The Archdiocese of Chicago is the second largest Archdiocese in the country, behind Los Angeles. An October 2010 study by the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP), Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), and African American Advocates for Victims of Clergy and Sexual Abuse found that 60% of all Chicago Archdiocese parishes had had a priest publicly accused of sexual abuse working in the parish.
“The key word is ‘publicly accused’” said SNAP founder and President Barbara Blaine. “History, psychology and common sense tell us there are dozens and dozens of other offending nuns, seminarians, brothers, priests, bishops and lay employees who have molested or are molesting kids now whose identities are not known” (Source: Huffiington Post)
Since the sexual abuse scandal broke in 2002, the Archdiocese of Chicago has had to deal with a number of priests publicly accused of child sexual abuse. In some instances, sexual abuse lawsuits have been filed. In 2008, the Archdiocese of Chicago settled with 16 survivors of sexual abuse for $12.7 million. As part of the settlement, Cardinal Francis George agreed to release the transcript of his deposition in a sex abuse lawsuit. The release marked the first time a bishop, no less a cardinal, had agreed to make his sworn testimony public. Only 3 US Cardinals have been deposed in priest abuse lawsuits in the United States.
Cardinal George has been criticized for his role in protecting priests accused of sexually abusing children as well as not doing enough to protect minors from abuse. In particular, George’s role in two cases his role in the Catholic Church priest abuse crisis. In one case involving Rev. Norbert Maday, a convicted child molester serving a 20 year prison sentence, George worked behind the scenes to get the sentence reduced. In another case involving another priest convicted of child abuse, George neglected to remove Rev. Daniel McCormack from his assignment in a Chicago parish after parishioners complained about the priest. The McCormack case is particularly troubling because McCormack was arrested in 2006 when, according to Cardinal George’s sworn deposition testimony, George thought the priest abuse scandal was over. During the deposition, Cardinal George admitted that one of his top priests had instructed McCormack not to talk to the police after McCormack’s initial arrest in 2005.
