Abuse Survivors' Attorney Calls Archdiocese Revelations " Sickening"

By Tony Ullrich
The Wbay
July 2, 2013

http://www.wbay.com/story/22738263/2013/07/01/abuse-survivors-attorney-calls-archdiocese-revelations-sickening

[with video]

[the documents - Jeff Anderson & Associates]

[the documents - Milwaukee archdiocese]

Milwaukee -

The Catholic Archdiocese of Milwaukee released thousands of pages of documents Monday, publicly revealing how it handled sexual abuse allegations.

It released the documents -- 40,000 pages spanning several decades -- as part of a deal between the archdiocese and sex abuse victims who are suing it for fraud.

The archdiocese admits the items in the documents reveal "terrible things that happened to children" and it was ill-equipped to respond to the offenders and victims and their families.

The documents include depositions of church leaders and priests' personnel files.

A Minnesota attorney representing some of the 575 sexual abuse survivors held a news conference Monday calling the revelations "shocking and sickening."

He says letters show former Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan tried to push problem priests out of the priesthood to avoid more scandal after abuse victims started coming forward.

According to the documents, Father William Effinger was among the priests who the archdiocese resigned from church to church after allegations of sexual abuse. In 1993 he was convicted and sentenced to prison for abuse a boy at Holy Name Catholic Church in Sheboygan several years before.

"The choices that they have made are very scary, because they were choices that were made to protect their reputation, to preserve secrecy, and to avoid scandal," attorney Jeff Anderson said.

The documents also revealed that Cardinal Timothy Dolan, when he was Milwaukee's archbishop, asked the Vatican for permission to move $57 million from a cemetery fund to a special trust fund to protect the money from legal claims or liability.

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) says Dolan moved that money to try to keep it from victims.

"Today's document, especially the letter he wrote to the Vatican, proves that the set-up of the cemetery trust, the so-called cemetery trust, to shield those assets from victim survivors, and in doing so committed fraud and he should be under federal investigation," SNAP Midwest Director Peter Isely said.

Cardinal Dolan declined to speak to the media Monday but released a statement from New York:

"I welcome today's voluntary release of documents by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee that contain information and details related to sexual abuse by clergy, and how the Archdiocese of Milwaukee responded to it. I am especially grateful that my deposition of February 2013, given as part of the Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings, is one of the documents being released.

"Responding to victim-survivors, taking action against priest-abusers, and working to implement policies to protect children, were some of the most difficult, challenging, and moving events of the 6 ½ years that I served as Archbishop of Milwaukee. One of the principles that guided me during that time was the need for transparency and openness, which is why I not only welcomed the deposition as a chance to go on-the-record with how we responded to the clergy sexual abuse crisis during my years in Milwaukee, but also encouraged that it be released.

"Unfortunately, we have already seen how the release of these documents will cause some to raise old and discredited attacks – like priest-abusers having been "paid" to apply for laicization (like it or not, bishops do have a canon law obligation to provide basic support like health care and room and board for their priests until they have finally moved on) or that establishing a perpetual care fund from money belonging to cemeteries and designated for that purpose – as required by state law and mandated by the archdiocesan finance council – was an attempt to shield it from the bankruptcy proceedings. While certain groups can be counted-upon to take certain statements or events out of context, the documents released show plainly that the bishops have been faithful to the promises made over a decade ago: permanent removal from ministry of any priest who abused a minor; complete cooperation with law enforcement officials; and, strict child-safety requirements.

"The sexual abuse of minors is a crime and it is a sin. The Church must remain rigorous in our response when an allegation of abuse is received, and ever-vigilant in maintaining our safeguards to do all that we can to see that children are protected. It is my hope that the release of these documents will also help to show how the Catholic Church in the United States has become a leader in dealing with the society-wide scourge of sexual abuse, and help other groups and organizations who are also seeking combat this evil."