Jesuits | He's Been Convicted Twice, Jailed Twice — but His Order Lets Him Wear the Collar, Won't Say If He'll Be Kicked out
By Susan Hogan/Albach
Chicago Sun-Times
September 14, 2007
http://www.suntimes.com/lifestyles/religion/557435,CST-NWS-jesuits14.article
The Rev. Donald McGuire has been convicted of molesting two boys in Wisconsin, faces a new accusation of sexual abuse, and his Jesuit religious order privately settled yet another complaint, the Chicago Sun-Times has learned.
Yet the Jesuits, known as the Chicago Province of the Society of Jesus, haven't stopped him from dressing as a priest and won't say whether they're seeking to have him laicized — removed from the priesthood.
"When he wears that collar, he wears the authority of the church, which he used to abuse kids. It's time we took that away," said Kevin McGuire, the priest's nephew and a lawyer for "John Doe 116," who's suing the priest and the Jesuits.
Jesuits take vows of obedience, but the Rev. Edward Schmidt, head of Chicago Province, told the Sun-Times that he "can't find anything in the Jesuits' rules" permitting him to ask Donald McGuire to stop dressing as a priest.
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| The Rev. Donald McGuire has been convicted of molesting two boys -- but the Jesuits won't say whether they're seeking to have him removed from the priesthood. Photo by Rich Hein/Sun-Times |
Last year, McGuire was sentenced to seven years in prison, but he remains free pending appeal. He has been jailed twice for violating the terms of his release. And last week, he appeared in a Wisconsin courtroom in priest's clothes, though the Jesuits say he hasn't functioned publicly as a priest since 2003.
Nuns from Mother Teresa's religious order turned out to rally for him. For years, McGuire traveled the world leading retreats for her order and presented himself as Mother Teresa's spiritual adviser.
After her death in 1997, McGuire offered testimony in her cause for sainthood, Schmidt said.
"When Mother Teresa came to San Francisco in the 1990s, he not only led the mass, he got my family front-row seats and a private meeting with her," Kevin McGuire said.
John Doe 116 alleges that McGuire molested him on trips to 12 states and seven countries over a three-year period, beginning in 1993, when the boy was 13.
"We fear this predator priest has left a trail of tears far and wide," said David Clohessy of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests.
Despite McGuire's predator past, Schmidt said, the Jesuits "had no reason to suspect" that John Doe 116 was abused in his travels with McGuire.
Since the lawsuit was filed last month, Jesuits say they have hired outside auditors to review their files and reporting process.
The Jesuits say they settled a total of three complaints about McGuire and deny a Wisconsin prosecutor's claim of two others.
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