Name |
Career |
Description |
Sources |
Bishop Brendan Comiskey, SS.CC.
|
| Jun 1961 |
Ordained priest |
| Dec 1979 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
| Apr 1984 |
Appointed Bishop of Ferns, Ireland |
| Apr 2002 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Comiskey was age 66.6) |
|
Ireland. Comiskey submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II in April 2002, two weeks after the BBC aired "Suing the Pope," a documentary about Comiskey's protection of serial sex offender Sean Fortune and that priest's rape of Colm O'Gorman and other boys in the 1980s. Despite learning of allegations against Fortune almost as soon as he took the helm of Ferns in 1984, Comiskey kept the priest in ministry until 1995, when O'Gorman went to the police, and the priest was criminally charged with 66 counts of molesting eight children. The state-commissioned investigation of the Ferns diocese later would show that even before Fortune's ordination in 1979, the Church had received reports from multiple victims. (Fortune committed suicide, leaving a note that claimed Comiskey had sexually abused him.) In a public statement immediately following Comiskey's resignation, the Vatican cited canon 401, paragraph 2, an indication that the bishop's departure wasn't voluntary. That canon says: "A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office." |
Comiskey's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Suing the Pope, BBC News, 03.19.2002
Transcript of "Suing the Pope," BBC News, 03.19.2002
Bishop Resigns over Handling of Sex Case, BBC News, 04.01.2002
Comiskey's Statement of Resignation, 04.01.2002, RTÉ
Joint Statement of Archbishop Sean Brady and Desmond Cardinal Connell, Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, 04.05.2002
Vatican Announcement Regarding Diocese of Ferns, Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, 04.06.2002
Irish Bishop Was Forced to Quit by Vatican, by Nicola Byrne, The Observer, 01.26.2003
The Ferns Report, by Francis D. Murphy, Helen Buckley, and Larain Joyce, presented to the Minister for Health and Children, 10.2005
Bishop Built Wall of Silence Against Howls of Abused Children, by Maeve Sheehan, Irish Independent, 10.23.2005
Exposed: Appalling Horror of Ferns Abuse, by Brian Dowling, Independent.ie, 10.26.2005
Rising Star Was Brought Down by Ferns Report and Demon Drink, by David Quinn, Irish Independent, 02.02.2014
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop Raymond W. Field
|
| May 1970 |
Ordained priest |
| May 1997 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
| Dec 2009 |
Submitted resignation |
| Aug 2010 |
Resignation rejected by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Apr 2015 |
Remains Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
|
Ireland. Along with his fellow auxiliary bishop Eamonn Walsh, Field submitted his resignation under pressure on Christmas Eve, 2009, one month after the Murphy Report implicated him in the Dublin archdiocese's cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests and religious. In a joint written statement with Walsh, Field said, "It is our hope that our action may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims/survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologise to them." In August 2010, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin announced that Pope Benedict XVI had refused to accept the resignations of Field and Walsh. (However, Benedict did accept the resignations of James Moriarty and Donal Murray, the two other bishops to resign in the wake of the Murphy report.) As of 2015, Field is still auxiliary bishop of Dublin. |
Field's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin ["Murphy Report"], by Judge Yvonne Murphy, Ms. Ita Mangan, and Mr. Hugh O'Neill, 11.26.2009
Two Irish Catholic Bishops Resign over Church Cover-Up of Child Abuse, Associated Press [appearing in The Guardian], 12.25.2009
Bishops' Statement, The Irish Times, 12.28.2009
Ireland Confronts Its Sex Abuse Crisis, by Tom Roberts, National Catholic Reporter, 12.30.2009
Bishop Resignations: Timeline of Events, Irish Times, 08.11.2010
Pope Declines Resignation of Dublin Auxiliary Bishops, by Michael Kelly, Catholic News Service [appearing in NCR], 08.12.2010 |
Bishop Robert Finn
|
| Jul 1979 |
Ordained priest |
| Mar 2004 |
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA |
| May 2005 |
Succeeded Bishop of Kansas City-Saint Joseph, Missouri, USA |
| Apr 2015 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis (Finn was age 62.0) |
|
United States. In September 2012 Finn was convicted of violating the state of Missouri’s mandatory child abuse reporting statute. Finn had chosen not to report the diocese’s December 2010 discovery of sexually graphic photographs of little girls found on the laptop of diocesan priest Shawn Ratigan. (Of the hundreds of photos, only four or five had been downloaded from the Internet; the rest apparently had been taken by Ratigan himself with a personal camera.) Finn removed Ratigan from his parish but did not tell parishioners why. He sent the priest to Pennsylvania to be evaluated. When Ratigan returned in February 2011, he was made chaplain for the Franciscan Sisters at the Franciscan Prayer Center in Independence MO. Finn placed Ratigan under seven restrictions, including avoiding contact with children, but he also allowed the priest to say Mass for youth groups "on a 'trial' basis." Finn did not assign anyone to monitor Ratigan. Ratigan’s unwitting former parishioners reached out to him, and some invited him to gatherings which included children. On one such occasion Ratigan took upskirt pictures of a 10-year-old girl with his cell phone underneath the table during dinner with her family.
The police finally were notified in May 2011 by Finn’s vicar general, Msgr. Robert Murphy. Murphy later testified that the bishop was “upset” when he learned that law enforcement had been contacted; Murphy said he told his sister, “I think I made a decision that will not make the bishop happy.” In August 2012 Ratigan pleaded guilty to producing and attempting to produce child pornography and subsequently was sentenced to 50 years in prison.
A month after Ratigan's conviction, Finn was convicted, and sentenced to two years' court-supervised probation. He remained in place as Kansas City-Saint Joseph bishop, resulting in a firestorm of criticism, protest and persistent calls for his resignation. In September 2014 the Vatican's Congregation of Bishops sent a representative (Ottawa archbishop Terrence Prendergast) to Missouri to investigate Finn's leadership. In April 2015 Pope Francis accepted Finn's resignation. While no specific reason was given, canon 401, paragraph 2 was cited. It says "A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office."
In December 2015 Finn assumed the role of chaplain for the School Sisters of Christ the King in the Diocese of Lincoln, NE. He had been appointed by Lincoln Bishop James Conley. |
Finn's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Assignment Record - Rev. Shawn Ratigan, BishopAccountability.org
Northland Couple Says Ratigan Took Photos of Their Daughter Under Table, Kansas City Star, 11.17.2011
KC Priest Pleads Guilty to Child Porn Charges, by Joshua J. McElwee
National Catholic Reporter
08.22.2012
Kansas City Bishop Convicted of Shielding Pedophile Priest, by John Eligon and Laurie Goodstein, New York Times, 09.06.2012
Update 2: Kansas City Bishop Found Guilty in Child Abuse Case, by Joshua McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, 09.06.2012
Stipulation of Testimony, by Robert W. Finn and State of Missouri, 09.06.2012 [69 points of evidence that both sides agree would be adduced at trial]
Kansas City Bishop Robert Finn under Vatican Investigation, by Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter, 09.29.2014
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Finn's Resignation, Vatican, 04.21.2015
Pope OKs Resignation of Bishop Robert Finn, Who Failed to Report Sex Abuse, by Judy L. Thomas, Kansas City Star, 04.21.2015
US Bishop Finn, Symbol of Church's Failure on Sexual Abuse, Resigns, by Joshua J. McElwee, Brian Roewe, and Dennis Coday, 04.21.2015
Canon Lawyers: Origins of Bishop Finn's Resignation Unclear, by Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter, 04.23.2015
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2)
State of Missouri Child Abuse Reporting Statutes, Stat. § 210.115
Archbishop John Nienstedt, Bishop Robert Finn Have New Homes Outside Former Dioceses, By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter, 01.14.2016 |
Bishop Gonzalo Galván Castillo
|
| Jul 1977 |
Ordained priest |
| Oct 2004 |
Appointed Bishop of Autlán, Jalisco, Mexico |
| Jun 2015 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis (Galván was age 64.4) |
|
Mexico. Galván's resignation was accepted by Pope Francis in June 2015, per canon 401, paragraph 2. His resignation came the day after Autlán priest Francisco Javier García Rodriguez was arrested and charged with raping an 11-year-old girl and fondling five others. Galván had received reports in 2013 regarding García, but did nothing until restricting his ministry in January 2015. Galván is said to have also protected another one of his priests, Rev. Horacio López, who was accused in 2009 of raping an 11-year-old boy in 2002. Galván moved López in 2010 to a parish in Tecolotlán, Jalisco, and again in 2013 to the Diocese of Leon. López was still in active ministry in August 2015.
After resigning, Galván relocated to Leon, where he was officiating Mass in the Parish of the Holy Spirit. |
Galván's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Gonzalo Galván Castillo Será Nombrado Obispo “El Obispo Renunció por Cuestiones de Salud”: Asegura Vicario General Interino, Por Carmen Aggi Cabrera, 06.25.2015
Priest, 'family friend,' accused of abuse, Mexico Daily News, 06.29.2015
The Vatican Shakeup Continues: Two More Bishops Resign, By Ruth Gledhill, Christian Today
07.16.2015
Pope Francis has Removed Some Bishops Immersed in Sex Abuse Scandals, but He’s Also Offered Them Comfort and Called Accusers Dumb, By Mary Duan, Monterey County Weekly, 10.27.2015
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Galván's Removal and Replacement, Vatican, 06.25.2015
Investigan si ex Obispo Encubrió a Pederastas, por Jesús García, 02.20.2016
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop Seamus Hegarty
|
| Jun 1966 |
Ordained priest |
| Feb 1982 |
Appointed Bishop of Raphoe, Ireland |
| Oct 1994 |
Appointed Bishop of Derry, Ireland |
| Nov 2011 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Hegarty was age 71.8) |
|
Ireland. Pope Benedict XVI accepted Hegarty's resignation in November 2011, shortly before the publication of a church-commissioned report on clergy sex abuse in the diocese of Raphoe. The church had received the report several months earlier. It revealed Hegarty's mishandling of pedophile priests while bishop of Raphoe from 1982 to 1994. Four of Hegarty's priests were eventually convicted. While acknowledging "deficits" in his response to allegations, Hegarty denied ever being told of the abusive behavior of the most notorious of the four, Rev. Eugene Greene, who molested at least 26 children and was sentenced to prison in 2000. The Vatican's brief announcement on Hegarty's resignation said it was in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2: "A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office." Hegarty said it was due to an "irreversible and progressive" illness. As of April 2015, he retains the title of bishop emeritus of Derry. |
Hegarty's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Ulster Bishop Hegarty's 'Secret Deal' on Sex Abuse Case, by Donna Deeney, Belfast Telegraph, 03.18.2010
Review of Safeguarding Practice in the Diocese of Raphoe, undertaken byThe National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church (NBSCCC), August 2010 [published November 2010]
Pope Accepts Resignation of Another Irish Bishop, by Shawn Pogatchnik, ABC News, 11.23.2011
Northern Ireland Bishop's Health Problem Prompts Resignation, Catholic News Agency, 11.23.2011
Other Pontifical Acts [citing canon 401.2 in regards to Hegarty's resignation], Vatican Information Service, 11.23.2011
Personal Statement of Bishop Séamus Hegarty Following Publication of Safeguarding Reviews in Diocese of Derry and Raphoe, Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference, 11.30.2011
Derry Now Has 'Clear Procedures,' Irish Times, 11.30.2011
Abuse Reports Trigger Unwelcome Feeling of Deja Vu, by Patsy McGarry, Irish Times, 12.01.2011
Bishop Hegarty Admits 'Poor' Judgement, Derry Journal, 12.02.2011
Bishop Bows Out, But Grim Legacy of Abuse Remains, by Donna Deeney, Belfast Telegraph, 12.02.2011
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop Kurt Krenn
|
| Oct 1962 |
Ordained priest |
| Mar 1987 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Wien {Vienna}, Austria |
| Jul 1991 |
Appointed Bishop of Sankt Pölten, Austria |
| Oct 2004 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Krenn was age 68.2) |
| Jan 2014 |
Died |
|
Austria. Krenn resigned in October 2004 after he caused a public uproar. A student at the seminary in Krenn's diocese was discovered to have stored and distributed child abuse images and other pornography, and Krenn dismissed the scandal as "boyish pranks." Krenn reportedly resigned voluntarily to pre-empt Pope John Paul II's removal of him. However, the Vatican announcement of Krenn's resignation cited canon 401, paragraph 2, which refers to a resignation that has been "earnestly requested." |
Krenn's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Austrian Bishop Resigns; Preempts Vatican Announcement, CatholicCulture.org,
09.30.2004
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Krenn's Resignation, Vatican, 10.07.2004
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bernard Francis Cardinal Law
|
| May 1961 |
Ordained priest |
| Oct 1973 |
Appointed Bishop of Springfield-Cape Girardeau, Missouri, USA |
| Jan 1984 |
Appointed Archbishop of Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
| May 1985 |
Elevated to Cardinal |
| Dec 2002 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Law was age 71.1) |
| May 2004 |
Appointed Archpriest of the Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome, Italy |
| Nov 2011 |
Retired (age 79.9) |
| Dec 2017 |
Died |
|
United States. In a January 2002 investigative report, the Boston Globe revealed extensive clergy sexual abuse of children and cover-up by the Boston archdiocese under Law's leadership. The report showed Law's awareness in 1984 that Rev. John Geoghan was a child molester, including of 7 young boys in one family; Geoghan was allowed to remain in ministry. (Geoghan was convicted in 2002 of the abuse of one boy, and was murdered in prison.) Documents showed Law kept Rev. Paul Shanley in ministry, despite knowledge that he was a danger to children, and that he advocated sex between men and boys. (Shanley was convicted in 2005 of sexually abusing a boy in the 1980s.) Public reaction was explosive and led to a tumultuous year of protests, with attempts at damage control by the archdiocese. Calls for Law's removal by Catholic laity and wealthy donors grew in momentum through the year. On December 3, 2002 the lawyer for a Shanley victim made public eight priest files which showed particularly egregious abuse by Boston priests and cover-up by Cardinal Law. In the next nine days Law was served a subpoena, more files were released, protesters thronged the cathedral, and 58 Boston priests signed a letter calling for their archbishop to step down. Law fled to Rome, where he announced on December 13 that Pope John Paul II had accepted his resignation. The Vatican did not link Law's removal to his cover-up of child sexual abuse. A brief Vatican announcement said only that Law's resignation had been accepted in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2. Law was appointed archpriest of Rome's Basilica di Santa Maria Maggiore in May 2004. He retired in November 2011, and died December 20, 2017. |
Law's Career History,
catholic-hierarchy.org
Church Allowed Abuse by Priest for Years. Aware of Geoghan record, Archdiocese Still Shuttled Him From Parish to Parish, by Michael Rezendes, Prepared by the Globe Spotlight Team, Boston Globe, 01.06.2002
Shanley's Record Long Ignored Files show Law, Others Backed Priest, by Walter V. Robinson and Thomas Farragher, Boston Globe, 04.09.2002
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Law's Resignation, Vatican, 12.13.2002
Law Resigns: Cardinal's Departure May Be First of Many, by Jules Crittenden
Boston (MA) Herald,
12.14.2002
Ex-Priest Convicted in Rape of Boy in Boston, by Pam Belluck, NY Times
02.08.2005
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2)
Boston’s Cardinal Bernard Law Retires from Prominent Post, by Francis X. Rocca, Washington Post
11.11.2011
In Search of Cardinal Bernard Law, by Phillip Martin, WGBH, 8.01.2015 |
Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano
|
| Aug 1978 |
Ordained priest |
| Jul 2004 |
Appointed Bishop of Ciudad del Este, Paraguay |
| Sep 2014 |
Removed by Pope Francis (age 69.0) |
| Aug 2015 |
Died Aug 14 |
|
Paraguay. Opus Dei member. Livieres promoted Rev. Carlos Urrutigoity to vicar general even after having been warned by the priest's previous bishop, Joseph Martino of Scranton PA, that Urrutigoity was "a serious threat to young people." The Scranton diocese settled a lawsuit against Urrutigoity in 2004. The ultra-conservative Livieres long clashed with his fellow his fellow bishops. Pope Francis sent a delegation to Paraguay to investigate in July 2014, and Livieres was removed in September of that year. The termination of Livieres differs in two interesting respects from others cited in this report: the canon law typically cited in these situations -- canon 401, paragraph 2 -- was not invoked; and the Vatican took the unusual step of issuing an explanation. The Vatican notice said "This was a difficult decision on the part of the Holy See, taken for serious pastoral reasons and for the greater good of the unity of the Church in Ciudad del Este and the episcopal communion in Paraguay." Plano died August 14, 2015 in Buenos Aires. |
Livieres' Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Livieres' Removal and Replacement, Vatican, 09.25.2014
Press Bulletin Explaining the Pope's Reasons for Replacing Livieres, Vatican, 9.25.2014
Francis Removes Bishop Under Cloud in Paraguay, by Gaia Pianigiani and Laurie Goodstein, 09.25.2014
Breakaway Opus Dei Bishop Removed by Pope, by Nicole Winfield, Toronto Star
09.25.2014
Paraguayan Bishop Who Shielded Priest Abuser Removed From Office, by Dennis Coday, National Catholic Reporter, 09.25.2014
Vatican says Paraguayan Bishop's Dismissal Not the Result of Sex Abuse, Francis X. Rocca, Catholic News Service [appearing in NCR], 09.29.2014
Rogelio Livieres Plano, Bishop Ousted by Pope Francis, Dies at 69, by Sam Roberts, New York Times
08.18.2015
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop John Magee, S.P.S.
|
| Mar 1962 |
Ordained priest |
| Feb 1987 |
Appointed Bishop of Cloyne, Ireland |
| Mar 2010 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Magee was age 73.5) |
|
Ireland. Member of the St. Patrick’s Society for the Foreign Missions. Served as private secretary to three popes. In December 2008 a church commission's investigation of the Cloyne diocese revealed that Magee ignored claims in the 1990s that two of his priests were sexually abusing children. The report led to public calls for Magee's removal. Magee offered his resignation to Pope Benedict XVI in February 2009 and stepped down from his duties as bishop the following month; his resignation was accepted in March 2010 in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2. |
Magee's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.og
Report on the Management of Two Child Protection Cases in the Diocese of Cloyne, by Ian Elliott,
Chief Executive Officer
National Safeguarding Board for Children, Catholic Church in Ireland,
06.30.2008, Released 12.19.2008
Sex Abuse Row Bishop Quits His Post, By Mark Tighe and Olivia Kelleher, The Times 03.08.2009
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Magee's Resignation, Vatican, 03.24.2010
Pope Accepts Irish Bishop’s Resignation in Abuse Scandal, by Rachel Donadio and Eamon Quinn, 03.24.2010
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop John McAreavey
|
| Jun 1973 |
Ordained priest |
| Jun 1999 |
Appointed Bishop of Dromore, Ireland |
| Mar 2018 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis. (McAreavey was age 69.1) |
|
Northern Ireland. On March 1, 2018 McAreavey announced he would resign, after public criticism that he had concelebrated a mass in 2000 with known pedophile priest, Malachy Finegan, and that he presided at Finegan's funeral mass in 2002. The Finegan case was highlighted on a television program aired in February 2018. Pope Francis accepted McAreavey's resignation March 26, 2018. |
McAreavey's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Bishop John McAreavey resigns after revelations he concelebrated Mass with paedophile priest, by Bimpe Archer, The Irish News, 03.02.2018
Resignations and Appointments, Vatican website, 03.26.2018
Pope Francis accepts resignation of Bishop John McAreavey, Belfast Telegraph, 02.26.2018 |
Bishop James Moriarty
|
| May 1961 |
Ordained priest |
| Jun 1991 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
| Jun 2002 |
Appointed Bishop of Kildare and Leighlin, Ireland |
| Dec 2009 |
Submitted resignation to Pope |
| Apr 2010 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Moriarty was age 73.6) |
|
Ireland. Moriarty was one of four current or former Dublin bishops who resigned in the wake of the November 2009 publication of the Murphy Report, the state-run investigation that found decades of systematic cover-up of sexually abusive priests by the Dublin archdiocese. Moriarty was implicated in the case of Fr. Edmondus, a pseudonym for the serial abuser who molested current papal commission member Marie Collins and many other children. In 1993, as auxiliary bishop of Dublin, Moriarty received a complaint that Fr. Edmondus had sexually abused sick children at a hospital 30 years earlier. Moriarty chose neither to investigate nor ask the archbishop if he could check the priest's file, which contained prior complaints. Fr. Edmondus remained in ministry for years. In interviews immediately after the release of the Murphy Report, Moriarty said he would not resign, explaining that the fault rested with his then-superior, Archbishop Desmond Connell, to whom Moriarty had conveyed the complaint. But by the end of December 2009, Moriarty submitted his resignation, stating that he "should have challenged the prevailing culture." Pope Benedict XVI accepted his resignation in April 2010. (The three other Dublin bishops to resign in response to the Murphy Report were Field, Murray, and Walsh; Murray's resignation was also accepted, but Benedict rejected the resignations of Field and Walsh.) In announcing the pope's acceptance of Moriarty's resignation, the Vatican cited canon 401, paragraph 2: "A diocesan bishop who has become less able to fulfill his office because of ill health or some other grave cause is earnestly requested to present his resignation from office." |
Moriarty's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin ["Murphy Report"], by Judge Yvonne Murphy, Ms. Ita Mangan, and Mr. Hugh O'Neill, 11.26.2009
No Grounds to Resign, Says Bishop Moriarty, by Patsy McGarry, The Irish Times, 12.11.2009
Under Pressure Bishop Moriarty Rules Out Resignation, Offaly Express, 12.16.2009
Second Catholic Bishop Resigns, UTV, 12.23.2009
Resignation Letter "A Step Forward", Says Victim Acceptance of Collusion "Huge", by Genevieve Carbery
The Irish Times
12.24.2009
Bishop Moriarty Outlines Reasons for Resignation, Offaly Express, 12.30.2009
Irish Bishop Resigns, Says He Didn't Report Abuse, by Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, 04.22.2010
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop Ronald Mulkearns
|
| Jul 1956 |
Ordained priest |
| Sep 1968 |
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Ballarat, Australia |
| May 1971 |
Succeeded Bishop of Ballarat, Australia |
| May 1997 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Mulkearns was age 66.5) |
|
Australia. Mulkearns submitted his resignation to Pope John Paul II at age 66 in 1997, two years after he was investigated by police for covering up the crimes of pedophile priest Gerald Ridsdale, who raped and sexually abused more than 50 children, some as young as age four. Investigators found that Mulkearns had known of Ridsdale's crimes since 1975 but kept the priest in ministry for years and did not report him to the police. In his resignation statement, Mulkearns cited the "draining effect" of the public uproar over his handling of Ridsdale and other abusers. It is not known whether the Vatican forced Mulkearns' departure. In 2013, his successor, Bishop Peter Connors, conceded Mulkearns' wrongdoing to a Victorian parliamentary inquiry on child sexual abuse, adding, “He retired early before his time because of being over-burdened by all this." During the Royal Commission's hearings on child sexual abuse in Ballarat, convicted priest Paul Ryan said Mulkearns knew he was abusing children in 1977, but did nothing. Ryan was removed from ministry in 1993. Mulkearns died April 3, 2016. |
Mulkearns' Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Ballarat's Good Men of the Cloth, by Peter Ellingsen, The Age (Melbourne), 06.14.2002
Abuse Inquiry: Questions Raised as to Whereabouts of Bishop, by Fiona Henderson, The Courier [Ballarat, Victoria], 04.29.2013
'Keeper of Secrets' Father Ronald Mulkearns Has Nothing More to Say, by Aleks Devic, Herald Sun, 12.08, 2013
Full Story: How the Church Concealed Father Ridsdale's Crimes, by Broken Rites Australia, updated 04.13.2014
Widespread Child Abuse in Ballarat Diocese, News.com.au, 05.29.15
Former Ballarat bishop Ronald Mulkearns dies at 85, by Jane Lee, The Age, 04.04.16 |
Bishop Donal Brendan Murray
|
| May 1966 |
Ordained priest |
| Mar 1982 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
| Feb 1996 |
Appointed Bishop of Limerick, Ireland |
| Dec 2009 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Murray was age 69.5) |
|
Ireland. Pope Benedict XVI accepted Murray's resignation in December 2009 in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2. A month earlier, the Murphy Report had been published. It called Murray's failure as Dublin auxiliary bishop to address suspicions of abuse by Rev. Tom Naughton in the 1980s "inexcusable." Naughton was sent to prison in 1998 and again in 2009 for sexually abusing boys in the 1980s. |
Murray's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin ["Murphy Report"], by Judge Yvonne Murphy, Ms. Ita Mangan, and Mr. Hugh O'Neill, 11.26.2009
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Murray's Resignation, Vatican, 12.17.2009
Irish bishop Donal Murray Resigns over Abuse Report, BBC, 12.17.2009
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Archbishop John Clayton Nienstedt
|
| July 1974 |
Ordained priest |
| June 1996 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Detroit, Michigan, USA |
| June 2001 |
Appointed Bishop of New Ulm, Minnesota, USA |
| April 2007 |
Appointed Coadjutor Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| May 2008 |
Succeeded Archbishop of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| June 2015 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis (Nienstedt was age 68.2)
|
|
United States. In April 2013 Nienstedt's Chancellor for Canonical Affairs, Jennifer Haselberger, resigned after her warnings to Nienstedt and other archdiocesan officials about problem priests were ignored. Haselberger had sent Nienstedt copies of what appeared to be child pornography found on Rev. Jonathan Shelley's computer; Nienstedt did not call police. Nienstedt is also said to have prior knowledge of inappropriate sexual behavior by Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, who was convicted in 2012 of child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography. Further, Rev. Kenneth LaVan was allowed to remain an active priest despite accusations that he sexually assaulted a 16-year-old girl, engaged in sexual misconduct with married parishioners, spent lavish amounts of money on lovers, and had a diagnosis of "compulsive sexuality." Nienstedt later would deny that he knew LaVan was still in public ministry; however, archdiocesan files show that he had approved LaVan for ministry yearly, including the previous year. See Haselberger's affidavit for detailed accounts of alleged mismanagement by Nienstedt and others.
While facing pressure to resign because of cover-up, Nienstedt himself was accused publicly in December 2013 of touching a boy's buttocks in 2009. Calling the allegation "entirely false," he temporarily stepped aside. He resumed duties March 2014 after the prosecutor said there would no charges due to insufficient evidence. In July 2014, news media revealed that Nienstedt had commissioned an internal investigation of his alleged sexual misconduct toward adults. The investigators reportedly found that Nienstedt made "sexual advances" toward at least two priests. Nienstedt kept the findings secret and, according to the MPR report, authorized a new investigation by a second law firm.
On June 5, 2015, County Attorney John Choi announced criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on six gross misdemeanor counts of failure to protect children in the Wehmeyer case. On June 15, 2015 Pope Francis accepted the resignations, in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2, of both Nienstedt and Auxiliary Bishop Lee Piché. The pope did not issue any explanation for the resignations. Nienstedt's new title is Saint Paul and Minneapolis MN archbishop emeritus.
In January 2016 it was announced at St. Philip's in Battle Creek MN, a parish in the Diocese of Kalamazoo, that Nienstedt would be assisting there for about six months while St. Philip's pastor, a friend of Nienstedt, underwent treatment for some health issues. Diocesan officials said Nienstedt was a priest in good standing and was welcome in the diocese. Parishioners, community members and survivors of clergy sexual abuse immediately and loudly objected; two weeks later Nienstedt left the diocese, and Kalamazoo bishop Paul Bradley publicly expressed regret that he had not anticipated the public's reaction to Nienstedt's presence. |
Nienstedt's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Under Fire, Archbishop Nienstedt Scrambles to Respond, by Jean Hopfensperger, Star Tribune, 10.06.2013
Letter from Archbishop Nienstedt Regarding Allegation, Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis
12.17.2013
Nienstedt, Facing Claim He Touched Boy, Steps Aside during Investigation, Denies Allegation, by Tom Scheck, Laura Yuen, Mike Cronin, Minnesota Public Radio, 12.17.2013
Archbishop Nienstedt Will Not Be Charged after Being Accused of Touching Boy, by Chao Xiong, Star Tribune
03.11.2014
Statement Regarding Archbishop John
Nienstedt , archspm.org,
Tuesday, 03.11.2014
Insufficient Evidence to Charge Archbishop John Nienstedt in Alleged Groping Incident Reported by Priest, by Dennis Gerhardstein, Office of the Ramsey County Attorney
03.12.2014
Deposition of Archbishop John Nienstedt, Deposition Taken 04.02.14, Released 04.22.14 by Jeff Anderson & Associates
Archbishop Nienstedt Under Investigation, by Grant Gallicho, Commonweal Magazine
07.01.2014
Affidavit of Jennifer M. Haselberger, Ramsey County District Court, Minnesota, 07.14.2014
US Church Insiders Who Have Blown the Whistle on Alleged Child Sexual Abuse and Cover-Up, BishopAccountability.org
New Documents Show Falsehoods in Nienstedt Testimony, by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Public Radio, 08.11.2014
Did Archbishop John Nienstedt Lie under Oath?, Fox 9, 08.14.2014
State of Minnesota vs The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 06.05.2015
An Isolated Nienstedt Tried to Limit Investigation into Himself, by Madeleine Baran, Minnesota Pubic Radio, 06.19.2015
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Nienstedt's Resignation, Vatican Website, 06.15.15
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2)
Archbishop John Nienstedt, Bishop Robert Finn Have New Homes Outside Former Dioceses, By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter, 01.14.16
Apologetic Bishop Underestimated Reaction to Nienstedt's Presence, MLive, 01.21.16 |
Archbishop Aldo di Cillo Pagotto, S.S.S.
|
| Dec 1977 |
Ordained priest |
| Dec 1985 |
Professed priest of Congregation of the Blessed Sacrament |
| Sep 1997 |
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Sobral, Ceara, Brazil |
| Mar 1998 |
Succeeded Bishop of Sobral, Ceara, Brazil |
| May 2004 |
Appointed Archbishop of Paraíba, Paraíba, Brazil |
| Jul 2016 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis (Pagotto was age 66.8) |
|
Brazil. Pagotto was the subject of a Vatican investigation in 2015 after charges he accepted into the archdiocese priests and seminiarians rejected by other dioceses for suspected pedophilia. During the investigation he was banned from ordaining new deacons and priests or taking in new seminarians. Pagotto had also been accused of sexual misconduct with an 18-year-old male. On July 6, 2016, Pope Francis accepted Pagotto's resignation, in accordance with canon 401.2. |
Pagotto's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Pope Accepts Resignation of Brazilian Archbishop After Abuse Scandal, The Japan Times, 07.06.2016
Pope Accepts Resignation of Brazilian Bishop in Sex Abuse Case, by Philip Pullella, Reuters, 07.06.2016
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Pagotto's Resignation, Vatican Website, 07.06.2016 |
Archbishop Alphonsus Liguori Penney
|
| Jun 1949 |
Ordained priest |
| Nov 1972 |
Appointed Bishop of Grand Falls, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Mar 1979 |
Appointed Archbishop of Saint John's, Newfoundland, Canada |
| Jul 1990 |
Penney announced his resignation. |
| Feb 1991 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Penney was age 66.3) |
|
Canada. In 1990 the Winter report, which was the result of St. John's Archdiocesan inquiry into child sexual abuse by clergy, commissioned by Penney, revealed that Penney knew of and failed to prevent abuse of children in the archdiocese for years. Within a 2 1/2-year period more than 20 priests and religious brothers were charged with or convicted of child sexual abuse; their victims included altar boys and boys living at the Christian Brothers' Mount Cashel orphanage. Penney announced his resignation the day the printed Winter report became public, on July 18, 1990. He had been under public pressure to step down since 1988. The Vatican sent two representatives to the archdiocese in October 1990 to investigate - Bishop Roger Ebacher, Bishop of Gatineau-Hull, and Rev. James Weisgerber, secretary of the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops. The representatives commented that the Pope did not think the Winter report was enough to warrant Penney's resignation; Catholics of the archdiocese responded with public protests. Pope John Paul II accepted Penney's resignation February 2, 1991. |
Penney's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Winter Report, 06.1990
Archbishop Resigns Over Sexual Abuse Report, United Press International
07.18.1990
Canadian Prelate Quits In Clerics' Sex Scandal,
by John F. Burns, Special to The New York Times
07.20.1990
Pope Sends Two to St. John's to Report on Sex Abuse, Toronto Star
10.08.1990
Catholics Planning Demonstration, Globe and Mail, 10.12.1990
John Paul II Accepts Archbishop's Resignation, The Orlando Sentinal, 02.03.1991 |
Bishop Lee Anthony Piché
|
| May 1984 |
Ordained priest |
| Nov 1972 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA |
| June 2015 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Francis (Piché was age 57.1) |
|
United States. Piché served as Vicar General of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from May 2008 until July 1, 2009. He was appointed Auxiliary Bishop in May 2009. Prior to his promotions, as a parish pastor in 2001, Piché was placed in charge of newly ordained priest Rev. Curtis Wehmeyer, who was assigned to Piché's parish and about whom there had already been concerns. In 2004 Wehmeyer received a police citation for loitering in a park that was known as a place where men engaged in anonymous sex. That same year there were complaints to Piché that Wehmeyer was spending a lot of time in the parish school's bathroom. Further, Piché was told by one priest that Wehmeyer had taken two boys camping and said, "I think you have a predator on your hands." Piche's response was that he thought Wehmeyer could be a good priest. Another reported to Piché in August 2010 that in he found Wehmeyer in bed with a boy at a campsite. Piché responded, "Father Curt Wehmeyer has many skeletons in his closet." Wehmeyer was convicted in 2012 of child sexual abuse and possession of child pornography.
On June 5, 2015 County Attorney John Choi announced criminal charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis on six gross misdemeanor counts of failure to protect children. On June 15, 2015 Pope Francis accepted the resignations, in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2 , of both Lee and Archbishop Nienstedt. The pope did not issue any explanation for the resignations. Piché's new title is Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota. |
Piché's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Father Lee Piché Named Auxiliary Bishop, Catholic Spirit, 05.27.09
State of Minnesota vs The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, 06.05.2015
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Piché's Resignation, Vatican Website, 06.15.15
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2)
So, Where Do We Go From Here?, by Jennifer Haselburger, canonicalconsultation.com, 06.19.15
A Look at Key Arch-diocese Leaders, How they Handled Wehmeyer, by Amy Forliti, Associated Press, 06.21.15 |
Bishop Rafael Eleuterio Rey
|
| Dec 1958 |
Ordained priest |
| Apr 1983 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Mendoza, Argentina |
| Dec 1991 |
Appointed Bishop of Zárate-Campana, Argentina |
| Feb 2006 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Rey was age 72.7) |
|
Argentina. In the early 1990s one of Rey's priests, Mario Napoleón Sasso, was diagnosed with pedophilia. Rev. Sasso was sent to a treatment center in Rey's diocese of Zarate-Campana for two years in the mid-1990s; he was released in 1998 with strict orders never to be in the company of children.
In 2001, despite knowing Sasso's problem, Bishop Rey assigned Sasso to work at an impoverished parish in the city of Pilar, where Sasso was the sole priest and in charge of a community soup kitchen which was frequented by children. In 2003 a soup kitchen worker reported to the diocesan vicar that Sasso had sexually abused a girl there. The vicar reportedly told Rey, who did nothing. The kitchen worker and priest-psychiatrist, Luiz Guzmán, then went to law enforcement; on December 1, 2003 an order was issued for Sasso's arrest. Aided by the vicar and another priest, Sasso fled the country, but was captured in January 2004. The two priests who abetted his escape were charged with aggravated concealment; they eventually admitted partial guilt and were given probation. Bishop Rey was not charged by civil authorities, but in February 2006, his resignation at age 72 (three years before normal retirement age) was announced by the Vatican. The brief notice said that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted his resignation in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2. Sasso was convicted in 2007 of first-degree sexual abuse of five girls, ages 5 to 12, and sentenced to 17 years in prison. |
Rey's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Rey's Resignation, Vatican, 02.03.2006
Pedophile Priest: Church Assures that It Already Removed a Bishop, by Sergio Rubín Clarín
11.14.2007
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2)
Pope Francis and Clergy Sexual Abuse in Argentina, [Sasso entry], bishopaccountability.org |
Bishop Eamonn Oliver Walsh
|
| Apr 1969 |
Ordained priest |
| Mar 1990 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
| Dec 2009 |
Submitted resignation |
| Aug 2010 |
Resignation rejected by Pope Benedict XVI |
| Apr 2015 |
Remains Auxiliary Bishop of Dublin, Ireland |
|
Ireland. Auxiliary bishop of Dublin who also administered the diocese of Ferns 2002-2006, following the resignation of Bishop Brendan Comiskey. Walsh was implicated in the Murphy Report in 2009, which detailed the Dublin archdiocese's cover-up of child sexual abuse by priests and religious. In a public response to the report, Archbishop Diarmuid Martin called the abuse accounts "revolting" and the failures of supervisors, including Walsh, "devastating." Along with his fellow auxiliary bishop Raymond Field, Walsh submitted his resignation on Christmas Eve, 2009, one month after the Murphy Report was released. In a joint written statement with Field, Walsh said, "It is our hope that our action may help to bring the peace and reconciliation of Jesus Christ to the victims/survivors of child sexual abuse. We again apologise to them." In August 2010, Archbishop Martin announced that Pope Benedict XVI had refused to accept the resignations of Walsh and Field. (However, Benedict did accept the resignations of James Moriarty and Donal Murray, the two other bishops to resign in the wake of the Murphy report.) In 2013 Martin made Walsh the head of the Office for Clergy in the Dublin Archdiocese. |
Walsh's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Commission of Investigation: Report into the Catholic Archdiocese of Dublin ["Murphy Report"], by Judge Yvonne Murphy, Ms. Ita Mangan, and Mr. Hugh O'Neill, 11.26.2009
Comments of Archbishop Diarmuid Martin in Response to the Murphy Report, 11.26.2009
Jump or Get Pushed: After Murphy, Martin Declares War, by Rocco Palmo, Whispers in the Loggia, 12.22.2009
Two Irish Catholic Bishops Resign over Church Cover-Up of Child Abuse, Associated Press [appearing in The Guardian], 12.25.2009
Bishops' Statement, The Irish Times, 12.28.2009
Ireland Confronts Its Sex Abuse Crisis, by Tom Roberts, National Catholic Reporter, 12.30.2009
Bishop Resignations: Timeline of Events, Irish Times, 08.11.2010
Pope Declines Resignation of Dublin Auxiliary Bishops, by Michael Kelly, Catholic News Service [appearing in NCR], 08.12.2010
Bishop Criticised after Murphy Report Gets Additional Responsibilities, RTE News, 09.11.2013 |
Bishop Daniel Francis Walsh
|
| Mar 1963 |
Ordained priest |
| Jun 1981 |
Appointed Auxiliary Bishop of San Francisco, California, USA |
| Jun 1987 |
Appointed Bishop of Reno-Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Mar 1995 |
Appointed Bishop of Las Vegas, Nevada, USA |
| Apr 2000 |
Appointed Bishop of Santa Rosa in California, USA |
| Jun 2011 |
Resignation accepted by Pope Benedict XVI (Walsh was age 73.7) |
|
United States. Walsh was accused of negligence in 2006 for waiting several days to contact civil authorities after Rev. Xavier Ochoa Pérez admitted to him that he had sexually abused children. By the time Walsh reported the abuse to Child Protective Services, Ochoa had fled to his native Mexico. Walsh avoided criminal charges by agreeing to participate in a four-month counseling program. In 2007, Walsh settled with 10 victims of Ochoa for more than $5 million. In January 2011, the Vatican appointed Robert Vasa to be co-adjutor bishop of Santa Rosa, and in June 2011, the Vatican announced that Pope Benedict XVI had accepted Walsh's resignation. The Vatican confirmed that the acceptance was in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2, which allows for bishops' resignations due to ill health or other serious reasons. |
Walsh's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
Officials Fault Bishop in Abuse Case: Law Requires Prompt Report; New Details of Sonoma Allegations, by Guy Kovner, Press Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 06.22.06
Abuse Charges Against Sonoma Priest: 10 Felony, 1 Misdemeanor Sex Counts Filed; Former Judge Urges Prosecution of Bishop for Failing to Quickly Notify Authorities, by Guy Kovner, Press-Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 06.23.06
Letter, by Bishop Daniel F. Walsh, Diocese of Santa Rosa, 06.23.06
Walsh Defends Delay in Ochoa Case, by Martin Espinoza, Press Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 07.28.2006
Documents Detail Abuse Allegations, by Martin Esinoza, Press Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 07.28.06
Ochoa Case Timeline, Press Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 08.11.06
Sheriff's Office: Strong Case against Walsh: Criminal Charges May Be Filed against SR Bishop for Failing to Report Suspected Sex Abuse, by Martin Espinoza, Lori A. Carter, and Mary Callahan, Press-Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 08.25.06
Santa Rosa Catholic Diocese Settles Abuse Case for $5 Million, by Henry K. Lee, San Francisco Chronicle, 09.13.2007
Bishop Walsh Ends 11-Year Tenure, by Martin Espinoza, Press Democrat [Santa Rosa CA], 06.30.2011
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
Bishop John Aloysius Ward, O.F.M. Cap.
|
| Jun 1953 |
Ordained priest |
| Jul 1980 |
Appointed Coadjutor Bishop of Menevia, Wales, Great Britain |
| Feb 1981 |
Succeeded Bishop of Menevia, Wales, Great Britain |
| Mar 1983 |
Appointed Archbishop of Cardiff, Wales, Great Britain |
| Oct 2001 |
Resignation accepted by Pope John Paul II (Ward was age 72.7) |
| Mar 2007 |
Died |
|
Wales. Order of Friars Minor Capuchin. Ward resigned under pressure in October 2001 after revelations that he ignored warnings in the1990s about two perpetrator priests. One of the priests, Rev. John Lloyd, was Ward's former press secretary. Ward gave letters he had received from parents complaining about Lloyd's behavior with their children to Lloyd himself to deal with; Lloyd was sent to prison in 1998 for indecent assault and rape of children. Also in 1998, Ward ordained Rev. Joseph Jordan, even though he had been warned by another bishop about Jordan's inappropriate behavior with children; Jordan was later convicted of child sexual abuse. Ward himself was arrested 1999 for alleged assault of a 7 year-old girl in 1960-61. He was not charged, and said he was falsely accused. Ward resisted calls to resign. In October 2001 he was summoned to Rome to meet with Pope John Paul II. His resignation, announced October 26 of that year, was in accordance with canon 401, paragraph 2. Ward died in 2007. |
Ward's Career History, catholic-hierarchy.org
In This Climate No One is Safe, Archbishop Ward Says, The Tablet, 01.30.1999
Archbishop Welcomes Change to Law on Sex Abuse, The Tablet, 07.01.2000
Daily Press Bulletin Announcing Ward's Resignation, Vatican, 10.26.2001.
The Rt Rev John Ward [Obituary], by Peter Stanford, The Guardian, 03.27.2007
Code of Canon Law, Canons Pertaining to Diocesan Bishops, Vatican website (see 401.2) |
