• Thy Kingdom Come, Thy Will Be Done. A Banner Day.
PHILADELPHIA (PA): A true believer, a victim's tale, and wine and spirits on the day the new archbishop takes over.
"I just got interviewed by Channel 6," boasts Sean Thomas Egan, a
38-year-old handyman from Germantown. "This is a red-letter day for
Catholics, and I wasn't going to miss it."
On this chilly Tuesday afternoon, Egan stands on the sidewalk across from the main entrance of the Cathedral Basilica of Saints Peter and Paul. He's come to the big house on the Parkway to witness the installation of Justin
Rigali as Philadelphia's new archbishop. As a devout Catholic, he also
wants to make a plea.
"SAVE THE CATHOLIC CHURCH. LET PRIESTS BE MARRIED," reads the simply inscribed poster board sign he holds in the air.
-- Philadelphia Weekly
(http://www.philadelphiaweekly.com/article.asp?ArtID=6297)
by MIKE NEWALL (mnewall@philadelphiaweekly.com)
(Posted by Kathy Shaw 9:54:32 AM)
(This is the first of the Poynteronline Abuse Tracker edition for Sunday, October 19, 2003.)
• Plaintiff, church settle abuse case. [1984]
SPRINGFIELD (MA): Former Berkshire County Commissioner Paul R. Babeu has
reached a settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington, Vt.,
in a lawsuit stating that he was abused by a Montague native who was
serving as a Vermont priest at the time of the alleged incident.
In exchange for Babeu agreeing to drop his suit against the diocese, the
Vermont church has agreed to pay "a low amount" of money to Babeu,
according to his lawyer Thomas C. Bixby, a member of the Brattleboro, Vt.,
law firm McCarty Law Offices.
Babeu, 34, who works as a police officer in Chandler, Ariz., said his suit
was never about the money.
"Nothing can truly erase the harm done by the sexual abuse. I feel the
settlement is an acknowledgment of their responsibility in what happened
to me," Babeu said yesterday.
Babeu said that at age 15 he was transported by Springfield diocesan
priest the Rev. Richard R. Lavigne to northern Vermont where he was left
overnight with the Rev. George Paulin, who sexually abused him.
"When Lavigne dropped me off, and I fought off his advances, he said,
'Apparently Father Lavigne hasn't broken you in'," Babeu said.
-- The Republican,
Plaintiff, church settle abuse case,
(http://www.masslive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-5/1066307746290010.xml?nnhf)
By BILL ZAJAC,
wzajac@repub.com
• Diocese: No link between news of audit, settlement.
CONNECTICUT: In what was a busy week for the Diocese of Bridgeport, church leaders
announced the findings of an independent audit commending the institution
for its efforts to eradicate the sexual abuse of children from its
priesthood just four days before agreeing to a $21 million settlement with
several of its victims.
Was it chance the way the two events unfolded, or an attempt to save face
in anticipation of a settlement?
"I think, in retrospect, they were laying the foundation for the
announcement," said Jason Tremont, a lawyer for the 40 victims who were
awarded the settlement.
Church leaders and their lay supporters took umbrage at the suggestion
that they strategically timed the two announcements, explaining that they
had received several inquiries about the status of the audit in recent
weeks.
-- Greenwich Time
(http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/local/scn-gt-diocese4oct19,0,6430724.story?coll=green-news-local-headlines)
By Neil Vigdor, October 19, 2003
• New Lawsuit Filed Against Archdiocese.
CINCINNATI (OH): The Archdiocese of Cincinnati is facing another new lawsuit after claims the archdiocese knew about sexual abuse but did nothing to stop it.
Five men have filed the lawsuit claiming that the archdiocese failed to
stop an abusive priest from repeatedly molesting them when they were altar
boys.
The incidents allegedly occurred in the 1950s and 1960s.
The lawsuit names the Reverend John Berning as the defendant.
Berning is accused of abusing children at two local churches, St. Margaret
of Cartona and Our Lady of Perpetual Help.
-- WCPO,
(http://www.wcpo.com/news/2003/local/10/18/archdiocese.html)
Reported by: 9News,
Web produced by: Neil Relyea;
Photographed by: 9News;
10:43:23 AM, Oct 18 03
• Board toughens conduct code for local diocese.
PALM BEACH GARDENS (FL): The board created to deal with sexual abuse in the
Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach has had no claims to investigate, so it
spent its first year rewriting rules and policies to handle future
accusations -- and lessen the chance they'll be made.
Diocesan Review Board members have tightened procedures and rules of
conduct, giving explicit directions to the diocese's 400 clergy, 1,000
employees and thousands more volunteers on how to behave and how to react
to a claim of abuse.
The diocese's new procedures go beyond the national Catholic bishops'
Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, which ousts a
priest for a single act of abuse, and call for the immediate firing of any
employee or volunteer who admits to or is found guilty of abuse.
The code of conduct also forbids any sort of harassment, bringing the
church in line with secular workplaces.
-- Palm Beach Post
www.palmbeachpost.com
By Mary McLachlin, Sunday, October 19, 2003
• Paternity case embroils parish.
LEE (MA): According to parishioners exiting 4 o'clock Mass at St. Mary's
Church yesterday, the Rev. Gary Dailey denied ever encouraging Josephine
Dizoglio from aborting the child she claims was fathered by the Rev. Paul
C. LaFlamme.
"He said he did not in any way, shape or form suggest that she have an
abortion," said St. Mary's music minister Sandy Cummings as she left the
service. She said he asked the congregation to pray for LaFlamme, Dizoglio
and the church.
According to Cummings, Dailey, who refused to comment to the press, said
all the allegations against him are "untruths."
"I thought he handled it beautifully, with a lot of heartfelt worship for
God," said Cummings, who added that Dailey asked parishioners to pray for
both LaFlamme and Josephine Dizoglio. She said the congregation applauded
Dailey's short speech, which he delivered after the homily.
-- Berkshire Eagle,
(http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101~7514~1709035,00.html)
By Stefanie Cohen
• Curia placed priest with alleged sex abuse history at government school.MALTA: The Maltese Curia appointed a priest with an alleged history of
paedophilia as spiritual director at a government school even though it
had been informed of his dubious past.
The Education Division has confirmed to The Malta Independent on Sunday
that the Curia had assigned Fr Godwin Scerri as spiritual director of Can.
P. Pullicino Girls' Secondary School in Rabat, a year after news of his
alleged sexual abuses in Canada were made public in the media in 1993.
Fr Scerri, 67, a member of the Missionary Society of St Paul, is now
facing police charges of violent rape against a child at St Joseph's home.
News of his alleged sexual abuse history only resurfaced last week,
revealing the Curia's knowledge of his dubious past as reported 10 years
ago in the Canadian newspaper The Windsor Star and the Maltese newspaper
KullHadd.
The Education Division has now confirmed that the Curia placed Fr Scerri
at the Rabat school a year later. He served there until the beginning of
this academic year and was removed by the Curia after his name was
published in the paedophilia scandal triggered by the alleged sex abuse of
at least 11 children by priests at St Joseph's Home for boys in Santa
Venera.
-- The Malta Independent,
(http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/newsview.asp?id=21638)
by Karl Schembri.
• The abuse of power...MALTA: Although much is being made of the fact that there appears, allegedly at
least, to have been a history of sexual abuse at one of Malta's homes run
by those who are meant to serve us and God, we should not be drawn into
any hysterical over-reactions.
I am not surprised the abuse was allegedly carried out by priests on young
boys. Abuse is rampant whenever people have too much control, too much
power over others. This is true on the factory floor, in an office or in
any other establishment.
It seems that the inability to handle power well is a hallmark of human
nature and, surprise surprise, priests are no better than the rest of the
population.
Who knows the exact incidence of paedophilia in any nation? Most of it is
unreported so we have little way of being sure which professions are the
worst perpetrators but some trends are clear. Although fathers abuse their
children, stepfathers do so even more frequently. Although many 'real'
parents abuse their children, the rate of abuse among those who are
fostered or adopted is often even higher.
-- The Sunday Times of Malta,
(http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=137969)
by Marisa Micallef Leyson.
• The bleeding Church.MALTA: Yes, the local Church's heart has every reason to bleed because she could
never be the same after the mass media reports of allegations of child
abuse by priests at St Joseph Home. After Bondi shock-waves spread
rapidly and reverberated round the Island.
There was quick transition in opinion even among those who cared
passionately about the Church, a transition from certainty to doubt, from
security to hesitation, from triumphalism to griefs and also of anxieties
of parents with young children. Is the local Church on the brink of
self-destruction, or is the mass media gleefully talking imprecisely of
crisis and fanning the flames to create public anticlerical excitement?
Child abuse is the one that touches most people most immediately. This is
the one that really comes home. Touch the children, and you touch what is
most dear to parents.
Unfortunately, in such situations this statement is in conflict with the
other statement: touch religion, and you touch the depths of the whole
person. That is why the irreparable damage done could never be
compensated, because confused parents now feel let down, betrayed, by
those to whom they trustfully confided their children to be taken care of.
The Bishops should not become the scapegoats, but on the other hand such
public allegations should not be so easily explained away or swept under
the carpet in the hope that they be forgotten.
-- The Sunday Times of Malta,
(http://www.timesofmalta.com/core/article.php?id=137968)
by Joseph Vella.
• Vt. diocese called slow to respond to abuse.
BURLINGTON (VT): Despite a decision to settle the first of four lawsuits
that accuse Roman Catholic priests in Vermont of child sexual abuse, the
Diocese of Burlington is facing criticism that it has failed to reconcile
with victims and is hindering the legal process by flouting court orders.
Church officials insist that they are responding quickly, appropriately,
and sensitively to a flurry of allegations that surfaced after the clergy
sexual abuse scandal rocked the Boston Archdiocese last year. However,
state law enforcement authorities and victims' lawyers characterized the
response by the diocese as grudging and reluctant.
"They're revictimizing these people; they're just getting jerked around,"
said Jerome O'Neill, the lawyer for Michael Bernier, 46, a California
stockbroker who alleges in a civil lawsuit that he was sexually abused
more than 30 years ago by a priest in Bernier's hometown, St. Albans.
This month, O'Neill filed a motion for sanctions in Chittenden Superior
Court that accuses the Diocese of Burlington, which includes parishes
throughout Vermont, of defying court orders to turn over by Aug. 11 all
clergy sexual abuse and misconduct records dating to 1950, psychological
records of its clergy, and all documents related to a criminal
investigation by the state attorney general's office. That information had
not been received by Friday, O'Neill said.
-- Boston Globe,
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2003/10/19/vt_diocese_called_slow_to_respond_to_abuse/),
By Brian MacQuarrie, Oct 19 2003
• Bishop places Lee priest on administrative leave.
SPRINGFIELD (MA): Bishop Thomas Dupré has placed Father Paul Laflamme on an
immediate administrative leave following a finding by the Diocesan
Misconduct Commission that he had inappropriate sexual relations with a
parish employee.
Fr. Laflamme, until now the parochial vicar at St. Mary Mother of the
Church Parish in Lee, has been accused by a former employee of a sexual
relationship. She is now pregnant, which she claims to be a result of that
relationship. While the paternity has not yet been confirmed through
medical tests, Fr. Laflamme has admitted to the relationship.
Therefore, acting on the recommendation of the Diocesan Misconduct
Commission, Bishop Thomas Dupré has placed Fr. Laflamme on an indefinite
administrative leave. He will undergo counseling while his long-term
status as a priest is determined.
Bishop Dupré deeply regrets this situation and expresses his prayerful
support for this woman and her family, as well as for the entire St. Mary
parish community.
The victim has been working with the Diocesan victim advocate, Laura
Reilly, and is receiving support from the diocese.
-- Iobserve ,
(http://www.iobserve.org/rn1017b.html)
Saturday, October 18, 2003
• Bishop Thomas L. Dupre to appear on special edition of television program, Real to Reel.
SPRINGFIELD (MA): Bishop Thomas Dupré will be featured on a special
edition of the Catholic Communication's television program Real to Reel,
this Saturday evening, October 18, at 7pm on WWLP.
Bishop Dupre will be interviewed for the entire program on the clergy
misconduct situation, both locally and nationally. Real to Reel producer,
and veteran news reporter, Ken Lancaster will be joined by editor of The
Catholic Observer, Rebecca Drake in this half hour interview. In this show
the Bishop will address the victims of clergy misconduct and their
concerns. He will also clarify the present stance of the Diocese, seeking
case-by-case resolution why maintaining all the legal right of the Diocese
until all matters are resolved.
Also being released this weekend by the Bishop's Office, is a "Question
and Answer" forum which addresses many of the most pressing questions the
Bishop is often asked. The "Q & A" will be posted on the diocesan
website, www.diospringfield.org , and will be made available through the
October 30 edition of The Catholic Observer and next week in a brochure
that will be available in all parishes.
-- Iobserve
(http://www.iobserve.org/rn1017a.html)
• Survivors, advocates step up calls for N.H. bishops' resignations.
MANCHESTER (NH): Nearly 150 protesters -- survivors of sexual abuse by priests, their advocates and church reformers -- marked Bishop John McCormack's fifth
anniversary as head of this statewide diocese Sept. 21 with calls for his
resignation and that of Auxiliary Bishop Francis Christian. Demonstrators
accused the bishops of covering up cases of sexual abuse by priests in the
Manchester diocese and the Boston archdiocese.
Speakers at the protest, which was held outside St. Joseph Cathedral,
cited a report by the Massachusetts attorney general that said McCormack,
as an auxiliary bishop for Boston, failed to take adequate steps to
restrict accused priests' access to children.
In a 154-page report released in March, the New Hampshire attorney general
said that Christian covered up cases of sexual abuse by priests in the New
Hampshire diocese.
McCormack and Christian "are personally responsible for enabling
perpetrator priests to find many new victims," said Ann Hagan Webb, New
England co-coordinator of the Survivors Network for Those Abused by
Priests, or SNAP.
Coalition of Catholics and Survivors cofounder Anne Barrett Doyle said, "A
quick survey of the documents finds 22 sexually abusive priests who found
an enabler in the permissive Bishop McCormack."
-- National Catholic Reporter,
(http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives2/2003d/101703/101703h.htm)
By Chuck Colbert
• The looming crisis.
UNITED STATES: The priest shortage is the elephant in the Catholic living room.
It is changing the very nature of priesthood, of parishes, of church
itself in ways that would have been unthinkable a short time ago. The
changes will continue, unplanned and unplanned for, and laity will
continue to fill the gaps, picking up ministerial functions, preparing
liturgies, running the parishes themselves.
Too often they will do these
things never quite knowing whether the bishop fully approves of laity
taking on new responsibilities or is merely appreciative of temporary help
until the shortage crisis is over.
I had occasion over the summer to do a fair amount of travel during which
I talked to a number of priests. I was surprised to hear so many of the
same themes -- of frustration, isolation, alienation. Maybe I was talking
to the wrong guys. That could always be the case.
Interestingly, I felt that in several instances the priests drove the
conversation to those topics, to the struggles to stay on board in these
trying times. These were not whiners or ardent reformers. But they are
worried about the future of the church, its future as a eucharistic
community, their futures as Catholic leaders. They are worried because
they see huge problems looming, and no one is talking about it.
-- National Catholic Reporter,
(http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives2/2003d/101703/101703b.htm)
• Just how bad is it?
WASHINGTON (DC): In the mid-1990s, researchers Richard Schoenherr and Lawrence Young
predicted that by 2005 the number of active diocesan clergy would be
21,000, down 40 percent since 1965.
They were wrong.
Death, retirement and resignation have already reduced the clerical ranks
to that number two years ahead of Schoenherr and Young's projections.
Traditionalists and reform-minded Catholics debate the causes of the
priest shortage and argue over what steps are necessary to stem the tide.
What they don't dispute, however, is that the shortage is having an
increasingly profound effect on parish life.
"People have come to expect a daily Mass," said Fr. Eugene Hemrick,
director of the National Institute for the Renewal of the Priesthood. "And
we just don't have the ability to produce at that level anymore."
Catholic University of America sociologist Dean Hoge, a student of
priesthood trends for three decades, doesn't underestimate the impact: "It
could be that the sacraments will be defined as not so important. We're
talking about the center of what Catholicism is."
So just how bad is the U.S. priest shortage?
-- National Catholic Reporter,
www.natcath.com ,
By Joe Feuerherd, Oct 17 03
• The growing cost of mandatory celibacy.
UNITED STATES: Bishop Wilton Gregory, head of the U.S. bishops' conference, took a glass half-full approach when he responded earlier this year to Milwaukee
Archbishop Timothy Dolan regarding an initiative of 169 Milwaukee priests
who urged a reexamination of the discipline of mandatory celibacy for
diocesan clergy.
Said Gregory, "I understand that the archdiocese of Milwaukee itself has
experienced a significant increase in seminarians this very year."
First, there's the matter of the record. According to archdiocesan
officials, Milwaukee currently has 28 seminarians in its collegiate and
graduate programs; last year it had 25. The prior two years it had 30.
Gregory's response is emblematic of the two prevailing reactions that
church leaders seem to have when the priest shortage is put on the table.
The first is to look for the slightest uptick in the numbers -- an
ultraconservative seminary that's attracting students; an additional two
or three ordinations in a diocese; an increase in seminarians in the
developing world - and conclude that the problem is on the way to being
fixed.
The second is to cite church teaching and practice and conclude
that no change should be made in existing rules, thus eliminating the need
for any further discussion.
Neither reaction leads to an honest or correct assessment of the problem.
-- National Catholic Reporter,
(http://www.natcath.com/NCR_Online/archives2/2003d/101703/101703s.htm)
Oct 17 03
(Posted by Poynter's Kathy Shaw 12:51:04 PM)
########## End of www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46, Sunday, October 19, 2003
########## Poynteronline Abuse Tracker, www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46,
Monday, October 20, 2003 edition follows:- • Laity to church: Reform crucial.
SANDWICH (MA): Voice of the Faithful co-founder and president Jim Post came to
the Cape yesterday to lay out his vision for the emerging movement of
Catholic laity fed up with what they characterize as a culture of secrecy
and unaccountability among church leaders when it comes to clergy sex
abuse.
Speaking at the Sandwich High School auditorium, Post also had strong
words for the Fall River Diocese bishop, the Rev. George Coleman, for his
diocesewide policy of not allowing Voice of the Faithful meetings or
events to be held on parish property.
Quoting from a statement in a September 2002 report issued by the U.S.
Conference of Bishops, Post suggested that Coleman pay more careful
attention to the views of his fellow clergy who wrote that there was a
need for bishops to "recognize and promote the dignity, as well as the
responsibilities, of the laity in the church."
"We need to confidently assign duties to them in the service of the
church, allow them freedom and room for action ... so they may undertake
tasks on their own initiative," Post read from the report. He told the 175
in attendance that he was "going to put this into a letter and send it
along to Bishop Coleman because he may not have heard this before."
-- Cape Cod Times,
(http://www.capecodonline.com/cctimes/laityto20.htm)
By Sean Gonsalves
(Posted by Kathy Shaw, Poynteronline, 9:09:36 AM)
• O'Malley: Blessed nun truly special
VATICAN CITY: Among the hundreds of thousands touched by Mother Teresa of
Calcutta's beatification yesterday was Boston's new archbishop, who took
part in the Mass.
"It was very moving for me, because I had known Mother Teresa personally
and had many opportunities to meet her over the years, which was a great
privilege," O'Malley said in a conversation with reporters afterward.
The two first met in the 1960s, when O'Malley taught at the Catholic
University of America in Washington and learned that a missionary nun from
India was on campus to receive an award. ...
Then when O'Malley was sent to the Diocese of Fall River in the wake of
the James Porter sex abuse scandal of the early 1990s, he again called on
Mother Teresa.
Again, she delivered.
"There was such pain in our people. I wanted them to be consoled by the
sisters," he said. "Wherever they go, they help people to understand
what the mission of the church is."
O'Malley said he was "relieved" about being passed over for cardinal for
the consistory scheduled for tomorrow.
"It's taking me time to get used to being an archbishop," he said.
O'Malley said he does not think he'd have been sent to Boston unless
Vatican officials planned to support his efforts to lead the archdiocese
beyond the clergy molestation scandals.
-- Boston Herald
(http://www2.bostonherald.com/news/international/omal10202003.htm)
by Eric Convey
Monday, October 20, 2003
• Protesters seek church pact guarantees
BOSTON (MA): About 20 advocates and alleged victims of clergy sexual abuse protested
yesterday outside the Cathedral of the Holy Cross in Boston, calling on
the church and lawyers for alleged victims to tighten language in a
proposed $85 million settlement agreement that guarantees victims therapy
for life. Lawyers for both the church and the victims have said the
current language is sufficient, but members of the group Survivors First
claim it is too vague. "The church has had a policy of: 'Just trust me',"' said Survivors First present Paul Baier. "We think it is prudent to move away from a trust policy to a policy that is legally binding."
-- Boston Globe
(http://www.boston.com/dailyglobe2/293/metro/Protesters_seek_church_pact_guarantees+.shtml)
• Massachusetts Priest Suspended After Impregnating Church Employee. [CURRENT]
LEE (MA): A former employee of Saint Mary's Church in
Lee, Massachusetts, is pregnant after an alleged sexual relationship with
a priest.
Josephine Dizoglio, 34-years-old and now five months pregnant, said Rev.
Paul LaFlamme was counseling her and took advantage of her vulnerable
state, ultimately leading to the sexual relationship. Furthermore,
Dizoglio claimed that when she told LaFlamme she was pregnant another
priest encouraged her to "get rid of it." However her attorney says the
word abortion was never used.
The Springfield Catholic Diocese has suspended LaFlamme for having a
sexual relationship with Dizoglio.
Dizoglio's attorney, John Stobierski, stated that after his client learned
she was pregnant she told both LaFlamme and Rev. Gary Dailey. Stobierski
said Rev. Dailey told Dizoglio, "You have a problem and you need to get
rid of it."
Stobierski said his client was receiving counseling and emotional support
from LaFlamme following a difficult breakup with her boyfriend. However,
her attorney stated Dizoglio is not upset about the pregnancy or the
suggestion that she fixes what was labeled a "problem."
Stobierski asserted Dizoglio was quickly fired after revealing her
pregnancy and, in an attempt to get her evicted from her residence, Rev.
Daily called her landlord to say that she no longer held a job.
-- WTEN
(http://www.abc10.com/Global/story.asp?S=1488394&nav=6uyNIcA0)
posted: October 19th, 8:55pm
• Concord jail 'has bad rep'
CONCORD (MA): MCI-Concord, where ex-priest John J. Geoghan was allegedly tormented by guards, has a reputation as the "hub of dysfunction" within the state
Department of Correction, where renegade guards bully inmates as well as
each other, sources and officials say.
"Concord always had a bad reputation, still to this day it has the worst
reputation in the Department," said a former long-time DOC employee who
didn't want to be named. "Other institutions have been brought in line,
but Concord has always been allowed to go to the beat of a different
drummer."
In Geoghan's case, guards on his protective custody unit harassed him by
calling him "Lucifer" and "Satan," defecating in his cell and assaulting
him, sources have said.
The environment for the pedophile priest was so toxic at Concord that he
welcomed a transfer to the super-maximum Souza Baranowski Correctional
Center in Shirley, where, months later, he was allegedly killed by
convicted murderer Joseph L. Druce, 38.
-- Milford Daily News
(http://www.milforddailynews.com/news/local_regional/concordjail10202003.h>
tm)
By Franci Richardson / Boston Herald
Monday, October 20, 2003
• New archbishop of Hartford named
HARTFORD (CT): Bishop Henry J. Mansell of the Diocese of Buffalo will be the
successor to Hartford Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, church officials with
the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops said.
Cronin submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II last year when he
turned 75, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops.
It was not immediately known when Mansell would take over.
The Archdiocese of Hartford planned a formal announcement this morning.
-- New Haven Register
(http://www.newhavenregister.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=10345846&BRD=1281&PAG=461&dept_id=517515&rfi=6)
• A message on Mother Teresa
VATICAN CITY: The beatification of Mother Teresa is a reminder to the
world, and to the people of Boston, that the Catholic Church is bigger
than the sexual abuse crisis that has roiled the American church,
Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley of Boston said yesterday.
"In Boston, we see up close how things can go wrong in the church," he
said. "But Mother Teresa is a success story. She is what the Gospel is
about."
O'Malley, who knew Mother Teresa and traveled to Rome to attend
yesterday's beatification Mass, said in an interview with reporters for
Boston newspapers that he views the focus on her, as well as on Pope John
Paul II's 25th anniversary as pontiff, as an antidote to the bad news that
has plagued the church for the last two years.
"If we become so absorbed just in what goes wrong in the church because of
people's sinfulness or weakness or mistakes, we lose sight of what can
also go right in the church," he said over a cappuccino, the drink that
supposedly gets its name from O'Malley's religious order, the Capuchins,
because the color of the coffee resembles that of the friars' robes.
-- Boston Globe
(http://www.boston.com/news/world/articles/2003/10/20/a_message_on_mother_
teresa/)
By Michael Paulson, Globe Staff, Oct 20 2003
• Mabus case tests shield from suits
JACKSON (MS): The Catholic church, which is trying to get the state Supreme Court to throw out a sex-abuse lawsuit against it, will have an unlikely case as a
bellwether -- the messy divorce of former governor Ray Mabus.
The two cases may be very different in subject matter, but both raise
questions of the separation of church and state and the freedom of
religion under the First Amendment.
At least seven civil lawsuits by alleged victims of sexual abuse seeking a
total of $258 million have been filed against the Catholic Diocese of
Jackson, according to the diocese. One suit was recently dismissed by a
circuit judge because the statute of limitations had run out.
The trial in one case, a $48 million suit brought by Kenneth, Thomas and
Francis Morrison, is on hold while the state Supreme Court considers a
motion by the diocese to have the case dismissed.
The Morrisons say they were abused by the Rev. George Broussard when they
were children in the 1970s. A trial in Hinds County Circuit court had been
scheduled for Aug. 25. [? date]
-- The Clarion-Ledger
(http://www.clarionledger.com/news/0310/20/m03.html
By Matt Volz,
The Associated Press, Oct 20 03
• Bishop Mansell leaving Buffalo for Hartford
BUFFALO (NY): Bishop Henry Mansell will be formally introduced as the new Archbishop of Hartford Monday after receiving the appointment from Pope John Paul II.
Mansell will replace Archbishop Daniel Cronin, who upon turning 75, the
mandatory age of retirement for bishops, submitted his resignation.
"With acute appreciation of the need for many prayers I accept Pope John
Paul II's appointment as the Archbishop of Hartford. It will be a high
privilege for me to serve in that capacity and I thank the Holy Father for
the confidence he has expressed in me," Mansell said in a statement from
the Buffalo Diocese office.
The 66-year old Mansell took charge of the Buffalo Diocese in 1995. Among
recent changes, he has trimmed more than a dozen positions and closed
Turner-Carroll High School in Buffalo. At the same time other parochial
schools are discussing mergers.
He has also removed an undisclosed number of priests following allegations
of sexual abuse.
-- Buffalo Business First
(http://buffalo.bizjournals.com/buffalo/stories/2003/10/20/daily1.html)
• Hindu cleric rapes 5-year-old in Baghpat temple.
INDIA: A five-year-old girl was allegedly raped by a priest inside a temple in a
Baghpat village on Wednesday afternoon.
The man was caught immediately after the act by villagers who thrashed him soundly and turned him over to the police.
A medical examination of the child has confirmed rape, senior
superintendent of police (SSP), Baghpat, Harish Chandra Pandey, said.
The man, Rishiraj, of Odhapur Chaubli village in the Chaprauli police
station area, had been a priest at the Vishwakarma temple in the Patti
Mehar village of the Baraut area for the past eight months.
-- Hindustan Times,
"Priest rapes child in Baghpat temple,"
www.hindustantimes.com ,
Sunday, October 19, 2003
(Posted by Kathy Shaw, Poynteronline, 3:43:50 PM)
########## End of www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46, Monday, October 20, 2003
• "Personal History," the story of Hetty Johnston, founder of Bravehearts,AUSTRALIA, Oct 20 2003:
Tonight's Australian Story provides new insights into a recent and turbulent chapter in our national history.
Earlier this year Governor-General Peter Hollingworth resigned from office after months of pressure, culminating in his public denial that as a young priest, he had raped a Victorian woman.
Queensland-based child protection campaigner Hetty Johnston was given the lion's share of the credit - and the blame - for leading the sustained campaign which drove the Governor-General out of Yarralumla.
As the program demonstrates, it wasn't the first time that Hetty Johnston had been in the forefront of a successful campaign against powerful public figures. In the mid Nineties she helped unseat a seemingly invincible Wayne Goss, then Queensland Premier.
Tonight's program tracks Hetty's controversial trajectory from anonymous working mother to community activist to major player at the centre of national events.
And it fully reveals, for the first time, the extent of the excruciating family crisis which set her on her history-making path.
-- Australian Broadcasting Commission, "Personal History," Australian Story, the story of Hetty Johnston, a founder of Bravehearts (support group for survivors of child sex abuse),
http://abc.net.au/austory/ ,
Oct 20 03
• Tribunals all in full swing.IRELAND, Oct 20 03:
. . . An attempt by the Christian Brothers to restrict the Laffoy Commission in its investigation into child abuse was rejected by Justice Henry Abbott in the High Court on Friday. The Brothers had argued that it was unfair and possibly unconstitutional that findings of fact relating to the alleged abuse of children could be made by the Commission, against Brothers who were dead or who were too old and infirm to defend themselves. The Christian Brothers have already said that they accept that abuse took place in their institutions but have also noted the majority of those accused before the Commission vehemently protested their innocence.
-- The Irish Emigrant, "Tribunals all in full swing,"
www.emigrant.ie ,
Oct 20 03:
• Something rotten in Queensland sex-abuse row.AUSTRALIA: ... Goss cabinet's shredding of the Heiner inquiry documents. ... destroyed in the full knowledge that they were required as evidence in impending litigation. ...
-- The Bulletin, The Letters pages, Re "Something rotten in the state of Queensland 23.09.03," from Les Kelly, Kingsmeadow, Tas,
p 10, Oct 21 2003
• Claim of sex-abuse inactivity by Queensland officialdom.AUSTRALIA: Despite the protestations of Premier Peter Beattie, allegations that the Queensland government is covering up a child-abuse scandal won't go away.
With former governor-general Peter Hollingworth having retreated to virtual obscurity in Melbourne, his demise has been haunting politics in Queensland.
The state government has been under constant siege over further revelations involving abuse of children and conspicuous examples of official bungling and cover-ups.
Having led the charge for Hollingworth to stand down for his alleged failures in dealing with child abuse matters, Premier Peter Beattie has been assailed to enforce the same standard for his own administration.
After one of the latest revelations, when a senior departmental officer was stood aside a week-an-a-half ago for failing to act on information about child sexual abuse in a foster family, the opposition moved a motion in parliament calling on Beattie to also stand aside Minister for Families Judy Spence pending the outcome of a Crime and Misconduct Commission inquiry which began holding public hearings this week.
Invoking a now familiar cry, Opposition leader Lawrence Springborg called on Beattie to "impose the same standards on his minister for families as he demanded of the former governor-general." . . .
... [minister] Spence ... " ... In this case ... the officer prima-facie failed to make correct decisions on a number of occasions."
... reignited scrutiny of her predecessor Anna Bligh who, when minister for families in 1999, it is claimed, similarly ... on two separate occasions ... involving a foster family ("Something rotten in the state of Queensland", September 23).
... raised at a national level last Wednesday ... Queensland Liberal Senator Santo Santoro claimed ... the "interest of the premier of Queensland is to protect his preferred heir, Anna Bligh ... "
-- The Bulletin, "Rotten row," by Bob Bottom,
p 12, Oct 21 2003
• NT pedophiles to be outed on Internet.
DARWIN, N. Territory, Australia: Pedophiles and sex offenders in the Northern Territory will have their identities, addresses and criminal histories revealed by a national child protection group.
Movement Against Kindred Offenders (MAKO) has "notified" 60 Australian communities via letterbox drops of sex offenders living in their neighbourhoods.
The group advocates a "zero tolerance" approach to offenders.
MAKO president Kylie Newman said yesterday the group had focused its efforts on the eastern states in past years.
But this year it notified the WA community of Kalgoorlie about a sex offender living in the region.
Ms Newman said the group was now looking to the Territory. "We are a national organisation -- most of our work so far has been in the eastern states but we've just done a notification in WA and we will be looking at the Territory in the future," she said.
Nine pedophiles in the Territory have already been outed on the group's Internet website www.mako.org.au
The listings include details of crimes and the date of their convictions. The MAKO website lists more than 520 convicted sex offenders Australia-wide.
Ms Newman denied she was creating a vigilante group.
"The majority of sex offenders will reoffend again and again and again," she said. "The average pedophile will molest between 45 and 135 children each.
"The protection of children and preventing further victims of sex crimes must be a priority.
"The purpose of this list is to promote public awareness and give some protection from the potential dangers posed by individuals who have committed sex offences in the past and to deter sex offenders from reoffending.
"This is not about revenge on these people. We want people to be vigilant not vigilantes."
-- Northern Territory News, Darwin,
NT pedophiles to be outed on Internet,
www.ntnews.news.com.au ,
By Edith Bevin, Oct 21 03
(by courtesy of www.mako.org.au)
########## Poynteronline Abuse Tracker, www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46, Tuesday, October 21, 2003 edition follows:- • Church study on sex abuse 'startling'.
ROME: The president of U.S. Roman Catholic bishops said yesterday an
upcoming study of the sexual abuse of children by clergy in America in the
past 50 years would likely produce "startling" numbers.
But Bishop Wilton Gregory of Belleville, Ill., cautioned no other
comparable studies had been done for other areas such as schools, sports
or the medical community.
He called for surveys in other sectors to put the results into perspective
because pedophilia was not just a Catholic problem.
"The bishops really want to be honest with our people and say, 'This is
the data we want to share with you'," Gregory said.
"The numbers are going to be startling because they are going to be
aggregate, over 50 years, and they will be startling because there is no
context.
-- Toronto Star
(http://www.thestar.com/NASApp/cs/ContentServer?pagename=thestar/Layout/Ar
ticle_Type1&c=Article&cid=1066687810371&call_pageid=968332188774&col=96835
0116467)
• Lee priest defends handling of case. [CURRENT]
SPRINGFIELD (MA): A Lee priest told parishioners during weekend Masses that he
acted on advice of diocesan leaders when dealing with a woman who said
another priest fathered the child she is carrying.
"Every action I took was in conjunction with the advice of diocesan
officials. Not having any experience with matters like this, I relied on
their guidance," the Rev. Gary M. Dailey, pastor of St. Mary Mother of the
Church parish of Lee, told parishioners.
The text of his address was released by the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Springfield yesterday.
Former rectory housekeeper Josephine DiZoglio said last week that Dailey
prevented her from seeing or speaking to the Rev. Paul C. Laflamme, the
father of her unborn child.
A diocesan statement released Friday said Laflamme was removed from
ministry after he admitted having a sexual relationship with the woman.
Laflamme, who served in Springfield before working in Lee, could not be
reached for comment.
-- The Republican
(http://www.masslive.com/search/index.ssf?/base/news-3/1066722038100300.xml?nnae)
By BILL ZAJAC,
wzajac@repub.com, Oct 21 03
• Most plaintiffs accept $85 million church deal.
BOSTON (MA): More than 80 percent of the 552 eligible people have agreed to take part in the historic $85 million out-of-court settlement between the
Archdiocese of Boston and alleged victims of sexual abuse by clergy,
reaching the participation threshold necessary to make the agreement
binding and final, a lawyer for the church has determined.
Thomas H. Hannigan Jr., an attorney for the archdiocese, informed church
officials yesterday afternoon that a sufficient number of alleged victims
had chosen to accept the settlement, said the Rev. Christopher J. Coyne, a
spokesman for the archdiocese.
Archbishop Sean P. O'Malley, who was in Rome after attending ceremonies
for the beatification of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, released a statement
through Coyne yesterday lauding the milestone.
"I hope that in the next few days, even more of the plaintiffs will agree
to enter into the process," O'Malley said in the statement. "Now the
work of the arbitrators can begin and progress can be made in bringing to
conclusion the legal aspects of the cases of a great number of
survivors."
O'Malley added, however, that "much work remains to be done."
"The Archdiocese of Boston remains committed to doing everything we can
to work to bring about healing, reconciliation, and peace for those who
have been abused and for all who have been affected by this terrible
scandal," O'Malley said.
-- Boston Globe
(http://www.boston.com/news/local/articles/2003/10/21/most_plaintiffs_accept_85_million_church_deal/)
By Ralph Ranalli, Globe Staff, Oct 21 2003
• Archdiocese starts background checks.
NEW YORK: The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has hired a private company to run background checks on all employees and volunteers who work with
children, as required by a new national church policy for dealing with
sexual abuse.
In a letter distributed at Masses this past weekend, Cardinal Edward Egan
said screenings of bishops, priests and permanent deacons are already
under way. By November, screenings will begin for parish employees and
volunteers involved in schools, religious education, sports, youth
ministries and other programs involving minors.
"As with the background screening for our clergy, I realize that there may
be surprise, even hesitancy, about checking for criminal records
concerning persons whom we know well and who are doing splendid work for
our young people," the letter read. "I understand such feelings. However,
comprehensive screening is an essential part of our national and
Archdiocesan commitment to provide the safest possible environment for our
children and youth."
The policy requiring background checks was adopted by the nation's bishops
in June 2002, at the height of church's sex-abuse crisis, and was approved
by the Vatican in December.
-- The Journal News
(http://www.nynews.com/newsroom/102103/a05w21churchchecks.html)
By GARY STERN
October 21, 2003
• Sex abuse lawyer evaluates 2 former dioscesan leaders.
WEST PALM BEACH (FL): The Boston attorney who has successfully represented
more than 300 plaintiffs in sexual abuse suits against the Roman Catholic
Church offered his blunt opinion Monday of two former bishops in the
Diocese of Palm Beach.
Roderick MacLeish Jr. couldn't have had higher praise for Bishop Sean
Patrick O'Malley, who left the Palm Beach Diocese earlier this year, after
only eight months, to lead the scandal-ridden Archdiocese of Boston.
"I'd like him to be a cardinal," MacLeish told The Forum Club of the Palm
Beaches during a noon luncheon at the Marriott Hotel. "He's a wonderful
man, a truly compassionate person."
MacLeish said he came to know O'Malley well during negotiations in 1992,
when O'Malley was the bishop of the Fall River, Mass., Diocese, and he was
representing scores of plaintiffs allegedly abused by the Rev. James
Porter during the 1960s.
"We settled for a lot of money," MacLeish recalled, "but he also helped
create a state-of-the-art policy on sexual abuse for the Fall River
Diocese. It was a model program, and it remains a model program."
-- Palm Beach Postwww.palmbeachpost.com ,
By Ron Hayes, Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Tuesday, October 21, 2003
• Diocese finishes abuse policy audit.
WILMINGTON (DE): An audit of the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's policies to prevent child
sexual abuse was completed last week, diocesan officials said Monday.
The audit was part of a mandate by the United States Conference of
Catholic Bishops requiring each of the nation's 195 dioceses and eparchies
to establish and enforce procedures to protect youths from abuse. The
national bishops group adopted its Vatican-approved "Charter for the
Protection of Children and Young People" in response to national scandals
in 2002.
Two retired FBI agents, now working with the Boston-based Gavin Group that
is conducting the audits nationally, spent about four days examining the
Wilmington diocese's policies and youth programs, said diocesan spokesman
Bob Krebs.
"We cooperated fully with the audit," Krebs said.
-- The News Journal
(http://www.delawareonline.com/newsjournal/local/2003/10/21diocesefinishes.html)
By BETH MILLER
Staff reporter
Oct 21 2003
• Archbishop Faced Criticism Over Abuse Cases.
HARTFORD (CT): The newly named replacement for Hartford Archbishop Daniel
Cronin has been criticized for the way he dealt with allegedly abusive
priests, but said Monday he would deal with such charges on a case-by-case
basis.
The Rev. Henry J. Mansell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Buffalo, N.Y., was introduced Monday as the replacement for Cronin, who
submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II last year when he turned
75, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops.
Mansell, 66, has overseen the Diocese of Buffalo since 1995. In September
he removed an undisclosed number of priests after allegations of past
sexual abuse. But he was the target of criticism from victims' advocates
when he did not release the names, parishes and number of priests removed
from service.
"Mansell's penchant for secrecy, especially in light of the repeated and
emphatic promises by America's bishops for openness and transparency, is
upsetting and dangerous," David Clohessy, national director of Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, said in a news release.
-- The Day
(http://www.theday.com/eng/web/newstand/re.aspx?reIDx=55381F3A-846F-47EE-AC04-64031E2F52FF)
By LAURA WALSH,
Oct 21 2003
• Next Archbishop of Hartford Cites a Need for New Priests.
HARTFORD (CT): Oct. 20: Bishop Henry J. Mansell, who was introduced as the next
archbishop of Hartford, said on Monday that the most pressing issues he
expected to face were the continuing challenge of attracting new priests
and dealing with the fallout from the sexual abuse scandals of recent
years.
Bishop Mansell, who has led the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo since
1995, will succeed Archbishop Daniel A. Cronin, who announced his
resignation last year when he turned 75, the mandatory retirement age for
bishops. Archbishop Cronin will remain in his position until Bishop
Mansell is officially sworn in on Dec. 18.
In an interview after a news conference, Bishop Mansell, 66, said that
many of the challenges he would face here were similar to those the church
faced across the country.
"I think it is important to address those concerns," he said. "What we
need is to realize how serious the issue of sexual abuse is," he said,
adding that it was important to see the subject not only in regard to the
church but also to society as whole.
"It's a societal issue," he said. As such, he said, it is the duty of the
church to help society provide a safe environment for children.
In Buffalo, some advocates for victims of sexual abuse by clergy members
criticized Bishop Mansell for not disclosing the names of priests he
dismissed as a result of allegations of sexual misconduct.
While not dealing with that criticism specifically, Bishop Mansell said
that news reports that he dismissed a group of priests in September were
not accurate. "I asked a certain number of priests in a certain number of
years to retire," he said at the news conference. "I do not feel at this
time that it is necessary to reveal names or numbers. It is a violation of
who they are. But I can say that in Buffalo now there is not a single
priest involved with any sexual abuse allegations."
-- The New York Times
(http://www.nytimes.com/2003/10/21/nyregion/21BISH.html?ex=1067400000&en=d67e5d81fcde9d79&ei=5062&partner=GOOGLE)
By MARC SANTORA,
Published: October 21, 2003
• BODYGUARDS needed to protect priest sex-abuse prosecutor. INFANT MENACED.
FLORIDA: After receiving threats against his family,
Boston attorney Roderick MacLeish Jr. thought about dropping his
representation of sexual assault victims against Roman Catholic priests in
the Archdiocese of Boston.
There was one reason he kept on -- his wife, Margo.
"We had to have bodyguards," MacLeish said. "When people found out where
my 2-year-old went to school and threatened her at the school, it just
wasn’t worth it. But Margo said to me, ‘You’ve got to keep doing this.
This is what you were meant to do.’ "
In 2002, MacLeish secured thousands of pages of the church’s secret
archival documents through a court order. He is credited with unveiling
the sexual abuses by more than 100 priests in the diocese and was
responsible for the resignation of former Boston Cardinal Bernard Law when
those documents showed Law knew of, and ignored, the abuses. Last month,
MacLeish helped secure an $85 million settlement for hundreds of victims
in the Boston Archdiocese.
A 25-year trial lawyer and principle shareholder in Greenberg Traurig’s
Boston office, MacLeish spoke Monday to 275 members and guests of the
Forum Club about some of the abuses suffered by his clients.
-- Palm Beach Daily News
"Attorney relates trials of pursuing priests' abuses,"
www.palmbeachdailynews.com
By Michele Dargan, Daily News Staff Writer,
Tuesday, Oct. 21, 2003
(Posted by Kathy Shaw 9:14:44 AM, Poynter Abuse Tracker)
• Lee priest 'relied on diocese' for advice.
LEE (MA): In an emotional statement to his parishioners over the weekend, the
Rev. Gary Dailey of St. Mary's Church stated emphatically that during the
past six months he relied "fully on the guidance of diocesan officials,
and did not knowingly do anything wrong" in handling a fellow priest's
sexual relationship with a parish housekeeper.
Dailey's statement was released to The Eagle by a spokesman for Bishop
Thomas L. Dupre of the Diocese of Springfield.
"Every action I took was in conjunction with the advice of diocesan
officials," Dailey said in his statement. "Not having any experience with
matters like this, I relied on their guidance."
However, spokesman Mark E. Dupont added that he didn't know which diocesan
officials Dailey was referring to when he said he acted on advice of the
church.
"It was not necessarily the Misconduct Commission," he said.
-- Berkshire Eagle,
http://www.berkshireeagle.com/Stories/0,1413,101~7514~1712615,00.html
By Stefanie Cohen
• Public service announcement urges victims of priest abuse to speak up.
LOS ANGELES (CA): A 30-second public service announcement unveiled Monday by a
national advocacy group urges victims of child sexual abuse committed by
priests to come forward and tell authorities.
The public service announcement, "Report the Crime, Protect a Child,"
features a molestation victim recounting his experience.
The video features Lee Bashforth, a Newport Beach stock broker, who
alleges he was a victim of priest abuse.
"I was molested as a child. I lived my life with memories buried deep
inside. I felt like I was the only one," Bashforth said in the video. "I
had to face the fear and shame head on ... to do the right thing. To
contact the police and tell them what happened to me."
-- The Mercury News,
http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/news/local/7063553.htm ,
Associated Press
• Priests could not have been taken to court under arrest - John Rizzo.MALTA: Police chief John Rizzo yesterday said no favouritism was shown to three
priests accused of sexual abuse of minors, citing European Court rulings
as the reason why they were notified of their court appearance by summons
and were not charged under arrest.
Mr Rizzo said the Police Corps had phased out the practise of taking
people to court under arrest after two European Court rulings against
Malta which judged that doing so without a valid reason breached
fundamental human rights. He said the practice had changed about three to
four years ago.
Mr Rizzo said: "The cases in question are very old, some of them 12 years
old and while extremely serious cannot be judged as necessitating the
accused to be taken to court under arrest."
The police chief explained that the only times that people were charged
under arrest when there was physical evidence in police possession or if
the accused had been caught red-handed.
"In these cases, we have the word of one against another. They are very
serious allegations, but there is no way the prosecution could have
justified the arrest of the three priests in question," he said.
Mr Rizzo said that in modern practice, the prosecution must justify the
fact that an accused is charged while under arrest. "We always have to
present a legal letter by the Attorney General to defend the reasoning
behind taking the person to court in police custody," he said.
-- Independent,
http://www.independent.com.mt/daily/newsview.asp?id=21679 ,
by Michael Carabott
• Archdiocese argues man's abuse case filed too late.
LOUISVILLE (KY): A lawyer for the Archdiocese of Louisville argued yesterday that a judge should throw out the suit of the only plaintiff who opted out of a
$25.7million sexual abuse settlement because his case was filed years too
late.
Jefferson Circuit Judge Thomas B. Wine listened to oral arguments in the
case of Kyle Burden for about an hour.
He did not indicate when he would rule on the archdiocese's motion for
summary judgment.
Of the 12 sexual abuse cases pending against the Roman Catholic
archdiocese, Burden's is the only one that could have been part of the
settlement that involved 243 plaintiffs.
"This is a case that pretty much stands alone at the moment," said Ed
Stopher, the attorney arguing for the archdiocese.
-- The Courier-Journal,
(http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/10/21ky/met-3-abuse1021-4764.html)
By GREGORY A. HALL,
ghall@courier-journal.com
• Mansell Introduced as Replacement for Archbishop Daniel Cronin.
HARTFORD (Conn.), October 20, 2003 -AP): The newly named replacement
for Hartford Archbishop Daniel Cronin has been criticized for the way he
dealt with allegedly abusive priests, but said Monday he would deal with
such charges on a case-by-case basis.
The Rev. Henry J. Mansell, bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of
Buffalo, N.Y., was introduced Monday as the replacement for Cronin, who
submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II last year when he turned
75, the mandatory age of retirement for bishops.
Mansell, 66, has overseen the Diocese of Buffalo since 1995. In September
he removed an undisclosed number of priests after allegations of past
sexual abuse. But he was the target of criticism from victims' advocates
when he did not release the names, parishes and number of priests removed
from service.
"Mansell's penchant for secrecy, especially in light of the repeated and
emphatic promises by America's bishops for openness and transparency, is
upsetting and dangerous," David Clohessy, national director of Survivors
Network of those Abused by Priests, said in a news release.
-- WIVB
http://www.wivb.com/Global/story.asp?S=1489480&nav=0RapId7o , AP,
Monday, October 20, 2003
• Plaintiffs Accept $85M Boston Church Deal.
BOSTON (MA): The Boston Archdiocese's record-breaking $85 million settlement
with hundreds of alleged victims of child-molesting priests has won more
than the 80 percent approval needed to take effect, a church lawyer said
Monday.
The archdiocese's lawyer, Thomas Hannigan Jr., said he received signed
agreements from more than 442 of the 552 plaintiffs.
The 80 percent threshold was reached three days before Thursday's
deadline, set in September when the archdiocese agreed to the settlement.
Now, each victim will tell his or her story to a mediator, who will decide
the amount the person will receive, within the range of $80,000 to
$300,000 set by the agreement. That process is set to begin Tuesday, said
Mitchell Garabedian, who represents 120 plaintiffs.
Amounts will be based on the type, severity and duration of the abuse, as
well as the suffering it caused.
Alexa MacPherson, 28, said she signed the agreement to get on with her
life.
"This will be something that will always be with me, but I don't want it
to run my life any longer," she said. "I've carried a lot of guilt and
pain, and been ashamed and embarrassed. It's time for that to be put
aside."
Those who opt not to sign the agreement are planning to take their cases
to trial, said plaintiffs lawyer Roderick MacLeish Jr.
-- Santa Maria Times
(http://www.santamariatimes.com/articles/2003/10/20/ap/Headlines/d7ua5q500.txt)
By DENISE LAVOIE
• The never-ending scandal [1985]
CALIFORNIA: Editorial:
The latest allegations in the Roman Catholic Church scandals
lay responsibility at the feet of local leaders.
News stories about former Roman Catholic priest Eleuterio Ramos, who
recently admitted to Orange police that he molested more than 25 young
boys during the 1970s and 1980s, brought to mind an article former Bishop
of Orange Norman McFarland wrote recently in the Orange County Catholic.
Called "The Age of the Amateur," the article was a stinging attack on
those in the media who reported about the papal document from 1962 that
has been widely interpreted as a blueprint for avoiding investigations of
child abuse. The former bishop blasts that interpretation, with the clear
subtext: Trust the church authorities - the professionals - to deal with
the abuse crisis, not the amateurs in the public and the media.
But the Register's timeline and article regarding the Ramos situation are
instructive of where church leadership has gotten us. Attorney John Manly,
who represents five alleged victims of the Rev. Ramos, said that one of
the victims reported to his pastor in 1978 that he was molested by the
Rev. Ramos at St. Joseph's in Placentia.
In 1979, the church sent the Rev.
Ramos to psychological treatment in Massachusetts. He remained in the
ministry, serving in a church in La Habra in 1980, and then in Tijuana in
1985. The priest admitted to the Orange police that he continued to molest
boys over that period.
-- The Orange County Register
http://www2.ocregister.com
(Posted by Kathy Shaw, Poynter)
########## End of www.poynter.org/column.asp?id=46, Tuesday, October 21, 2003
FOR GOOD TEACHINGS TO BE HEEDED, A BIG CLEAN-UP IS NEEDED
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