Cleared priests face hurdles in return to ministry

by Michelle Martin, OSV Weekly

While news accounts of several of the priests' returns to their parishes tell of supportive parishioners welcoming them back with open arms, that situation is not the usual resolution of an accusation of sexual abuse, said Joe Maher, one of the founders of Opus Bono Sacerdotii, an organization that works to provide assistance to priests facing difficult and sensitive problems.

Mercy Toward Our Fathers

by Sr. Camille DArienzo, America Magazine

Maher argued that a large number of accused priests are innocent and that, abandoned by bishops and laity, they are denied the resources to clear their names. He spoke also of the need to give culpable priests opportunities to reform and return to active ministry.

Helping Accused Priests Is His Calling

by Sue Ellin Browder, National Catholic Register

"More than 5,000 priests have been removed from ministry. The problem, as I see it, is this: A priest is typically removed because he cannot disprove an allegation." Maher said.

He inspires fear in the church, hope for victims

by KEVIN HARTER, Pioneer Press

"Jeff Anderson is not interested in reforming the church, but in the huge cash settlements he will receive," said Joe Maher. He uses words like "unscrupulous" to describe lawyers such as Anderson who take on the church. They "prey upon people with emotional disorders or unbalanced lives" with promises of huge payoffs, he said.

Accused Priest Hits Back With Lawsuit

by Sue Ellin Browder

“In this past year in particular, we’re seeing a lot of accusations that are blatantly false,” Maher said. Maher advises priests that “if it really is a false allegation, scream it from the rooftops and never stop saying it.”

More priests likely to sue

by Manya Brachear Ashman, Chicago Tribune

While he advises priests to avoid lawsuits, he understands why some go that route. "Virtually every priest who has been falsely accused, who can profess his innocence, has agonized over this," Maher said. "Were not talking about somebody whos gone through a divorce. When a priest is accused, its over. His entire life is gone."

Children of the Church

by Bernice Yeung, Legal Affairs Magazine

"The entire Code of Canon Law, the entire theology, is based on man's redemption," explained Joe Maher, president of Opus Bono Sacerdotii, an organization that represents priests in trouble. "The church looks at canon law in terms of helping the priest to increase his desire to grow in Holiness and thus be saved and enter Heaven."

Tending to Wayward Shepherds

by Sarah Childress, Newsweek Magazine

Some of the priests seeking help are likely innocent, others are not. But Maher believes in supporting them all. "Priests are out there destitute, abandoned and desperate," he says. "And they need help."

Trust and Confidence

by Joe Maher, America Magazine's Letters

It makes no distinction between an offense committed yesterday and one committed 40 years ago. This makes no sense and is unjust. It panders to those who thirst for vengeance. The church cannot yield to vengeance. To do so is to betray the Gospel.

The Catholic Reform II

by Richard John Neuhaus, First Things Magazine

Opus Bono Sacerdotii, an organization of lawyers helping accused priests, estimate that more than a thousand have been removed. As one priest told the Board, “It’s like being divorced by your wife, fired from your job, and evicted from your home all at once.” And all this without any effective channel of appeal.

The Aftermath of the Scandal

by Richard John Neuhaus, First Things Magazine

A number of groups have sprung up to help priests who may be subject to unfair treatment, including Opus Bono Sacerdotii, a group of lawyers for which Avery Cardinal Dulles and I have agreed to serve as theological advisors.

True Believer

by David Schimke, City Pages

Maher insists that opening the door wider for attorneys like Anderson will only result in an increasingly unmanageable caseload for both sides.

Out of 'Zero Tolerance,' New Support for Priests

by Alan Cooperman, The Washington Post

When the Detroit police arrested one of his parish priests on rape charges, Joe Maher did not think twice. He drove to the Wayne County Jail and paid the $5,000 bail. Then he set about finding a top-notch lawyer and raising money to mount a vigorous defense. On Aug. 30, a Michigan jury acquitted the priest.