Former Catholic bishop Howard Hubbard has admitted that the Archdiocese of Albany, New York, only suspended priests accused of sexual abuse, The New York Post reports
“When an allegation of unlawful sexual conduct by a priest was made in the 1970s and 1980s, the usual practice in the Diocese of Albany and elsewhere was to suspend a priest from ministry and send him to psychological counseling and treatment”, – Hubbard said.
A licensed psychologist or psychiatrist determined when a priest could return to ministry without reoffending, he said. Hubbard noted that the professional recommendations were not always flawless, but priests still returned to their activities.
According to the Times Union, some 300 lawsuits have been filed against the diocese under the Child Victims Act. Hubbard himself has been accused of molestation seven times since 2019, but the bishop strongly denies all allegations.