Coughlin Case Shows Need for Candor : Church’s Handling of Molestation Complaints Leaves Something to Be Desired

Catholic Church officials in Boston say that at least five years ago, Father Richard T. Coughlin, then director of the All-American Boys Chorus, had been accused of molesting a Massachusetts youth. In January, Coughlin was suspended from his duties and ordered to break ties with the singing group after five men said he molested them when they were youths 10 to 30 years ago.

And yet, the Diocese of Orange says it has no record of being contacted about that matter, which was separate from the accusations that resulted in the priest’s suspension, even though Boston affirms that such notification was made several years ago.

Did somebody deep-six the complaint from the East Coast? Did somebody who answered a telephone in Orange County neglect to write down a message?

There are no good answers, because the spokesman for the Diocese of Orange today expresses surprise at the assertion from Boston. And the auxiliary bishop in Orange County at the time the call was placed, John T. Steinbock, is today Bishop of Fresno. He says he received the complaint and relayed it to St. Michael’s Preparatory High School of Norbertine Fathers, where Coughlin was affiliated part-time. From there, it’s anybody’s guess what happened. The only thing that is clear is that the complaint somehow fell through the cracks.

To say that this was a loose fielding of a serious matter is an understatement. To give local church officials the benefit of the doubt, it conceivably could have been a case of failing to keep adequate records in one office or another. And yet, such sloppiness fuels precisely the suspicion that many observers have of how the church in general has been handling such sensitive matters.

In incidents like this around the country, there is a growing indication that church officials tried to wish away such complaints, either by ignoring them or transferring problem priests.

What the Coughlin case shows is that the church needs to do precisely the opposite in future cases. That is, to operate with candor, to publicize incidents, and to share information.