Sheboygan Priest Founds Group to Help Crack down on Sex Abuse

By Chuck Quirmbach
Wisconsin Public Radio
May 21, 2013

http://news.wpr.org/post/sheboygan-priest-founds-group-help-crack-down-sex-abuse

[with audio]

A priest from Sheboygan is a founding member of a new group of clergy that's monitoring sexual abuse cases in the Catholic Church.

The pope and other Catholic Church leaders have condemned sexual abuse committed by clergy. But Sheboygan priest James Connell says he and some other clergy members have formed a national whistleblowers group to make sure church leaders follow through with that crackdown on abuse: “As we continue down the road of trying to get the truth out so there really can be an understanding of the crisis, of all that has taken place, and the truth then being a road to justice and hopefully healing.

Connell says the new whistleblowers group has sent a letter to Pope Francis asking him to revoke oaths of secrecy, open files on abuse cases, and remove from office bishops who have obstructed justice. Father Connell says some of the whistleblowers were earlier pushed aside or punished by church leaders, but he says he senses public support for his group.

The Midwest office of the Survivors Network of Those Abused By Priests is applauding the whistleblowers.