BOSTON (MA)
WCVB
BOSTON —A group of activists in Boston on Wednesday called on outgoing Pope Benedict XVI to speak up about the sexual abuse of children by priests. The pontiff, who is 85, announced his retirement this week.
Mitchell Garabedian, a Boston attorney who has represented dozens of victims of sexual assault, said the Pope should release the names of all priests implicated in child abuse worldwide.
Garabedian said “releasing the documents, releasing the names of pedophiles, releasing the names of the bishops who were complicit is necessary so the victims can heal. It helps victims heal when they see the truth when they’re told the truth, when there is transparency.”
Robert Hoatson, a former priest who says he is also a survivor of abuse said, “we’re hearing stories that the pope broke a 600-year tradition by resigning but he didn’t break a 600-year tradition of covering up and being transparent and being honest and being open and telling us who the abusers are. And giving us all the documents relative to all the abuse that has taken place over the past 30 years at least that he’s been in charge of the congregation of the doctrine of the faith and as the pope.”
They were joined by Robert Costello, who says he survived abuse at the hands of a priest at a church in West Roxbury.
“Pope Benedict knows everything he knows where the bodies are buried, he knows who covered up what,” Costello said.
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