UNITED STATES
Boston Herald
By:
Bob McGovern
The nearly 400 Catholic priests a bombshell report yesterday revealed were defrocked over two years for molesting children represent just a small fraction of a huge backlog of accused clergy that have yet to face consequences, according to theologians and victim’s advocacy groups.
“I’ve seen a reliable report that more than 700 cases have been sent over by America alone,” said Nicholas Cafardi, a canon and civil lawyer at the Duquesne Law School in Pittsburgh. “So 400, that’s not surprising.”
A Vatican document obtained by The Associated Press shows Pope Benedict XVI defrocked nearly 400 priests from 2011-12 for sexually assaulting children — more than double the priest removals in 2008 and 2009.
The names and whereabouts of priests on the list were not immediately available. However, according to information on the Archdiocese of Boston’s website, eight local priests were defrocked during the 2011-12 timeframe.
Terrence C. Donilon, spokesman for the archdiocese, declined to answer questions about the report, referring reporters to the Vatican.
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