Some warn priests’ rights could be next victim of sexual abuse scandal

BOSTON (AP) — With the Archdiocese of Boston suspending priests on suspicion of child molestation and turning their names over to prosecutors, some are warning that the church is moving too fast and that priests’ rights are being trampled.

"It’s almost like a movie — you’re convicted and then they try you," said Michael Higgins, a former priest who is the head of Justice for Priests and Deacons, an organization founded by canon lawyers in 1997 to defend the rights of Roman Catholic clergy. "The bishops are running scared, and the bottom line is they want to protect the diocesan coffers."

In the past month, church officials have given prosecutors the names of 80 priests accused over the past half-century of molesting children. Names of the accused were included in news releases, and 10 active priests were suspended, some evicted from their rectories.

Critics who say the system assumes the accused are guilty point to the case of the Rev. D. George Spagnolia. After he criticized church officials and priests over the sexual abuse scandal, he was accused recently of molesting a boy 31 years ago.

The archdiocese stripped him of his parish and ordered him to move out of the rectory. His name was turned over to prosecutors, and a news release faxed to reporters identified him as the 10th suspended priest.

He has denied the allegations and has vowed to challenge the archdiocese. Spagnolia has argued that church officials did not have time to conduct even a cursory investigation between first hearing of the accusation Feb. 16 and contacting him Feb. 19. He has asked prosecutors to investigate the allegations quickly and clear his name.

The archdiocese, which would not comment on specific cases, said it has followed established church policy in reviewing the allegations and meeting with the accuser and the accused. It also stressed that suspensions should not be viewed as a conviction.

"Our utmost priority in applying a zero-tolerance standard is the protection of minors," the archdiocese said in a statement. "We are at the same time, however, mindful of the rights of the accused, and our policy strives to preserve those rights."

Largely because of the Boston scandal, dioceses around the country are under pressure to clean house and remove priests accused of molesting children. Up to a dozen priests in Southern California have been ordered to retire. But it was unclear whether the Archdiocese of Los Angeles would give the priests’ names to law enforcement authorities.

In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law announced the zero-tolerance policy toward child-molestation claims in January after it was reported that the archdiocese had shuttled now-defrocked priest and convicted pedophile John Geoghan from parish to parish despite the allegations against him.

The Rev. Robert J. Silva, president of the National Federation of Priests’ Councils, said the church must try to strike a balance between canon law, which protects the privacy of a priest and his good name, and the desire to act swiftly on sexual abuse allegations.

"Every priest today lives with a fear that someone will falsely accuse them. That is a terrible anxiety," Silva said.

Unlike government agencies, which are required to provide constitutional due-process protections, private institutions — and especially religious institutions — have great latitude in the way they treat their employees.

Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer representing 86 alleged victims of Geoghan, said the flood of allegations against priests, and the accompanying stigma, are to be expected after so many years of official silence by the church.

"What you’re seeing now is the natural result of the archdiocese covering up in past decades the fact that so many child abusers were within its ranks," he said.

Jim Sacco, 42, of Amherst, N.H., one of 130 people who say they were abused by Geoghan as children, said that as long as priests’ rights are respected, the emphasis should be on protecting children.

"I’d rather be in his shoes than in mine," Sacco said of Spagnolia’s case. "If he’s innocent, then toot your horn and that’s fine."

ISN'T IT BETTER TO ERROR ON THE SIDE OF THE CHILDREN?

Priest's rights might be trampled? WHAT?

What about the children? How many more must be molested?

I would rather see 10 priests mistakenly accused than one more child molested! ANY DECENT PRIEST SHOULD FEEL THE SAME WAY! After all their accusers will be forgiven in the eyes of God, and why should the children pay for the sins of the father?

"All of us are going to be fed to the wolves," Spagnolia said.

As well they should be for turning their backs on the raping of the children!

I would rather see 10 priests mistakenly accused than one more child molested!

Of course, you would. It's very easy to shrug off false accusations against someone else. How would you personally like to be falsely accused of a crime? Would you gladly accept it? Would you be willing to spend time in jail for a crime you didn't commit as long as it's "for the children"?

"All of us are going to be fed to the wolves," Spagnolia said.

Well if what I've read is correct, this guy is not exactly the poster boy of the 'we've been framed' crowd. The day after his big protest against Cardinal Law (with all the expected media coverage) it is revealed that he had been on leave from the priesthood for many years and during that time had a couple of homosexual partners. I would have thought that if he didn't want THAT brought out he should have kept his mouth shut. Or maybe someone DID want it brought out to get some sort of sympathy for this homosexual man who is being persecuted by the big bad Roman Catholic Church. Who knows? But I wouldn't put any faith in this guy.

Just goes to show the Church is damned by the liberal media whether it releases the info or not. I'm glad the Cardinal is changing the rules to turn these guys over. It will be difficult for anyone to get away with that activity in the future because they know their butts will get turned in to the cops from now on.

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Lets Error on the side of Safety

In Boston, Cardinal Bernard Law ...

If Law took care of this years ago, this wouldn't be happening now...at least in Bahston...he was a coward then and he's a coward now, just covering his own ass...(no pun intended...I think...)

FMCDH

Of course, you would. It's very easy to shrug off false accusations against someone else. How would you personally like to be falsely accused of a crime?

If I fit the profile, then yes I should be accused and investigated! If certain priests are innocent, then so be it, if they are innocent the truth will come out!

If there is any evidence to warrant an investigation into an accusation, then they should be investigated! Also if the church hadn't been ignoring this for so many years and just passing child molestors off to the next parish, this would not be an issue!

I would comment, but you can't "bash" religious issues on Freep without being banned, even though the powers that be will not furnish a defintion of "bashing." No comment.....

Sure you can, if you don't turn into a bigot.

Maybe it's your manner of argument, Malcolm.

I've been jumping on fundamentalists for four years, respectfully, and have never gotten as much as a reprimand.

Just don't turn into a Catholic-hater or a Mormon-trasher like Race Bannon, and you'll be OK.

If certain priests are innocent, then so be it, if they are innocent the truth will come out!

Easier said than done. For the last few hundred years, criminal jurisprudence has recognized the extreme difficulty of proving innocence. Under some circumstances, it's relatively easy to prove that you couldn't have done something (e.g., if you were hundreds of miles away when the crime was committed). Other times, though, it is literally impossible to establish with 100% certainty that you couldn't have done the crime. That's why there's a burden on the prosecution to prove that you did do it, rather than a burden on you to prove that you didn't.

I understand your points and I understand the problem with defending yourself against unwarranted accusations!

As I see it though, Priests have it coming, they have been ignoring this problem for far too long, and their silence has made the situation worse!

I would say though that in cases where only one accuser has come forward over many years I would be suspect of that case. In cases where many have come forward, there seems to be good reason to investigate further.

It appears that many have had multiple accusations, and I doubt that true pediphiles would stop at one.

Just goes to show the Church is damned by the liberal media whether it releases the info or not. I'm glad the Cardinal is changing the rules to turn these guys over.

All these Cover Up Cardinals should go to jail for abeting a crime by protecting child abusers

Just goes to show the Church is damned by the liberal media whether it releases the info or not. I'm glad the Cardinal is changing the rules to turn these guys over.

Good point. The Church should do the right thing and cooperate completely in this investigation. The media will hate them no matter what they do, so that should be irrelevant to the consideration. Frankly, the media views every issue involving the Catholic Church, including this one, through the prism of abortion. As far as the media is concerned, any pro-life view is extremist, from absolutist pro-life to any mild restriction, so they beat up the Church every chance they get. Forget the media, put those kids first, get rid of those priests (including criminal penalties) and put its own house in order. It's just the right thing to do.

The Catholic was church was aiding homosexuals. Shame on them.
That's what happens when homosexuals are allowed around the children. When will America learn? How many more children before America wakes up?
Those poor kids. Scared for life.

That's what happens when homosexuals are allowed around the children.

Now that I DON'T AGREE WITH!

Not all homosexuals are pedophiles and there are plenty of straight pedophiles too!

This article leaves out a few minor details about Father Spagnolia - for instance, he was away from the priesthood for almost 20 years, and was reinstated in 1993. He told the Boston papers that during that time he remained celibate. Then one of his boyfriends took umbrage and contacted the papers - apparently Fr. S spent quite a bit of time in the "gay community," and had at least one other boyfriend as well. Oops.

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