Retired Bishop Morneau admits to not reporting priest's sex abuse, withdraws from ministry

Shelby Le Duc
Green Bay Press-Gazette
The Most Rev. Robert F. Morneau sprinkles holy water as part of the blessing at the 2014 dedication of St. Clare Memorial Hospital in Oconto Falls

GREEN BAY - A retired bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay has withdrawn from public ministry, acknowledging his failure to report a priest's sexual abuse of a minor 40 years ago that allowed the priest to assault other youths. 

Bishop Robert Morneau asked to withdraw from public ministry in a Sept. 14 letter to the diocese. Bishop David Ricken approved that request three days later.

In the letter, Morneau admits to failing to report to the police a 1979 incident of a priest sexually abusing a child. 

"As a result, this priest was able to abuse again several years later," he wrote. 

The priest, David Boyea, pleaded guilty in 1985 to first-degree sexual assault of another child and was sentenced to 10 years in prison. He also was permanently removed from the priesthood. 

The letters were posted to the diocese's online newspaper, The Compass, on Friday.

The Green Bay Press-Gazette reported in 1986 that other charges against Boyea were dropped as a part of a plea bargain in the case. Boyea was accused of fondling about nine boys, ages 11 to 16, over a five-year period. 

The families of three of the victims in that case subsequently filed a $12 million civil lawsuit against the diocese. At the time, an attorney for the victims said the families believed diocese officials knew of Boyea's history of molestation, but failed to act. The case was untimely settled on undisclosed terms. 

Morneau wrote that in hindsight he should have handled the situation in 1979 differently. His response to the abuse included arranging an apology from Boyea, as requested by the victim's family. 

"I felt at the time I had done what was asked of me by helping the parties to reconcile," he wrote. "The measures taken were ultimately insufficient to protect others from abuse from this same priest. I very much regret and apologize for this, especially to those victimized following my mistake in this regard." 

Bishop David Ricken

Morneau also wrote his request to withdraw from the public ministry had to do with "recent public revelations of past abuse in the church and the call for more accountability on the part of bishops." 

In response,  Ricken wrote that he has respect for Morneau and his decision.

"Bishop Morneau is a good and faithful man who did what he felt was right at the time, realizing now that he could have and should have done more to protect the innocent," Ricken wrote.

In their letters, both men offered prayers for all survivors of clergy abuse.