L.I. Bishop Takes His Own Strong Position

By Kieran Crowley
New York Post
April 25, 2002

Long Island's tough-talking Catholic bishop said he will immediately fire and try to defrock any child-molesting priest he catches - a dramatic change to his diocese's long-standing sex-abuse policy.

The policy revision comes as the Archdiocese of New York agreed to release sex-abuse victims from confidentiality agreements required in civil-case settlements - a breakthrough for district attorneys probing the scandal.

Bishop William Murphy of Rockville Centre made the pledge yesterday as he announced plans to change how his diocese handles allegations and to introduce his new "intervention team," which for the first time includes a civilian - a former Nassau County police commissioner.

"In my heart, I kneel before each and every victim, offering you my help and support with a sorrow that asks forgiveness from God and from you for these heinous acts," he said.

Murphy's new stance contrasts with his position weeks earlier, when he promised to fully cooperate with investigators, but he offered them only one-page briefs of sex-abuse allegations. Grand-jury subpoenas resulted in the release of "boxes of material" to the district attorneys of Nassau and Suffolk counties, sources said.

"Victims are no longer gagged," said Westchester DA Jeanine Pirro, who announced the decision after receiving a letter from the archdiocese's general counsel.

Joseph Zwilling, a spokesman for the New York Archdiocese, confirmed that any victim who agreed in the past not to talk as part of a civil settlement in a case involving a priest would no longer be bound by that promise.