Diocese of Joliet doesn’t deny reinstated priest abused teen

Read more about this incredible story by click on the following:   http://heraldnews.suntimes.com/news/15128263-418/diocese-of-joliet-doesnt-deny-reinstated-priest-abused-teen.html

Here are excerpts from that source

But Ryan is being returned to the ministry based the Vatican’s interpretation of an obscure tenet of canon law that suggests such conduct can be tolerated if the victim was at least 16.

Except the victim says he was 14 at the time.

And he’s baffled by a decision implying that his age at the time made all the difference….

But (Bishop) Conlon said it was not appropriate to discuss publicly what the church found to be the extent of Ryan’s conduct.

As to whether he had any authority to bar Ryan from active ministry despite the decision from Rome, Conlon wrote, “The Bishops are obligated to follow the directives of the Holy See.”….

Conlon heads a U.S. Bishops Committee for the Protection of Children and Young People and recently spoke out on the need to bring more credibility to the church’s handling of the clergy sex abuse scandal.

Now his own credibility is being challenged by the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, a watchdog group that regularly questions the church’s handling of sexual abuse cases.

SNAP drew attention this week to the reinstatement of Ryan

The Chicago Tribune has much to say about the handling of the case by the diocese.  Click on the following: http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/suburbs/joliet/ct-met-joliet-priest-20120913,0,127682.story

 

Here is some of the Tribune article:

diocese's safe environment coordinator insisted on phone communication rather than email despite the accuser's repeated requests to have the diocese put things in writing. He said he initially didn't mind the phone communication, but later realized that many of the details she had told him over the phone were omitted from the official statement to Ryan's parishes announcing his return to ministry.