CHICAGO (IL)
The New York Times
By GRETCHEN RUETHLING
Published: February 25, 2006
CHICAGO, Feb. 24 — A review board of the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago advised Cardinal Francis George to remove a priest accused of molesting young boys three months before he was arrested and removed from ministry, according to the state's top child welfare agency official.
The official, Bryan Samuels, director of the Department of Children and Family Services, said Friday in a telephone interview that the archdiocese refused to follow the board's advice to remove the priest, the Rev. Daniel McCormack. Father McCormack of St. Agatha Catholic Church was removed from ministry last month when he was charged with sexually abusing three boys. One boy says he was abused as recently as December.
Mr. Samuels said the board made its recommendation in October, but he would not elaborate. The board's action was reported by WBBM-TV, CBS 2 News, here on Wednesday night.
Jim Dwyer, a spokesman for the archdiocese, said he could not confirm or deny the report of the board's recommendation. "It's my understanding that it wasn't an official recommendation," he said.