Editorial: Asking abused priests a life-changing question | National Catholic Reporter

Editorial

In 2010, Fr. James Connell, then vice chancellor of the Milwaukee archdiocese, was publicly accused of complicity in protecting abusive priests. Connell was deeply stung by the accusation, which he denies. But rather than lash out at his accuser, abuse victim Peter Isely, he asked himself a question: "What if I had been a victim of sexual abuse by a priest?"

That question led him to a meeting and ultimately a friendship with Isely, as well as to an increasing activism on behalf of clergy abuse victims and in pursuit of the truth about the scandal.

Connell's response is especially significant in light of the recent release of some 6,000 pages of documents relating to clerical sex abuse in the Milwaukee archdiocese and church officials' response.

The documents disclose a distressingly familiar pattern: The archdiocese shuffled offending priests from parish to parish; increasing numbers of youngsters were abused; little was done to stem the abuse until it reached scandalous proportions and was made public; the Vatican was appallingly slow in acting on the charges when bishops finally were pushed to deal seriously with the problem. And at every point in the crisis, the hierarchy's primary concern was protection of the clergy culture.

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Here is another story about Father Connell and his dilemma

He helps parishes and fellow priests confront sex scandal

By Annysa Johnson of the Journal Sentinel

In his years of reviewing clergy sex abuse cases for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee, Father James Connell had never truly contemplated the life of a victim - until one afternoon last October, sitting in the parking lot of Children's Hospital of Wisconsin.

He awoke that morning to learn he would be the subject of a news conference on the steps of the Milwaukee cathedral called by clergy victims criticizing his role in the handling of a notorious abuse case.

Deeply troubled, Connell sat in his car after visiting a parishioner and asked himself for the first time: "What if I'd been a victim? Where would I be today if I'd been molested by a priest as a child?"

Read the rest of the story by clicking on the following:  http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/96944344.html