Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan
of New York authorized payments of as much as $20,000 to sexually
abusive priests as an incentive for them to agree to dismissal from the
priesthood when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee.
Questioned at the time about the news that one particularly notorious
pedophile cleric had been given a “payoff” to leave the priesthood,
Cardinal Dolan, then the archbishop, responded that such an inference
was “false, preposterous and unjust.”
But a document unearthed during bankruptcy proceedings for the
Archdiocese of Milwaukee and made public by victims’ advocates reveals
that the archdiocese did make such payments to multiple accused priests
to encourage them to seek dismissal, thereby allowing the church to
remove them from the payroll.
A spokesman for the archdiocese confirmed on Wednesday that payments of
as much as $20,000 were made to “a handful” of accused priests “as a
motivation” not to contest being defrocked.
The process, known as
“laicization,” is a formal church juridical procedure that requires Vatican approval, and can take far longer if the priest objects.
“It was a way to provide an incentive to go the voluntary route and make
it happen quickly, and ultimately cost less,” said Jerry Topczewski,
the spokesman for the archdiocese. “Their cooperation made the process a
lot more expeditious.”
Cardinal Dolan, who is president of the national bishops’ conference and
fast becoming the nation’s most high-profile Roman Catholic cleric, did
not respond to several requests for comment.
A victims advocacy group, the Survivors Network of those Abused by
Priests, sent a letter of protest to the current archbishop of Milwaukee
on Wednesday asking, “In what other occupation, especially one working
with families and operating schools and youth programs, is an employee
given a cash bonus for raping and sexually assaulting children?”
Experts in the Catholic Church’s response to sexual abuse say that
payouts to dismissed priests are not uncommon. When a man becomes a
priest, the church is expected to care for his needs for a lifetime.
The newly revealed document is the minutes of a meeting of the finance
council of the Milwaukee archdiocese from March 7, 2003, which Cardinal
Dolan attended. The archdiocese was facing a flood of potential lawsuits
by people claiming abuse, and the church’s insurance company was
refusing to cover the costs because it said the church had been
negligent. The minutes noted that “unassignable priests” — those
suspected of abuse — were still receiving full salaries.
The minutes say that those at the meeting discussed a proposal to “offer
$20,000 for laicization ($10,000 at the start and $10,000 at the
completion the process).” Instead of salary, they would receive a $1,250
monthly pension benefit, and, until they found another job, health
insurance.
The first known payment in Milwaukee was to Franklyn Becker, a former
priest with many victims. Cardinal Dolan said in response to a
reporter’s question at the time that the payment was “an act of
charity,” so that Mr. Becker could pay for health insurance.
According to church documents, Mr. Becker was accused of abusing at
least 10 minors, and given a diagnosis of pedophilia in 1983. The church
paid more than $16 million to settle lawsuits involving him and one
other priest.
The Milwaukee Archdiocese filed for bankruptcy in January 2011, in the face of potential lawsuits by 23 accusers.