100
(2 votes, average 5.00 out of 5)
Written by Louis Weisberg, WiG Staff Writer
Dec 2, 2009
MILWAUKEE — The Vatican has named Bishop Jerome Listecki, an activist against child-abuse reform legislation, same-sex marriage, reproductive freedom and stem-cell research, as the new archbishop of Milwaukee.
A retired military man, Listecki currently heads the Diocese of La Crosse. In January, he will succeed Timothy Dolan, who was made archbishop of New York.
Listecki has been more outspoken on political issues than Dolan. He criticized U.S. House Speaker Nancy Pelosi for her interpretation of Catholic teachings on the beginnings of life, and he protested the University of Notre Dame’s decision to honor President Barack Obama. He publicly broke with the Wisconsin Catholic Conference of Bishops to lobby against a bill forcing state hospitals to provide emergency contraception to rape victims.
Last month Listecki testified before a legislative committee against a proposal to suspend Wisconsin’s civil statute of limitations on childhood sexual abuse cases for three years. The bill aims to give legal standing to victims of childhood predators who were prevented from taking their cases to court under past Wisconsin statutes, which were among the nation’s most restrictive.
“The bill is not aimed at the Catholic Church, but because the church has been hiding sex offenders, they are opposing it,” said Peter Isley, of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP).
Listecki’s record on protecting pedophiles is particularly troubling, Isley said, because La Crosse “holds the national record for clearing priests who have been reported to have sexually assaulted children.”
A 2004 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice found the church had cleared 64 percent of priests in the La Crosse Diocese accused of sexual abuse. That compares with a national clearance rate of about 10 percent, according to a report commissioned by United States Conference of Catholic Bishops.
“Listecki has been asked repeatedly (during his four-years in La Crosse) to explain this record and he’s refused,” Isley said.
In addition, Listecki has adopted an official policy of directing childhood victims of clerical abuse to contact him directly, instead of notifying law enforcement. In April, Eau Claire police chief Jerry Matysik wrote a letter to the Eau Claire Leader Telegram calling on Listecki to change this unusual policy.
“Members of the Diocese of La Crosse need to know that sexual abuse is a crime and should always be reported to police before notifying the organization where the crime occurred,” Matysik wrote.
Ray Stroik, a retired professor and college administrator who worked on the La Crosse diocese’s justice and peace commission, told the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel that progressives and reformists may be concerned about Listecki’s appointment.
“He’s very strong in terms of Catholic identity, basic issues of pro life, gay marriage, stem cell research,” Stroik said. “Yet not doing much on social justice, or global peace.”
As Listecki assumes command of Milwaukee’s 675,000 parishioners, he faces serious financial challenges. The diocese launched a $105-million fundraising campaign several years ago and expects to hit its target in the spring. But it also faces 14 lawsuits related to clergy sexual-abuse allegations, which could force it into bankruptcy.
Through June 30, 2009, the archdiocese had paid out $28 million to settle charges related to clergy sexual abuse.
— AP contributed to this story
This content has been locked. You can no longer post any comment.
Comments
In the interim, they have 0 credibility.