Illinois Attorney General Report on Clerical Abuse (Full Report)

The Illinois Attorney General (Kwame Raoul) has released a report on Catholic Clerical abuse for the State of Illinois.

The state of Illinois is made of 5 Dioceses and one Archdiocese. The Roman Catholic diocese include: the Diocese of Joliet, the Archdiocese of Chicago, the Diocese of Springfield, the Diocese of Belleville, the Diocese of Rockford, and the Diocese of Peoria.

Though many of these cases have happened over a decade, and percausions have been put in place in places where minors and sensitive adults and clergy are, it is still no excuse to not overlook what has happened. The Roman Catholic Dioceses have been willing to give information to State.

We at the Kosciol Catholic Archdiocese, thought not involved, want to apologize to all survivors. How a member of clergy wearing the Sacred Roman Collar, could have done this to minors and sensitive adults is baffling. We and all places in which clergy and minors and sensitive adults are, are and have implemented safety protocols, and programs for protection.

Catholics at a young age are taught that priests are people that we are meant to look up too. And in many cases these abuses of minors are also Homosexual, something that the Catholic church looks down upon. Reading through some of this report, the acts that one priest had done had been taught to the young men of which he had abused. Teaching them bad habits that would have otherwise been unknown.

Many people had priests in their houses they were treated like family, though not all were abusers, some where. I would just like to share on a more personal level, my mother who was very Catholic and attended all Catholic schools, had priests and nuns visit the house for parties. Of the one church she went to out of all the priests who visited only one of them was a pedophile. They did not know that and he visited there house. Walked into the house of children.

Many of the cases happened to alter servers. Bach almost 40-50 years ago altar servers were only male. This could have been a cause and these people would have been closer to priests then just normal Sunday parishioners.

Cases were not just between minors and a few were with sensitive adults, and precaution are made for minors and sensitive adults. I was looking at the code of conduct of Mundelein Seminary (part of the Archdiocese of Chicago, https://usml.edu/wp-content/uploads/PA99426_.pdf), and the way that they have it set up is very great precautions.

Virtus is a program meant to prevent Sexual Abuse, and they are dedicated towards Catholics. It is a program I am familiar with and they are in place especially in local Catholic schools.

I invite you to look at the attorney General's Report, here is a link: https://clergyreport.illinoisattorneygeneral.gov/

This clerical abuse is not longer that much of an issue in the Catholic church. Priests are required to take training and background checks. It is not an issue to minors and sensitive adults, and protocols are still put in place, for the protection of minors and sensitive adults.

All cases are reported to proper authorities including the Diocese and local authorities.

We at the Kosciol Catholic Church have proper safety in place for all clergy.

I would again like to give an apology to all survivors. Indeed there is so much more that can be said but I will leave this report here. I invite you to read the attorney general's report.

Most Rev. Matthew J. Cardinal Schreiner Jr.

Kosciol Catholic Archbishop of Joliet

Head of the Kosciol Catholic Church