Catholic lay group calls on Chicago cardinal to resign

Catholic lay group calls on Chicago cardinal to resign

By Peter Smith
psmith@courier-journal.com
Copyright by The Courier-Journal

A Louisville group of reform-minded Catholics is calling for the resignation of Chicago Cardinal Francis George for allowing a priest to stay in ministry last year after a sexual-abuse allegation.

The Louisville affiliate of Voice of the Faithful -- a national group of lay Catholics seeking structural change in the church in the wake of the abuse crisis -- issued the statement yesterday.

It noted that bishops adopted a zero-tolerance policy over sexual abuse in 2002, requiring that priests who are accused be temporarily removed from ministry pending investigations and that confirmed abusers be permanently removed.

Shannon Whelan, a member of the local group, said it seeks to work with bishops. But she said members at the Louisville affiliate's meeting last week were unanimous that George should resign.

Outside auditors reported last month that the Archdiocese of Chicago failed in multiple ways to monitor the Rev. Daniel McCormack, who stayed in ministry in Chicago until he was charged in January with abuse, even though the archdiocese knew of at least one allegation months earlier. McCormack has pleaded not guilty.

Other allegations date back to his seminary days, but the archdiocese did a poor job making connections because of faulty judgment, communication and record-keeping, the auditors said.

McCormack is charged with abusing three boys.

"People are just absolutely disgusted by how that was handled," Whelan said.

The group is calling for George to resign immediately, to minister to victims of sexual abuse and be a "prophetic voice" holding other bishops accountable for preventing abuse.

In a statement last month, George accepted responsibility for "the tragedy of allowing children to be in the presence of a priest against whom an accusation of sexual abuse had been made."

Some other reform groups have called on George to step down either temporarily or permanently. But George's spokesman, Jim Dwyer, said yesterday that the cardinal will not resign.

"He's admitted over and over again our inadequacies in responding to that, and we're taking actions to correct it," Dwyer said. "He already has spearheaded a whole variety of reforms we're enacting to correct those inadequacies and make sure an inadequate response to an allegation never happens again."

Reporter Peter Smith can be reached at (502) 582-4469.