MASSACHUSETTS
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
For immediate release: Monday, March 28, 2016
Statement by Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, Outreach Director of SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (314 503 0003 cell, bdorris@SNAPnetwork.org)
Cases against several child molesting Boston area Catholic clerics have just settled, one of who was allowed to keep working in Massachusetts for years – until 2014 – after having been credibly accused of abusing a child in California.
[WBUR]
Cardinal Sean O’Malley has never explained why he let Brother Damien P. Chong quietly work at the North Shore Mall in Danvers, despite the admission by Catholic officials in California that Br. Chong was “credibly accused” of child sex crimes.
We hope this settlement, however, will provide at least one of Br. Chong’s victim some comfort.
We also hope that this settlement will focus attention on O’Malley’s continuing recklessness, callousness and deceit.
The Globe reports that three priests involved in the settlements – Fr. James Braley, Fr. Joseph Byrne, and Fr. Martin Walsh – are listed as “unsubstantiated cases” on an archdiocesan website. “Another priest whose case was settled, Fr. Richard Butler, is not listed on the (archdiocesan) website — either as unsubstantiated or in any of the other categories,” according to the Globe.
But don’t hold your breath waiting for O’Malley to explain why his accused predator priest list continues to be found lacking.
Finally, shame on O’Malley and his public relations man Terrence Donilon for their admitted “practice” of not commenting “on individual settlements with survivors.” So much for the Catholic hierarchy’s claims of being “transparent.” O’Malley and Donilon don’t even bother to try to explain or justify such secrecy.
So Boston Catholics and citizens must continue to rely on courageous victims, determined journalists and our secular justice system to warn parents, police, prosecutors, parishioners and the public about known, admitted and credibly accused child molesting clerics.
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