Sunday, February 19, 2012

Priest abuse victims release church documents obtained in Wilmington diocese bankruptcy

Victims of priest sex abuse are calling on Catholic church leaders in Wilmington to resign in light of church records documenting how the Wilmington diocese handled pedophile priests.

Abuse victims obtained the church records as part of a settlement in the diocese's bankruptcy case.

Abuse victims scheduled a news conference Wednesday afternoon in Wilmington to announce that the documents were to be posted online by the watchdog group BishopAccountability.org.

Terence McKiernan of BishopAccountability.org said several high-ranking church officials responsible for the Wilmington diocese's efforts to conceal the priest abuse scandal still work for the diocese and should resign. 

They include vicar general J. Thomas Cini.

Victims advocates also called on Bishop Francis Malolly to publicly address the complicity of his predecessors, Michael Saltarelli and Robert Mulvee, in the priest abuse scandal.