CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Sun-Times
January 31, 2006
BY LISA DONOVAN AND FRANK MAIN Staff Reporters
Cardinal Francis George was peppered with the same question again and again Monday night: Why would a priest interrogated by police about allegations of child molestation be allowed to continue teaching and ministering at a Roman Catholic church and school?
The head of the Archdiocese of Chicago, George told the approximately 300 gathered at St. Agatha Catholic Church, 3147 W. Douglas, for about two hours that he was sorry -- that he should have done more to make sure the Rev. Daniel McCormack abided by a church order not be be alone with children.
"I'm truly sorry you had as a pastor ... a person who was accused of being a child molester," George said, describing the allegations against McCormack, if true, as "destructive of the soul and destructive of the church."