Free Republic

CONCORD, N.H. - New Hampshire’s House Republican leader says Roman Catholic Bishop John McCormack is a "pedophile pimp" who should’ve been led from the Statehouse in handcuffs after speaking at a rally criticizing the budget. Rep. D.J. Bettencourt of Salem posted the comment Friday on Facebook in an apparent reference to McCormack’s tenure as head of the Manchester diocese during the clergy sex abuse scandal. In 2002, McCormack averted unprecedented criminal charges against the diocese by agreeing that it had harmed children by moving abusive priests from parish to parish. Bettencourt later said that while his language was colorful, he...

CONCORD, N.H. (AP) - A Roman Catholic reform group has petitioned the Vatican to remove New Hampshire Bishop John McCormack, calling him unfit to lead the church. The complaint, filed Oct. 28 by New Hampshire Catholics for Moral Leadership, says McCormack and Auxiliary Bishop Francis Christian lost their moral authority during the clergy sex abuse crisis and that church law requires the resignations of bishops unfit to serve, according to a draft copy of the documents sent to Rome and obtained by The Associated Press. "The credibility of the church's moral leadership is horribly eroded," the group wrote. "The effectiveness...