open, honest, and obligated

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Oct 12, 2005

Back in February 2004, Cardinal Mahony released a Report to the People of God, assuring readers that it contained "the best information we can glean at this time" about sexual abuse by archdiocesan clergy.

Having fought tooth and nail to prevent public release of personnel files in sex-abuse cases, the archdiocese has finally gleaned a little bit more, and released a 155-page "addendum" to the earlier report. The new release contains some material from those crucial personnel files, while still withholding material from others.

Plaintiffs' lawyers-- suspicious critters, you know-- claim that the most damaging files remain undisclosed. But that can't possibly be true, because in the "Addendum" the archdiocese proclaims its "commitment to speak honestly and openly with the People of God." And certainly the archdiocese has been honest and open-- whenever compelled by court orders.