CHICAGO (IL)
NBC Chicago
Months after revealing it had concealed for decades the sexual abuse of children by local priests, the Archdiocese of Chicago said it will on Thursday release files about dozens more abusive clergy to fulfill Cardinal Francis George’s vow to make them public before he retires.
The 15,000 pages of documents outline how the archdiocese dealt with priests against whom allegations of abuse were substantiated over the last six decades, including 30 priests whose files were opened in January. Files about the remaining 36 priests are scheduled to be put on the archdiocese website at 9 a.m. Thursday.
“Cardinal George wanted it finished on his watch,” said John O’Malley, special counsel to the archbishop for misconduct issues. O’Malley said George didn’t want Bishop Blase Cupich to have to deal with the issue when he assumes leadership of the nation’s third largest archdiocese later this month.
All of the priests named in the upcoming documents are out of the ministry. Fourteen of them have passed away.
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