Thousands of Pages of Documents on Priest Sex Abuse Cases Released

By Cary Docter
Fox 6
July 1, 2013

http://fox6now.com/2013/07/01/milw-archdiocese-releases-6000-pages-of-documents-on-priest-sex-abuse-cases/

[CLICK HERE to view all of the released documents]

The documents paint a clear picture of how the Milwaukee Archdiocese handled clergy abuse cases over a span of decades. They contain priests’ personnel files, correspondence between Milwaukee Archbishops and the Vatican, and graphic depictions of the sexual abuse of children.

Victims’ names have been redacted from the documents. But the names of church hierarchy are clearly named. Among those listed — former Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan. The popular prelate became the Cardinal of New York and has even been mentioned as a possibility to be the first American Pope.

Church critics say Dolan may be a criminal. They’re calling a letter from Dolan to the Vatican a “smoking gun.” They say it proves Dolan committed federal bankruptcy fraud. They say he conspired with the Vatican to transfer $57 million from Archdiocese coffers to a new fund called the “Cemetery Perpetual Care Trust.”

Dolan writes, “The transfer of these assets…could protect them from…any legal claim and liability.”

The files also contain correspondence. In a letter from then-Milwaukee Archbishop Dolan to then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (the man who became Pope Benedict XVI), Dolan outlines several clergy abuse cases. He asks the Vatican for “justice tempered by mercy” — writing “even though we are convinced about the substance of the allegations,” “dismissal would be unreasonable.”

According to the files, there were at least seven men who were allowed to remain priests despite substantiated allegations of abuse.

In a never-before released transcript of Dolan’s deposition, church leaders appear more concerned about the image of the church than the safety of children. Dolan is asked if the release of documents would lead to “great scandal.” Dolan answers, “I was told not to release the names because it would cause scandal. I said I don’t know how it can get worse.”

The documents detail offers of what look like “pay offs” to perpetrator priests. Father John Wagner, for example, was accused of abusing young boys from the 1970s through the 1990s.

In a letter to Dolan, Wagner’s representative writes, “I do not believe the offer of $10,000 at the time of laicization (taking away priestly powers) and $10,000 at the time of dispensation is sufficient.”

Documents show Dolan attempted to deal with Wagner and ran into resistance from the Vatican.

In 2005, he wrote an urgent letter to Rome, saying Wagner “has not been in compliance” — detailing more than 10 incidents that included genital fondling and rape — also showing that Wagner had cost the Archdiocese half a million dollars in out of court settlements.

Even with a rape accusation, it took nearly a year for the Vatican to respond, and even then, the letter was to say they needed more documentation.

Two years later, Dolan again wrote to the Vatican for Wagner’s removal. The file ends with that letter.

In a statement released on Monday, Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki said the following: “My hope in voluntarily making these documents public is that they will aid abuse survivors, families, and others in understanding the past, reviewing the present and allowing the Church in southeastern Wisconsin to continue moving forward. We can never tell abuse survivors enough how sorry we are for what they endured.”

The document release is seen as a victory for 550 victims who have filed cases in federal bankruptcy court.