Law is linked to reassignment of two priests
Church documents released yesterday show that top officials of the Boston Archdiocese had extensive knowledge of allegations of sexual misconduct by several priests who were allowed to remain in active ministry, despite complaints dating as far back as the 1960s.
The documents -- nearly 1,000 pages of personnel records turned over to the family of an alleged victim of the Rev. Paul R. Shanley under a court order -- provide evidence that Cardinal Bernard F. Law was directly involved in the reassignment of two accused priests, even though he said in sworn testimony last month that he customarily delegated those decisions to subordinates.
In one case, the documents released yesterday show Law decided that his own 1993 policy for dealing with priests accused of sexual misconduct would not be applied retroactively to a popular Quincy pastor accused of sexual misconduct whom Law later promoted to area vicar with oversight of 19 parishes.
In another, Law recommended publicly explaining the out-of-state transfer of a priest accused of sexual misconduct by saying that he had no previous knowledge of accusations against him -- a statement questioned by one of Law's own bishops.
The records, which cover the careers of 10 priests accused of sexual misconduct, also provide the first documentary evidence that the practice of moving accused clergy from parish to parish dates to the late Cardinal Richard Cushing, who led the archdiocese for a quarter century until 1971 and approved moving at least two priests into new parishes during the 1960s, despite allegations of sexual misconduct.
Roderick MacLeish Jr., the lawyer representing the family of Gregory Ford, who alleges he was molested by Shanley in the 1980s, said he asked for the records on the 10 priests to rebut Law's April assertion that Shanley's continuing ministry during the 1990s was attributable to "inadequate" record-keeping. The Fords are suing Law, contending that he was negligent in his supervision of Shanley.
"These records on these 10 priests show there was substantial record-keeping," MacLeish said.
He is also trying to show that Law's actions in supervising Shanley, who was arrested last month on charges of raping a child, are not covered by the doctrine of charitable immunity, which could limit the liability of church officials and the archdiocese in clergy sexual abuse cases to $20,000.
"We're trying to show there was a pattern of conduct to rebut the assertion of the archdiocese that they were at all times acting in furtherance of a charitable purpose," MacLeish said. "The charitable purpose of the archdiocese is not furthered by putting admitted child molesters into parishes, particularly when parishioners are not told."
Law's sworn deposition in the Ford case is scheduled to be taken today and Friday at an undisclosed location. Read complete article & archives - By Michael Rezendes, Boston Globe Staff, 06/05/2002
Watergate (Again)?
___________________
Someday, maybe,
there will exist a well-informed,
well-considered, and yet fervent public conviction
that the most deadly of all possible sins
is the
mutilation of a child's spirit.
Does the Vatican Really Oppose Murdering Gay People?- BY MICHAEL A. JONES
March 23, 2002, Springfield priest cites cost for speaking out, By Kevin Cullen, Globe Staff
Irish church and police covered up child sex abuse, says report – by Henry McDonald, guardian.co.uk, 26 November 2009
The Watergate Story - The Post Investigates, The Washington Post
Lutherans lift barrier on gay clergy - By Duke Helfand - August 21, 2009 – Los Angeles Times
Episcopal leaders affirm new policy on same-sex blessings, By Duke Helfand - Los Angeles Times
US Catholic Bishops threaten the moral 'fabric of society' and the sanctity of Gay marriages
Psychologists repudiate gay-to-straight therapy By DAVID CRARY - The Associated Press (AP)
Watergate Deep Throat, the informant who helped topple Nixon, dies at 95 – Dec. 2008 - Mail Online
Pope John Paul II -- No Irreconcilable Differences between Science and Religion
KIDS ARE BEING HURT!!! Good Friday - Tony Blair, Gays, Benedict XVI
US Catholic Bishops threaten the moral 'fabric of society' and the sanctity Gay unions – 2009
This about the reckless endangerment of children in a calculated, purposeful strategy to protect the institutional Church - By Jason Walsh - The Christian Science Monitor – CSMonitor.com
Pope 'led cover-up of child abuse by priests' – London Evening Standard – standard.co.uk
Child Protection Service of the Archdiocese of Dublin, November 2009 -Report by Commission of Investigation into the handling by Church and State authorities of allegations and suspicions of child abuse against clerics of the CatholicArchdiocese of Dublin. Read complete report->Report by Commission of Investigation into Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin
Someday, maybe,
there will exist a well-informed,
well-considered, and yet fervent public conviction
that the most deadly of all possible sins
is the
mutilation of a child's spirit.
No comments:
Post a Comment