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Papers in Pedophile Case Show Church Effort to Avert Scandal
The New York Times | January 25, 2002

Posted on 01/25/2002 8:45:30 PM PST by gcruse

              January 25, 2002

              Papers in Pedophile Case
              Show Church Effort to Avert
              Scandal

              By PAM BELLUCK

                   OSTON, Jan. 24 — The Roman Catholic
                   archdiocese here seemed more preoccupied
              with avoiding a scandal involving a pedophile priest
              than making sure the priest had no further contact
              with children, documents released today suggest.

              The documents — depositions, letters and
              memorandums from 84 civil lawsuits against the
              priest and the archdiocese — reveal in detail that
              the church knew of the priest's pedophilia, but
              moved him from one parish to another for 30
              years.

              The revelations prompted Boston's cardinal, Bernard F. Law, to apologize for the second time this month for
              the archdiocese's handling of the priest, John J. Geoghan, 66, who was convicted last week of molesting a
              boy in a youth club pool and faces two more criminal trials on similar charges.

              More than 130 people in half a dozen parishes here said Mr. Geoghan, who was defrocked in 1998,
              molested them as children in incidents that occurred from 1962 to 1995. The church has settled about 50
              lawsuits for a total of more than $10 million.

              "I made a mistake in assigning John Geoghan," Cardinal Law said. "I regret that assignment, and I have
              attempted to learn from that mistake."

              In a departure from longstanding church policy, the cardinal also announced that he would require clergymen
              and officials of the archdiocese to report to the authorities past accusations of sexual abuse by priests.

              "We will be going to public authorities with the names of all priests that we
              are aware of that have abused minors," Cardinal Law said.

              He also said he was convening a panel of medical experts to study ways to
              prevent child abuse and deal with victims.

              The 10,000 pages of new documents include depositions by bishops who
              were aware of Mr. Geoghan's problem, notes from psychiatrists who
              evaluated him, letters from parishioners complaining of church inaction and
              letters from the two cardinals during Mr. Geoghan's tenure, the late Cardinal
              Humberto Medeiros and Cardinal Law.

              The Boston archdiocese has long tried to keep the documents sealed, and
              they became public only after The Boston Globe filed a request to see them
              and a judge ordered the records opened last year. The Globe published
              excerpts and an analysis of the records today.

              In one deposition, Bishop Thomas V. Daily, now leader of the Brooklyn
              diocese, was asked if it were archdiocesan policy "to avoid scandal where
              possible."

              The bishop replied, "Yes."

              "And were these events types of events that would cause scandal for the church?" Bishop Daily was asked.

              "Yes," he replied.

              In a 1982 letter, Margaret Gallant, a relative of seven boys molested by Mr. Geoghan, wrote to Cardinal
              Medeiros complaining that Bishop Daily had "suggested that we keep silent." Her relatives, Mrs. Gallant
              wrote, "never as much as received an apology from the church, much less any offer for counseling for the
              boys."

              In reply, Cardinal Medeiros wrote, "While I am and must be very sensitive to a very delicate situation and one
              that has caused great scandal, I must at the same time invoke the mercy of God and share in that mercy in the
              knowledge that God forgives sins and that sinners indeed can be forgiven."

              In the documents, church officials, including Cardinal Law, often treated Mr. Geoghan as a sinner who had
              repented and recovered.

              "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," Cardinal Law wrote to Mr. Geoghan in 1989, when the cardinal allowed the priest to
              return to St. Julia Parish in suburban Weston after treatment.

              The documents released today deepened the anger that Boston Catholics already felt over the church's
              handling of the case.

              "Even the ones who raised the red flag, they raised it as scandal, they said they didn't want scandal to come to
              the church," said Thomas H. Groome, a professor of religious education at Boston College. "That the crime
              had caused extraordinary damage to the parishioners and their children was not in their consciousness."

              Some parishioners and a few priests have called on Cardinal Law to resign. But today the cardinal, who is
              considered close to the pope and is one of the country's most influential Roman Catholic leaders, dismissed
              that possibility.

              "The solution to this problem as I see it does not include my resignation as archbishop," Cardinal Law said.
              "You don't walk away when the problem is difficult."

              Two weeks ago, in his first apology, the cardinal announced a policy of zero tolerance of future sexual abuse
              of children by priests and required clergymen to report evidence of such abuse to the state authorities. This
              followed a Vatican order requiring all archdioceses to report accusations of pedophilia to the Vatican.

              But this week, the Senate in this heavily Roman Catholic state voted to go beyond Cardinal Law's actions,
              passing an amendment that would require reporting of evidence of past sexual abuse.

              "In a state like Massachusetts, in a city like Boston, I think that's a considerable turnaround," said Thomas H.
              O'Connor, the university historian at Boston College. "The general perception was that the Legislature would
              do pretty much what the cardinal said, but they can't afford to take that position any longer."

              In response to the Legislature, the cardinal revised archdiocese policy to require reporting of past abuse as
              well.

              In his first apology, Cardinal Law said he relied on psychiatric evaluations that suggested Mr. Geoghan could
              be safely reassigned to parishes. The newly disclosed documents contain a number of positive evaluations of
              Mr. Geoghan. But they also include negative ones, including notes that Bishop Robert J. Banks took from a
              conversation he had with one of Mr. Geoghan's psychiatrists in 1989, saying "you can't afford to have him in a
              parish," and "you better clip his wings before there is an explosion."

              Later that year, Mr. Geoghan was removed for treatment and then allowed to return to St. Julia Parish. Soon
              after Mr. Geoghan's reinstatement, the documents show, Bishop Banks wrote to doctors at the treatment
              center, who had written that Mr. Geoghan had "atypical pedophilia, in remission" and "mixed personality
              disorder with obsessive-compulsive, histrionic and narcissistic features."

              In his note, Bishop Banks said that he was disappointed by the evaluation and that he had been given oral
              assurances by the center that "it would be all right to reassign Father Geoghan to pastoral ministry." The
              bishop asked for a letter confirming that, and he received a note from the doctor saying it was "quite safe" to
              reinstate Mr. Geoghan in the parish and "the probability that he would sexually act out again is quite low."

              The documents make little mention of Mr. Geoghan's victims and give little indication that the church offered
              the victims counseling or comfort.

              Today, several people who say they were molested by Mr. Geoghan as boys said the documents destroyed
              their trust and respect for the church.

              "I believe in the Catholic religion, but I can't go to church," said Anthony Muzzi Jr., 47, who said he was
              molested over two years, sometimes while Mr. Geoghan was "blessing us in the bedroom."

              "I've lost my faith in the church," Mr. Muzzi said. "I have to say my prayers in my vehicle going to and from
              work."
 


TOPICS: Crime/Corruption; News/Current Events
KEYWORDS: masslist; michaeldobbs
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Comment #221 Removed by Moderator

To: BibleBeliever
You Catholic bashers/baiters just cannot stand it when a Catholic returns fire...you've operated in a vaccuum so long you thought you could forever bash and never have to answer for your bigotry. Quit yer whinin'
222 posted on 01/31/2002 6:05:44 PM PST by Brian Kopp DPM
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Comment #223 Removed by Moderator

To: grlfrnd
If you really want an explanation of what is happening in regard to my Religion, you should read this thread. Please try and keep an open mind, and consider how true faitful Catholics feel about the situation. Or will you act just like Faith_j?
224 posted on 02/02/2002 5:45:19 AM PST by JMJ333
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To: BibleBeliever
Maybe they should be offended. I doubt if some on this thread would even be offended by the two recent cases of priests manufacturing and dealing the deadly drug ECSATSY. The same people will defend even this horrible evil, just because it is their priests doing it. Such shallow thinking!
225 posted on 02/02/2002 9:57:35 PM PST by excelsior
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To: excelsior
You should marry Palladin.

Are you, also, from RCF?

There have been countless threads about pedophile priests on FR of late.

EVERYBODY, including EVERY CATHOLIC, abhors them.

If you've missed them, go back and read them.

Otherwise, you're piling on, and enough is enough.

226 posted on 02/02/2002 10:03:22 PM PST by sinkspur
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To: sinkspur
Who is Paladin and what is RCF? You make the most obscure statements.
227 posted on 02/02/2002 10:08:50 PM PST by excelsior
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To: excelsior
Ok. You must be just a run-of-the-mill Catholic-basher.
228 posted on 02/02/2002 10:12:35 PM PST by sinkspur
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To: sinkspur
I am a Catholic-basher because I am opposed to drug manufacturing and drug dealing? You must have failed Logic 101.
229 posted on 02/02/2002 10:16:03 PM PST by excelsior
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To: excelsior
This thread is not about drug dealing.

It's about pedophilia.

You're so rabid you can't even determine which thread you're posting to.

Gotcha, Catholic-basher!

230 posted on 02/02/2002 10:20:07 PM PST by sinkspur
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To: sinkspur
Please reread my post #225. It references priests who are manufacturing and selling ecstasy. For all I know, they could be part of the same drug ring--one in Chicago and one on New Orleans.

Are you drinking again? Tequila??

231 posted on 02/02/2002 10:23:43 PM PST by excelsior
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To: excelsior
Your post #225 references nothing except talk off the top of your head.

As I suspected, you're just a Catholic-basher.

Duly noted, for future reference.

232 posted on 02/02/2002 10:30:11 PM PST by sinkspur
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To: excelsior
No, excelsior, you are not a Catholic-basher. Most catholics (except a few on this thread) find it absolutely abhorrent that two priest in the past month have been arrested for manufacturing and/or dealing illegal drugs. You are right to be upset by this.

Ignore the flamers and baiters. FR is about the only place they can roar and beat their chests, because here, they are anonymous. If they tried it in real life, I can assure you, the pesky little twerps would be beaten within an inch of their sorry obsessive lives.

233 posted on 02/04/2002 12:25:19 PM PST by Palladin
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