SNAP Blasts Promotion of New Bishop in Houston

By David Clohessy
Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests
February 21, 2012

http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_blasts_promotion_of_new_bishop_in_houston

It doesn't bode well that this new bishop has spent his entire career in an archdiocese that has a disturbing track record on child sex abuse and cover up. We are concerned about the promotion of Scheltz given his track record and those of his bosses.

In 2008, we named Cardinal Daniel DiNardo as one of the five worst Cardinals in the US church. (http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_press_releases/2008_press_releases/041608_SNAP_issues_new_list_of_worst'_US_cardinals.htm) We pointed out then that he had mishandled cases both as the Archbishop in Houston and the Bishop in Sioux City, IA. Since then, he has done nothing to prove that he is able to properly handle clergy sex abuse cases.

Last year, DiNardo said and did nothing after it was revealed that management officials at the Houston-based and Catholic Charities-run St. Michael's Home for Children repeatedly and purposefully misled federal officials about sexual abuse that had occurred there. (http://www.chron.com/news/houston-texas/article/Feds-say-children-s-shelter-tried-to-cover-up-sex-2187476.php#page-1)Despite the fact that at this shelter a young immigrant boy was raped, DiNardo took no steps against those who had concealed the abuse, neither preventative nor punitive.

It is disturbing, then that a bishop who has learned from someone with a track record this terrible is being promoted. Once again, this is more of the same. Pope Benedict continues to promote clerics who, at best, kept silent during the greatest crisis to ever face the American Catholic church and at worst help perpetuate it. We find this disturbing and disappointing.