CHARLOTTE (NC)
WBTV
September 6, 2018
By Nick Ochsner
Catholic leaders in North Carolina allowed priests to continue serving in active ministry, despite reports that those priests had engaged in inappropriate behavior, documents show.
For months, WBTV has been gathering internal church documents, some dating back to the 1980s, related to two priests.
Both men were ultimately removed from their positions as pastors at churches in the Charlotte Diocese following reports of abuse. But, internal church documents show, the action in both cases came decades after church leaders first received reports of abusive behavior.
The revelations come amidst new national and international scrutiny into how the Catholic Church has handled priests accused of sexually abusing young people.
The United States Council of Catholic Bishops released six statements on the topic just in August of this year, including one statement referring to the church’s handling of alleged abusers as a “moral catastrophe.”
USCCB President Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo issued a statement on August 1 that addressed, in part, the way in which church leaders should handle those who have reported abuse.
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