Leo XIII in Immortale Dei, where he affirms that the Church is “a society chartered as of right divine, perfect in its nature and in its title, possessing in itself and by itself, through the will and loving kindness of its Founder, all needful provision for its maintenance and action.”
The Ongoing Scandal of Monsignor Joseph Reilly
The Latham report is expected to examine the role of Monsignor Joseph Reilly, then-rector of Seton Hall’s Immaculate Conception Seminary and now university president, in the handling of abuse allegations. The fact that Reilly was appointed president in 2024, despite the cloud of suspicion hanging over him, is a damning indictment of the post-conciliar system. In the true Church, a prelate accused of covering up abuse would be immediately suspended from office pending a full investigation. Instead, Reilly has been promoted, signaling to the faithful that the protection of the institution takes precedence over the pursuit of justice.
This is not an isolated case. The post-conciliar Church has consistently promoted individuals implicated in the abuse crisis, from McCarrick himself to countless bishops and rectors who have been shuffled from diocese to diocese. This pattern of behavior is not merely a failure of governance; it is a symptom of a deeper spiritual malaise, a loss of the sense of the sacred and a corresponding indifference to the demands of justice and truth.
The Complicity of the Legal Profession
The role of the legal profession in this scandal cannot be overlooked. The law firm Latham & Watkins LLP, which conducted the investigation, is a pillar of the secular legal establishment. Its involvement in the case is a reminder that the post-conciliar Church has increasingly turned to secular experts to manage its affairs, rather than relying on the wisdom of Catholic theology and canon law. The legal profession, with its emphasis on procedural technicalities and adversarial tactics, is ill-suited to the task of addressing a crisis that is fundamentally spiritual in nature.
The court’s ruling, which allows the university to hide behind attorney-client privilege, is a victory for the legal profession’s culture of secrecy. It is a reminder that the post-conciliar Church has become enmeshed in a web of legal and bureaucratic structures that serve to insulate it from accountability. This is a far cry from the Church of the martyrs and the confessors, which was willing to suffer persecution and death rather than betray the truth.
The Way Forward: A Return to Catholic Principles
The ongoing cover-up of the abuse crisis is a direct consequence of the post-conciliar Church’s abandonment of Catholic principles. The true Church has always taught that justitia est constans et perpetua voluntas ius suum cuique tribuendi (justice is the constant and perpetual will to render to each his due). This principle demands that the full truth be uncovered, that justice be done for the victims, and that those responsible for the cover-up be held accountable.
The way forward is clear: a return to the unchanging principles of Catholic theology and canon law. This means the immediate removal from office of any prelate implicated in the cover-up of abuse, the full disclosure of all relevant documents, and the imposition of the penalties prescribed by canon law. It also means a rejection of the culture of secrecy and legal maneuvering that has defined the post-conciliar era, and a renewed commitment to transparency, accountability, and the protection of the faithful.
Until this happens, the post-conciliar structures will continue to be a source of scandal and a stumbling block for the faithful. The Latham report, like so many before it, will remain hidden, and the truth will continue to be sacrificed on the altar of institutional self-preservation. The faithful must not be deceived by the false promises of “reform” and “renewal” emanating from the structures occupying the Vatican. The only true reform is a return to the unchanging faith and discipline of the Catholic Church, which alone has the power to heal the wounds of this crisis and to restore the integrity of the priesthood.
Source:
Appeals court rules Seton Hall University does not have to disclose entirety of sex abuse report (ewtnnews.com)
Date: 16.06.2026