Tuesday, December 25, 2012

Boston Priest Named Vatican's Sex Crimes Lawyer; Watchdog Group Is Opposed to Rev. Oliver's Apmt.

Pope Benedict XVI has appointed a Boston priest as the Vatican's new sexual crimes prosecutor, the Irish Central website reports today (December 25, 2012).

The Vatican said that Rev. Robert Oliver -- who handled sexual abuse cases in the Roman Catholic Church in Boston at the height of the scandal -- would be "the promoter of justice" at the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican's doctrinal office that reviews all abuse cases.

Father Oliver was among the canon lawyers brought in to advise Cardinal Bernard F. Law on sexual abuse cases in Boston in 2002, and was responsible for investigating charges against accused priests when Cardinal Law was forced to resign after it was revealed that he had kept many abusive priests working in parishes.

Anne Barrett Doyle -- co-director of a watchdog group called Bishop Accountability -- said, "Reverend Oliver is a champion of accused priests, which obviously does not bode well for the job he will do as promoter of justice."

1 comment:

  1. Thank you for sharing. This is such a sad and disturbing case. I have to agree with the Vatican, I think Rev. Oliver will get the justice that is deserved.

    Boston lawyer

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