BishopAccountability.org
	Editorial: Damning Documents The Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese Is Facing a Painful Financial Future, but It Must Continue to Be Accountable. Milwaukee Journal Sentinel February 1, 2008 http://www.jsonline.com/story/index.aspx?id=713741 [Includes links to selected Becker documents, the main article on the documents, and previous crisis coverage] The Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese does "an awful lot of good" in this community, as one prominent Catholic put it this week, and it would be a shame if financial difficulties forced it to curtail or stop providing some of those many good services. But institutions need to be held accountable for past sins, just as individuals are held accountable. That's why the state Legislature should approve proposed legislation that would allow lawsuits to be brought by victims of sexual abuse by anyone - not just clergy - despite the age of the allegation. Hundreds of pages of recently released documents in the case of one former priest, Franklyn Becker, highlight the need for that accountability. Becker was ordained a priest in 1964; in May 2003, Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan asked that Becker be dismissed from the priesthood. Here's what happened in between: An article this week by the Journal Sentinel's Marie Rohde and Mary Zahn noted that Becker was described as abusive in documents dating to at least 1970, and church records show that the archdiocese received at least nine credible reports of abuse involving children (www.jsonline.com/713306). In 1983, a psychological report described Becker as a pedophile who was in denial. Church officials moved Becker from assignment to assignment and never told the public about the allegations. The documents, which a California court released as part of a $16.65 million settlement of civil lawsuits in that state, also indicate that former Milwaukee County District Attorney E. Michael McCann was told in 1983 of Becker's situation with one boy (although McCann wasn't told the name of the priest) and advised church officials to take the priest out of ministry for five years. McCann denies that he was told about any criminal activity by the priest. The archdiocese has acknowledged that it knows of more than 40 priests who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct. But it has refused to release clergy personnel files, leaving open the question: If the Becker files are so damning, what's in the other files? The archdiocese announced this week that it is facing a $3 million deficit that will require substantial cuts in service and staffing and suggested that if further judgments go against the archdiocese, it may be forced to consider bankruptcy. We repeat our hope that the archdiocese is able to avoid bankruptcy and that those who depend on the archdiocese's services are spared as much pain as possible. But ultimately, the archdiocese needs to be held accountable for the silence that the Becker files indicate some church officials engaged in for decades. How should the Catholic Church be held accountable for past sexual abuse by clergy? Send a letter to: Journal Sentinel editorial department.
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