Unnerving Choices for Church Historians - Los Angeles Times

This 2004 article tells the interesting case of clergy who are honored for their good works and later or simultaneously accused/punished for sexual abuse.

When beloved priests are revealed to be child molesters, Roman Catholic parishes, schools and dioceses face an uncomfortable choice: to remove existing tributes to the clerics and erase glowing references in local histories -- or explain to victims and critics why they continue to honor men who also were pedophiles.

This issue "taps into something that is very difficult for we humans to understand -- the tension that lies between the good that a person can do and the evil that we are all capable of," said Shirl Giacomi, a top administrator with the Diocese of Orange.

(Examples) Father Clinton Hagenbach, Michael A. Harris -- founding Bishop Anthony J. O'Connell, Diocese of Knoxville, Tenn

Click on the following to read the entire story:  Unnerving Choices for Church Historians - Los Angeles Times

A Most interesting case is that of Bishop Anthony O'Connell

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

The Most Reverend
Anthony Joseph O'Connell

Bishop Emeritus of Palm Beach

Province
Louisville

Diocese
Palm Beach

Enthroned
January 14, 1999

Reign ended
March 13, 2002

Predecessor
Joseph Keith Symons

Successor
Seán Patrick O'Malley

Other posts
Bishop of Knoxville

Orders

Ordination
March 30, 1963 (Priest)

Consecration
September 8, 1988 (Bishop)

Personal details

Born
(1938-05-10) May 10, 1938 (age 73)
Lisheen, County Clare, Ireland

Denomination
Roman Catholic Church

Anthony J. O'Connell (born May 10, 1938) is a Roman Catholic clergyman who was the first Bishop of Knoxville in Tennessee, followed by service as the third Bishop of Palm Beach in Florida.^[1][2][3]

 

Biography

Early life

O'Connell was born in Lisheen, County Clare, Ireland^[1] and studied at Mount St. Joseph College in Cork and at Mungret College in Limerick, Ireland. Emigrating to the United States at age 20, he entered Kenrick Seminary in St. Louis.

Career

On March 30, 1963, he was ordained a priest of the Diocese of Jefferson City, Missouri.^[1][2][3]

Following ordination, he was assigned as Director of Students at St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary in Hannibal, Missouri. He was named Spiritual Director in 1968 and was appointed Rector in 1970.

O'Connell served as Director of Vocations for the Diocese of Jefferson City from 1969 to 1988. He was a member of the Diocesan Commission for Personnel and President of the Priests' Senate.

He was serving as Rector of St. Thomas Aquinas Seminary when he was appointed first Bishop of the newly created Diocese of Knoxville on June 7, 1988.^[1][2]

On September 8, 1988, O'Connell was consecrated and installed as the first bishop of Knoxville. Archbishop Pio Laghi (later a Cardinal) served as Principal Consecrator with Bishop James Niedergeses and Bishop Michael McAuliffe serving as principal co-consecrators.^[1]

On November 12, 1998, O'Connell was appointed the third Bishop of Palm Beach.^[1][3]

Exposure of misconduct

Bishop O'Connell admitted in 2002 that he had molested at least two students of St. Thomas Aquinas Preparatory Seminary during his 25-year career there.^[4]

Stephen Spalding (1953–1982) was the first known O’Connell victim, and became one of three alleged victims from the graduating class of 1971. Stephen’s mother reported the crime to the Diocese of Jefferson City in 1968. The Jefferson City diocesan priest Fr. Christopher Dixon, an alumnus and faculty member of St. Thomas, exposed O’Connell’s crimes in 2002.^{[citation needed]}

Likewise, four former students, including two identified in media reports as "John C. C. Doe" and "Alexander" have stepped forward to make allegations in regard to O'Connell's actions against students in his charge.^[5][6]

The extent of O'Connell's transgressions in one student's case was documented by Time magazine.^[7]

Resignation

He offered his resignation as Bishop of Palm Beach on March 8, 2002 and his resignation was accepted by Pope John Paul II on March 13, 2002.^[1][3]

 

Click on the following for more details and referesnces:  Anthony O'Connell - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia