Milwaukee Archbishop releases statement following McCarrick report
MILWAUKEE (CBS 58) – Milwaukee’s Archbishop, Jerome Listecki, released a statement regarding the release of the McCarrick report on Tuesday, November 10.
According to CNN, the report looks into the Vatican’s handling of former Archbishop Theodore McCarrick who resigned from the College of Cardinals in 2018 and was defrocked by the Vatican in 2019 after being found guilty of sexually abusing minors.
Listecki released the following statement:
“The news of the upcoming release of the McCarrick report is painful, but necessary. The victims of abuse, the Church and its members, along with the rest of society and future generations, all suffer from clergy sexual abuse, misconduct and scandals. Not bringing these crimes into the light only deepens the wound and does not allow the Church a process of exposing the wrongdoing and sin.
Bishops are not immune from reports of misconduct. Reporting is possible through the Catholic Bishop Abuse Reporting Service website.
If you or someone you know is being abused or you suspect abuse is occurring, contact your local law enforcement department immediately. Any instance of abuse involving a person currently under 18 years of age (minor) should immediately be reported to the civil authorities. Locate the civil authorities in the 10 counties of the archdiocese.
If you or someone you know was abused as a minor by clergy or church personnel, call your local police, sheriff or district attorney’s office to file a criminal report.
Reports can also be made to the Victim Assistance Coordinator who is available to support abuse survivors. A formal complaint of abuse can be made to the archdiocese by calling the Victim Assistance Coordinator at 414-758-2232.
An alternative way to make a formal report for those not wanting to contact the archdiocese is available to you 24 hours a day/7 days a week through the Healing Center website or by calling 414-219-5555.
You may visit archmil.org/clergy-abuse-response for more information on how the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is taking steps to heal and protect from clergy sexual abuse.”
