Upset Catholics & sex abuse victims push archdiocese

Five groups to Cardinal: "Urge your flock to read new records"

They also want ‘honor’ revoked for George’s long time top aide

Church building is named after bishop who concealed clergy sex crimes

Groups also blast archdiocese for still hiding 49 pages of newly release deposition

Church officials should put link to long-secret records & deposition in parish bulletins, they say

What:
Holding signs at a sidewalk news conference, concerned Catholics and clergy sex abuse victims will blast Cardinal Francis George for concealing 49 pages of a crucial deposition of his #2 aide

They’ll also urge George to
-- put a note urging parishioners to read the deposition (and a link to it) in every parish bulletin this weekend, and
-- re-name a church building that honors the aide, despite his repeated deceiving of parishioners about pedophile priests, and his refusal to call police about dozens of admitted and credibly accused predator priests

When:
Wednesday, July 22, 1:00 p.m.

Where:
Outside the Chicago Archdiocese headquarters (835 N Rush Street, just North of Chicago Ave)

Who:
Several Catholics who belong to independent lay groups and several adults who were molested as kids by priests and who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

Why:
Newly released church records and a sworn deposition show that Bishop Raymond Goedert refused to call police about roughly 25 admitted or credibly accused predator priests, now-retired. Often, Goedert misled parishioners about the allegations against the pedophiles.

In spite of this, a church-owned building is named after Goedert. Five organizations (SNAP, Voice of the Faithful, Call to Action, Coalition of Concerned Catholics and Companions in Hope, want George to rename the building. Honoring a top church staffer who acted recklessly and deceitfully encourages other church staff to do likewise, they say.

George claims the archdiocese is more ‘open’ now with clergy sex cases. If this is true, the groups say, he should urge his flock to read Goedert’s deposition to learn about and from the deceit, secrecy and recklessness shown in these documents. The groups want a short notice about the deposition and documents in each parish bulletin this weekend. They also want George to reverse himself and voluntarily disclose the 21% of Goedert's deposition that George's lawyers insisted be kept secret (with one exception: names of victims).

A user-friendly version of Goedert’s deposition and documents (with photos, links, etc.) is at http://www.bishop-accountability.org

Contact:
Barbara Blaine (SNAP) 312 399 4747, Sandy Stilling Seehausen (VOTF) 847 462 0016, Nicole Sotelo (Call to Action) 773 404 0004 ext 285, Tony Jannotta (Coalition of Concerned Catholics) 847 769 6287, Kate Botche (Companions in Hope) 630 768 1860