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	Lawmaker Calls Bishop 'Pedophile Pimp' By Katharine Q. Seelye New York Times April 1, 2011 http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/02/us/02bishop.html?_r=1 A top Republican in New Hampshire on Friday called Bishop John B. McCormack of Manchester a "pedophile pimp" on his Facebook page. The Republican, State Representative D. J. Bettencourt, the House majority leader, was responding to criticism from Bishop McCormack that state budget cuts would hurt the most vulnerable members of society. "Would the bishop like to discuss his history of protecting the 'vulnerable?' " Mr. Bettencourt, a practicing Roman Catholic, wrote. "This man is a pedophile pimp who should have been led away from the State House in handcuffs with a raincoat over his head in disgrace. He has absolutely no moral credibility to lecture anyone." Mr. Bettencourt said in a statement that his criticism stemmed from Bishop McCormack's time as an administrator for Cardinal Bernard F. Law in Boston, where he was a top aide assigned to investigate complaints that priests had sexually abused minors. He was named bishop of Manchester in 1998. In 2002, he was part of a settlement with state prosecutors in which the diocese acknowledged it had protected abusive priests and submitted itself to audits. The agreement halted a criminal investigation. The diocese said Mr. Bettencourt's comments were false and defamatory. James Salt, acting director of Catholics United, a group in Washington, called Mr. Bettencourt "an embarrassment" and said his group was urging Mr. Bettencourt to retract his statements. So far, Mr. Bettencourt has stood by them, saying that the bishop had "brought shame and dishonor on my church here in New Hampshire."
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