THE NOW defrocked John Geoghan, a former Massachusetts priest, was convicted Friday of indecent assault and battery in Boston stemming from a 1991 incident in which he touched a 10 year old boy. Geoghan allegedly molested more than one hundred children during his time with the Church, and faces over 80 civil suits and two more criminal trials as a result. During his stint as a priest, Geoghan continued to move as a priest in good standing from parish to parish throughout Massachusetts, in spite of the archdiocese being repeatedly informed of his behavior.
Only now, following waves of publicity surrounding this trial, has Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston declared that such incidents reported to church authorities also will be referred to law enforcement officials. In a related move, Pope John Paul II has decreed that bishops are obligated to investigate allegations of sexual abuse within the clergy. Bishops, in turn, are required to report these allegations directly to the Vatican, which will carry out subsequent investigations. These are steps in the right direction, but church authorities need to do more
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