By Stephanie Barry
The Republican
September 1, 2011
http://www.masslive.com/news/index.ssf/2011/09/snap_denounces_placement_of_pr.html
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| William J. Nash |
SPRINGFIELD – A member of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests held a sign outside the local diocese's Elliot Street headquarters on Thursday to protest the way the church publicized the names of priests who had credible allegations of abuse made against them.
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield recently posted the names on its website. According to the website, it lists "all living diocesan priests/former diocesan priests who have had a credible allegation made against them while they were still living."
The allegations were investigated by a church Review Board. Fifteen men are named.
In a prepared statement, the advocacy group argued the list was not posted prominently enough and was incomplete.
William J. Nash, of Ashfield, who reached a settlement with the Xaverian Missionary Fathers after he said he was abused by a missionary priest while a seminary student in Wisconsin, held a sign that said, "Publish all the Names."
Nash said he believes the correct number of credibly-accused priests who hail from this diocese is closer to 50. He based the estimate on records filed in Hampden Superior Court in connection with a lawsuit against the diocese and other internal communications made public through legal proceedings.
Plus, he said, the public has to hunt for the list to locate it. "It's sort of embedded and hard to find," Nash said.
The list includes the now-defrocked Richard R. Lavigne who admitted molesting two boys in 1992 and has been accused by at least four dozen others who reached financial settlements with the diocese after filing claims of abuse. Lavigne is also the only publicly identified suspect in the murder of an altar boy during the 1970s.
The website brings up the matter of The Rev. Thomas L. Dupre, former Springfield bishop, who abruptly retired after abuse allegations surfaced. He has since reached an out-of-court settlement with two accusers.
According to the website, "Church law dictates very specifically that any actions regarding allegations of misconduct brought against a bishop can only be handled by the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith."
The list can be found at www.diospringfield.org and by clicking on the categories of communications/news and public affairs.
Mark E. Dupont, spokesman for the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield, said the list has been in the works for about a year and includes all credibly accused priests and deacons, if they are living.
"The posting on our Web site was part of an ongoing reorganization of that site to be more informative ... It has long been our stated policy to work with all victims who come forward through our Review Board process, extending all necessary help that is warranted," Dupont said.
The following statement from the diocese includes the list of priests accused at the end:
History and Procedures for Handling of Misconduct Allegations
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