Milwaukee Journal Sentinel
April 2, 2010
http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/89741427.html
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The following is a look at major events in the Catholic Church's investigation of Father Lawrence Murphy.
Father Lawrence Murphy1995: Archbishop Rembert Weakland directs Vice Chancellor James Connell to begin investigating whether Father Lawrence Murphy should be tried by the church and removed from the priesthood. (NOTE: Related information is on page 2 of the document)
July 17, 1996: Weakland writes to Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith outlining Murphy's history and seeking direction on how to proceed in bringing a case against him under canon law. It's a complex case, subject to competing judicial norms. He receives no answer until March 1997, but the process moves on.
Oct. 15, 1996: Weakland issues a decree authorizing the archdiocese's promoter of justice (akin to the prosecutor in civil law) to review the evidence and submit the cause of action to the tribunal.
Nov. 12, 1996: Promoter of justice issues the libellus outlining the charges against Murphy, including the sexual assault of minors and using the confessional to solicit sexual favors.
Dec. 9, 1996: The Rev. Thomas Brundage, judge of the tribunal, accepts the libellus and cites Murphy.
Dec. 10, 1996: Brundage writes to Murphy notifying him that a penal process against him has begun.
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March 24, 1997: Ratzinger's deputy, Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, now the Vatican's secretary of state, writes to Weakland asking that he proceed against Murphy using the 1962 norms, which dictated how to handle cases of priests soliciting sex in confessional.
Dec. 14, 1997: A decree by Bishop Raphael Fliss indicates the case has moved to the Superior Diocese, where Murphy was residing in Boulder Junction. Charges are reissued in that jurisdiction.
Jan. 12, 1998: Murphy writes to Cardinal Ratzinger asking him to invalidate the charges against him, saying he is old, ill and wants to live out the remainder of his life "in the dignity of my priesthood."
April 6, 1998: Bertone writes to Fliss citing Murphy's letter to Ratzinger. Given his age and ill health, the passage of time since the offenses and the lapse in the statute of limitations, he invites Fliss to consider pastoral measures against Murphy.
May 13, 1998: Fliss writes to Bertone, saying pastoral methods have been exhausted and that a trial is the only way to achieve justice.
May 30, 1998: Weakland, Fliss and Bishop Richard Sklba meet in Rome with Bertone and other Vatican officials to discuss the Murphy case. In a transcript summarizing the meeting, sent by Bertone to Weakland in July, Bertone explains the difficulties of pursuing a trial and enumerates alternative restrictions that could be placed on Murphy. At the close of the meeting, it says, Weakland "reaffirmed the difficulty he will have explaining this to the community of the deaf." Sklba reiterates his understanding of the meeting.
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Aug. 19, 1998: Weakland writes to Bertone saying he has instructed Brundage to halt the judicial process against Murphy and has instead launched a procedure that would suspend him from priestly duties. Brundage said in an interview with the Journal Sentinel this week that Weakland never told him to drop the trial, and it was ongoing when Murphy died.
Aug. 21, 1998: Murphy died a Catholic priest.
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