BELLEVILLE (IL)
Belleville News-Democrat
BY GEORGE PAWLACZYK
News-Democrat
BELLEVILLE - The head of a Catholic religious order said Monday a plan to supervise a priest who admits he sexually abused boys consists solely of having him sign out whenever he leaves a Belleville retirement home.
Using a sign-out sheet to safeguard children from potential attack by the Rev. Real Bourque, an admitted child molester, drew sharp criticism Monday from the executive director of a national group that monitors how the Catholic Church hierarchy deals with abusive priests.
"What do they expect? That if he's going to molest a child he'll write down on the sign-out sheet, 'Going to molest a child.'?" said David Clohessy, executive director of the St. Louis-based Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. "Belleville citizens should be outraged. This isn't supervision," Clohessy said. "Bourque clearly can do ... whatever he wants."
The Rev. Allen Maes, local head of Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate of which Bourque is a member, said the Oblates agreed to supervise Bourque. He said the supervision consists of a sign-out sheet.