The Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese said it will expand which clergy accused of sexual abuse it lists on its website.
Up until now, the diocese published only the names of clergy it considered credibly accused when they were alive — with one exception, the late Bishop Christopher Weldon.
Early in 2021, the diocese said, the list will include clergy accused after they died.
Olan Horne from Chester, a survivor of clergy abuse, said if the diocese releases those names, it could validate the experiences of some victims. For others, it could start a conversation.
"'Johnny, you were always with Father so-and-so. I saw his name in the paper.' That conversation may happen," explained Horne. "So it's not just validation, it's truth. There's power in all of those conversations. And it may be, 'He did nothing, Mom.' So then there's safety. There's a lot that can come from that."
This change comes at the direction of the incoming bishop, William Byrne, whose official first day on the job is Monday.
"It's an absolute necessity to be able to provide people with the information that they need so that we can begin to bring healing — most importantly, to the victims," Byrne said in an interview with NEPM.
The diocese said it will contact survivors before posting the names of their abusers.
