ST. LOUIS (MO)
New York Times
By FRANCIS X. CLINES FEBRUARY 26, 2016
Archbishop Robert Carlson’s recent caution to his parishes in St. Louis about the “troubling pattern of behavior” of the Girl Scouts is stirring stark recollections of the prelate’s past role in managing accusations against priests for sexually abusing children. In a deposition two years ago, he insisted that he was not certain sexual abuse of a child by a priest constituted a criminal act in 1984, when he was auxiliary bishop for St. Paul and Minneapolis handling sex scandal cases.
“I’m not sure whether I knew it was a crime or not,” Archbishop Carlson testified when asked in the deposition about the 30-year-old case. “I understand today it’s a crime.”
To the contrary, a document released by the alleged victim’s lawyers after the deposition showed the cleric’s clear concern for criminal law. He told his diocesan superiors in 1984 that the parents in another case were considering complaining to the police, noting the law’s statute of limitations was applicable for two more years.
There was little uncertainty in the archbishop’s letter this month about the threat he found presented by Girl Scouts’ affiliation with Catholic parishes. He contended the organization’s global associations were “incompatible” with church teachings on such issues as contraception and abortion. He urged pastors to search for alternatives, but Catholic parents quickly defended the wholesomeness of Girl Scouts.
After the pedophilia deposition was made public, the archdiocese released a statement that, whatever Archbishop Carlson’s earlier legal uncertainties, they were distinct from his “moral stance on the sin of pedophilia, which has been that it is a most egregious offense.” Vatican reforms in the wake of the widespread coverup of sexual abusers now order dioceses not to keep allegations under wraps, but to report them to state authorities for criminal investigation.
Note: This is an Abuse Tracker excerpt. Click the title to view the full text of the original article. If the original article is no longer available, see our News Archive.