UNITED STATES
Worcester Telegram & Gazette
Robert Nemeth
The seemingly unending flow of stories of sexual abuse prompted me to make these comments. It all started on Jan. 2, 2002, when The Boston Globe published an article with revelations about priests abusing children and church leaders who failed to stop them. The story hinted at a coverup.
Dozens of other stories followed, and the expression “clerical abuse” became part of the vocabulary. The issue went global, and thousands of alleged abuse victims came forward. The stream of accusations created a lucrative compensation industry, with enterprising lawyers specializing in sex abuse cases, and professional victim organizations producing a steady supply of clients. Cardinal Bernard Law resigned and moved to the Vatican, where he remained the target of his detractors’ venom.
While few of the cases went to court, dioceses in America have paid about $3 billion in settlements and other costs related to more than 15,700 abuse claims. The Boston archdiocese settled 800 claims, training 300,000 children and 175,000 adults to spot and prevent abuse. It spent $7 million to provide counseling and medication for victims. Massive reparations depleted resources, causing the closing of several churches. The scandal undermined confidence in the church and caused many of the faithful to turn away.
Even though statistics show that most of the alleged abuses happened between the 1960s and 1980s — indicating that church authorities have dealt with the problem — the issue is being kept alive. Victim advocates held an event in Boston they called “The 10th Anniversary Celebration & Conference: Confronting the Crime & Cover-up of Sexual Abuse by the Boston Clergy.” It featured media and legal panels, workshops, lectures and a play, “For Pete’s Sake,” written and performed by alleged victims. Mitchell Garabedian, a lawyer specializing in clergy abuse cases, announced that the pressure on the Boston archdiocese must continue because church reforms amount to “hollow gestures.”
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