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  Idaho's Catholic Bishop Says He Has Learned from Mistakes He Made Handling a Sexual Misconduct Case in Boise

The Idaho Statesman [Boise ID]
June 15, 2005

Next time, Idaho Catholic Bishop Michael Driscoll says, he'll be more decisive.

He learned the lesson after not moving quickly to remove a Boise parish deacon who had viewed child pornography.

"If I were to find out today that somebody was doing that, then I would immediately put that person on administrative leave," Driscoll said. Driscoll, leader of Idaho's 140,000 Catholics, talked publicly for the first time Tuesday since news emerged last month about the deacon case and his role in protecting abusive priests in southern California 25 years ago.

Driscoll has issued written apologies for his handling of both those sexual misconduct cases, but declined to answer questions.

Driscoll told The Idaho Statesman Tuesday:

• There are no current complaints of sexual misconduct against any church workers in Idaho.

• If parishioners know of child sexual abuse allegations, they should contact the police before church officials. • He would move quickly to remove church employees suspected of child sexual abuse or misconduct and would notify parishioners by the next Sunday, if possible.

• Only a couple of people suggested he should resign over the cases from southern California and St. Mary's Parish in Boise.

 
 

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