NEW MEXICO
Las Cruces Sun-News
Russell Contreras, Associated Press November 12, 2015
ALBUQUERQUE – The upcoming release of a movie detailing the Boston Globe’s 2002 investigation into the church’s cover-up of clergy abuse may bring up “horrific memories” for New Mexico victims of sex abuse, Santa Fe Archbishop John Wester said.
In a recent letter to Archdiocese of Santa Fe priests and parishioners last week, Wester said that the movie “Spotlight” is a chance for the faithful to pray for abuse victims.
“The film will undoubtedly touch a raw nerve for those abused by the clergy, opening old wounds and triggering horrific memories that continue to haunt and disturb them,” Wester wrote.
However, Wester said it was up to church leadership to reach out to those who were victimized. “The Archdiocese of Santa Fe and I are resolutely committed to seeking the forgiveness of those who have been abused by Roman Catholic clergy and at the same time dedicated to the aid in the reconciliation and healing process,” he said.
New Mexico was at the center of similar scandals years before the Boston stories. The Servants of Paraclete facility, formerly known as Via Coeli in northern New Mexico, served for years as a place to treat priests accused of sexual abuse. But those priests were later assigned to parishes across New Mexico and Arizona where they continued to abuse children, according to various lawsuits.
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