CHICAGO (IL)
Sun Times
May 4, 2019
By Laura Washington
“What’s next?” Roman Catholics worldwide are asking as their church reels amid explosive revelations of sexual assault and abuse of minors by priests.
It certainly has hit home for me. During Mass in January, a representative of the Archdiocese of Chicago announced that the beloved pastor of my church had been accused of sexual abusing a minor in 1979, while serving in a south suburban parish.
After the Mass ended, I sat in the pew in stunned silence.
The headlines of rampant abuse and cover-ups in the church are horrific enough. This was surreal. My pastor has been removed from the parish, pending the outcome of an investigation. Like many fellow parishioners, I am adamantly confident he will be cleared.
That will be small solace. Former Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan can tell you why.
Madigan spoke recently at the Public Affairs Roundtable, hosted by attorney Ron Miller of Miller, Shakman & Beem. Miller regularly invites friends and colleagues to hear prominent figures lead luncheon discussions of local and national issues.
Madigan left office in January after serving four terms and is currently teaching at the University of Chicago Law School.
Last summer, in the twilight of her tenure, Madigan read a report from a grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania. It found that more than 300 Catholic priests there had sexually abused 1,000 children over seven decades.
“If you have kids, it’s a tough read. If you are Catholic, it’s a tough read,” she told the group. “It made me exceptionally angry, physically revolted.”
The report “made clear that this was the M.O. of the Catholic Church. Not just in Pennsylvania,” she added.
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