BishopAccountability.org
	40 North Shore Priests on Abuse List By Tom Dalton Salem News August 26, 2011 http://www.salemnews.com/local/x975851535/40-North-Shore-priests-on-abuse-list The long-awaited list the Archdiocese of Boston published yesterday of priests accused of sexually abusing children, the most complete and detailed compilation since the sex abuse scandal exploded nearly a decade ago, contains the names of 40 clergy who served on the North Shore. There are accused Catholic priests from Salem, Peabody, Beverly, Danvers, Ipswich, Marblehead and other area communities. In many cases, the alleged crimes took place decades ago and at other parishes. Of the many North Shore names, one of the most recognized will be the late Rev. Joseph Birmingham, an accused serial pedophile who was charged with crimes across Greater Boston, including abusing many young boys in the 1960s at St. James Parish in Salem. In all, the archdiocese released the names of 157 priests and two deacons, including some who served as long ago as the 1920s. As lengthy as that list is, it does not include religious order priests, priests accused of sexually abusing an adult, or 91 archdiocesan priests, many of whom are deceased and were never publicly charged. Two local priest abuse survivors accused the archdiocese of failing to list the most serious offenders: Catholic hierarchy who shuffled the pedophiles from parish to parish. To date, 250 clerics of the Boston Archdiocese have been accused of sexually abusing a minor, according to the archdiocese. However, many are not on the list for a variety of reasons, largely because they died and were never publicly charged, or because investigations were either not conducted or never completed. The watchdog group BishopAccountability.org estimates the number of Catholic religious workers facing credible charges at 350. The information on the archdiocese's website includes the priests' parishes and years of service, the outcome of criminal or church proceedings, and the clergy's current status. The list breaks down the priests according to categories, ranging from those found guilty of charges by a court or the church to clergy who were publicly accused after they died. There is even a list of exonerated priests. This is the first time, the church said, "that names of accused clerics have been compiled by the archdiocese in a central location and a readily accessible format..." The archdiocese said it decided to take this dramatic step "as part of Cardinal Sean O'Malley's ongoing commitment to protect children and rebuild trust in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis ..." The move was hailed as progress in many quarters. "I think this is an important step," said the Rev. John Sheridan, pastor of two local parishes, St. James Church in Salem and St. Thomas the Apostle in Peabody. "We need to continue to keep this whole terrible nightmare in our sights," he said. "We need to continue to address it, courageously and boldly and openly. ... It's not something we will suddenly get over ... "The more we continue to try to address every aspect of it, the more we'll be able to minister, and to help, and to make sure that we're doing everything we can to ensure that children are safe (and) that people are being heard ..." Two priest abuse victims lashed out at the church. "The first thing they are missing is all the hierarchy that was enabling or covering up for these priests," said Bernie McDaid, a priest abuse survivor and activist. Those church administrators, he said, "should step down or be taken down immediately. McDaid, a former St. James altar boy, is one of many men who joined the lawsuit against Birmingham. "The pedophile is a sick creature whether he's a priest or not," said McDaid, who has taken his fight to Ireland and Rome, "but in my opinion the sicker person is the man in the collar that let his brother priest continue to molest boys and girls all over the world." Paul Cultrera, who also alleged he was abused by Birmingham, made a similar point. "I think it's good that they are doing something," he said. "But, again, I would say the missing names are the ones who allowed this to happen ..." Referring to Cardinal Bernard Law, who presided over the archdiocese at the height of the scandal, Cultrera said: "If your punishment is you're put in charge of one of the four major basilicas of Rome, whatever they do is pretty laughable to me." McDaid criticized the archdiocese for taking so many years to publish this list and questioned why Cardinal O'Malley is helping Ireland with its priest scandal when "he has more work still left here..." In a statement, O'Malley reached out to all those affected by the scandal. "Having met with hundreds of survivors, I know firsthand the scars you carry," he said. "And I carry with me every day the pain of the church's failures. I express once again my sorrow for your pain and my apology for any way the church and its clergy have failed you. "My deepest hope and prayer is that the efforts I am announcing today will provide some additional comfort and healing for those who have suffered from sexual abuse by clergy and will continue to strengthen our efforts to protect God's children." Material from The Associated Press was used in this report.
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