NEW JERSEY/NEW YORK
NJ.com
[with video]
By David Cruz
NJ Today
A coalition of clergy and lay people from around the country call themselves the Catholic Whistleblowers. They gathered in New York City to assert themselves against what they see as a powerful entrenched bureaucracy turning a blind eye to the suffering of its most vulnerable members.
“I have yet to meet or even hear about a victim who has recounted that the bishop’s first response upon hearing their report of sexual abuse, was to reach out to them with any degree of compassion or concern. This is an abject disgrace,” said Canon Lawyer Father Tom Doyle.
They began forming nine months ago, without approval or cooperation from their individual diocese, bound by their desire to serve victims and to call on organizations like the National Council of Catholic Bishops to take action against those who they say have been complicit by covering up the abuse.
“We are here today to call upon Cardinal Dolan as president of the NCCB to use his influence to press the Vatican to remove Archbishop Myers from the Newark Archdiocese because of his mishandling of the Michael Fugee case. We appeal to all bishops and legislators to remove all statutes of limitations on child abuse cases as a means of demonstrating that our church is serious about pursuing truth and justice,” said Father Ron Lemmert of the Archdiocese of New York.
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