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COPYRIGHT 2006 Fort Worth Star-Telegram
Byline: Darren Barbee
Nov. 29--These articles contain sexually explicit language that may be offensive to some readers.
FORT WORTH -- In public, Fort Worth Bishop Joseph P. Delaney and his trusted subordinates often spoke of the importance of being honest and open about allegations of sexual abuse by priests.
But the moral and spiritual leaders of the Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese buried key facts about six men accused of molesting children in their secret archive, known as the confidential files.
On Tuesday, state District Judge Len Wade released portions of the files after about a year of legal maneuvering by attorneys to keep them closed. The files, which were sealed as part of a sexual abuse lawsuit against the diocese, reveal that Delaney and other church leaders sometimes intentionally misled the public, their congregations and the priests' accusers.
In the documents, those leaders describe how they hid payments to one victim while counting the days until the civil statute of limitations had expired and how they moved accused priests to other parishes.
The secret files' notes, memorandums and e-mails detail how the fear of bad publicity often influenced diocese leaders' actions.
The files also show how Delaney, who died last year, often wrestled with the best way to handle accusations against men he trusted.
Mark Hatten, an attorney who represents the diocese, said the files are a window to a different time, before the diocese implemented strict standards for dealing with accused...
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