The Catholic Archdiocese of Chicago, established in 1843, encompasses the Illinois counties of Lake and Cook. It includes 221 parishes and serves almost 2.1 million Catholics. According to the 2023 Attorney General’s “Report on Catholic Clergy Child Sex Abuse in Illinois,” there were at least 275 abusive clerics and religious brothers serving in the Archdiocese during the period covered by the Report.
Though difficult and traumatic, aging survivors of clergy child sex abuse that occurred in the Archdiocese of Chicago continue to come forward. These courageous victims escape the shackles of shame and denigration cast upon them by their abusers/tormentors. These reports remain confidential and oftentimes result in some form of compensation provided to the survivor by the Archdiocese.
Perhaps as strong and enduring as any other effects on a survivor of abuse are the shame and guilt that can be overwhelming and debilitating, compounded by a resulting mistrust of others and avoidance of any acknowledgment or conversation concerning the abuse. We recognize how difficult and oftentimes frightening acknowledging the abuse and describing it can be. Be assured that any conversation about your situation with our firm is confidential. When we respond to an inquiry, we do so with the sensitivity, respect, and discretion necessary to provide meaningful feedback. If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email at confidentialinquiry@meneolawgroup.com.
Cases may be filed anonymously to protect the victim's identity.
The 2023 Attorney General’s Report describes a presentation by Bishop Thomas Paprocki wherein he chronicled the Archdiocese’s historical approaches to addressing reports of clergy child sexual abuse. According to Bishop Paprocki, over the course of at least 60 years, the Archdiocese’s response to clergy child sexual abuse could be divided into four phases:
Under the Confessional model, the abuser/priest confessed his sins within the sacrament of confession, was forgiven by the confessor, assigned penance and all of it remained secret as required by Catholic dogma governing confession.
Under the Therapeutic return to ministry/reassignment model, the abuser/priest was placed on leave and received therapeutic treatment. Once deemed rehabilitated, the priest was returned to ministry.
Under the Therapeutic restricted ministry/monitoring model, the abuser/priest, having undergone therapy and deemed rehabilitated, would be assigned to a restricted ministry in which the opportunity for additional child sexual abuse would be eliminated or reduced.
Under the current Legal/canonical model, the mandates of the Dallas Charter are followed by the Archdiocese. Here, the abuser/priest, when an allegation of child sex abuse was deemed credible (substantiated), would be permanently removed from ministry.
The Archdiocese has released files of abuser/priests who have at least one substantiated allegation of child sexual abuse brought against them. They are:
Aging survivors of abuse that occurred in the Archdiocese of Chicago continue to come forward and disclose the sexual and spiritual abuse they suffered at the hands of predatory priest/abusers. If you (or a loved one) is a survivor of clergy child sexual abuse, we encourage you (or your loved one) to seek counseling and therapy.
Perhaps as strong and enduring as any other effects on a survivor of abuse are the shame and guilt that can be overwhelming and debilitating, compounded by a resulting mistrust of others and avoidance of any acknowledgment or conversation concerning the abuse. We recognize how difficult and oftentimes frightening acknowledging the abuse and describing it can be. Be assured that any conversation about your situation with our firm is confidential. When we respond to an inquiry, we do so with the sensitivity, respect, and discretion necessary to provide meaningful feedback. If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email at confidentialinquiry@meneolawgroup.com.
Cases may be filed anonymously to protect the victim's identity.
If you prefer to speak with us directly regarding your incident, please call The Meneo Law Group at 1-866-371-8506 1-866-371-8506 or send us a confidential email.