BishopAccountability.org
	Critics: Documents Show Church Coverup Times of the Internet December 2, 2009 http://www.timesoftheinternet.com/134145.html BRIDGEPORT, Conn — Documents released Tuesday by the Catholic diocese in Bridgeport, Conn., show church leaders were more intent on protecting priests than children, critics say. The diocese, in a statement released with the thousands of pages, said there has been a "significant culture change" in Bridgeport and the U.S. church, The Connecticut Post reported. "The diocese has worked and will continue to work diligently and transparently to address the issue of sexual abuse in order to prevent this tragedy from happening again," the statement said. But victims say the church must acknowledge that the late Bishop Walter Curtis, who headed the diocese from 1961 to 1988, and Bishop Edward Egan, now a cardinal, were willing to overlook abuse. Timothy Hackett, who says he was abused 33 years ago, believes the bishops saw it as a "pesky little problem." "It was a little kid here, a little kid there," he said. "I don't know if that comes from not having children, or the old-boys network, but they went to great lengths and expense to keep this from public view." Jamie Dance, a leader in Voice of the Faithful, said she was especially struck by Curtis's depositions: "He has no memory of anything."
Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.