By Bart Jones
The Newsday
October 16, 2011
http://www.newsday.com/long-island/bishop-murphy-defends-handling-of-abuse-cases-1.3248036
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| Photo credit: Newsday / Audrey C. Tiernan | Bishop William F. Murphy discusses his 10 years as head of the Diocese of Rockville Centre. (Sept. 20, 2011) |
The Roman Catholic Church is likely the safest institution in the United States for children, Bishop William F. Murphy says.
In some of his most extensive comments on the priest sexual-abuse scandal, Murphy said in an interview that the Diocese of Rockville Centre has "done well" in its response. And he defended his former role as the No. 2 official in the Archdiocese of Boston, where abuse allegations surfaced in 2002.
"I share the concern of each and every member of the church," Murphy said. "But, have we done the right thing? Yes. Are we in a position in which we've done more than any other institution in the United States? Yes. I'm not saying that to brag. It's a fact.
"Probably there is no institution in America today in which a child is more safe than in the Catholic Church because of all that we've done," he said. The scandal "should not be put in the past, but neither should it be used as an excuse for people to beat up the church."
Contact: bart.jones@newsday.com
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