Courts being asked whether lists of priests accused of abuse ought to be made public

Should Southeastern Minnesota residents be allowed to see the names of alleged sex offenders among Catholic clergy serving in the Winona Diocese?  That's the issue at the heart of a lawsuit brought against the diocese, as well as similar lawsuits in five other dioceses in Minnesota.  The Minnesota Supreme Court ruled in 2012 that the church was allowed to keep the lists secret, but the issue is now back in the courts in Minnesota.

The group pushing for the disclosure of the names points to the Diocese of Dubuque, which under the terms of a lawsuit settlement announced at the end of August, agreed to pay a total of $5.2 million to a group of 26 people who claim they were abused as minors by priests in the archdiocese.  As a part of that settlement, the names of priests publicly accused of abuse are now posted on the diocese's website, http://www.arch.pvt.k12.ia.us/ProtectionofChildren/pdf/TableofAccusedPriests.pdf.

The list names Thomas Currier, who served in Ossian from 1962 to 1963; Allen Schmitt, who served in Fort Atkinson from 1997 to 2000; Maurice Tracy, who served in Cresco from 1933 to 1934; John Brickley, who served in Cresco from 1935 to 1939; William Roach, who served in Waukon from 1979 to 1984; John Schmitz, who served in Lansing from 1957 to 1958; Albert Forster, who served in Dorchester in 1932; William Goltz, who served in Dorchester from 1976 to 1977; and John Peters, who served in Harpers Ferry from 1958 to 1966.  (NOTE: The list does NOT state the abuse cases happened at these churches).

25 of 178 Catholic Dioceses have released the names on their lists—lists that were prepared in 2004 after scandals erupted in Boston.  The list prepared by the Diocese of Winona has never been released, but there are reportedly 13 names on the list.