‘Mafia’ US bishops slammed

A FORMER US governor yesterday refused to withdraw his remarks likening Roman Catholic bishops to the Mafia.

Even as he resigned as head of a panel keeping tabs on the US Roman Catholic hierarchy's sex abuse reforms, Frank Keating had defiant parting shots for some bishops.

"To resist grand jury subpoenas, to suppress the names of offending clerics, to deny, to obfuscate, to explain away; that is the model of a criminal organisation, not my church," Keating, also a former FBI agent and federal prosecutor, said.

Mr Keating had been criticised by Los Angeles Cardinal Roger Mahony and by fellow members of the National Review Board for his scathing comments.

Mr Keating insisted in his resignation letter that those remarks "were deadly accurate. I make no apology."

He added, however, that "most of America's bishops are fully supportive" of the board.

The panel of 13 prominent lay Catholics was established by the bishops themselves to keep track of their efforts to rid the priesthood of sexual molesters.

Bishop Wilton Gregory, president of the US hierarchy, responded to Mr Keating's resignationwith a polite note of thanks, saying that the "intense environment" of the scandals "gives rise to strong emotions under the close observations of the media" and "there were bound to be moments of difficulty."

Mr Keating's departureputs pressure on both the bishops and the review board to maintain the lay group's image of full independence.

Board members are vowing to stay vigilant and say Mr Keating's departure won't affect any plans.

"This idea that somehow there is a backing away could not be more inaccurate," said board member Jane Chiles.

"We will be every bit as tenacious as ever, but there will be a style about it that we hope will elicit support rather than repel."

Board member Robert Bennett, a Washington lawyer, said Mr Keating's resignation is "his own decision, after consultation with the board. This is not a Cardinal Mahony move."

Conservative layman Philip Lawler runs the Catholic World News Web site. "One way or the other, the man in charge of the investigation is out and complaining he couldn't get his job done," he said.

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, long sharply critical of the bishops, said that if a lay Catholic of Mr Keating's "prominence, skills and credentials can be forced out by a few thin-skinned bishops, it's hard to be optimistic about the sincerity of church leaders."

Mr Keating's complaints followed the decision of California's bishops, not to participate in the board's statistical survey of the abuse crisis.