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  Diocese Requests Background Checks on Employees
New Accusation against Priest Surfaces

By Jim Taricani
NBC 10 [Providence RI]
August 16, 2005

The NBC 10 I-Team has learned that criminal background checks have been requested for more than 10,000 employees of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence, including priests.

In addition, the I-Team has uncovered a new allegation of sex abuse of a minor by a Catholic priest.

Following the most recent Conference of Catholic Bishops in Dallas in June, sweeping changes were made for checking the criminal backgrounds of priests.

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Providence is the second-largest private employer in the state, with more than 10,000 workers, including priests and deacons. For the first time, men of the cloth will be checked for previous crimes.

"Article 13 of the charter expanded that also to include priests and bishops and deacons," Providence Diocese Monsignor John Darcy said.

Darcy said following the sex abuse scandals of the past -- especially in Boston and Providence -- the criminal background checks will go a long way to restore the faith of the doubting faithful in their priests and deacons.

"I would like to think that this is certainly more than just a goodwill gesture on the part of the clergy, but a genuine effort by the 195 dioceses in the country to comply with the obligations of the charter," Darcy said.

A spokesman for the state attorney general's office said, "We do the criminal background checks for all nonprofits with no charge."

So far, diocesan officials said the criminal background checks have not turned up any new incidents of criminal activity on the part of the 250 active diocesan priests.

As far as the new allegation of sexual molestation of a minor, diocesan officials said the victim does not want to come forward and does not want to make the complaint public.

The priest who is the subject of the allegation has voluntarily stepped aside pending the outcome of a diocesan investigation.