JOLIET (IL)
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
Posted by Kate Botche on September 12, 2012
Today we learned that Bishop Daniel Conlon of Joliet plans to reinstate a priest to ministry who was removed in 2010 because of allegations of sexual misconduct. This is a shocking and dangerous move by Bishop Conlon. He is the man in charge of children’s safety for all of America’s bishops as head of the bishops committee on sexual abuse.
We are being told that Conlon is being forced to reinstate Fr. Lee Ryan by the Vatican. The victim was told that according to the code of Canon law at the time of the sexual assault the code did not have an age of consent. The victim was fourteen years old when the priest first abused him and it continued for two years.
We don’t know if Bishop Conlon is telling the truth and won’t know until he produces copies of his alleged correspondence with Vatican officials. Even if he is telling the truth, he has many options.
First, he could stand up for kids and against recklessness, telling Vatican officials he refuses to put Ryan back on the job. Second, he could have, at any point over the past few months, gone to every place Ryan worked and begged victims, witnesses, and whistleblowers to come forward – to secular authorities or church officials. Third, he could assign Ryan to prison ministry.
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