CHICAGO (IL)
Chicago Tribune
By Manya A. Brachear
Tribune staff reporter
Published February 15, 2006, 11:50 AM CST
Cardinal Francis George has tapped the chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago to oversee future allegations of sexual abuse of minors by clergy.
In his new role, Jimmy M. Lago has ordered an independent review of the policies and procedures that left Rev. Daniel McCormack and Rev. Joseph Bennett in ministry for months while abuse allegations against them were under church investigation.
Lago has also commissioned an outside firm to review the archdiocese's monitoring practices for priests permanently removed from ministry and for those awaiting a determination on the credibility of allegations made against them.
"The recent chronicle of this Archdiocese and others has shown that, for a small number of children, innocence has been destroyed, trust betrayed and future lives tragically left to cycles of destructive and addictive behaviors," Lago said today in a letter to clergy and staff of the archdiocese.