WASHINGTON -- After the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington released the names of 31 priests and clergy "credibly accused" of sexually abusing minors, some are shocked to see a longtime police and fire chaplain on the list.
Monsignor R. Joseph Dooley was among those on the list dating back 70 years. Dooley served as the chaplain for the Metropolitan Police Department and District of Columbia Fire Department from the 1960s to the mid '80s.
"It was a bit of a shock to see him on the list," said Dave Statter of Statter911.com.
The former WUSA9 reporter met Dooley before his death in 2002. Statter said that while the allegations against Dooley are not new, they hardly made news locally, sending a new wave of disappointment across area first-responders.
A 2010 civil lawsuit said that Dooley sexually abused Catholic boys he lured to a Delaware trailer.
Statter said Dooley was well-respected, known for thoughtful eulogies and advice. Statter stressed while Dooley was helping police officers on crime scenes, "it appears he was also committing crimes."
The Catholic Archdiocese of Washington now says it first learned of abuse allegations against Dooley in 1992, removing him from ministry the following year. Dooley was reassigned as a coordinator for sick and retired priests until his retirement until 1995. Unlike other clergy on the list, Dooley was not completely removed from church service or convicted of a crime.
The list was released Monday evening by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who announced last Friday that he would resign his post. Pennsylvania's bombshell report on church abuse said when Wuerl was working in Pittsburgh, he was complicit in covering for abuse by hundreds of clergy.
“This list is a painful reminder of the grave sins committed by clergy, the pain inflicted on innocent young people, and the harm done to the church’s faithfulness, for which we continue to seek forgiveness,” Wuerl said in a statement.
WUSA9 has twice requested further comment from the Archdiocese of Washington, but our messages have not been returned.
"Transparency is always a good thing," said Father Peter Daly, who served 23 years as a Catholic priest in Calvert County, Maryland. "The best disinfectant is sunlight."
