ALABAMA
Attorney General Bill Pryor wants legislators to review a state law
exempting members of the clergy from a requirement to report suspected
child abuse or neglect. While information gathered during confession
should remain confidential, Pryor said, officials should be required to
report any allegations involving church employees. The Legislature is not
expected to take up Pryor's request before next year. Neither of Alabama's
two Catholic dioceses report receiving any allegations of clergy sex abuse
this year. Church officials in Mobile are making sure all employees have
signed a sex abuse policy, which includes a statement that they have never
been charged with, or accused of, sexual misconduct.
ALASKA
Catholic leaders say no priests have been accused of sexual abuse this
year, but in light of the scandals elsewhere the Anchorage Archdiocese is
reviewing its sex abuse policy. The Fairbanks Diocese plans to review its
policy within a year.
ARIZONA
The Diocese of Tucson on Jan. 29 settled 11 civil lawsuits alleging
that four diocese priests, two still living, sexually molested children.
The diocese agreed to pay an undisclosed sum - estimated in the millions -
to 16 plaintiffs. Bishop Manuel D. Moreno and Coadjutor Bishop Gerald F.
Kicanas apologized to the victims and their families. Most of the
incidents were between 1967 and 1976, with one in 1989. The two priests
who are still living have been suspended, with canonical defrocking
procedures under way.
Moreno named a review committee in February to recommend revisions of
the diocese's sex abuse policies. Its mission now includes all diocesan
policies and procedures concerning sexual misconduct.
The Diocese of Phoenix announced a review of its sexual abuse policies
and procedures after the arrest of two lay volunteers in youth ministry
programs.
ARKANSAS
The Diocese of Little Rock's anti-abuse policy was adopted in 1992 and
includes a provision that it be reviewed every five years - which puts it
up for examination this year. Monsignor Francis I. Malone, the diocese's
chancellor for canonical affairs since 1990, said he has never had to use
the policy, which will come up at a meeting of a priests' council in the
next two months. The statewide diocese has about 100 priests, plus another
60 or so assigned to the state through various religious orders.
CALIFORNIA
The church has been rocked by myriad allegations of child abuse by
priests. Most go back decades but have been made public by dioceses only
since Jan. 1. At least 30 priests around the state have been fired, forced
to resign or temporarily suspended amid allegations of sexual abuse or
misconduct. At least another four retired or former priests have been
charged or are under criminal investigation. The dioceses of Orange, San
Bernardino, Oakland, San Francisco and Monterey have acknowledged either
reviewing or revising their sex abuse policies.
Among those hardest hit has been the Los Angeles Archdiocese, the
nation's largest. The Police Department has taken more than 50 reports of
abuse, but Cardinal Roger Mahony will not say how many priests have been
removed as a result of investigations. The LAPD said it has been told
between six and 12 priests were removed, although archdiocese e-mails
leaked to the media have put the number at eight. Mahony himself was
cleared of molestation charges after the Fresno police determined a
woman's abuse allegations were without merit.
COLORADO
State law does not require clergy to report abuse, but the Denver
Archdiocese, which has 380,000 parishioners, requires any of its
employees, including priests, to report to authorities any case of child
abuse or neglect. The policy has been in place since 1991.
The Diocese of Colorado Springs changed its misconduct policy this year
to clarify how abuse claims should be reported. However, officials said
the revisions have been in the works for years and were not a response to
recent scandals.
CONNECTICUT
The Bridgeport Diocese has removed three priests from their posts in
2002 as a result of sexual misconduct allegations from years ago. A fourth
accused priest requested a leave of absence, and as a result has lost his
authorization to perform priestly duties. The diocese is also processing
accusations that were recently brought against one priest involving
incidents that allegedly occurred in the 1960s. Bridgeport Bishop William
E. Lori appointed a sexual misconduct review board April 19, and the
diocese has examined the records of all clergy for signs of abuse.
Since Jan. 1, the Archdiocese of Hartford has received seven
allegations of sexual abuse that occurred decades ago. Most of the accused
priests are deceased, said the Rev. John Gatzak. The claims are being
reviewed by the archdiocese.
DELAWARE
In the Diocese of Wilmington, which covers Delaware and a portion of
eastern Maryland, Bishop Michael Saltarelli met with Attorney General Jane
Brady this month to discuss abuse allegations against priests. Saltarelli
gave Brady the names of five accused priests and the attorney general's
office has received complaints against six others.
Rev. William E. Irwin, 63, was relieved of his duties after telling
diocesan officials he had received an anonymous phone call in which the
caller accused him of abuse.
Diocesan officials this year have identified 15 documented allegations
of abuse by priests since 1952, the last being in 1992. A spokesman said
none of the priests is active, and that most have died.
DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
One priest in the Archdiocese of Washington is on administrative leave
because of sexual misconduct claims. Monsignor Russell Dillard was removed
from his parish last month after allegations were made about inappropriate
relationships with two teenage girls over a five-year period ending in
1984. Dillard admitted he might have "stepped over the line"
with at least one girl, but denied anything sexual happened and likened it
to a "father-daughter" relationship. Police say there is nothing
they can do because the statute of limitations is long past. At the time
he was placed on leave, Dillard was pastor of St. Augustine Church, a
parish attended by some of Washington's most affluent and influential
residents, including Mayor Anthony A. Williams.
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FLORIDA
Anthony O'Connell became the highest-ranking church leader brought down
by this year's scandals when he resigned as bishop of the Palm Beach
Diocese after admitting he abused a teenage boy in the late 1970s at a
Hannibal, Mo., seminary.
O'Connell is the second bishop of Palm Beach to resign over a sex
scandal in the last four years. Additionally, one priest resigned and two
others were relieved of their duties in Palm Beach because of sexual
misconduct allegations dating back years.
In the Tampa area, Bishop Robert N. Lynch of the Diocese of St.
Petersburg disclosed sexual harassment allegations brought by his former
spokesman. Lynch has denied the allegations. There have been misconduct
allegations against three other priests in the Tampa area as well.
On Saturday, another priest in the St. Petersburg Diocese resigned
after an accusation surfaced that he fondled a youth 30 years ago. The
Rev. Richard Allen, pastor at St. Matthew Catholic Church in Largo, left
his ministry Friday.
GEORGIA
The Archdiocese of Atlanta said this month that it had responded to six
claims in the past 13 years of priests sexually abusing boys. Most of the
incidents dated back to the 1960s and '70s.
The archdiocese has paid more than $500,000 to settle claims, including
$31,250 from its own coffers and the balance from insurers, according to
court records and an attorney for the archdiocese. Some of the claims were
not pursued in the courts because the statute of limitations had expired.
Most of the money went to settle cases involving Anton Mowat and
Stanley Idziak, priests who served the Corpus Christi parish in Stone
Mountain during the 1980s. Both were removed. Mowat, a visiting priest at
the parish, served prison time for molesting four boys.
The Atlanta archdiocese said it has no claims against priests currently
serving. The Diocese of Savannah, which represents 80 south Georgia
parishes, said it has had no claims against any of its priests.
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HAWAII
Bishop Francis DiLorenzo of the Catholic Diocese of Honolulu called a
standing committee on sexual abuse to meet and review old cases. The
committee made up of priests, psychologists, social workers and lawyers
has met twice since March and plans to meet again in May.
IDAHO
Bishop Michael Driscoll of Boise has decried the sexual abuse scandal
rocking other dioceses and urged anyone in Idaho who may have been
sexually abused by a cleric as a child to contact him or other diocesan
officials. Driscoll has promised to help victims obtain spiritual and
professional counseling. No one has come forward.
ILLINOIS
New allegations that the Joliet Diocese sheltered priests abused in
decades-old cases led to the removal of two suburban Chicago hospital
chaplains, Gary Berthiaume and Phillip Dedera, from their posts. Another
priest from the diocese who was serving in Kentucky also was placed on
administrative leave. Priests who were accused in Joliet and transferred
to other dioceses - Anthony Ross in Santa Rosa, Calif., and Fred Lenczycki
in St. Louis - also were removed when old allegations surfaced. St. Louis
Bishop Timothy Dolan said there is no record Joliet Bishop Joseph Imesch
warned St. Louis church officials when Lenczycki was placed there in 1992,
but Imesch said he told the former archbishop, who died in 1994.
The Archdiocese of Chicago's sex abuse review board has found two
credible allegations against priests this year. Rev. Robert Kealy of
Winnetka was removed from his parish and Rev. Richard Fassbinder, who
retired from Lake Villa in 1997, is being monitored by church officials.
The review board continues to receive and consider other allegations but
will not reveal the number, archdiocese spokeswoman Mary McDonough said.
All of the Illinois cases made public so far stem from allegations from
the 1980s or earlier, and no criminal charges have been filed.
INDIANA
Officials with the Archdiocese of Indianapolis and the Diocese of Fort
Wayne-South Bend have reviewed their procedures regarding suspected sex
abuse by priests, but have not made any revisions. Indianapolis Archbishop
Daniel Buechlein on March 12 issued a public apology to anyone who had
been harmed by a priest. Other bishops also have condemned abuse, most
notably Bishop John M. D'Arcy of the Fort Wayne-South Bend Diocese, who
said there was no room in the church for priests who abuse children.
IOWA
Sioux City Bishop Daniel DiNardo said in March that a priest was
"summarily retired" in 1991 after he was accused of molesting an
altar boy 10 years earlier. Because the allegation was so old, DiNardo
said, charges were never filed. The victim was provided with assistance
and therapy. The accused priest, the Rev. George McFadden, never returned
to ministry.
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KANSAS
The Diocese of Kansas City reported Wednesday that it is investigating
allegations against a Benedictine monk who may have abused children in the
1960s at a parish in northeast Kansas. The priest was removed March 1 from
the parish and placed in an abbey. The diocese also said it has received
complaints against other priests, but it is too early in the investigation
to reveal other details. The Diocese of Wichita, which dealt with its own
sex abuse scandal more than a year ago, has received one allegation
involving a priest this year. Church officials did not report it to civil
authorities after determining the allegations were false.
KENTUCKY
According to the state's four Roman Catholic dioceses, four priests
have either retired or been suspended amid allegations of sexual
misconduct, though no criminal charges have been filed.
The Rev. Carroll Howlin, a priest of the Diocese of Joliet, Ill., had
been a pastor in Whitley City, Ky., since 1980, but was suspended by the
Joliet diocese and the Lexington, Ky., diocese this month pending an
investigation into sexual misconduct. In March, the Rev. Louis Miller of
Louisville retired following allegations he sexually abused minors in the
1960s and 1970s. The priest had been barred from working with children
since January 1990, a month after the Archdiocese of Louisville received a
complaint about him. Since Miller's retirement, three alleged victims have
filed suit against the Archdiocese of Louisville.
All four dioceses have said their sexual misconduct policies have been
updated and comply with state laws.
LOUISIANA
In this state where the case of serial molester Gilbert Gauthe first
brought national attention to sex abuse by Catholic clergy, there has been
action in at least four cases this year.
Among the high-profile cases, prosecutor Michael Harson has said his
office is looking into an allegation against the Rev. John Andries, who
was removed as pastor of St. Margaret Church in Boyce after a family
complained about misconduct with their teenage son.
The Rev. Norman J. Rogge, a Jesuit, is no longer serving after records
showed he continued working in the priesthood despite being sentenced in
1985 to a year in prison in Florida for sexual abuse of a boy.
In addition, the Rev. Joseph F. Pellettieri was suspended while the
Diocese of New Orleans investigates allegations of past abuse in another
diocese, a church official said Saturday.
New Orleans Archbishop Alfred Hughes, a former top aide to embattled
Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston, sent a letter to be read last week in 142
churches saying he apologized in his own name and in the name of the
church for harm that has been done by the scandals.
MAINE
The Portland Diocese has removed two priests from northern parishes
after each admitted sexually abusing a minor. On the diocese's order, the
Revs. Michael Doucette and John Audibert told parishioners about the abuse
in February. Some members of Audibert's congregation already knew about
his case, while others apparently only had a vague idea. Doucette's case
had not been previously disclosed publicly.
On March 9, the diocese removed both Doucette and Audibert and
announced a "zero-tolerance" policy, which states that any
priest facing a credible allegation of abusing a minor will be removed.
In cases of both Doucette and Audibert, the abuse occurred more than 20
years ago and cannot be prosecuted because the statute of limitations has
expired. Still, the diocese has agreed to turn over to prosecutors all
victims' allegations against living priests in Maine.
MARYLAND
A priest in the Baltimore Archdiocese was charged this month with lying
to police to cover up his encounter with a male prostitute. Church
officials have removed the Rev. Steven Paul Girard from duty. Archdiocese
spokesman Ray Kempisty said the church also has received calls from
alleged abuse victims, which it is now checking, but none of the cases
involved priests currently in ministry. The incidents allegedly happened
decades ago, he said.
Two lay teachers at Catholic schools have also been charged with having
inappropriate contact with female students this year.
MASSACHUSETTS
Boston has been the epicenter of the growing sexual abuse scandal since
January, when church documents released as part of a civil lawsuit showed
the archdiocese moved serial molester John Geoghan from parish to parish
despite allegations of sexual abuse of children.
Since then, nearly 500 people have come forward claiming they were
abused by Boston-area priests. The archdiocese itself sent prosecutors the
names of 87 priests accused of sexual misconduct over the past 50 years.
Further revelations that the archdiocese did little about repeated
allegations against the Rev. Paul Shanley, known as a proponent of sex
between men and boys, only intensified public outrage and boosted calls
for the resignation of Cardinal Bernard Law.
Law, who made a secret trip to Rome prior to last week's Vatican
summit, has so far rejected the idea of giving up his post. He said the
subject of his possible resignation "never came up" at the
meeting.
MICHIGAN
At least seven priests have resigned or been removed this year amid
sexual misconduct allegations. In at least five cases, the charges
involved minors. Another priest, removed last year, was charged April 5
with raping a 48-year-old woman.
Five of the state's seven Roman Catholic dioceses say they're reviewing
sexual abuse policies, and church leaders have addressed the scandal from
the pulpit, or in letters and discussions with clergy.
In April, the Archdiocese of Detroit relented to pressure from
prosecutors and agreed to hand over internal reports about its
investigations of clergy sex abuse.
While state law doesn't require clergy to turn over information about
abuse, two of the state's dioceses say their policies require such
information be given to authorities. There has been talk among lawmakers
about including clergy in reporting requirements.
MINNESOTA
No allegations of sexual misconduct have surfaced in Minnesota's five
Catholic dioceses this year, though the dioceses of Minneapolis/St. Paul,
Crookston and Duluth are reviewing their policies for investigating
allegations of sexual misconduct.
In response to lobbying by a victim of a priest's sexual abuse, the
Legislature considered giving Minnesotans more time to file claims of
childhood sexual abuse. The proposal was opposed by local churches and
other child-serving institutions and died in the state House on April 9.
MISSISSIPPI
Church officials have acknowledged two abuse-related cases, one in
which a priest was suspended from his duties, but have not released the
names of the priests or other details.
The Rev. Michael Flannery of the Jackson Diocese said a committee
composed of a state appeals court judge, two attorneys, a nurse and three
clinical psychologists, has reviewed the church's sex abuse policies and
is considering a revision this summer.
MISSOURI
More than a half-dozen priests have been removed since the scandal
broke in January. Among them was the Rev. Bryan Kuchar, 36, of the St.
Louis area, who was criminally charged April 11 with sexually abusing a
teenage boy in 1995.
The Jefferson City Diocese has also closed St. Thomas Seminary in
Hannibal, Mo., where former Palm Beach, Fla., Bishop Anthony O'Connell
allegedly abused several seminarians from the late 1960s through the
1980s. In closing the seminary, Bishop John Gaydos said the scandal has
made recruitment all but impossible.
In St. Louis, a man who was forced out of the priesthood in 1977 amid
sexual abuse allegations was arrested earlier this month for allegedly
exposing himself to boys at the St. Louis grade school where he worked as
a counselor. Archdiocese and school officials have argued about how James
Beine was allowed to work in nearly a dozen schools since he left the
clergy.
The Rev. Joseph Hart was twice accused of sexual misconduct with boys
while he served the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph during the 1960s and
1970s. He later became bishop for the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyo., and has
since retired. He has denied the allegations.
MONTANA
Three people in the Great Falls-Billings Diocese have come forward this
year to tell church officials they were sexually abused by priests years
ago. The church is investigating all reports, two of which date from 30 to
40 years ago. The other involves a priest who officials believe is no
longer active in the ministry.
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NEBRASKA
The Omaha Archdiocese dismissed a 62-year-old priest from his job as a
pastor and allowed him retire early following accusations that he sexually
abused boys at four parishes more than 30 years ago. The claims against
the Rev. Thomas Sellentin are too old to be prosecuted in criminal court.
No civil lawsuits have been filed.
The Rev. Robert Allgaier is to stand trial in June on charges of
attempted possession of child pornography and has been suspended from his
duties. After being caught in one parish, Allgaier admitted to church
officials he often viewed child porn, but the Omaha archdiocese never
notified police. Instead, Allgaier was transferred to another parish where
he was a middle-school teacher. Allgaier was arrested in February after
police received a tip from a concerned teacher.
NEVADA
A priest in a Las Vegas suburb was charged last week with fondling,
photographing and massaging teenage boys he was counseling at his parish.
Rev. Mark Roberts, 51, was charged with two felonies for allegedly
using minors in the production of pornography after being accused of
taking Polaroid photos of two boys. He also faces seven gross misdemeanor
charges, including lewdness and child abuse.
The Diocese of Las Vegas says the Roberts case is the only one in
Nevada involving an active Catholic clergy member accused of sexual
misconduct. He was suspended Jan. 30 from his parish in Henderson.
The case became public after eight boys filed a civil lawsuit in March
against Roberts, the diocese, Bishop Joseph A. Pepe, and former Las Vegas
Bishop Daniel Walsh, now bishop in Santa Rosa, Calif.
NEW HAMPSHIRE
The Diocese of Manchester in February gave prosecutors the names of 14
priests with allegations of sex abuse against them. Seven already were
suspended, the others were suspended that day. The diocese released the
name of another previously suspended priest a month later. Authorities are
still investigating the claims.
On Friday, allegations surfaced against two more priests. The Rev.
George H. Robichaud was arrested and charged with sexually assaulting a
boy in 1985. The Rev. Edward D. Richard was removed from his church
pending an abuse investigation.
The state attorney general's office has said it is investigating
allegations against more than 40 others. Those complaints were made to
authorities by alleged victims.
Bishop John B. McCormack, who was in charge of ministerial personnel in
the Archdiocese of Boston from 1984 to 1994, has been accused in lawsuits
of shuffling around Massachusetts priests accused of abusing children, and
of ignoring complaints about them. He stepped down this month as chairman
of a national committee studying the scandal for the U.S. bishops'
conference.
NEW JERSEY
The state's five dioceses have been providing authorities the names
priests and staff accused of abuse, though prosecutors have often found
the cases are too old for criminal charges.
The Archdiocese of Newark relieved two priests following allegations of
abuse or inappropriate conduct. The Trenton Diocese screened 50 years of
records for sex abuse allegations, removed one priest and provided
authorities the names of 13. Camden Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio supplied
prosecutors the names of 19 priests, 12 of whom had already been named in
lawsuits against the diocese. The remainder were no longer active in the
ministry. One lawsuit against the diocese is being tried. Two priests in
the Metuchen Diocese have taken leaves of absence after the diocese
learned of abuse allegations, one dating back 20 years and the other to
the 1950s and 1960s. The Diocese of Paterson has placed two priests on
administrative leave after learning of allegations they had sexual contact
with minors more than two decades ago.
NEW MEXICO
The Archdiocese of Santa Fe, covering most of New Mexico, was battered
by sex scandals in the early 1990s but has not been hit with
"credible" new accusations in recent years, Archbishop Michael
Sheehan told a news conference Friday. Even so, he said two priests have
been removed in recent weeks from parish duties, one based on old
complaints and a second as a precaution even though allegations were
unsubstantiated from a third-person source. Bishop Ricardo Ramirez of Las
Cruces said his diocese sent a priest back to New York, where he had been
accused of abusing minors.
NEW YORK
Soon after the Boston scandals erupted early the year, questions began
to arise about clergy sex abuse in the New York City area.
With public scrutiny rising, the New York Archdiocese and the Brooklyn
and Rockville Centre dioceses each turned over information about
accusations against priests to district attorneys.
New York Cardinal Edward Egan has been criticized for his handling of
allegations against priests when he was bishop of Bridgeport, Conn., and
released a letter before the Vatican summit saying he apologized "if,
in hindsight," he made any mistakes in handling such charges. The New
York Archdiocese has also freed sex abuse victims from any legal promises
they made to remain silent about their cases.
One priest on Long Island, the Rev. Michael Hands, was convicted in
March of sodomizing a teenage boy. He faces similar charges in Suffolk
County.
Suffolk County District Attorney Thomas Spota announced this month that
a special grand jury would be formed to look solely at cases of sexual
misconduct involving priests. He has said evidence collected so far
indicates a possible cover-up.
In upstate New York, one priest has been reassigned to administrative
duties, another has resigned and a third is being investigated by his
diocese as the result of sex abuse allegations this year. The complaints
all date back a decade or more, and one is at least 30 years old.
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NORTH CAROLINA
The Diocese of Raleigh has removed three priests from their parishes
after allegations surfaced against them; all the charges originated in
other states where they worked.
The Diocese of Charlotte, meanwhile, relieved a priest of his duties
last week at a Greensboro parish following allegations of sexually
inappropriate behavior in another state.
Charlotte also placed another priest on administrative leave pending
the outcome of an abuse investigation. It has also alerted authorities to
at least three other cases from 25 years ago or longer.
The Charlotte Diocese confirmed this month that in the 1990s it used
its money and insurance funds to pay parents who accused a priest of
sexually abusing their sons.
The Raleigh Diocese held a day of prayer April 14 "for the church
in crisis."
NORTH DAKOTA
Two western North Dakota priests were stripped of the power to perform
sacraments and resigned parish posts after Bishop Paul Zipfel of Bismarck
adopted a "zero tolerance" policy toward molestation in March. A
third priest resigned as a seminary teacher and is under criminal
investigation after telling Fargo Bishop Samuel Aquila in February that he
had molested children while a parish priest.
The Bismarck Diocese said that two priests, Steve Zastoupil and Norman
Dukart, had admitted molesting children decades ago and had been
disciplined. Zipfel's new policy prompted him to ask both men to resign
from their parishes. Prosecutors do not plan to file charges.
In the Fargo case, state Crime Bureau agents are interviewing four
families as they investigate the Rev. Charles Fischer's conduct while he
served parishes between 1995 and 2000. Aquila barred him from performing
sacraments, but Fischer has not been charged with a crime.
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OHIO
In the Cleveland Diocese, the Rev. Don A. Rooney killed himself earlier
this month, just three days after being accused of a molesting a girl in
1980. Eleven priests have been suspended in Cleveland and an independent
commission has been created to review policy.
In Cincinnati, prosecutors subpoenaed archdiocese records, and
Archbishop Daniel E. Pilarczyk was summoned before a county grand jury
April 18.
He was excused from testifying because his office turned over
information which authorities were seeking. He is the only U.S. archbishop
subpoenaed to testify before a grand jury, according to a leading victims'
attorney.
OKLAHOMA
The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City this month republished its 1991 policy
regarding sexual abuse allegations from minors; the policy was printed in
its newspaper, the Sooner Catholic. The policy quotes an Oklahoma law
requiring mandatory reporting of such allegations to law enforcement
officials. The archdiocese continuously reviews the policy, said the Rev.
Edward Weisenburger.
OREGON
An 82-year-old priest, the Rev. Louis Charvet, was recalled to the
Benedictine Abbey in Mount Angel this month pending an investigation of
claims by 58-year-old David Schmidt that Charvet and another priest, who
has since died, molested him in the 1950s.
Oregon Archbishop John Vlazny has publicly urged victims of priest
abuse to contact the archdiocese.
PENNSYLVANIA
At least 23 active priests accused of abuse have been removed from
assignments since Jan. 1 as a result of reviews by diocesan officials and
new claims by alleged victims.
In all but a few cases, the allegations were decades old. District
attorneys throughout the state have pressed church officials for more
information on old cases, though the statute of limitations makes
prosecutions unlikely.
Philadelphia Cardinal Anthony J. Bevilacqua ordered priests to observe
a "day of atonement" last Wednesday. The Philadelphia
Archdiocese said in February that credible abuse allegations had been made
against 35 priests over five decades.
RHODE ISLAND
The Diocese of Providence suspended the Rev. Normand J. Demers in early
April after a man accused him of sexually assaulting him at least 35 years
ago. Demers, who has denied the allegations, is the state's only priest to
be suspended since Jan. 1.
The Rev. Daniel Azzarone was indicted April 5 on charges he sexually
assaulted two people over a one-year period. He was first arrested in
November and suspended by the diocese at that time.
SOUTH CAROLINA
The Rev. Juan Carlos Castano of Rock Hill was charged in March with
committing a lewd act on a minor for allegedly fondling a 4-year-old girl
in her home in September 2000. He is awaiting trial.
The Diocese of Charleston suspended Castano the day before his arrest.
He is the state's only priest suspended or otherwise disciplined by the
church since Jan. 1, diocese spokesman John Carroll said.
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SOUTH DAKOTA
South Dakota has been spared from the scandal: Officials in the Sioux
Falls and Rapid City dioceses knew of no recent abuse allegations. The
Sioux Falls Diocese has invited the state attorney general's office to
review its procedures for handling abuse cases.
TENNESSEE
There have been no allegations of sex abuse by priests. But Catholics
were stunned by the resignation of Bishop Anthony O'Connell of Palm Beach
Fla., who admitted abusing a seminarian in Missouri decades ago. O'Connell
was the founding bishop of the Knoxville Diocese and served there for 10
years beginning in 1988.
TEXAS
Since the Dallas Diocese was hit with a huge 1997 verdict involving a
priest who molested altar boys, it has imposed strict guidelines to combat
sexual abuse. They require fingerprinting and criminal background checks
for all workers, mandate the installation of windows in every office door
and forbid adults to be alone with children in certain circumstances. In
April, the diocese reassigned two priests for failing to fully implement
the background checks.
In the San Antonio Diocese, a priest was suspended for incidents that
allegedly occurred more than 30 years ago.
UTAH
In a state where Catholics make up just 8 percent of the population,
there have been no major developments in the sex abuse scandal.
VERMONT
The statewide Diocese of Burlington said that since Jan. 1 it has
received "a few" allegations of abuse against priests, all
dating back decades.
Church leaders met Attorney General William Sorrell earlier this month
to discuss sex abuse, and Sorrell criticized the church following the
session for not being responsive enough to his questions.
Sorrell said his office had gathered information independently leading
him to believe there were some priests who had committed sexual abuses
in
the past who were still 'sexually' active in the diocese. He did not suggest a number
but said his office had received about a dozen calls.
VIRGINIA
The Diocese of Richmond announced Monday more stringent guidelines for
hiring church volunteers. Criminal background checks will now be mandatory
for all volunteers, just as they are for lay and religious parish
employees, said the Rev. Pasquale Apuzzo, secretary to Bishop Walter F.
Sullivan. Previously, background checks on volunteers were optional.
Kathleen Kenney, spokeswoman for the Diocese of Arlington, said no
changes have been made to Arlington's sexual abuse policies this year,
since they were just reviewed last year.
WASHINGTON
Since Jan. 1, one priest has been accused of molestation. In complaints
dating back to the 1960s, five men have alleged the Rev. John Cornelius
abused them. Cornelius has denied the allegations. He was placed on paid
administrative leave from an Everett parish in April.
A similar allegation was made in 1996, after which the archdiocese
demoted him and transferred him from Seattle to Everett.
Cornelius, 50, a former Seattle city police chaplain, has been an
adoption activist and has adopted 13 children himself.
WEST VIRGINIA
The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston is updating its child sexual abuse
policy to make it mandatory for priests to report suspected abuse to
authorities, conforming to state law. The current policy "includes
the expectation" that clergy will report suspected abuse. Bishop
Bernard Schmitt has ordered a review of the personnel files of active and
retired priests and the files of priests from outside the diocese who are
serving in the state. The diocese has declined to discuss the
findings????
WISCONSIN
At least nine priests are being investigated on suspicion of sexual
abuse of minors. Two of them, one each from the Diocese of Green Bay and
the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, have been suspended.
Two of the state's five dioceses have named task forces to review the
personnel files of priests. The Archdiocese of Milwaukee is reviewing the
cases of all accused archdiocesan priests, while the Green Bay Diocese
will examine the files of all its priests.
Milwaukee Archbishop Rembert Weakland also called a meeting of all
archdiocesan priests to discuss the sexual abuse scandal.
Earlier this month, Bishop Raphael Fliss of the Diocese of Superior
apologized for failing to more thoroughly investigate a priest for alleged
sexual misconduct in the early 1980s.
WYOMING
The Diocese of Cheyenne says it has no evidence that any priests have
abused minors. Bishop David Ricken may review the diocese's 1994 policy on
handling abuse allegations after he attends the June meeting of the U.S.
Council of Catholic Bishops. Ricken has assured the faithful that the
state's 41 priests can be trusted????
