UNITED STATES
Irish Central
By
DARA KELLY,
IrishCentral Staff Writer
Published Monday, December 24, 2012
Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a Boston priest as the Vatican’s new sexual crimes prosecutor.
The Vatican said that Rev. Robert W. Oliver, who handled sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church in Boston at the height of the scandal, would be “the promoter of justice” at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican’s doctrinal office that reviews all abuse cases.
“It is with deep humility and gratitude that I received the news that the Holy Father is entrusting me with this service to the church,” said Father Oliver, in a statement released by the Archdiocese of Boston.
Father Oliver will succeed Msgr. Charles Scicluna, 53, who was promoted to auxiliary bishop in Malta in October.
Father Oliver was among the canon lawyers brought in to advise Cardinal Bernard F. Law on sexual abuse cases in Boston in 2002 and was responsible for investigating charges against accused priests when the cardinal was forced to resign after it was revealed that he had kept abusive priests working in parishes.
In 2003, he helped write a new abuse prevention policy for the archdiocese.
However, abuse victim advocates are criticizing Oliver’s new appointment.
Anne Barrett Doyle, co-director of a watchdog group called Bishop Accountability, told The New York Times, “Reverend Oliver is a champion of accused priests, which obviously does not bode well for the job he will do as promoter of justice.”
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