Lawsuit Contends Archdiocese Knew of Pedophile Priest in 1992

By Chuck Sudo in News on Aug 29, 2011 10:00PM

A lawsuit filed late last week accuses the Archdiocese of Chicago of knowing about the sexual abuses of young boys by former priest Daniel McCormack as early as 1992, when McCormack was still in the seminary. (Read the lawsuit here.)

McCormick pleaded guilty in 2007 to molesting five boys at St. Agatha Parish. The Archdiocese had previously settled with the families of two of McCormack's victims.

McCormack had allegations levied against him in August 2005, but a lack of action by the Archdiocese kept in a position of contact with boys until he was formally brought up on charges.

The new lawsuit names the Archdiocese and Cardinal Francis George as defendants, but alleges McCormack's first instance of molestation occurred in 1992; the Mundelein seminary where he was studying to become a priest did nothing.

The accusations regarding the Archdiocese's lack of oversight predate George's tenure as leader of Chicago's Catholic Archdiocese, to the tenure of Joseph Cardinal Bernadin.