Catholic group distributes priest abuse booklet
A booklet of stories of alleged sexual abuse by priests in the Catholic Diocese of Davenport is being distributed by an Iowa City-based group of Catholics.
The group, Concerned Catholics of the Davenport Diocese, said it took the booklets to parishes across the diocese. The booklet, titled "Toward Hope and Understanding -- Stories of Survivors of Clergy Sexual Abuse in the Davenport Diocese," details the response of the diocese by men who reported abuse by priests as children, the group said.
"We love the church and for the health of the church, but both the structures that fostered and covered this up need to be changed," said Dorothy Whiston, the booklet's editor.
"Nobody wants to slander anybody," said Whiston, of Iowa City. "But it's often not until a survivor sees the name in print that they realize they weren't the only one and it wasn't their fault."
Bishop William Franklin, in a press release, said he has read the booklet.
"Although the Diocese of Davenport is not sponsoring this group, I hope that their work and of the work of other groups who support victims of clergy sexual abuse can help victims in their process of healing," Franklin said.
The Concerned Catholics group said the diocese will not release the names of deceased priests who have credible claims of sexual abuse against them. One of the writings in the booklet is an account by a man who says he was abused in 1949 by a now-deceased priest who has not been previously named by the diocese as having an allegation of sexual abuse against him.
Read the article at GazetteOnline Dated June 4, 2005
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