BELLEVILLE (IL)
News-Democrat
Sexual abuse of children by priests went unchecked for decades because church leaders ignored the problem or worked to keep it secret. We are nearing the 20-year mark of the bishops finally acting against pedophile priests and the scandal becoming public in the Belleville Diocese.
It seemed that the lessons of secrecy’s insidious nature had dawned on diocesan leaders. Open declarations about accusations and actions were made, bringing forth other victims. Sunshine was used to cleanse the pulpit.
Yet here we are still dealing with the legacy of secrecy, paying victims $7.5 million in damages. That was before this past week, when three more lawsuits were settled for “substantial” sums.
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