Posted on 10/12/2005 6:06:52 AM PDT by NYer
LOS ANGELES (AP) _ For decades, the Los Angeles Archdiocese ignored parishioners' sex abuse complaints and shipped accused priests between therapy and new assignments, according to newly released personnel records involving 126 clergymen.
In many cases, there was little mention of child molestation. Instead, euphemisms such as ``boundary violations'' were used to describe the conduct.
The summaries of the personnel records were released Tuesday as part of settlement talks with lawyers for more than 500 accusers who sued the nation's largest Roman Catholic archdiocese.
The records, released after nearly three years of legal wrangling, cover priests who were ordained as far back as the 1920s. The documents offer details in numerous cases, though much of the information has already been published.
Raymond P. Boucher, the plaintiffs' lead attorney, said the newly released information was a first step but that complete personnel files, including letters of transfer and other confidential documents, should be made public.
``The significance of these files is that they provide a little more information for the public about the church's knowledge and frankly their participation in the molestation of children, but until the (entire) files are made public, we're not going to be satisfied,'' he said.
Archdiocese and plaintiff attorneys had agreed to release the information, but lawyers for the accused clergy succeeded in blocking publication, arguing it would violate their clients' privacy rights.
An appellate court ordered the documents released last month. Archdiocese attorney J. Michael Hennigan called Boucher's concerns that the summaries might be whitewashed ``nonsense.'' ``Ray has not seen the files themselves and has no basis to say that beyond speculation,'' he said. ``These are accurate descriptions of the content of the files, without disclosing confidential communication.''
One priest, who served as a teacher and administrator at numerous Southern California schools, was convicted of molesting two boys and given probation. The conviction was later expunged from his record. A subsequent report was made in 1994 of ``boundary violations,'' in which he allegedly patted the buttocks of a teenager. He entered alcohol treatment days later and was eventually placed on leave.
Another priest's file shows the archdiocese received repeated complaints that he engaged in ``inappropriate sexual conduct with children'' beginning in 1959, but that it did not appear to take significant action against him until 1994 when he was relieved of his duties, documents said.
David Clohessy, who heads a victims' rights group, called the information release a ``shrewd public relations effort,'' as civil cases against the clergy inch toward trial. But Hennigan said in the early days of the accusations, church officials did not go to civil authorities because ``parents of children who had been victims did not want their children famous for this. They did not want people talking about this.''
Hennigan said that in many cases counseling was offered to clergymen accused of abuse. Those accused were generally removed from the ministry altogether as church officials' understanding of sexual abuse increased, he said. The files show that in many cases the church provided years of therapy to some of the clergy.
The archdiocese has posted nearly 150 pages of summaries from the clergy files on its Web site. ___
On the Net:
http://www.la-archdiocese.org
AP-ES-10-12-05 0807EDT
In other words, this problem has been around for a long time and is NOT the result of Vatican Council II.
" In other words, this problem has been around for a long time and is NOT the result of Vatican Council II."
That's right. It would be better said that the abuses of Vatican II (the so called "Spirit of Vatican II") are the result of the problem - that being the infiltration of communists into the seminaries starting in the 1920's. That attempted destruction of our Holy Mother the Church has been systematic, large scale and well financed through most of the XXth Century.
My vituperation for Cardinal Mahoney Baloney knows no bounds. I wish the legal system would dispence with this cipher.
"Last year, the Diocese of Orange settled 90 cases for $100 million. Parties to the current suits have estimated that suits against the LA Archdiocese, which involve alleged abuse by more than 200 priests, could cost $1 billion."
By Jean Guccione and Nita Lelyveld
http://www.latimes.com/news/local/la-me-lapriest12oct12,0,4555379.story?coll=la-home-headlines
I hate to say this but until they lose their real estate, their tax exempt status, and some of the bishops have their asses parked in a jail cell, this will keep on happening. frankly these conspiraces reek like organized crime and the RICO statues should be used in these cases.
Jadot is still proud of some of his most notorious picks, such as Bishop Walter Sullivan of Richmond, Va., Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee, and Roger Cardinal Mahony of Los Angeles - to name but a few, many of whom are known more for their advocacy of homosexual rights, their protection of pederast priests, and their conunitment to modernism than to their commitment to the Church's doctrines.
Still Proud Of Bishops He Gave U.S.
It seems like a conspiracy since it happened all over the country. If I remember correctly, RICO was tried, but it didn't work out.
It's the fault of those anti catholic bashers! They set the whole catholic operation for this fall! It's a well thought out conspiracy, I tell ya! (Heavy sarcasm alert for those who continue to believe...)
Homosexual Agenda Ping.
News about the L.A. dicocese and past homosexual abuse. Men who abuse either pre-pubescent children or teenage boys need punishment. "Therapy" is not what they need. Ok, they can have "therapy" and punishment. Of course, the punishment that I consider just is not a few years in jail. But that's another matter.
Freepmail me if you want on/off this pinglist.
I think we can safely put that 'spirit' in lower case. I don't know who that spirit is, but I don't think it's the Holy Spirit because that spirit seems to directly contradict the 'letter' of Vatican II at every turn.
Whoever that spirit is, I wish it would get lost.
Yeah, I was thinking, pikachu, the lead chair at the prosecution table seems to be open. Nobody seems to have adequate evidence to make a RICO case. Or even a conspiracy case under state laws. Reasonable doubt is a pretty high hurdle.
That's punishing the innocent for the crimes of the guilty. All of that real estate was bought and paid for by the sweat of real, live, working Catholic laypeople. Taking it hurts Joe the plumber and Teresa the secretary down the street and their kids, who will have neither a parish nor a school nearby, instead of having one that their parents helped to build. Joe and Teresa never molested anyone, and neither did their kids.
some of the bishops have their asses parked in a jail cell
On the other hand, this is punishing the guilty for the crimes of the guilty, and I haven't the slightest problem with it. (All the legal niceties having been followed, of course.)
BTTT! Will Mahony ever have to answer?
"Church officials say their policies have evolved over time into a "zero-tolerance" stance that reflects changes in their thinking on how best to handle child molesters."
What is the level of tolerance we should have for child molesters?
You think that's something for as bad as it is? You should find out how it's handled in school systems, both compulsory and university level. The truth would make the church look like a walk in the park. The underlying liberal mind set is the same for both. It's come out from under it's ugly rock now and has invaded public policy.
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