Students at two Roman Catholic seminaries in Chicago should be screened for tendencies toward child molesting, a panel appointed by Cardinal Joseph Bernardin says.
And priests who molest youngsters should never be allowed to return to their parishes, the commission said Monday."We have identified no conditions in which an exception can be made to this," said the commission, made up of a juvenile court judge, a priest and a psychologist.
Bernardin, who ordered the study in October following criticism of the church's failure to remove a priest accused of sexually mistreating youngsters in three parishes, pledged to make the report archdiocese policy by the fall.
"This report is neither a whitewash nor a witch hunt. It is a blueprint for the future," he said.
Priests and lay leaders must first review the report to ensure it conforms with church and civil law. The archdiocese has about 2.3 million members.
Seven area priests accused of sexual misconduct have been removed from duties since last July, before the commission was appointed. The archdiocese said it is removing eight more priests based on the commission's investigation.
The report suggested students in the two college-level seminaries in the Archdiocese of Chicago undergo psychological screening to determine if any have tendencies toward pedophilia. The seminaries lead directly to the priesthood.
The panel also suggested creating a review board consisting of priests, professionals and lay members, including an abuse victim or parent of a victim, to investigate allegations of sexual misconduct.