Syracuse Catholic Bishop was right to reveal names of accused priests

Post Standard
December 16, 2018

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Bishop Robert Cunningham reflects on how the church has evolved in its handling of child sex abuse. On Dec. 3, 2018, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse released a list of 57 priests with credible allegations of child sexual abuse against them. Photo by Lauren Long

At last, the Catholic Diocese of Syracuse has released the names of 57 priests, alive and dead, who were credibly accused of sexual abuse since 1950. For the first time, we can begin to see the scale of the clergy sexual abuse crisis in our midst. It is horrifying.

Two weeks ago, Bishop Robert J. Cunningham wisely reversed his previous stance of keeping the names of accused priests secret unless the victims went public first. Cunningham, who is nearing retirement, said he changed his mind after concluding that "this practice has become a roadblock to moving our local Church forward."

Indeed, trust in the church and its leadership has been damaged, perhaps irreparably, by their past failures to protect children from predator priests, a lack of transparency and accountability to parents and parishioners, and hostility to survivors of clergy sexual abuse.

Sixteen years after the Boston Globe first exposed the clergy sex abuse crisis in the church, the scandals keep on coming. Just this week, an Australian cardinal was convicted of molesting two children in the 1990s. In July, an American cardinal resigned after being accused of improper sexual behavior toward seminarians. Pope Francis has called bishops to a meeting in February at the Vatican to address it.

Releasing the names of accused priests was a welcome gesture by Bishop Cunningham. But, frankly, it was the bare minimum he could do. For each accused priest, the diocese provided only the man's name, date of ordination and current status. It omitted details about where the accused priests served, the kinds of allegations against them, what roles they had in churches and schools or, in the case of living priests, where they are now. Our reporting has fleshed out many of those details -- but there is more to know. We continue to work the story.

For example, local survivors of clergy sexual abuse have told us their abuser's names were not on the list. The diocese acknowledged the list might be  incomplete, and promised to update it when new, credible allegations surface. It has not said if it will offer a second "reconciliation" program to compensate abuse survivors, though it is clearly within its power to do so.

Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick seems satisfied that the diocese's list contains the same information provided to him in 2015 under a memorandum of understanding. No new names or allegations have surfaced since then, the DA said. The state Attorney General also is investigating dioceses across the state to establish whether they covered up sexual abuse allegations against priests. Given the church's track record of shielding abusive priests, civil authorities must pursue their investigations to the fullest extent of the law.

New York's current law is a hindrance. Fitzpatrick cannot prosecute dozens of child sex abuse cases involving priests because the statute of limitations on their crimes has long passed. A change in the law is necessary to allow victims of child sexual abuse more time to bring claims against their assailants. Once again, we urge the New York state Legislature to pass the Child Victims Act extending the statute of limitations for child sexual abuse offenses. With Democrats in charge of both chambers, this may be the year the bill passes, over the church's objection.Bishop Cunningham told staff writer Julie McMahon that the Catholic Church has had a "slow awakening" about child sexual abuse in its midst. That's a tragedy for the children who suffered in silence. More transparency is a step toward healing. Only full transparency can deliver it.