NEW ORLEANS (LA)
Times-Picayune
September 20, 2018
By Kim Chatelain
Against the backdrop of a raging national clergy abuse scandal rooted in south Louisiana, New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond said Thursday (Sept. 20) he and other state bishops are in discussions over whether to release the names of clergy members against whom credible accusations of abuse have been made.
In an exclusive interview with NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune, Aymond said while he believes transparency is key to helping the church through the crises, releasing the names of clergy members who were accused of abuse decades ago is “riddled with problems” and “messy,” particularly in cases where the abuser is deceased. But he said those issues are being discussed among the state’s bishops and a decision is expected soon.
“This has been heart-wrenching, painful,” Aymond said. He characterized the last several weeks as the most difficult in his nine years at the helm of the archdiocese, as he hears stories of victims and the damage abusive clergy members have done to them and their families.
“I go to bed thinking about it. I wake up thinking about it,” he said.
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.