"Bishop Murry urged anyone who has experienced sexual abuse by clergy or members of the church to notify local police or the diocesan victim’s assistant coordinator, Nancy Yuhasz, at 330-744-8451."
No, that is not correct.
Anyone who has experienced sexual abuse by clergy or members of ANY church, school, private or public organizations NOTIFY THE POLICE, PERIOD.
Suspected criminal behavior is the purview of the proper police authorities. It is not the purview of any DIOCESAN OFFICIAL, ASSISTANT COORDINATOR OR OTHERWISE.
I applaud Youngstown Bishop Murry in his comments to the effect that, “None of this is going to be hidden.”
However, I would ask what position he took on the movement to improve Ohio's childhood sexual abuuse statutes a few years back?
It is my understanding that those proposed bills were roundly defeated by the Ohio bishops and the Ohio state Catholic Conference.
Bishop John McCormack's role in enabling, facilitating and covering up for the sexual abuse of untold numbers of innocent children in the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts is a matter of record.
He, along with Cardinal Bernard Law and a number of his fellows in the archdiocese have never been truly accountable or transparent about their involvement. State authorities should have prosecuted these individuals instead of cutting deals with them to avoid prosecution. To that extent, along with church hierarchy, they have failed the children of their states.
Having failed to follow the words of Jesus Christ to protect children in the first place, church leadership cannot and should not be trusted to do the morally right thing now.
Just look at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia where too many people trusted Cardinal Justin Rigali to do the right thing after the 2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report on the Archdiocese was released only to learn with the 2011 Grand Jury Report that very little of substance had actually been done in the intervening six years.
All statutes of limitation, criminal and civil, must be removed regarding the sexual abuse of children - BY ANYONE. And there needs to be a civil window of at least two years to bring forward previously time barred cases of childhood sexual abuse - BY ANYONE.
We did it in DELAWARE and we are attempting to do it in PENNSYLVANIA with the CHILD VICTIMS HOUSE BILLS 832 & 878.
The first thing Bishop Murry should have done was to make, or have a very trusted individual at the chancery make, a careful search of the "secret files," or whatever one chooses to call them, of the diocese so as not to be broadsided by something like this. Mentioning his relatively short time as bishop is more of an excuse then a reason.
In addition to that, I would have recommended that he immediately publish the names of all living and death known, credibly accused or convicted sexual predators among the ranks along with the locations of the living. Not doing so gives the appearence more of an enabler, one who is more concerned in harboring sexual predators, then one truly concerned with the victim/survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Of course the victims of clergy sexual abuse who have not survived need to be mentioned as well.
FYI, I suggest going FIRST TO LAW ENFORCEMENT and only then to the diocese and do not go alone.
Known sexual predators should be removed both from ministry and from the priesthood not retired to prayer and reflection in the relative comfort to which they have become accustomed.
By all rights these sexual predators and rapists should be criminally charged and incarcerated.
These are crimes against children, crimes against humanity and the last time I checked the Holy See was a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
True, Murry is the exception to the rule, at least here in the United States. God bless him for doing the morally right thing. Would that we had other bishops like him. We don't.
We have no Australian like Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, no Irishman like Archbishop Diarmiud Martin and someone like Bishop Thomas Gumbleton had his wings clipped early on.
I hope Murry follows up with sending papers to Rome laicizing the Rev. Thomas Crum thus totally removing him from the Roman Catholic priesthood.
The experts tell us that it is highly improbable that an individual like Crum sexually abused only one person during his long tenue and many assignments.
If Murry wants to continue supporting Crum, pay his medical coverage, provide housing, a car etc., he is free to do that but no one like Crum should remain a priest.
There are already too many, including bishops, who are known sexual abusers of children, young people, women or vulnerable adults who are fully supported by the Church.
All this is quite troubling when one reflects on the fact that fully two-thirds of the sitting bishops in 2002 can be shown to have facilitated the abuse of minor children because they covered it up, transferred priests, lied about knowing anything, intimidated parents or whistle-blowers, etc., etc.
Not a pleasant picture is it?
Then do something about it!
Members of the Delaware Coalition, Child Victims Voice were successful in removing all statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of minors by anyone.
The Delaware Child Victims Law went into effect on July 10, 2007.
We went from a two year SOL both criminally and civilly AND we have a two year civil window for bringing forward previously time barred cases of SEXUAL ABUSE - BY ANYONE!
THAT TWO YEAR CIVIL WINDOW REMAINS OPEN UNTIL JULY 09, 2009.
New York is trying to pass similar legislation at this very moment. Ohio should be doing the same thing. Ohio statutes are very deficient and need updating. Do it now. It is all about the children, past, present and future.
Bishop vows openness with sex-misconduct case
"Bishop Murry urged anyone who has experienced sexual abuse by clergy or members of the church to notify local police or the diocesan victim’s assistant coordinator, Nancy Yuhasz, at 330-744-8451."
No, that is not correct.
Anyone who has experienced sexual abuse by clergy or members of ANY church, school, private or public organizations NOTIFY THE POLICE, PERIOD.
Suspected criminal behavior is the purview of the proper police authorities. It is not the purview of any DIOCESAN OFFICIAL, ASSISTANT COORDINATOR OR OTHERWISE.
I applaud Youngstown Bishop Murry in his comments to the effect that, “None of this is going to be hidden.”
However, I would ask what position he took on the movement to improve Ohio's childhood sexual abuuse statutes a few years back?
It is my understanding that those proposed bills were roundly defeated by the Ohio bishops and the Ohio state Catholic Conference.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Advocate for Victims & Legislative Reform
maturlishmdsnd@yahoo.com
October 11, 2011 at 10:36 a.m. permalink suggest removal
NH lawmaker calls bishop ‘pedophile pimp’
Bishop John McCormack's role in enabling, facilitating and covering up for the sexual abuse of untold numbers of innocent children in the Archdiocese of Boston, Massachusetts is a matter of record.
He, along with Cardinal Bernard Law and a number of his fellows in the archdiocese have never been truly accountable or transparent about their involvement. State authorities should have prosecuted these individuals instead of cutting deals with them to avoid prosecution. To that extent, along with church hierarchy, they have failed the children of their states.
Having failed to follow the words of Jesus Christ to protect children in the first place, church leadership cannot and should not be trusted to do the morally right thing now.
Just look at the Archdiocese of Philadelphia where too many people trusted Cardinal Justin Rigali to do the right thing after the 2005 Philadelphia Grand Jury Report on the Archdiocese was released only to learn with the 2011 Grand Jury Report that very little of substance had actually been done in the intervening six years.
All statutes of limitation, criminal and civil, must be removed regarding the sexual abuse of children - BY ANYONE. And there needs to be a civil window of at least two years to bring forward previously time barred cases of childhood sexual abuse - BY ANYONE.
We did it in DELAWARE and we are attempting to do it in PENNSYLVANIA with the CHILD VICTIMS HOUSE BILLS 832 & 878.
It should be done in every state.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims Advocate
maturlishmdsnd@yahoo.com
WWW.VOTFGP.ORG
April 2, 2011 at 7:53 a.m. permalink suggest removal
Support group aims to track down more victims of Crum
The first thing Bishop Murry should have done was to make, or have a very trusted individual at the chancery make, a careful search of the "secret files," or whatever one chooses to call them, of the diocese so as not to be broadsided by something like this. Mentioning his relatively short time as bishop is more of an excuse then a reason.
In addition to that, I would have recommended that he immediately publish the names of all living and death known, credibly accused or convicted sexual predators among the ranks along with the locations of the living. Not doing so gives the appearence more of an enabler, one who is more concerned in harboring sexual predators, then one truly concerned with the victim/survivors of clergy sexual abuse. Of course the victims of clergy sexual abuse who have not survived need to be mentioned as well.
FYI, I suggest going FIRST TO LAW ENFORCEMENT and only then to the diocese and do not go alone.
Known sexual predators should be removed both from ministry and from the priesthood not retired to prayer and reflection in the relative comfort to which they have become accustomed.
By all rights these sexual predators and rapists should be criminally charged and incarcerated.
These are crimes against children, crimes against humanity and the last time I checked the Holy See was a signatory to the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child.
Is there something I'm missing here?
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
July 10, 2009 at 6:55 p.m. permalink suggest removal
Fallout from abuse
True, Murry is the exception to the rule, at least here in the United States. God bless him for doing the morally right thing. Would that we had other bishops like him. We don't.
We have no Australian like Bishop Geoffrey Robinson, no Irishman like Archbishop Diarmiud Martin and someone like Bishop Thomas Gumbleton had his wings clipped early on.
I hope Murry follows up with sending papers to Rome laicizing the Rev. Thomas Crum thus totally removing him from the Roman Catholic priesthood.
The experts tell us that it is highly improbable that an individual like Crum sexually abused only one person during his long tenue and many assignments.
If Murry wants to continue supporting Crum, pay his medical coverage, provide housing, a car etc., he is free to do that but no one like Crum should remain a priest.
There are already too many, including bishops, who are known sexual abusers of children, young people, women or vulnerable adults who are fully supported by the Church.
All this is quite troubling when one reflects on the fact that fully two-thirds of the sitting bishops in 2002 can be shown to have facilitated the abuse of minor children because they covered it up, transferred priests, lied about knowing anything, intimidated parents or whistle-blowers, etc., etc.
Not a pleasant picture is it?
Then do something about it!
Members of the Delaware Coalition, Child Victims Voice were successful in removing all statutes of limitation in regard to the sexual abuse of minors by anyone.
The Delaware Child Victims Law went into effect on July 10, 2007.
We went from a two year SOL both criminally and civilly AND we have a two year civil window for bringing forward previously time barred cases of SEXUAL ABUSE - BY ANYONE!
THAT TWO YEAR CIVIL WINDOW REMAINS OPEN UNTIL JULY 09, 2009.
New York is trying to pass similar legislation at this very moment. Ohio should be doing the same thing. Ohio statutes are very deficient and need updating. Do it now. It is all about the children, past, present and future.
Sister Maureen Paul Turlish
Victims' Advocate
New Castle, Delaware
maureenpaulturlish@yahoo.com
June 21, 2009 at 3:26 p.m. permalink suggest removal