Sexual abuse scandal in Manchester diocese
Encyclopedia
The sexual abuse scandal in Manchester diocese of New Hampshire
is a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States and Ireland.
has been criticized for his management of sexual abuse
cases among the clergy. He assigned Rev. Paul Aube to a Rochester
parish and put him in charge of a youth program even though Aube had confessed to molesting a minor and requested to be kept away from children. Aube allegedly abused at least seven minors at Rochester.
by Revs. Philip Petit and Gordon MacRae during the 1980s.
publicly announced the names of 14 priests in the diocese who had been accused of sexually abusing children. In April of that same year, he was removed from his post as chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. McCormack later admitted to reassigning pedophilic priests, but claimed poor file-keeping had kept him from knowing the full extent of the problem.
, he has refused to do so, stating, "Pope John Paul II appointed me to be your shepherd...I will remain [to] toil ceaselessly on your behalf as bishop of Manchester."
in October 2002, several members of the congregation accused McCormack of lying about a priest he assigned to the parish
without disclosing the latter's affair with a teenage boy, leading the Bishop to shout, "I'm not lying!"
at Trinity High School despite a student petition asking him not to attend because of his role in the sex abuse scandal.
New Hampshire
New Hampshire is a state in the New England region of the northeastern United States of America. The state was named after the southern English county of Hampshire. It is bordered by Massachusetts to the south, Vermont to the west, Maine and the Atlantic Ocean to the east, and the Canadian...
is a significant episode in the series of Catholic sex abuse cases in the United States and Ireland.
Management by Mgr. Gendron
Mgr. Odore Joseph GendronOdore Joseph Gendron
Odore Joseph Gendron is an American prelate of the Roman Catholic Church. He served as Bishop of Manchester from 1975 to 1990.-Biography:...
has been criticized for his management of sexual abuse
Sexual abuse
Sexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
cases among the clergy. He assigned Rev. Paul Aube to a Rochester
Rochester, New Hampshire
Rochester is a city in Strafford County, New Hampshire, United States. As of the 2010 census, the city population was 29,752. The city includes the villages of East Rochester and Gonic. Rochester is home to Skyhaven Airport and the annual Rochester Fair....
parish and put him in charge of a youth program even though Aube had confessed to molesting a minor and requested to be kept away from children. Aube allegedly abused at least seven minors at Rochester.
Destroying documents
Gendron was accused of destroying documents detailing child sexual abuseChild sexual abuse
Child sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
by Revs. Philip Petit and Gordon MacRae during the 1980s.
14 priests named for abuse
In early 2002, Bishop John McCormackJohn Brendan McCormack
- External links :*****...
publicly announced the names of 14 priests in the diocese who had been accused of sexually abusing children. In April of that same year, he was removed from his post as chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
United States Conference of Catholic Bishops
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops is the episcopal conference of the Catholic Church in the United States. Founded in 1966 as the joint National Conference of Catholic Bishops and United States Catholic Conference, it is composed of all active and retired members of the Catholic...
' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse. McCormack later admitted to reassigning pedophilic priests, but claimed poor file-keeping had kept him from knowing the full extent of the problem.
Calls for resignation
Despite repeated calls for his resignation, including from the New Hampshire Union LeaderNew Hampshire Union Leader
The New Hampshire Union Leader is the daily newspaper of Manchester, the largest city in the state of New Hampshire. As of September 2010 it had a daily circulation of 48,342 and the circulation of its Sunday paper, the New Hampshire Sunday News, was 63,991. It was founded in 1863.It was called...
, he has refused to do so, stating, "Pope John Paul II appointed me to be your shepherd...I will remain [to] toil ceaselessly on your behalf as bishop of Manchester."
Accusation of lying about abuse
During a MassMass (liturgy)
"Mass" is one of the names by which the sacrament of the Eucharist is called in the Roman Catholic Church: others are "Eucharist", the "Lord's Supper", the "Breaking of Bread", the "Eucharistic assembly ", the "memorial of the Lord's Passion and Resurrection", the "Holy Sacrifice", the "Holy and...
in October 2002, several members of the congregation accused McCormack of lying about a priest he assigned to the parish
Parish (Catholic Church)
In the Roman Catholic Church, a parish is the lowest ecclesiastical geographical subdivision: from ecclesiastical province to diocese to deanery to parish.-Requirements:A parish needs two things under common law to become a parish...
without disclosing the latter's affair with a teenage boy, leading the Bishop to shout, "I'm not lying!"
Student petition against the bishop
In 2005, McCormack spoke at a baccalaureate serviceBaccalaureate service
A baccalaureate service is a celebration which honors a graduating senior class from a college or high school...
at Trinity High School despite a student petition asking him not to attend because of his role in the sex abuse scandal.
See also
- AbuseAbuseAbuse is the improper usage or treatment for a bad purpose, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, sexual assault, violation, rape, unjust practices; wrongful practice or custom; offense; crime, or otherwise...
- Child abuseChild abuseChild abuse is the physical, sexual, emotional mistreatment, or neglect of a child. In the United States, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Department of Children And Families define child maltreatment as any act or series of acts of commission or omission by a parent or...
- Child sexual abuseChild sexual abuseChild sexual abuse is a form of child abuse in which an adult or older adolescent uses a child for sexual stimulation. Forms of child sexual abuse include asking or pressuring a child to engage in sexual activities , indecent exposure with intent to gratify their own sexual desires or to...
- Religious abuse
- Sexual abuseSexual abuseSexual abuse, also referred to as molestation, is the forcing of undesired sexual behavior by one person upon another. When that force is immediate, of short duration, or infrequent, it is called sexual assault. The offender is referred to as a sexual abuser or molester...
- Sexual misconductSexual misconductSexual misconduct is misconduct of a sexual nature. The term may be used to condemn an act, but in some jurisdictions it has also a legal meaning....
- Spiritual abuseSpiritual abuseSpiritual abuse is a serious form of abuse which occurs when a person in a cult-religious authority or a person with a unique spiritual practice misleads and maltreats another person in the name of a deityor church or in the mystery of any spiritual concept...