A comprehensive report released by Illinois Attorney General Kwame Raoul has exposed a shocking history of sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in the state. The report discloses that 451 clergy members in Illinois have sexually abused 1,997 children since 1950, a stark contrast to the 103 individual abusers previously acknowledged by the church. The findings come as several other U.S. states have initiated investigations into Catholic sexual abuse following a Pennsylvania grand jury report in 2018, which uncovered similar atrocities spanning seven decades. The nearly 700-page report contains harrowing stories of rape and sexual abuse, shedding light on how allegations were systematically disregarded and perpetrators were shuffled between churches. The survivors, who were interviewed as part of the investigation, revealed that they struggled with mental health issues as a result of the abuse.
The report’s release has prompted demands for further state and local investigations, renaming of church buildings and schools associated with abusers, and the creation of memorials to honor survivors. Cardinal Blase J Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago, issued an apology to the survivors and pledged to root out abusers while continuing to investigate allegations. However, he expressed dissatisfaction with how the statistics were presented, arguing against singling out the Catholic Church for scrutiny. Father Daniel McCormack, a Chicago priest mentioned in the report, was described as one of the most notorious child abusers in Illinois.
Despite complaints dating back to the late 1980s, church officials failed to remove him from the seminary or prevent him from becoming a priest. McCormack went on to abuse multiple children and was ultimately convicted in 2007. Advocacy group Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) characterized the report as evidence of the church’s weak and poorly enforced policies. SNAP called for additional investigations at the state and local levels, the renaming of institutions associated with abusers, and the establishment of memorials to honor survivors. The release of this report is seen as a vindication for survivors who have long been ignored and deceived, with hopes that it will encourage others to come forward and share their stories of abuse.