Belleville Catholic Diocese Knowingly Put Children at Risk

I previously commented about Bill Donohoue, president of the Catholic League, whining about the Democratic Party granting credentials to liberal blogs, including Towleroad which I link to this blog, since those blogs demand accountability on the part of the Church. Sadly, I expect that Donohoue will as is typical for him be utterly silent as more news comes out about the cover up of sexual abuse of minors by members of the Catholic Church hierarchy. Church officials in the Belleville, Illinois diocese showed an utterly callous disregard for the safety of children as know predator priests were foisted on unwary parishes. Nonetheless, despite such evidence of the moral bankruptcy of the Church hierarchy from the Vatican on down Donohoue continues to keep his nose so far up the Vatican's ass that it's a miracle he doesn't suffocate. Here are some highlights on the new revealations from the Belleville News-Democrat:

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BELLEVILLE --While reports that the Rev. Raymond Kownacki was sexually molesting minors were piling up, Belleville Diocese bishops and other top church officials failed to investigate and routinely reassigned the priest six times to unsuspecting parishes, former vicar general Monsignor James Margason testified Wednesday.

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Under questioning by Wisniewski's attorney, Mike Weilmuenster, of Belleville, Margason testified that the late Monsignor Bernard Sullivan knew numerous details of allegations that Kownacki sexually molested youths in Guatemala, brought twin boys from that country to Illinois and molested one of them and for years raped a 16-year-old girl at a Washington Park parish after befriending her at a church in eastern Illinois. Margason said Sullivan did not investigate or call civil authorities.

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High-ranking church officials "aided and abetted" and "enabled" Kownacki to engage in criminal sexual molestation by ignoring reports of his abuse, Weilmuenster told jurors in opening statements, adding at one point, "You know folks, they left a paper trail. It will speak louder than any witness." pecific bishops mentioned in connection with failing to investigate were John Wurm and Albert Zuroweste, both deceased.

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While on the witness stand, Margason, who was not in a leadership position when some of Kownacki's alleged abuse occurred, testified that:

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• Detailed reports kept by Sullivan, which were kept in a secret archives, were kept from the review board.
• A key 1982 report from a Salem family complaining that their son was molested by Kownacki and mentioning Wisniewski for the first time, was kept from Margason and the review board.
• If diocese officials had acted when the reports about the molestation of one of the twins and the 16-year old girl and others had been investigated, Kownacki might never had met Wisniewski.

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If blowhard Bill Donohue wants the Catholic Church treated with kid gloves, perhaps the Church should first do a much needed house cleaning of the hierarchy. Until that happens, the Church deserves not respect or deference whatsoever.