BishopAccountability.org
 
  A CEO Who Must Help Heal

Boston Herald [Boston MA]
May 24, 2005

In many ways Boston's archbishop is also a kind of archdiocesan CEO - and in this case the CEO of an economically troubled organization.

So Archbishop Sean O'Malley has spent the past year tending to that increasingly challenging role - evaluating parishes, closing churches, disposing of real estate, reshuffling priests, attempting to make scarce resources go further. In doing so, however, the spiritual leader of Boston's Roman Catholic community has neglected an important part of his pastoral role - tending to some in that community who were the most grievously injured by priests who turned out to be sexual predators.

No, that didn't happen on O'Malley's watch. And it is because of his efforts that most of the legal issues have been dealt with, settlements made and promises kept. But some of the victims of abuse have asked to meet personally with O'Malley, who has already sat down with some 110 victims and their families, aides say. But others - like Christine Hickey of Cambridge and Robert Costello of Milford - have been waiting more than a year for their meetings. And that can only add to their pain.

O'Malley owes it to these victims to listen and to help them heal, but in doing so he will also reassure the community he is now part of that these horrors will never again be tolerated.