Archbishop Blase Cupich has reinstated a Chicago priest accused of child molestation by allowing him to return to ministry work, sparking outrage among victims' advocates and Catholics alike.
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka, who was temporarily removed from his duties in August after allegations surfaced that he abused a minor in the 1990s at St. Brendan's Catholic Church, was found "not guilty" by the Archdiocese of Chicago's Independent Review Board. The board concluded there was no credible evidence to support the claim, and recommended Kondziolka's return to active ministry.
Cupich, who serves as the leader of the Archdiocese, expressed his confidence in Kondziolka's character and encouraged parishioners to do the same. "I publicly affirm that Father Kondziolka is a priest in good standing," he said in a letter to parishioners at several churches where Kondziolka worked.
Kondziolka, who has been serving the Chicago community for decades as a pastor and chaplain, was previously accused of abusing a child during his time at St. Brendan's Church from 1983 to 1986. The archdiocese received an allegation in August that Kondziolka had committed abuse against a minor.
Critics say Cupich's decision is a betrayal of victims' trust and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Archdiocese's child protection policies. "It sends a chilling message that abuse allegations are not taken seriously," said a local advocacy group.
Kondziolka has declined to comment on the matter, while his lawyers have maintained his innocence. The priest's reinstatement has sparked controversy among Catholics and community leaders, who say the Archdiocese should be held accountable for its handling of child protection issues.
The Rev. Ronald Kondziolka, who was temporarily removed from his duties in August after allegations surfaced that he abused a minor in the 1990s at St. Brendan's Catholic Church, was found "not guilty" by the Archdiocese of Chicago's Independent Review Board. The board concluded there was no credible evidence to support the claim, and recommended Kondziolka's return to active ministry.
Cupich, who serves as the leader of the Archdiocese, expressed his confidence in Kondziolka's character and encouraged parishioners to do the same. "I publicly affirm that Father Kondziolka is a priest in good standing," he said in a letter to parishioners at several churches where Kondziolka worked.
Kondziolka, who has been serving the Chicago community for decades as a pastor and chaplain, was previously accused of abusing a child during his time at St. Brendan's Church from 1983 to 1986. The archdiocese received an allegation in August that Kondziolka had committed abuse against a minor.
Critics say Cupich's decision is a betrayal of victims' trust and raises questions about the effectiveness of the Archdiocese's child protection policies. "It sends a chilling message that abuse allegations are not taken seriously," said a local advocacy group.
Kondziolka has declined to comment on the matter, while his lawyers have maintained his innocence. The priest's reinstatement has sparked controversy among Catholics and community leaders, who say the Archdiocese should be held accountable for its handling of child protection issues.
it's like, how can someone get away with doing something that hurts innocent kids? I get that everyone deserves a second chance but not in cases like this where people are hurt and trust is broken 
. I don't think the archbishop was in the right to just assume Father Kondziolka is "good standing" without really looking into it more thoroughly. The victims' advocacy group has a point, it's like, shouldn't we be working together to keep kids safe? 
having said that, i do think that reinstatement without any further investigation is a bit extreme. what if there was new evidence after he went back to work? 
and yeah, i agree with critics that it does send a bad message. i mean, victims' trust is already broken when allegations are made, so this doesn't exactly help repair that...
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And the archbishop's statement just seems really out of touch... like, how can you be so confident in someone who has been accused of doing something so horrific? 
The victims' advocates are right to speak out, it's clear that this decision is a betrayal of their trust. It's also got me wondering about the effectiveness of the Archdiocese's policies, maybe they need to take a closer look at how they handle these kinds of situations... 
. I mean, he's been cleared by the Archdiocese's own review board, so what's the harm in giving him a second chance? It's not like he's been convicted of anything... yet 
. And let's be real, if everyone who'd been accused of something got their careers ruined, we'd all be living in a total dystopia 
.