UNITED STATES
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by David Clohessy on May 31, 2012
The disturbing new revelations about Cardinal Dolan raise a troubling question: What other secret deals and ‘incentives’ did and does he offer to pedophile priests?
Does he promise cash if they plead guilty in court and avoid long, embarrassing trials? Does he pledge to keep paying them if they’ll settle civil lawsuits quickly and quietly, without disclosing how church officials hid their crimes? Does he offer money if foreign-born sex offender priests flee the US and return to their native lands?
This new revelation is disturbing on two levels: process and content.
First, it’s disturbing because Dolan lied. And he’s had years to ‘come clean.’ Six years ago, he emphatically denied paying predators to go away. At any point since then, he could have said “I’m sorry. I must confess. I deceived parishioners and the public when I denied paying child molesting clerics to leave.” But he didn’t.
Second, it’s disturbing because it’s irresponsible for Catholic officials to recruit, educate, ordain, hire, transfer, and shield predators priests, then suddenly and quietly let them loose on an unsuspecting public with no warning or restrictions.
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