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  SNAP Calls for Removal of Osborne at St. Peter

By Don Corrigan
Webster-Kirkwood Times
August 3, 2007

http://www.websterkirkwoodtimes.com/1editorialbody.lasso?-token.folder=2007-08-
03&-token.story=69140.113117&-token.subpub

The St. Louis Catholic Archdiocese should remove Rev. Robert Osborne from assignment at St. Peter Catholic Church in Kirkwood, according to members of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).

At a Wednesday news conference, SNAP spokespersons protested that the ex-president of Vianney High School – against whom a child molestation lawsuit was settled five weeks ago – says Mass at the Kirkwood parish and appears on the parish Web site.

SNAP condemned Archbishop Raymond Burke for "recklessly putting kids at risk," and urged Catholic families to keep their kids away from him and encouraged them to attend a clergy sexual abuse trial set for St. Louis later this month.

In the action outside the St. Louis Archdiocese headquarters, SNAP Director David Clohessy said Burke is in violation of the U.S. bishops' policy on protecting youngsters from potential predators. He said Burke also is violating the national Catholic Church rules prohibiting 'credibly accused' priests from working in parish situations.

Defenders of Osbourne note that criminal molestation charges brought against the former Vianney head were dismissed by the St. Louis County Prosecutor's Office for lack of evidence.

Earlier this summer the Roman Catholic Order of Marianists settled a civil lawsuit involving an 18-year-old boy, who accused Osborne, 74, of molesting him two years ago when he was a student at Vianney. Osborne left the school after the allegations of abuse became public.

The Marianist Province of the United States maintains that the settlement was not an admission of guilt on the part of Father Osborne, but was based on consultations with its insurance operatives.

 
 

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