NEW YORK: In a major reversal of a policy enunciated only three weeks ago, the archdiocese of New York has handed over to the Manhattan district attorney a list of all its priests who have been accused of abuse. It backed off on an earlier decision to only report cases with the alleged abuser's consent.
The list, which involves some three dozen cases, according to prosecutors, outlines allegations, dates, locations, the status of the accused and the result of any litigation in which the church was involved. "We did this because we believed it was the right thing to do," a spokesman for the archdiocese, Mr Joseph Zwilling, said.
The move follows similar action by a number of other US dioceses and recent public criticism of the handling by Cardinal Edward Egan of cases while he was bishop of Bridgeport, Connecticut. Most of the allegations listed refer to priests who have left the ministry and involve cases where the statute of limitations has passed, and so prosecution would be difficult.
Meanwhile, the ecclesiastical response to the wave of paedophile allegations against priests has prompted wide, growing disillusionment among lay Catholics in the US, a Washington Post poll has recorded. Seven out of 10 say sexual abuse of children by priests is "a major problem that demands immediate attention", double the proportion responding similarly in February.
Two-thirds of Catholics say they disapprove of the way the church has handled the issue, and 64 per cent say they believe it has hurt the church's reputation, the poll finds.
The Washington Post poll findings come as a further blow to the beleaguered church, although they show the faithful clearly distinguishing between commitment to the church and their faith, which remains largely undimmed. Ninety-six per cent of weekly communicants and 77 per cent of other Catholics say the issue has not caused them to re-examine their personal faith. Only 3 per cent say they may leave the church as a result, and fewer than one in 10 have cut their church contributions. Although 73 per cent of Catholics hold a favourable view of the church, that figure is down from 88 per cent in February.
The survey also reflects a growing divergence between lay members and the bishops - 60 per cent disapprove of the ban on priestly marriage, while 61 per cent believe women should be ordained.
While only 12 per cent disapprove of the role played by their parish priest, 52 per cent disapprove of that of the national church leaders. Eight out of 10 believe the refusal of the church to report suspected abuse to the police was a major contributor to the problem, while 97 per cent believe abuse allegations should be reported to the authorities.
