Roman Catholic Diocese Needs to Preach Transparency (letters)

MassLive.com
December 10, 2020

https://www.masslive.com/opinion/2020/12/roman-catholic-diocese-needs-to-preach-transparency-letters.html

As a result of the Velis Report, June 21, 2020, in light of public and media attention former Bishop Rozanski properly posted deceased Bishop Christopher Weldon’s name on the Diocesan Web page of Springfield clergy credibly charged for the abuse of children/minors. Nonetheless, Rozanski is part of a continuum of bishops since Weldon to deliberately withhold full truth and genuine transparency relative to complete disclosure of Springfield Diocesan priests guilty of a heinous crime: The heinous impact upon the lives that they abused physically, emotionally and spiritually.

By a comparison to the listing available at bishopsaccountability.org this lack of truth is abundantly clear. There are some fourteen priests credibly charged not listed on the diocesan web page.

I have personally dealt with a victim of both Rev. J. Roy Jenness and Rev. Thomas O’Connor, and a victim of Msgr. David Welch (Weldon’s executor). For these victims and all victims of abuse, whose violators have not been claimed by the diocese, justice demands this be publicly rectified.

Will the new Bishop of Springfield acquiesce to emancipate truth from a power that continues to believe itself its master?

Fundamentally aggressive efforts for the protection of every child and minor from any kind of abuse by anyone should have been a major campaign decades ago especially from a proclaimed Pro-Life church. Tragically that cause was never undertaken. When legislative initiatives sought to lengthen the Statute of Limitations when any person could come to terms with their molestation, the Catholic Massachusetts Conference of Bishops lobbied against it.

If any cite protective policies of protection now in place it would be simultaneously necessary for the sake of truth to acknowledge that they are in place because the hierarchy and clergy were caught and exposed by the media. As T.S. Eliot wrote: “the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason.”

Are truth, transparency and true pro life issues only to be preached and promised by this institution or is it eventually to be practiced?

Rev. James J. Scahill

St. Michael’s, East Longmeadow

Pastor, Retired