Archbishop Weakland: I didn’t know clerical abuse of children was a crime

May 19, 2009

Commenting on the early years of the clerical abuse scandal, retired Archbishop Rembert Weakland of Milwaukee writes in his forthcoming memoir, “We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature.” The archbishop says he instead “accepted naively the common view that it was not necessary to worry about the effects on the youngsters: either they would not remember or they would ‘grow out of it.’”

Peter Isely, Midwest director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, commented, “It's beyond belief. He's either lying or he's so self-deceived that he's inventing fanciful stories.”

 

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Further information:

• Weakland says he didn't know priests' abuse was crime (Milwaukee Journal Sentinel)
• Archbishop Weakland admits relationships with several men, questions immorality of homosexual acts (CWN, May 15)