‘They are all still at large:’ Clergy abuse survivors call for suspensions, release of names after investigative articles
Baltimore Banner
Published on: May 08, 2023 1:21 PM EDT|Updated on: May 08, 2023 1:25 PM EDT
Survivors of priest sexual abuse gathered Monday outside the Archdiocese of Baltimore offices to demand church leaders disclose the names of all accused clergy and suspend the high-ranking priests who handled complaints of abuse.
David Lorenz and other members of Maryland’s chapter of Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests also called on Baltimore Archbishop William Lori to resign and for parishioners to pressure for changes in the church, including new leadership.
The group held the news conference in response to investigative articles published last week in The Baltimore Sun and The Baltimore Banner that identified church officials and accused priests whose names were redacted from the attorney general’s report on child sex abuse within the Archdiocese of Baltimore.
Lorenz named all three abusers and five officials whose names have been unmasked. The Rev. Samuel Lupico, the Rev. Joseph O’Meara and the Rev. John Peter Krzyanski are the three priests whose names were made public in a Banner story. “They are all still at large. They are out there. And now that we know those names, children are no longer in harm’s way — in as much harm’s way.” Lorenz said.
But seven priests’ names still remain redacted, and the survivors called for the archdiocese to make those names known.
“They could be out there at schools or placed next to schools or playgrounds, and no one is any the wiser that these are abusive people,” he said. “They are capable of releasing those names. They could have released those names years ago.”
One of the church officials, Monsignor Richard Woy, resigned Friday from University of Maryland St. Joseph Medical Center’s Board of Directors. The board had previously sought to remove Woy following the Netflix documentary “The Keepers,” but had been blocked by Baltimore Archbishop William Lori, according to an article in The Sun.
The 456-page grand jury report was released last month and details decades of abuse and cover-ups within the Catholic church. The report identifies 158 priests, most of them already known, within the archdiocese accused of the “sexual abuse” and “physical torture” of more than 600 victims over the past 80 years.
Redacted from the report are the names of five church officials who handled the allegations of abuse, as well as 10 clergy members who are presumed alive and not widely known to have been accused. Their names were redacted for procedural reasons; the investigation was conducted through a grand jury, which is confidential under state law.
Attorney General Anthony Brown has said his office will return to court and argue for all the names to be released.
Baltimore Circuit Judge Robert Taylor Jr. has sealed the proceedings and arguments over the redactions are to continue behind closed doors.
The issue of the hidden names has provoked finger-pointing between the church and attorney general’s office. Last month, Brown said the archdiocese may “legally release those names to the public at any moment.” The attorney general’s office said it redacted the names to head off any argument that the full report should not be released.
The archdiocese has taken a position that it’s bound by the court from releasing the names. The attorney general’s office disputes that position.
“Official C” has been identified as as W. Francis Malooly, the retired bishop of the Diocese of Wilmington. That identification was made last month by Terry McKiernan, the founder of BishopAccountability.org, a Massachusetts nonprofit that collects documents related to clergy sexual abuse cases.
Malooly retired in 2021 as bishop of Wilmington and previously served as auxiliary bishop of Baltimore. The report shows Malooly handled allegations of abuse in Baltimore for roughly two decades and failed to report some cases to authorities.
The Baltimore Sun last week also identified Malooly and four additional redacted church officials, including the Most Revs. Richard Woy, G. Michael Schleupner, J. Bruce Jarboe and George B. Moeller. Malooly and other church officials were faulted in the report for not handling allegations appropriately.
Addressing news reporters Monday, Lorenz urged Archbishop Lori to step in.
“They were driven and motivated purely for protecting the institution and the priests who were abusers. Lori has known about them, and yet he keeps them on paper and they still minister in parishes,” Lorenz said calling on Lori to remove them..
Frank Schindler, 72, one of the survivors of clergy sexual abuse, spoke at the news conference about how there are the perpetrators as well as the people who are protecting them in the Catholic Church. Schindler said the systemic coverup of sexual abuse must be addressed.
”Hopefully, we will get the rest of those names out,” said Schindler, a clinical psychologist who lives in Canton. “Hopefully, we will make those kinds of changes.”
That’s one reason, he said, that survivors feel that Lori needs to resign. He’s repeatedly stated that “this is a thing of the past,” Schindler said.
”At the exact same time, he refuses to release the names of perpetrators and those who protect perpetrators,” Schindler said. “I don’t consider that to be a very honest moral stance from somebody who’s supposed to assume the moral leadership of the Catholic Church in the Archdiocese of Baltimore.”
Reporter Tim Prudente contributed to this article
Winter Appeal 2023
To our friends,
2023 has been a long year with many ups and downs for us all. As we close out the year, we at SNAP hope that you are feeling like you are on your way to being healthy, fulfilled, and happy. This past year has brought both successes and challenges. Thanks to the support you have shown in the past, we’ve been able to celebrate the good days and weather the stormy ones. Now, we are once again asking for your support as we work to support survivors new and old as we ‘Move SNAP Forward.’
At SNAP we are proud to have hosted a very well-attended conference in August 2023. This event allowed us to gather friends, survivors, advocates, and allies for a weekend of camaraderie and connection. We were so happy to be able to welcome many first-time attendees to gather in person and are already looking forward to the next conference.
To strengthen our movement for justice, healing, and prevention, SNAP will be expanding our peer support and providing more volunteer opportunities in the coming year. Through this great work, we are ensuring survivor voices are represented as we work for significant change that will benefit children and survivors.
Right now, survivors worldwide are getting the help they need from SNAP, and more and more reach out to us daily, but we need your help to keep those programs going and get our volunteers the training they need to thrive.
Your tax-deductible gift to SNAP can help offset the cost of our important mission. If you are not in a position to contribute, you can still support us by sharing this letter with those who can. As we continue to fight for survivors across the globe, your donation or sharing the great work SNAP does will help us continue our work to protect the vulnerable, heal the wounded, and prevent abuse.
Your donation ensures SNAP will be there for those who need us more than ever!
Warmly,
Michael W. McDonnell, C.P.S.
Interim Executive Director
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