BishopAccountability.org
	Group Calls on Bishop Lennon to Release the Names of All Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse By John Kosich WEWS May 14, 2010 http://www.newsnet5.com/dpp/news/local_news/group-calls-on-bishop-lennon-to-release-the-names-of-all-priests-accused-of-sexual-abuse [with video] CLEVELAND - Calling for an end to secrecy, Boston-based bishopaccountability.org Friday called on the leader of the Cleveland Catholic Diocese to release the names of all priests accused of sexual abuse. The group said, in 2004, former Bishop Anthony Pilla reported there were, since 1950, 118 priests accused of sexual abuse. But to date, the names of only 45 have ever been made public. They want Bishop Richard Lennon to release the remaining 73 names. "I believe that Bishop Richard Lennon is hiding what is basically one of the longest lists of unregistered sex offenders in this state," said Anne Barrett Doyle, of bishopaccountability.org. "At least 73 names are still secret. Who are they? What schools and parishes did they work in? Who is watching them today?" she asked. In a statement, the diocese said "to the best of our knowledge, no one against whom there is reasonable suspicion of wrongdoing, no matter when it may have occurred, is currently in active ministry in the Diocese of Cleveland." If that's the case, said organizers, then release the names. "It's been done in L.A., done in Baltimore, Philadelphia, Chicago, Detroit," said group founder and co-director Terence McKiernan. "There's alot of precedent here that Lennon could follow and make some history of his own here in Cleveland," he said. This latest call for disclosure is directly tied to comments made earlier this week by Pope Benedict XVI to reporters on a flight to Portugal. He said the greatest persecution of the church does not come from enemies outside, but the sin born within. "I felt that it was a signal we really need to re-double our efforts to hold the bishops accountable," said Barrett Doyle. Among those delivering the letter to the diocesan office was Santiago Feliciano Jr. A man who for 20 years served as the director of the Diocesan legal office. "In that capacity, I dealt with a number of these issues," he said. "It was my position always to be open, to report people and to work with the families." He left the diocese over a difference with Former Bishop Pilla on how the cases should be handled. "I'm here because I believe that the Bishop is morally and ethically liable to give out these names," he said. "If someone is a sexual predator then people have a right to know." He said while working for the diocese seeing how abuse cases were handled weighed heavy on him. "It was very difficult because I was a father, I was the one in the room handling these situations who actually had children and my philosophy about handling these situations was quite different than the bishop and other people that were in different positions, most of whom were clerics," he said. In the end the diocese said in it's statement, "on the issue of release of names, the diocese has repeatedly stated its position on that subject in the past and the reasons for its position, and it continues to adhere to that position for the same reasons which it believes are entirely proper."
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