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| Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston "Sincere appology" |
These almost daily tallies of the latest number of predatory paedophile Catholic priests in one American diocese after another is difficult to keep up with.
Almost unnoticed a few weeks ago, the fifteen Catholic diocese in the state of Texas collectively published a list of 300 priests against whom credible accusation of the sexual abuse of children have been made. It barely raised an eyebrow at the time, so inured have we become to the idea of Catholic priests being predatory paedophiles who casually abuse their power and privilege for their own gratification.
It is now taken for granted that where there is a sizable population of Catholics and a dozen or two priests, or where Catholic priests run schools, and even in seminaries where there are young vulnerable men, or convents with vulnerable women, there will be a few predators abusing those in their care. And it's not confined to men either. As the scandals in Ireland and Smylum in Scotland have shown, nuns are also capable of abusing children in their care.
The bishops of Texas have decided to release the names of these priests at this time because it is right and just and to offer healing and hope to those who have suffered. On behalf of all who have failed in this regard, I offer my sincerest apology. Our church has been lacerated by this wound and we must take action to heal it.
Maybe the reason so little interest was show was that 300 is surprisingly low by recent American standard, given a Catholic population in Texas of about 1.8 million and fifteen dioceses. The single dioceses of Brooklyn returned a score of 100 the other day, for example.Cardinal Daniel DiNardo
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
Archbishop of Galveston-Houston
This seeming flood of recent reports has been prompted by two related events:
- The devastating Pennsylvania Grand Jury report, which revealed that 1000 children had been abused by 300 priests in the state, and that cover-up had been routine.
- The gathering of senior clerics scheduled for the Vatican in February to discuss the issue of rampant child abuse, how to deal with it and how to prevent it.
The Pennsylvania disclosure has prompted several states and districts to launch criminal investigations into not only the abuses but into who know what and why statutory obligations to notify the child protection authorities were ignored.
In the case of Texas, there are additional imperatives to try to be seen as whiter than white. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, Archbishop of Galveston-Houston is president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, and the Catholic Church in Texas has been in a state of crisis since last November when dozens of local and federal agents raided the offices of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston in connection with an investigation into a sexual abuse case.
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