The Archdiocese of Chicago has agreed to pay $3.9 million to six survivors of sexual abuse by priests after retired Auxiliary Bishop Raymond Goedert admitted in a deposition that he knew about many of the offences. Bishop Goedert said in the deposition that most of the 25 priests he confronted with allegations admitted the actions, the New York Times reports.
He also said he knew civil law considered the abuse a crime, but he added that he felt church law required him to treat such matters confidentially.
Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond E. Goedert's statements show "the lengths they went to to protect their reputation and the priest at the peril of the child," attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents men who have sued the archdiocese over alleged childhood molestation told the Chicago Sun-Times.
"I knew the civil law considered it a crime," Goedert said in the deposition. "But I'm not a civil lawyer. I think we just relied on - a lot on our - we knew it was wrong, what was done. And we used our common sense and prudence with the help of people - expert in the field to assist us in resolving these cases."
Goedert, the past president of the national Canon Law Society, said families of the victims were not seeking to get the police involved and have the priests criminally charged - they simply wanted to prevent any other children from being victimized.
"I simply would not talk about it to anyone except those who had a right to know because of their position in the diocese," Goedert said.
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