Cardinal O’Malley lauds role ‘Spotlight’ played in exposing clergy sex abuse

By Kathy Mccabe
BostGlobe
March 1, 2016

https://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/03/01/cardinal-malley-lauds-role-spotlight-played-exposing-clergy-sex-abuse-crisis/Jm1QFsdxye2tAbMDp1WilL/story.html

Boston Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley praised the Academy Award-winning film “Spotlight” for showing the critical role investigative journalism played in exposing the clergy sex abuse crisis that shook the Roman Catholic church to its core.

“Spotlight is an important film for all impacted by the tragedy of clergy sexual abuse,” O’Malley said in a statement released Tuesday, two days after the movie about The Boston Globe’s groundbreaking coverage of the clergy sex abuse crisis won the Oscar for Best Picture. “By providing in-depth reporting on the history of the clergy sexual abuse crisis, the media led the Church to acknowledge the crimes and sins of its personnel and to begin to address its failings, the harm done to victims and their families and the needs of survivors.”

O’Malley did not mention the Globe in his statement, nor did he acknowledge the film winning the top prize at Sunday’s Oscar ceremony in Hollywood.

He added, “In a democracy such as ours, journalism is essential to our way of life. The media’s role in revealing the sexual abuse crisis opened a door through which the Church has walked in responding to the needs of survivors.”