In 1981, Father Donald Roemer of Los Angeles pled guilty to molestation of a minor. This case was one of the first to receive national media attention in the U.S. and put the Vatican in the spotlight. Since that time, the Catholic Church has been accused of conspiracies, cover-ups, and even of encouraging abuse by merely moving an accused priest to a new parish, often without limiting his contact with children. On April 15, 2010, Bishop Richard Stika of East Tennessee broke the cult of secrecy by publically removing Father Bill Casey from the priesthood.
Vatican Investigations of Priests Accused of Sexual Abuse
The Roman Catholic Church has a well established “cult of secrecy” in regard to anything that might discredit or embarrass the establishment. According to an article in the London Evening Standard April 18, 2010, the church recommended “that rather than reporting sexual abuse to the relevant legal authorities, bishops should encourage the victim, witnesses and perpetrator not to talk about it. And, to keep victims quiet, it threatened that if they repeat the allegations they would be excommunicated.” This secrecy impedes investigation leading many to assume, rightly or not, that no serious investigation would be conducted.
The London Evening Standard further reports that Pope Benedict XVI, while still Cardinal Thomas Ratzinger, updated “the notorious 1962 Vatican document Crimen Sollicitationis - Latin for The Crime of Solicitation - which laid down the Vatican's strict instructions on covering up sexual scandal.” Sexual abuse is called a sin of spirit, and as such must be dealt with within the church, not within secular courts. Because of this edict, accused priests are not reported to local authorities, and all investigations are handled directly by the Vatican.
Father Bill Casey’s Swift Removal from the Priesthood for Child Molestation in Kingston Tennessee
Bishop Richard Stika released a statement on April 15, 2010 that Bill Casey, a 76-year-old retired priest, had admitted to sexually abusing Warren Tucker from 1975 through 1980. Bill Casey, who had been serving as a substitute priest as needed, has been removed from the priesthood. Casey admitted the abuse on Wednesday April 14, 2010, and Bishop Stika made a formal statement the next day.
Furthermore, the bishop sent a formal letter to all East Tennessee Catholic congregations to inform them of the allegations, and to invite any other victims forward. He stated that he wanted the letter read aloud during mass that same weekend. Appropriate law enforcement agencies were also contacted to investigate and bring criminal charges if possible.
Possible Changing Standards in Dealing with Pedophile Priests
John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York conducted a study of alleged sexual abuse by priests from 1950 to 2002. The study concluded that in the U.S. about 4 percent of priests were accused of abuse. Of those accused, about 3 percent were convicted and 2 percent sentenced to prison. The study concluded that the number of accusations have declined sharply since 1984. The study, which was a detailed survey sent to 202 dioceses, was returned by 195 dioceses, a 97 percent compliance rate. Karen Terry, the lead investigator, called it “a good faith effort to provide information.”
Hopefully, the Vatican is in support of Bishop Richard Stika’s quick and public dealing with Bill Casey, and that this is just the beginning of a new trend in handling these cases. Rumors of conspiracies and cover-ups can only be silenced by transparent investigations, and quick, harsh consequences for perpetrators.
Sources
WATE News. “Bishop: Retired Priest Admits to Sexual Abuse, Removed from Priesthood.” (accessed April 17, 2010).
London Evening Standard. “Pope Led Cover-up of Child Abuse by Priests.” (accessed April 17, 2010).
American Catholic. “John Jay Study Reveals Extent of Abuse Problem.” (accessed April 18, 2010).
Chasity Goddard - Chasity Goddard holds a BA degree from the University of TN. Her wide-ranging interests and research skills pull her in various ...
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