PROVIDENCE (RI)
The Westerly Sun [Westerly RI]
March 20, 2026
By Philo Willetts
Rhode Island’s Catholic bishop recently expressed sadness and shame for decades of priests who raped hundreds of children. He also said the Church has improved. His diocesan office, however, portrayed Rhode Island Attorney General Peter Neronha’s report—a report that exposed all this—as “needless.” I disagree. Neronha’s report wasn’t “needless.” It was very much needed—and long overdue.
Attorney General Neronha recently released an important exposé of how at least 72 Rhode Island priests or deacons molested more than 300 children over the past several decades. How Church officials shuffled known child-raping priests to new churches, without warning their congregations. How the Church protected such priests from the law. And how the Church ignored or downplayed this for years—until facing litigation. How—when facing major litigation—former Bishop Tobin agreed to produce files and assist investigations. But how his diocese then obstructed interviews, destroyed some records, and tried to undercut the credibility of some scarred-for-life victims of priestly predation.
What is sin? Priests say homosexuality between consenting adults is a sin. And using contraception is a sin. And in vitro fertilization is a sin. And doubting ancient scripture and medieval dogma is a sin. And missing Sunday mass is a sin. I have a different view. In my view, Church officials’ repeated protection of child rapists is the worst kind of sin.
George Bernard Shaw once said, “All professions are conspiracies against the laity.” It’s just as true of the clergy. So we can’t trust the Church to police itself. We need independent reports like Neronha’s to keep us informed. We need the law to deal with those priests who raped our children. We need the law to deal with the Church officials who enabled and abetted them.
No. Neronha’s report wasn’t “needless.” We should thank Attorney General Neronha for reporting this serial abuse. We should thank Neronha for his efforts to get closure for those whose lives were destroyed. And we should help Attorney General Neronha’s efforts to prevent such predation from ever happening again.
Philo Willetts
Westerly