Court Papers: Massachusetts Churches Were Warned About Geoghan
Originally published by The Associated Press, January 24, 2002
BOSTON (AP) — Roman Catholic leaders continued to employ a now-defrocked priest despite warnings from psychiatrists and parents that he posed a danger to children, according to newly released court papers.
John J. Geoghan is accused of preying on young boys during his three decades as a priest in the Boston Archdiocese. Convicted last week of indecent assault on a 10-year-old, Geoghan faces two more criminal cases and more than 80 civil suits.
The court papers, described in Thursday's editions of the Boston Globe, include transcripts of depositions that show how even as colleagues became aware of accusations against Geoghan, they failed to notify authorities.
Geoghan, 66, was defrocked in 1998. More than 130 people have come forward with allegations claiming that Geoghan fondled or raped them between 1962 and 1995.
In 1989, Bishop Robert J. Banks was told by a psychiatrist who had treated Geoghan: "You better clip his wings before there is an explosion … You can't afford to have him in a parish."
In another document, Bishop Thomas V. Daily was asked why he did not respond more decisively when a parishioner at St. Thomas Church told him in 1980 that Geoghan had abused her sons and nephews. The bishop answered: "I am not a policeman; I am a shepherd."
The papers show praise from Cardinal Bernard F. Law for Geoghan's "effective life of ministry, sadly impaired by illness," and little mention of the alleged victims.
The Boston Archdiocese has faced scrutiny since it became publicly known that Geoghan was assigned to pastor St. Julia's Parish in Weston even though he had been removed from two other parishes after being accused of molesting children.
In July, Law acknowledged he knew about Geoghan's problems in 1984, his first year as cardinal, yet approved the transfer. Wilson D. Rogers Jr., the cardinal's attorney, defended the move last summer, saying the archdiocese had medical assurances that the reassignment was "appropriate and safe."
In a speech to priests on Wednesday, Law said: "I wish it were possible to go back in time and to undo some of the decisions that I made. I now see that these were wrong decisions."
"My resignation is not part of the solution as I see it," Law said.
Earlier this month, Law apologized to the alleged victims and announced that priests and other officials in the archdiocese would be ordered to report sexual abuse to authorities, not just to church officials as the Vatican had ordered.
State lawmakers on Wednesday also began weighing new legislation that would require clergy to report evidence of sexual abuse of children to the Department of Social Services, as doctors, teachers and social workers are already required to do.
The state legislation includes reporting of past evidence of sexual abuse of children, while Law's order for the archdiocese involves only future cases. Donna M. Morrissey, the cardinal's spokeswoman, has said retroactive reporting would be inappropriate because the church gave assurances of confidentiality to victims.
