Posted on 01/25/2002 8:26:05 AM PST by Palladin
Boston Archdiocese Changes Course
BOSTON- Reversing a long-standing policy, Cardinal Bernard Law of the Archdiocese of Boston said he will require clergy to report even past allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
Law did not say when or how he would report the allegations but he reiterated that he wasn't aware of any priest currently holding a position in the archdiocese who has been "guilty of the sexual abuse of a minor."
"As I reflect on this whole issue, from the perspective of the child, I believe that everything that can possibly be done to protect a child from that kind of abuse must be done," Law said Thursday at his second news conference on clergy sexual abuse in two weeks.
Earlier this month, Law had said clergy in the archdiocese would be ordered to report sexual abuse to authorities, not just to church officials as the Vatican had ordered. His policy, however, was not retroactive.
Donna M. Morrissey, a spokeswoman for the cardinal, has said retroactive reporting would be inappropriate because the church gave assurances of confidentiality to victims.
But state Attorney General Thomas F. Reilly, who met Wednesday with an archdiocesan lawyer, said: "When it comes to abuse of kids, there should be no exceptions."
State legislation currently being weighed would require clergy to report evidence of sexual abuse of children to the Department of Social Services, as doctors, teachers and social workers are already required to do.
"I'm really talking about moving forward long-term, not just in the moment," Law said.
The archbishop named a panel of medical experts and educators to look at the archdiocese's policy on ways to deal with victims and to prevent sexual abuse of children.
"This is a tall order, and what I am sharing with you now is the beginning of a process, the beginning of a journey," Law said, as he again apologized to those victimized by priests.
Law's announcement came at the close of a two-day archdiocese meeting with 500 priests, and the same day 10,000 pages were released detailing how Catholic leaders continued to support the former Rev. John Geoghan - and transferred him from parish to parish - even after warnings from doctors and allegations of sexual abuse of children.
Geoghan was convicted last week of indecent assault on a 10-year-old boy and faces two more criminal trials. He's also named in 84 civil lawsuits related to alleged abuse.
Geoghan, 66, was defrocked in 1998. More than 130 people have come forward with allegations claiming that Geoghan fondled or raped them between 1962 and 1995.
The archdiocese faced scrutiny and Law acknowledged he knew about Geoghan's problems in 1984, his first year as archbishop, yet approved his transfer to another parish even though he had been removed from two others after being accused of molesting children.
"I wish I could undo what I now see to have been mistakes," he said. "However, that is not a possibility." --
I'd say Mr. Law (I refuse to call him Cardinal) ought to reverse another "long-standing policy" and vacate his position immediately. Anybody who serves as a lap-dog to the Kennedy family is not to be trusted, and this bastard's response to these incidents of child molestation in his diocese is just icing on the cake.
These six things doth the LORD hate: yea, seven are an abomination unto him:
A proud look, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood,
An heart that deviseth wicked imaginations, feet that be swift in running to mischief,
A false witness that speaketh lies, and he that soweth discord among brethren.
Proverbs 6:16-19
The Kindest Regards for an Errant Priest
IN HIS CLOSED-DOOR pep rally this week to shoo off the vultures over the horrible handling of the John Geoghan child sexual abuse scandal, Cardinal Bernard Law said: ''My resignation is not part of the solution as I see it. I want the archdiocese to become a model for how this issue should be handled. I have a responsibility as your archbishop to help that happen.... What I have come to learn with a much more vivid clarity during the past weeks is that our singular focus must be the protection of children.''
According to the Globe's coverage, Law was applauded at his pep rally. Its very congeniality was telling. Even as the cardinal spoke of clarity, the code of silence in the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston remained vividly clear. Many priests refused to talk to reporters. Those who did were in obvious lock step behind Law. Monsignor Paul B. McInerny said: ''Cardinal Law is the best thing that's ever happened to the church of Boston in terms of leadership.... This one mistake ... is not the reason and cannot be the thing that ends his incredible leadership of this local church.''
''This one mistake'' is a shockingly insensitive attempt by McInerny to diminish the 130 alleged cases of sexual abuse, at least 30 of which happened after Law became the archbishop in 1984. This is especially true since the day after the pep rally, the Globe's Spotlight Team published excerpts of dozens of internal documents about Geoghan. None of the ones involving Law speak to ''the protection of children.'' They all involve the coddling of Geoghan.
The newly revealed documents show that Geoghan was treated with a frat brother's love as as he was shuffled from parish to parish for his sexual abuse of children. Twice, in 1974 and 1981, when the late Cardinal Humberto Medeiros placed him at St. Andrew's in Jamaica Plain and St. Brendan's in Dorchester, Medeiros wrote to Geoghan, ''I am confident that you will render fine priestly service to the People of God.'' In 1982, after families pleaded with Medeiros to take Geoghan out of the priesthood, Medeiros sent Geoghan to Rome on a sabbatical with $2,000 in expense money.
In 1984 Law continued Medeiros's covering for Geoghan. Law removed Geoghan from St. Brendan's in Dorchester over yet more complaints of abuse, but put him at St. Julia's in Weston. That was over the objections of Bishop John D'Arcy, who knew of Geoghan's past. In the next eight years, Geoghan allegedly abused children another 30 times.
In the middle of those years, 1989, Geoghan was taken out of service for counseling for his pedophilia, but put back in service by Law. Though the nation's Catholic bishops had been informed in 1985 in an internal report that pedophilia is probably incurable, Law wrote to Geoghan: ''It is most heartening to know that things have gone well for you and that you are ready to resume your efforts with a renewed zeal and enthusiasm.... With my warmest personal regards and my blessing upon you and all whom you serve so well, I remain sincerely yours in Christ.''
I doubt you can find too many CEOs who would write such a letter to a known serial child sex molester and rapist.
After Geoghan was taken out of St. Julia's, he was reassigned to Regina Cleri, a residence for retired priests, where, during 1993- 1996, he was accused of even more molestations. But all that Law ever said to Geoghan when he placed him on administrative leave in 1994 was: ''I realize this is a difficult time for you and for those close to you. If I can be of help to you in some way, please contact me. Be assured you are remembered in my prayers.''
In 1996, when Law sent Geoghan to yet another round of residential treatment, Law told Geoghan, ''These are difficult matters, John. You are in my thoughts and prayers. With warm personal regards and asking God to bless you ...''
In 1996, Law wrote Geoghan to say, ''Yours has been an effective life of ministry, sadly impaired by illness. On behalf of those you have served well, and in my own name, I would like to thank you.... We are our best selves when we respond in honesty and trust. God bless you, Jack.''
Contrast those kindly letters with what Geoghan's victims got from the hierarchy of the Catholic Church. The victims either were met with silence or were guilt-tripped by priests to remain silent.
In a press conference yesterday, Law repeated his newfound assertion that his singular focus must be ''the protection of children.'' But the singular focus of his lawyers is to go to court to try to discredit the children who say that they were victimized by Geoghan. This is not the model for how this issue should be handled.
Derrick Z. Jackson's e-mail address is jackson@globe.com.
Too little, too late. And the non-retroactive policy is untenable. There is no need to disclose the victims' names, just the criminals'. Get rid of them all - no matter how far back the abuse occurred.
It is estimated that a pedophile molests anywhere from 200 to 400 children in his lifetime. That means there are possibly 10,000 to 20,000 children (many now grown) who have been molested by priests in the Boston Archdiocese and who may have been victims during the reign of Bernard Law.
The cardinal has much to answer for before the throne of God on Judgment Day.
Evidently, these men are subsidized by the diocese for years after they are removed from active duty.
As most of us had suspected, the case of John Geoghan is just the tip of the iceberg.
At this rate, the Boston Globe will have enough pedophile priest stories to last a year in the boston archdiocese.
I agree with you that Law should be forcibly retired and sent to a far-away monastery, as happened to Archbishop Sanchez in the Phoenix diocese for his part in reassigning known pedophile priests.
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.