Norwich Diocese should follow Hartford’s lead on releasing predatory priest names

The Day
December 22, 2018

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It appears the Diocese of Norwich, after decades of refusing to be fully transparent and frank, is ready to come to grips with the scandal of predatory sexual abuse of minors by clergy.

Or maybe not.

Last week the diocese issued a brief statement that it plans to release the names of priests and deacons who were credibly accused of sexual abuse. This will occur sometime near the end of January, according to the release.

Only by coming clean about who was involved and how these cases were dealt with can the diocese specifically and the greater church generally begin slowly and painstakingly to rebuild confidence among parishioners and the public.

The Catholic Church has made corrections since the outrageous behavior by some priests − the cover-ups, the lack of any help for victims, and the transferring of predatory priests from one parish to the next − was uncovered by the press about two decades ago. Since then training requirements have been put in place for clergy, laypersons and volunteers who work with children about recognizing the signs of abuse. Under those rules, suspicion of misconduct is to be reported to police.

But victims of past predatory behaviors should not have to live with the knowledge that their assailants and those who enabled them remain protected by the church. People have a right to know who in the hierarchy of the church made decisions that allowed the conduct to continue and whether those persons still hold positions of authority.

For verification that lifting the veil is the right thing to do, church leaders need to look no further than the New Testament instructions found in 1 John: “If we claim that we have fellowship with him, and yet we walk in darkness, then we are lying and not telling the truth. But if we walk in the light, just as he also is in the light, then we have fellowship with one another.”

But how transparent will be this accounting? How great a light will shine?

The paucity of the diocesan statement gives pause. How will “credibly accused” be defined and by whom? How much will be disclosed about how these cases were handled? If the diocese is not fully transparent this exercise

could potentially end up doing its credibility more damage.

Diocese of Norwich Bishop Michael Cote should take guidance from the National Review Board that issued recommendations to the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in November. Created in 2002 when the scandal first erupted, the review board recommended bishops provide a list of clergy who have faced a credible accusation of abuse against a minor or vulnerable adult, and — and this is vital — an analysis of how their cases were handled by the bishop and their diocese.

Further, the board recommended that the laity be involved in some capacity in the investigation to bolster its credibility.

In more detailed guidelines he released on Dec. 8, Archbishop Leonard P. Blair of the Archdiocese of Hartford aligned with the review board recommendations. In January the archdiocese will release the names of clergy “who have been the object of lawsuits and legal settlements, or otherwise credibly accused.”

The Hartford Archdiocese will contract for an independent review of all clergy files going back to the 1950s to determine if any names were missed and should be released, adding to the report’s reliability.

Further, Archbishop Blair said the archdiocese will publish the financial outlay to settle lawsuits resulting from the scandal and the source of those funds.

The faithful in the Diocese of Norwich — and the public generally — deserve the same level of accountability.