‘Not guilty.’
Fr. Daniel McCormack will have his day in court after all. From the AP:
A May first hearing is scheduled for a Roman Catholic priest accused of sexually abusing several children in Chicago.
Daniel
McCormack appeared in a Cook County courtroom today. And Judge Thomas
Sumner agreed to a private meeting with his defense attorneys and
prosecutors so they could discuss a possible plea agreement. They met for about an hour in the judge’s chambers. Afterward, Sumner scheduled the status hearing.McCormack
is charged with five counts of aggravated criminal sexual abuse. He’s
accused of fondling five boys at Our Lady of the Westside School’s two
campuses and the nearby St. Agatha Catholic Church.
He’s pleaded not guilty.
And: the Archdiocese of Los Angeles responds to news coverage about Cardinal Mahony’s differing statements about an accused priest. Here’s the initial L.A. Times story. And the AP account. And the archdiocese’s response.
On Chicago, of course McCormack pleaded not guilty at arraignment -did anyone expect a guily plea right away?
I presume lots of legal wrangling lies ahead.
The isssue in Chicago is whether Cardinal George acted with sufficent promptness in this matter.) I note that (like Alberto Gonzalez) he “accepted responsibility.”
In Los Angel;es, the question is whether there is massive stonewalling by the Archdiocese to release documents, claiming, of course, on counsel’s advice, privacy?
Several months ago, the National Catholic Reporter had an excellen teditorial saying only when real disclosure occurs, reconciliation could begin and the matter really move forward.
(Note, this problem is prominent right now not only in Los Angeles, but to the South in San Diego, where filing for bankruptcy, just pre-trial, preempted the release of socuments.)
Sadly the bishops are still stonewalling.
Talking about chicago here is a 1992 article by Peter Steinfels in which he quotes Bernardine as saying that the Cardinal now believes that offending priests should not be sent out where they will be near children. http://www.bishop-accountability.org/resources/resource-files/timeline/1992-02-24-Steinfels-Inquiry.htm
Here is the quotation. “Cardinal Bernardin says he has changed his own views on this issue. Formerly he reassigned some priests to parishes after they underwent apparently successful treatment. I now feel,” he said, “that anyone who has engaged in sexual misconduct with a minor should not be placed in parish ministry again.”
I guess Law and others didn’t listen to him on that issue either.
Bill Mazzella:
For once I have to definitely agree with you about the bishops stonewalling. I’m sorry, but this collection of bland and passionless bishops (yes, I know there are exceptions) just does not inspire me or anyone else.
And allow me to say one more thing: I believe, but cannot prove, that the criminal leniency may go all the way up to the present Pope, and if this is ever proven, he should be tried and convicted, and go to prison. It does not make me happy to say such a thing.
Bob:
I am not a fan of this pope, most certainly the last one, or the way the office is currently constituted.
That being said, your belief that B16 may be quilty of “criminal leniency” is a very bold statement.
On what do you base this fear?
Jimmy,
I am surprised at your naivetee. When the two nuns gave the report in 2002 about nuns being sexually abused by priest in 22 countries, the Vatican quickly minimized it. (What does it mean when you honor a disgraced Cardinal Law. Ratzinger criticized JP II when he prayed with other faiths. But was quite on rewarding Law. )
Yet when Joan Chittister planned to speak at the Women’s ordination conference Rome was quick to act.
Of course this is criminal. Maciel should have been censured a long time ago. Haight, Kung and scores of other honorable persons have been told not to teach as Catholics while there is no action taken about clergy abuse.
Only when backed up against the wall does the Vatican act.
Presently, there is this bishop of Austin Texas who is saying that there is Fraternal correction going on among bishops to stop the stonewalling and that Rome is directing such. If so it is welcome.
Votf will have a report on the conference the bishop of Austin conducted on March 20. Should be of note.
Jimmy:
Some of my reasons are set forth by Bill Mazzella. Another reason is what he has NOT done: He has not promugated an explicit and storngly worded command to ALL bisops that they forthwith turn over ALL documents and files requested by law enforcement agencies; that they fully cooperate with such agencies in any investigations, in short, that they become team players in rooting out this evil.