Would You Want This RC Bishop to Teach Your Kids, British Democracy Forum, May 7, 2010

Would You Want This RC Bishop to Teach Your Kids?

British Democracy Forum
May 7, 2010

http://www.democracyforum.co.uk/talk-about-anything/76012-would-you-want-rc-bishop-teach-your-kids.html

Appointment of Law Alumnus to Bishop, Raises Issues - Vincent G. Rinn Law Library

The new bishop of Springfield in the U. S. preached in 2007 that the law suits against priests by children whom they had raped are the work of the devil -- not the rape but the quest for justice! And he proposed that all priests should be exempt from prosecution regardless of guilt.

DePaul University has announced the elevation of Most Rev.Thomas J. Paprocki, a 1981 DePaul College of Law graduate, to the position of Bishop for the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois. The announcement highlights Father Paprocki's excellent work in co-founding the Chicago Legal Clinic with law school classmate, Edward Grossman (LAW ’81),in 1981 which served 17,000 people last fiscal year,and now operates from four offices: South Chicago, Austin, Pilsen and downtown.

For a Catholic school like DePaul, having a law alumnus and a priest, appointed to such a leadership position in the church, is an important event. However, the significance of this appointment is also affected by the history of the modern Catholic Church today. While the official university announcement need not cover all the bases in acknowledging an accomplished alumnus, there are some social factors that are relevant to more fully understanding the significance of this appointment.

For a fairly balanced yet more complete background story of Father Paprocki's appointment, one can read the article by Pete Sherman in THE STATE JOURNAL-REGISTER, entitled, "Paprocki comment on clergy lawsuits still stings victims". In addition to reiterating all the good legal work that Father Paprocki's clinic has done for the disadvantaged locally, he points out some comments that have raised questions about Father Paprocki's position regarding the child abuse scandals within the church. ("New bishop once blamed devil for abuse lawsuits" (AP)

Concerns have been raised regarding comments that he made in 2007 during a homily at a Mass for judges and attorneys in Grand Rapids, Michigan that the principal force behind the waves of abuse lawsuits was "none other than the devil." Also, he "proposed that the courts revive an old policy of shielding nonprofit organizations from lawsuits over negligence and abuse."

David Clohessy, executive director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, responded that, “To essentially equate victims speaking up and exposing predators and seeking justice with the devil has a very chilling effect and would discourage victims and witnesses and whistle blowers from coming forward,”

It is important to know that this organization, Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) was founded in 1989 by another DePaul Law School graduate, Ms. Barbara Blaine. In 2002, she received the "Woman of the Year Award" from Ms. Magazine for her work as founder of SNAP. ( dialogue, The Magazine of the DePaul University College of Law, Spring/Summer 2003, p. 32)

Even given the substantial divergence in their positions on this issue, the fact that DePaul helped produce two such outstanding individuals, attests to DePaul's educational excellence and its openness to diversity.