BishopAccountability.org

Bishop's release of abusers' names: healing, courageous, not enough (Your letters)

Syracuse.com
December 5, 2018

https://bit.ly/2Efdfte

[with video]

To the Editor:

I write as a 67-year-old survivor, former victim, advocate, author of "In The Shadow Of The Cross," support person, lecturer, SNAP Leader of Syracuse and CNY, also greater Raleigh, North Carolina.

Monday was a day of very mixed emotions for survivors ("Syracuse diocese releases list of 57 sexually abusive priests," Dec. 2, 2018). It was long coming. It should've been done years ago. I was happy to see that some of the priests are on the list, finally. I was also sad to see some that were reported to me and the diocese that were not on the list. For the survivors of those priests, it had to be an especially sad day. Survivors want justice and accountability.

I have been helping survivors for the past 16 years. I have listened to their pain and told them they are not alone. I continue to try so hard to make them feel that there is hope.

The bishop said Monday that some survivors did not want the pedophiles' names released. I take exception to that. I have been answering a national hotline for those sexually abused three days a week for at least 10 years. I have spoken to thousands of victims, and I have never heard once, not once, that they want their predator not publicly named. Survivors say they do not want to have their names released but never say "don't expose my predator." The release of the names allows others to come forward and begin their healing. It is a very hard thing to do -- to admit that this has happened to you. And I always respect the victim. I believe it's the church's idea not to identify the perpetrators in order to keep the public from knowing the truth.

If they started to identify the abusers, they would have more survivors coming forward. Hopefully that will happen now. I remember when I identified Thomas Neary as my abuser, I received a phone call from an elderly gentleman who said on my answering machine: "Thank you, sir, all I wanted is his name out there." He did not identify himself; he just hung up. I felt I gave him what he needed to begin his healing. That's all survivors need is to heal and see that justice is served and accountability achieved.

The inconsistencies, errors and omissions from the list only serve to hurt survivors. One example is that Neary is listed as no one came forward before his death. Not true. Several did, and the diocese knows this but yet reports it wrongly. Also tell us which ones were defrocked, not just deceased or removed from ministry. Please come clean. Confession is good for the soul.

Charles L. Bailey Jr.
Baldwinsville

Release of names can heal the wounds inflicted by abuse

To the Editor:

The saying, "The fault lies not in our stars, but in ourselves" is from Shakespeare's "Julius Caesar" and can easily be applied to the clergy and lay people in our diocese concerning the abuse of children by clergy.

For too long, our church prelates and the laity have looked away from the terrible abuse of innocent children, hoping that it would all just disappear. Well, it didn't, and still exists. Our bishop, although hesitant, importantly submitted the list of accused preists and for this should be acknowledged for doing the right thing, as it will serve notice to others that the church will not tolerate it happening again.

The media, which has done much in the past to bring our attention to the problem, also forgot about it, treating it as old news. However, it has recently renewed its coverage of the matter.

The laity thought and prayed it would go away. They may have personally known the clergy involved, may have chastised their kids who had the courage to speak of it, and had no idea of the extent of the problem and the young lives that had been destroyed, even to the point of suicide. Kids who believed that priests were as God could no longer live normal lives after these terrible experiences. The laity must step up to the plate and protect our kids from this ever happening again. Finally, our courts and law must tackle the statute of limitations in the regard, as it is a stumbling block in convicting anyone of abusing a child.

Thank you, Bishop Cunningham, for having the courage to free this list to the public. It was and is a heart-wrenching thing to see and can only be justified because of the innocent kids it affected. It will do much to heal many wounds of all concerned.

John J. Sgroi
Liverpool

Bishop, church still fail to take responsibility for cover-up

To the Editor:

As expected, Bishop Robert Cunningham's release of pedophile priests was presented with the same cavalier and arrogance that has been the norm from this Syracuse bishop. In his comments, he couches his remarks by stating that other organizations like theirs are "evolving," and the diocese is not alone in trying to understand the "disease" they helped spread. What better way to deflect blame than by showing others as well?

In the video, his laid-back attitude mirrors the church as a whole. Remember this same man blamed the abused, and stated they shared some of the responsibility for their abuse. He also was in Buffalo and Ogdensburg during the height of the abuse. The one thing this man of God shares with any high-level criminal that we've seen in government, industry and everyday life is their continual denial that they were involved, the quickness on which they blame the accuser, and finally, the heartfelt plea for forgiveness before the cameras.

Actually, what they are most sorry for is getting caught. If the Catholic Church was really penitent, why didn't it lead the charge to openly investigate the abuses? Throughout the parishes, why didn't other priests, an extremely tight group, raise the alarm? They had to know that their brothers were abusing young men; it couldn't have been that far below the radar. They knew. Did they also just sit by and watch?

Police departments are often criticized for the silent blue wall. What of the even more silent black robe wall? Popes, cardinals, archbishops, bishops and priests were aware of the rampant abuse, yet in all that time not one priest stepped forward to say, "enough." Not one tipped a reporter, or a agency. No, they kept close tabs on this whole affair. This is by no way an end, but a beginning. I'm sure Jesus weeps at the hypocrisy!

Tom O'Neil
Liverpool


Bishop should admit fault and ask for forgiveness

To the Editor:

Perhaps some day we will hear a Catholic bishop say in response to the ongoing sexual abuse crisis in the church, "We sinned. We failed to protect God's children from predatory sexual abusers and rapists. We failed to follow Jesus's mandate to protect the little ones. We protected the institution at all costs. We failed our parishioners and our community. All we can do is ask forgiveness and let the victims have their day in court if that is what they need for healing."

That day is not upon us! Bishop Robert Cunningham, in his interview in The Post-Standard, said, "I don't think the church ever intended to cover anything up. They frequently handled situations as families wanted or as society was doing at that time. I think it's a slow awakening to realize how serious this issue is. And it covers much more than the church."

How anyone can say the Catholic Church didn't cover "anything up" is delusion at best and insulting at worst. The church systematically, from the Vatican down to the parish level, covered up thousands of cases of sexual abuse for decades.

The family that Bishop Cunningham is referring to -- that knew a priest committed sexual acts on their children and didn't want justice -- is beyond my comprehension.

Why it took officials from the church so long to understand the seriousness of acts of sexual abuse against children, including rape, is impossible to understand.

The sex abuse scandal will continue until the church takes full responsibility for its actions. The church needs to follow its own teachings.

Peter Wirth
Fayetteville




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