Cocktails & Popcorn: Michigan Catholic Dioceses Served Attorney General Search Warrants - The Financials Are Coming

Just wait until we get to the financials.

Get 'em, Bill.

Smooches!

Police serve search warrants at Michigan's Catholic dioceses

And when Esau lifted up his eyes and saw the women and children, 
he said, “Who are these with you?” Jacob said, 
“The children whom God has graciously given your servant."

Law enforcement officials served search warrants at most Catholic dioceses Wednesday morning in Michigan as part of an Attorney General's Office investigation into the state's seven Catholic dioceses.

Diocesan officials in Lansing, Detroit, Grand Rapids, Kalamazoo and Gaylord confirmed the searches took place Wednesday and that the dioceses cooperated fully with authorities.

A warrant was served at around 9 a.m. to the Archdiocese of Detroit for clergy files, according to a statement from the Archdiocese. Law enforcement officials accessed clergy misconduct files at the chancery; the St. Joan of Arc Parish office of Monsignor Michael Bugarin, who is the Archbishop's Delegate for Clergy Misconduct; an Archdiocesan building at Sacred Heart Major Seminary campus in Detroit; and the Cardinal Mooney Building.

The search warrant was expected as part of the Attorney General's investigation, the archdiocese said in a statement, and officials welcome the "investigation as part of our continuing commitment to transparency and healing."

Attorney General Bill Schuette in August began an investigation into all allegations of sexual abuse and assault by Catholic diocesan and religious order priests as well as any attempts to cover up those actions dating back to the 1950s in Michigan.

Michigan's bishops have welcomed the investigation and said they will cooperate fully with authorities.

We have worked closely with authorities from all six counties within our archdiocese since 2002, when we shared past case files involving clergy misconduct and committed to turning over all new allegations regardless of when the alleged abuse occurred," read a statement from the Archdiocese of Detroit.

"We remain committed to protecting everyone — especially children and vulnerable adults — and therefore look forward to working closely with officials to determine if there is more we can do to accomplish this goal."

Michigan's investigation was launched in the wake of a grand jury investigation in Pennsylvania that revealed hundreds of abuser priests who molested more than 1,000 children since the 1940s.

Andrea Bitely, a Schuette spokeswoman, declined to comment on the search warrants Wednesday because of the ongoing investigation.

The bishops have addressed the Pennsylvania report in letters to Catholic parishioners, reiterated policies put in place after the 2002 revelations of child sex abuse cases in the Boston archdiocese and, in some cases, announced plans for an outside review of the diocese's handling of clergy misconduct. 

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