Should religious leader release names of abusive priests?
LA Times March 29, 2002 View Original Publication The Los Angeles archdiocese recently dismissed six to 12 priests for sexually abusing minors, according to sources in the church. The archdiocese has refused to provide any details about their identity, location or number. Cardinal Roger M. Mahony has said he would support letting victims of sexual abuse break confidentiality agreements but has refused to make public the names of the priests who were their abusers. Inland Valley Times asked: Should leaders of any religious denomination reveal the names of clergy who are known to have sexually abused minors? As a priest of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles, I feel hurt, angry, and betrayed by some of my fellow priests. There is also a certain quasi-family solidarity among priests — we often refer to it as “priestly fraternity” — that I think is generally a healthy thing. But we are learning a hard lesson that this priestly fraternity cannot extend a protective cover to wrongdoing, especia
