MAINE
The Forecaster
Seth Koenig, Bangor Daily News
Monday, December 23, 2013
PORTLAND — The newly appointed bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Portland is credited with playing a key role in the Vatican’s purge of priests accused of sexual abuse, and later as the Archdiocese of Boston took the step of identifying abusive priests openly on its website.
Both were considered significant moves in the effort to overcome sex abuse scandals that came to light over the last decade and a half and tarnished the Catholic Church’s reputation.
Now, as Catholics and others in the state react to last week’s appointment of Bishop Robert Deeley, some of the strongest statements are from Maine clergy abuse victims and their supporters, who hope Deeley will continue his reconciliation work in Maine.
In 2011, after seven years away, Deeley rejoined the Archdiocese of Boston and served as one of the top aides to Cardinal Sean O’Malley, who that year opened the vault on the archdiocese’s sex abuse cases by posting a database of priests who had been accused, as well as what became of them.
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