Catholic Church’s visiting priests come under scrutiny - GreenwichTime
Diocese officials know DeGraff, 49, performed a variety of duties at St. Mary and moved around the diocese. But that’s where officials’ knowledge of his movements ends. The diocese says it has no record of where else in the diocese the priest served.
The case of DeGraff, who now stands accused of sexual misconduct charges in Canada and was previously accused of abuse in Connecticut, has victims’ advocates calling for greater transparency from the Catholic Church with respect to alleged incidents of abuse.
Advocates are also zeroing in on visiting priests, known within the Church as extern priests, like DeGraff, whose movements in the diocese go at least somewhat unchecked.
“These are, frankly, priests we worry about a lot,” David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said of visiting priests.
Though the Diocese of Bridgeport has defended the role of extern priests, advocacy groups say the Church must be more forthcoming about the backgrounds of all priests.