REVELATIONS

Why, after so many years, does the Roman Catholic Church release the names of priests who sexually abused children? As painful as the news is for some parishioners, the answer is found in the actions and words of the victims.

The identified victim of the Rev. John Audibert of Madawaska, Peter Keaton, is now 43 and in prison for sexually abusing a child, a 10-year-old. That child, in turn, was found in 1999 sexually abusing a 3-year-old. How long ago did the reverend’s crime end? Strictly speaking, decades ago, and the reverend says, “Having been tested, I am a better and stronger person and priest.” In another sense, his assault is a living outrage that does not end but is inflicted by others onto the next generation.

As the for the man identified as the victim of the Rev. Michael Doucette of St. Agatha, the anger and frustration of what happened to him 22 years after the abuse remains evident. David Gagnon, 37, says “There’s no way that Doucette is winning this battle. I’m not going to let him destroy my life.” Yet a part of his life – his youthful trust in the church, a career he says has been thwarted by the church – has been destroyed. Mr. Gagnon is still trying to save the rest of it.

The Maine diocese recently decided that as a matter of policy it would disclose the identities of active priests who have been accused of sexually abusing minors. Its actions come after the Boston archdiocese was found to have spent decades ignoring the seriousness of the sexual predation of some of its priests, shuttling them through treatment and back into unsuspecting communities, hushing

the families of victims and hoping to hide

the truth. When confronted with what was undeniable this winter, the archdiocese initially froze out inquiry and then watched as former parishioners came forward with more accusations, both of sexual abuse and institutional callousness.

The diocese here is not following that path. Through its announcement of these two cases it is demonstrating that it will listen and be willing to act if other allegations arise. This is especially difficult for parishioners who live far away from where the abuse took place, do not know the victims, are aware of the scarcity of priests and worry that they could lose more. But to say nothing – to wait for the charges to emerge as they have elsewhere – would merely perpetuate the moral failure that has brought the church to this point.