THE US: The scale of the challenge facing US Catholic bishops when they meet in Dallas was brought into sharp relief yesterday with the publication of new figures. The figures show at least 218 US priests have this year been removed from their positions as a result of allegations of sexual abuse.
The nationwide survey by the Washington Post reflects far higher figures than previously reported and also shows that at least 34 known offenders remain in their posts. The fate of "rehabilitated" offenders is expected to be particularly controversial in Dallas.
Since the early 1960s, the paper reports, at least 866 US priests - 1.5 per cent of the roughly 60,000 who were in the ministry during the period - have been accused of sexual misconduct with more than 350 of them removed from the ministry before this year. One plaintiff's lawyer, however, puts the figure at closer to 1,500 based on her own researches.
Meanwhile the Dallas meeting has been plunged into yet more controversy following the announcement that the 300 bishops have decided to withdraw an invitation to speak made to one of the main victim support groups after the group last week took a class action-suit against the church seeking to void confidentiality agreements in previously settled cases.
Mr David Clohessy, director of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said he expects some members would accept the offer to talk as individuals because "the stakes are obviously very high. We're talking about children's safety".
The conference is expected to agree a mandatory nationwide approach to laicising offending priests and to call for a day of prayer, fasting and abstinence on June 14th.
The Post survey was conducted by contacting each of the a country's 178 dioceses. Ninety six responded and 82 did not, despite repeated attempts by the paper, and few gave details of financial settlements or were able to specify the breakdown in types of offences.
The church has no central compilation of figures.
The survey found only $106 million in acknowledged payments to victims. Plaintiffs' lawyers say that the true figure is in the range of $1 billion but that most of the settlements have been made under confidentiality agreements.
Officials in several dioceses said they have a policy of not responding to surveys.
But the archdiocese of New Orleans, for example, responded to the survey by saying that, over the past 50 years, 18 of its priests have been accused of sexual misconduct with minors.
An independent board of lay people reviewed those records this year and decided that the allegations in eight cases were credible, in six cases were not credible and in four cases required further investigation.
Archbishop Alfred C. Hughes removed 11 priests from their positions this year because of sexual abuse allegations, and the archdiocese reported payments of $455,000 for legal settlements and $420,000 for psychological counseling in abuse cases since 1980.
The archdiocese of Indianapolis, in contrast, said it had conducted an internal review of past allegations and would not make public any of its findings.
