CHICAGO (IL)
National Survivor Advocates Coalition
COMMENTARY
Kristine Ward
First and foremost, we believe it is important to profoundly thank the survivors who had the mettle and the courage and determination to push for the document release that the Archdiocese of Chicago was court ordered to turn over.
Cardinal Francis George did not voluntarily give up one sheet of paper on the 30 priests whose files were released.
No letter writing campaign or website statement or any mushing of the facts changes that: this was a court ordered release.
The truth is in the documents.
That is why they are so vital.
That’s also why Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops fight so hard through highly paid and high-powered attorneys to keep them from going public.
What is in the documents – those released on the 30 priests in Chicago and in the few other document releases that have occurred — was known to the Cardinals, Archbishop, Bishops – any hierarch with access to his own diocese’s files – at any time of the day, week, month, or year that this crisis has existed.
And make no mistake about it — this crisis existed before newspaper stories were written about it and television and radio broadcasts aired about it, and columnists wrote about it, or lawyers litigated it.
Cardinals, Archbishops, Bishops and Popes knew about it. It’s as simple as that.
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