MILWAUKEE (WI)
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel
The Archdiocese of Milwaukee released thousands of pages of documents Monday detailing for the first time how its bishops and other top leaders responded to the sexual abuse of children by dozens of its priests going back decades.
The documents, including parts of personnel files and depositions of church leaders — among them New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan, a former Milwaukee archbishop — were made public as part of the Milwaukee archdiocese’s bankruptcy. They were expected to offer an unprecedented look at how what has become a global crisis in the Roman Catholic Church played out in southeastern Wisconsin.
The documents were posted online shortly before 1 p.m. by victims’ attorneys at www.andersonadvocates.com. The Journal Sentinel will repost those in a searchable format shortly at www.jsonline.com.
Archbishop Jerome Listecki warned local Catholics late last week about the disturbing nature of many of the documents, saying “prepare to be shocked.” And the archdiocese on Saturday issued a series of talking points and a Q&A for pastors and lay leaders to use in their parishes.
Victims and their attorneys called it a historic moment that would vindicate survivors, many of whom, they said, were “re-victimized” by the actions of church leaders and continue to live in “shame and silence.”
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