OWENSBORO (KY)
Tri-State Home Page
April 12, 3019
By Amanda Mueller
The Diocese of Owensboro released names of priests on Friday with credible sexual abuse allegations.
Bishop William Medley made a statement and took questions around 2 P.M.
There were 15 names on that list.
One name not among them : Father Joseph Edward Bradley.
He was suspended last month from Owensboro Catholic High School after allegations of sexual abuse.
“There is no question that people have lost faith over this. I hope this is a step toward restoring that,” Medley said during the conference,
15 priests have what the Diocese calls a “substantiated allegation” of sexual abuse against them.
“For all the times when Church leaders failed to live out Christ’s call to holiness and did not do what was needed to keep you and all children safe, I am sorry,” Bishop Medley read from a statement.
Only six of the priests on the list are still alive. They have all been removed from public ministry. A leader with the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, in Kentucky says that is not enough.
“Do they report in weekly? Monthly? Are they assigned someone to keep track of their travels? What is the follow-up?” said SNAP Louisville leader Cal Pfeiffer.
Inclusion on the list does not mean that the priest has been found guilty of a crime.
“When we receive an allegation, we report that to authorities. Sometimes we pursue that, sometimes they will not,” Medley explained.
The announcement was made ahead of the holiest week of the year for the Catholic Church.
“I found it appropriate to do it during the season of Lent, but frankly, we did it as soon as the committe that was reviewing these files completed their work,” said Medley.
Pfeiffer questions the timing.
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