Cardinal Joseph Bernardin on Thursday defended his decisions involving a Cincinnati priest who, despite accusations of sexual misconduct, was able to have contact with children through his role with the church.
Bernardin, who led the Cincinnati archdiocese from 1972 to 1982, is named in five suits in Ohio alleging that he allowed the priest to move to posts where he continued to molest boys.
“I do remember one allegation made against this priest, and it was dealt with in accord with the policies that were in place at that time, and in consultation with the victim’s family,” Bernardin said after arriving in Chicago following a conference of U.S. bishops in Washington.
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In an unrelated civil suit filed last week in Ohio, Bernardin is accused of having sex with a teenager. Bernardin has denied the charge; the other suits in Cincinnati do not accuse him of sexual misconduct.
Church policies regarding priests suspected of sexual misconduct have come under fire in the last several years, and in response Bernardin helped forge new rules in the Chicago archdiocese designed to remove pedophiles from the church.
“The archdiocese of Cincinnati at that time did not have the kinds of policies we have in place now,” Bernardin said. “We have learned a great deal.”
In two of the five suits that name him, lawyers for Bernardin deny the charges contained in the suits-that he knew or should have known of the priest’s misconduct.
That priest, Rev. George Cooley, pleaded guilty to molestation charges involving four boys in 1983 and 1984.
In another suit against Cooley-one that does not list Bernardin as a defendant-a document filed by the Cincinnati archdiocese acknowledges that Bernardin knew of one allegation against Cooley, court records show.
“The archbishop of Cincinnati was aware of one incident of alleged sexual abuse by George Cooley,” the document states. “This allegation was made in 1979 by a camper. . . . The matter was referred to the office of priest personnel for investigation. As a result of this investigation, Cooley was required to receive regular and ongoing counseling.”