Pedophile Priests Hiding in Foreign Countries

One of the most damning practices revealed in the investigations of sexual abuse by Catholic priests has been that the church has transferred molesters from parish to parish to evade prosecution. It's known that this practice has been occurring for decades within the U.S. and, now, through an investigation by the Dallas Morning News, it appears that the church continues to transfer and provide help to pedophile priests on a more extensive, international level.

From Africa to Latin America to Europe to Asia, these priests have started new lives in unsuspecting communities, often with the help of church officials. They are leading parishes, teaching and continuing to work in settings that bring them into contact with children, despite church claims to the contrary.

The movement of fugitives has been global and secretive in nature and priests that are no longer allowed to work in the U.S. have found sanctuary abroad. The investigation by the DMN is ongoing.

Starting this week and continuing in coming months, we report the results of a yearlong investigation that reaches all six occupied continents. Key findings include: Nearly half of the more than 200 cases we identified involve clergy who tried to elude law enforcement. About 30 remain free in one country while facing ongoing criminal inquiries, arrest warrants or convictions in another.

These criminal molesters need to be aggressively targeted by law enforcement at the international level and brought to justice. I'm at a loss for the right words to express how sick I feel just by knowing that the Catholic Church allows and abets this practice.