ARIZONA
The Arizona Republic
Michael Clancy
The Arizona Republic
Mar. 4, 2006 12:00 AM
Two of the key leaders in drawing attention to the clergy abuse scandal will be in town Sunday to speak.
Their topic is "Clergy Sex Abuse: Crimes and Cover-ups."
Speaking will be the Rev. Thomas Doyle, who in 1985 warned of the scope of the scandal, and David Clohessy, one of the founders of the abuse-victims' group SNAP, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Doyle is a Dominican priest and canon lawyer who has championed the cause of clergy sex-abuse victims since the 1980s. In 1985, he warned the Catholic bishops of the potential scope of the sex-abuse scandal, saying its costs could exceed $1 billion. His prediction came true.
Doyle describes abuse as "killing the soul of the victim" and in many cases as "killing their faith in God."
He challenges lay Catholics to reject clericalism, a policy of supporting the clergy to the exclusion of the laity, which he says is a major factor contributing to the abuse issue.