Timothy Cardinal Dolan Blasts Nyt over Report He Authorized Payments to Pedophile Priests

By Antonio Antenucci and Josh Saul
New York Post
June 4, 2012

www.nypost.com/p/news/local/holy_hell_from_dolan_iUsIwF0IoLNF31v6MMaPnO

'To respond to charges like that — that are groundless and scurrilous — in my book it’s useless and counterproductive.' — Timothy Cardinal Dolan, on a report of payouts to priests in sex cases

Timothy Cardinal Dolan yesterday blasted a report that he authorized payments to pedophile priests — and said no such payments are being made to New York clerics.

Dolan, while serving as Milwaukee archbishop in 2003, agreed to pay multiple accused pedophile priests $20,000 in exchange for their agreeing to leave the priesthood, according to documents cited by The New York Times.

Joseph Zwilling, Dolan's New York Archdiocese spokesman, told The Post last week that there was no "payoff" to pedophile priests — only "charity."

"The New York Times does not have a reputation for fair and accurate reporting when it comes to this issue," Dolan said yesterday after Mass at St. Patrick's Cathedral in Midtown. "So, to respond to charges like that — that are groundless and scurrilous — in my book it's useless and counterproductive."

Yesterday, Dolan denied that similar payments were being made in the New York Archdiocese, which includes about 400 parishes in Manhattan, The Bronx, Staten Island, and seven suburban counties.

"No, thank God. Cardinal Egan did a splendid job — that's all taken care of," said Dolan, referring to his predecessor, Edward Cardinal Egan.

Dolan didn't say whether similar payments to abusive Archdiocese of New York priests were made in the past.

The cardinal also lashed out at an advocacy group — Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests — that has called the payments "secret deals" and "incentives."

But Dolan fumed, "SNAP has no credibility whatsoever."

SNAP director David Clohessy shot back.

"It's sad that America's top Catholic official won't answer a simple question: How many predator priests got how much money to quietly move on . . . perhaps to molest again?" Clohessy said. "This is a predictable tactic bishops use when forced to defend the indefensible — they attack the messenger."

After yesterday's Mass, Dolan left for a weeklong trip to Ireland.

Contact: jsaul@nypost.com