Abuse was common in Roman Catholic religous orders

[Ian David]

Black Collar Crime

Abuse was common in religous orders
By Jeremy Herb and Rob Dennis

STAFF WRITERS
Article Created: 04/01/2008 04:40:30 AM PDT

While the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland reached a $56.4 million global settlement in 2005 with the victims of childhood sexual abuse by its priests, one religious order opted for a different tactic.

The Salesians of St. John Bosco, whose Western Province is based in San Francisco, has been the most aggressive church group fighting lawsuits against its priests, said Rick Simons, a lawyer who handled many cases against the diocese and religious orders.

The order said one victim fabricated stories and had other cases dismissed -- not because its priests didn't commit abuse, but because the Salesians didn't have "notice" of the abuse, Simons said.

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"They are far and away the worst," Simons said of the Salesians. "They are the largest order, but they are also the absolute worst when it comes to taking responsibility for what happened in the past and for trying to locate and identify both perpetrators and victims. They have shown really no sense of responsibility for this issue at all."

More:
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/localnews/ci_8768559


See also:


Leadership disregard
Priests served despite abuse complaints
By Rob Dennis, Jeremy Herb, Matthew Artz and Chris De Benedetti

STAFF WRITERS
Article Launched: 03/31/2008 03:02:11 AM PDT


For most of its 46-year history, the Diocese of Oakland was led by two men. One did not want even his closest advisers to know that his priests had molested children. The other, his subordinates say, was happier not knowing.

Bishops Floyd Begin, who served until his death in 1977, and John Cummins, who took over for Begin and served until 2003, had vastly different leadership styles, but the result was identical: Priests accused of child molestation were allowed to serve in parishes after they were reported to diocese officials. Some of them continued to abuse again and again.

In a series of depositions obtained by MediaNews reporters, former diocese leaders described a system that allowed at least 10 accused priests to remain in ministry for years -- sometimes decades -- after sexual misconduct was reported.

Molestation complaints were kept secret from other clergy and the community. Accused priests were sent away for treatment and then returned to the diocese to serve in other parishes.

Diocese officials did not contact police about the allegations until such reporting became required by law in 1997.

More:
http://www.contracostatimes.com/ci_8756016?source=most_viewed

[MichiganVote]

1. Lowest form of bastard on earth.

[CountAllVotes]

2. This really bothers me a lot

My grandmother was a parishioner at St. Elizabeth's Catholic Church (Oakland Diocese). She passed away over 30 years ago. She must be rolling over in her grave!

I swear to God, I'll never go anywhere near the Catholic Church again! :mad: It really IS a pile of total BULLSHIT!

This is beyond SICK!!!!!!!

:kick: