CHICAGO (IL)
WUWM
[with audio]
By DAVID SCHAPER
Originally published on Thu November 6, 2014
ROBERT SIEGEL, HOST:
Chicago’s Catholic Archdiocese released thousands of pages of documents today detailing allegations of sexual abuse by three dozen priests. It is the second group of such documents the church in Chicago has made public this year. It fulfills a pledge by Chicago Cardinal Francis George to do so before he retires in two weeks. From Chicago, NPR’s David Schaper reports.
DAVID SCHAPER, BYLINE: The newly released documents contain the stories of victims of clergy sexual abuse dating back to the 1950s and continuing into the 1990s. They show how 36 priests in the Chicago Archdiocese took advantage of children in their parishes and the trust of their parents. The documents show how higher-ups in the Chicago Archdiocese – bishops, vicars and even cardinals – often mishandled the allegations – sometimes ignoring the accusers, often just shuttling predatory priests to other parishes where they could abuse again.
JAN SLATTERY: We acknowledge that what has happened is – it’s horrible.
SCHAPER: Jan Slattery is director of the Chicago Archdiocese Office for the Protection of Children and Youth. And she says, the church cannot change the sins of the past.
SLATTERY: All we can do now is work to rebuild trust, and we’re doing that through what we hope is – with you – honest dialogue. We’re trying to establish the truths so that we can begin to move forward in healing and reconciliation.
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