Diocese of Fall River's Response to Lawsuit Filed against Former Bishop

By Brian Fraga
Herald News
June 17, 2015

http://www.heraldnews.com/article/20150617/BLOGS/150616411

STATEMENT OF THE FALL RIVER DIOCESE IN RESPONSE TO THE

LAWSUIT FILED AGAINST FORMER BISHOP DANIEL A. CRONIN

June 16, 2015

A lawsuit has been filed in a Massachusetts Court against Hartford Archbishop Emeritus Daniel A. Cronin alleging negligence on his part while serving as Bishop of the Fall River Diocese for failure to supervise a priest against whom allegations of abuse have recently been made.

In July 2012 two adult males alleged that they were abused as minors by the Reverend Monsignor Maurice Souza during the late 1970s and early 1980s while they were parishioners of St. Anthony Parish in East Falmouth where Monsignor Souza served as pastor from 1977 to 1986. Monsignor Souza died in 1996 at 83 years old.

Archbishop Cronin was Bishop of Fall River from December 1970 through January 1992 when he was transferred to the Hartford Archdiocese. He retired from that post in 2003.

As noted previously the claims of abuse against Monsignor Souza were first brought to the attention of the Fall River Diocese in July 2012; this was 20 years after Bishop Cronin had left the area. No other allegations of abuse or inappropriate conduct against Monsignor Souza had ever been brought to the attention of the Fall River Diocese nor have any other claims been made since then.

It is important to note that all allegations of abuse are taken seriously by the Fall River Diocese and concern for alleged victims is paramount. As per diocesan policy, counseling services were offered to the two men making the claim.