ALBUQUERQUE (NM)
Albuquerque Journal
September 12, 2017
By Olivier Uyttebrouck
[Note: See the list and letter from Archbishop Wester.]
Archbishop John C. Wester on Tuesday published the names of 74 clergy who have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children, together with an apology to survivors “for the pain and suffering you have endured.”
The disclosure marks the first time the Archdiocese of Santa Fe has provided a list of accused priests, deacons and religious brothers since the clergy sexual abuse crisis burst into public view in the early 1990s.
Wester called the move “a critical step” in the archdiocese’s attempt to improve transparency and promote healing.
“It is my deepest hope that our publication of this list will serve as an important step in healing for survivors, their families, and our Church and communities,” Wester wrote in a statement introducing the list.
Brian Gutierrez, an Albuquerque man who sued the archdiocese in 2014 alleging he was sexually abused by a former priest, said he was surprised by the disclosure.
“I’m glad it happened,” Gutierrez said Tuesday. “It’s something we’ve been asking for many years.”
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