Former local priests named in new Catholic Church sexual abuse list

By Evelyn Andrews
Reporter Newspapers
November 7, 2018

https://www.reporternewspapers.net/2018/11/07/former-local-priests-named-in-new-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-list/

Four former priests who served at local churches in the 1960s through 1990s have been named in a document listing sexual abuse allegations that was released by the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Atlanta Nov. 6. One of the priests has already been the subject of a lawsuit over abuse that allegedly took place in Stone Mountain.

Cases of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests and people in other church positions have been widespread across the globe and has led to many allegations. The new Atlanta list shows priests were “credibly” accused at many metro area churches, including Buckhead’s Cathedral of Christ the King, which is the archdiocese’s mother church, Brookhaven’s Our Lady of the Assumption and Dunwoody’s All Saints Catholic Church.

The list does not detail where the allegations occurred, but only shows the churches in which each priest served.

Jacob Bollmer, who served at Cathedral of Christ the King from 1968 to 1969, was accused and removed from ministry in 1987, according to the list.

Jorge Cristancho was laicized, or removed of his priesthood, after allegations in 2003. Cristancho served at Christ the King in from 1988 to 1992. He took a leave of absence from 1987 to 1988, the list said.

John Douglas Edwards served at Christ the King in 1961 and Our Lady of the Assumption from 1963 to 1965. Edwards took two leaves of absence, one from 1973 to 1974 and another from 1986 to 1987. Edwards appears to not have been punished by the church and the list only noted him as having died in 1997.

Stanley Dominic Idziak served at Dunwoody’s All Saints Catholic Church from 1978 to 1981 before being removed from ministry in 1987 and later laicized in 1992, according to the list.

He died in 2017 amid a victim’s lawsuit made possible under a Georgia law that extended the statute of limitations. The victim was able to receive some compensation from Idziak’s estate.

The list was released to comply with a Catholic charter on the protection of children and at the recommendation of a Catholic review board, a letter accompanying the document said.

Atlanta Archbishop Wilton D. Gregory apologized to victims and families in the letter.

“Along with the publication of this information, I also renew my apology for the damage that young lives have suffered and the profound sorrow and anger that our families have endured,” Gregory said.

The list will be updated if new credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor are determined, the letter said.