National Review Board leader cites high financial costs of abuse

Published: 2003-11-05

CHICAGO (CNS) -- Even partial figures indicate the high financial cost of the church's clergy sexual abuse scandal, said Illinois Appeals Court Justice Anne Burke, acting chairwoman of the National Review Board formed by the U.S. bishops to monitor diocesan compliance with their charter to protect children. "In 23 dioceses alone, financial settlements (with the victims) have reached $292.8 million," Burke said, referring just to some dioceses whose total costs have been publicly released. Speaking to area Catholics at St. Alphonsus Church on Chicago's North Side Oct. 28, Burke said the first priority of the all-lay review board is "no more victims." It will be up to ordinary parishioners to make that stick, she added. Her talk was jointly sponsored by the Coalition of Concerned Catholics and the Journey to Integrity committee at St. Thomas a Becket Parish in Mount Prospect, a suburb northwest of Chicago.

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