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REPUTATIONS OF THE MANY GOOD PRIESTS WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH TODAY. RS WE SPOKE WITH OFF CAMERA EARLIER TODAY SAY THEY WISH THIS LIST CAME OUT SOONER...BUT THEY HOPE IT DOESNT TAINT THE REPUTATIONS OF THE MANY GOOD PRIESTS WHO ARE IN THE CHURCH TODAY. <14:32:12 IT HAS BEEN STRESSFUL, BUT FOR ME TODAY, I FEEL AN AWFUL LOT OF SUPPORT FROM CLOSE FAMILY AND FRIENDS AND CERTAINLY THE BISHOP AS WELL> BISHOP CHRISTOPHER COYNE -- STANDING BY JOHN MAHONEY'S SIDE THURSDAY MORNING -- THE DAY...THE NAME OF MAHONEY'S ABUSER, FATHER EDWARD FOSTER - - WAS MADE PUBLIC... <12:52:06 IDEALLY, THIS WOULD HAVE HAPPENED FIFTEEN YEARS AGO> FOSTER IS NAMED IN A REPORT PUBLISHED BY THE BURLINGTON DIOCESE ALONGSIDE 39 OTHER CATHOLIC PRIESTS WHO HAVE CREDIBLE ACCUSATIONS OF ABUSE. <02:40:10 THESE SHAMEFUL SINFUL, CRIMINAL ACTS HAVE BEEN OUR FAMILY SECRET FOR GENERATIONS> IN AN ATTEMPT TO RIGHT THE WRONGS OF THE COVER-UPS MADE BY THE CATHOLIC CHURCH -- COYNE -- APPOINTING A COMMITTEE OF SEVEN LAY MEN AND WOMEN TO INVESTIGATE ABUSE WITHIN CHURCH. RETIRED JOURNALIST AND COMMITTEE MEMBER MIKE DONOGHUE SAYS THE TEAM REVIEWED THOUSANDS OF PAGES OF PERSONNEL FILES OF AT LEAST 52 PRIESTS. <07:33:16 THE ONLY ONES THAT WE FOUND CREDIBLE AT THIS POINT ARE THE 40 THAT WE'VE IDENTIFIED> GOVERNOR PHIL SCOTT -- CALLING THE HISTORY OF ABUSE BY CLERGY A BLACK EYE TO THE GREEN MOUNTAIN STATE. <14:46:42:20 WE LEARNED ABOUT THIS AT LEAST A DECADE AGO. BUT TO SEE THIS PERSIST IS SOMETHING THAT'S CONCERNING> THOUGH THE MAJORITY OF THE PRIESTS NAMED IN THE REPORT HAVE DIED, COYNE SAYS THE LIST IS IN THE HANDS OF ATTORNEY GENERAL T.J. DONOVAN... NO WORD ON WHETHER NEW CHARGES COULD STEM FROM THE REPORT... BUT COYNE SAYS - - MORE NAMES COULD BE ADDED, IF MORE VICTIMS COME FORWARD. <03:44:24 AS THINGS UNFOLD I AM COMPLETELY OPEN TO MAKING THE NECESSARY CHANGES TO THIS LIST > FOR MAHONEY -- HE FEELS HE'S TAKEN A STEP IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION BY COMING FORWARD... SHARING THE CONTENTS OF AN EMAIL HE RECEIVED AFTER TELLING HIS STORY PUBLICLY FOR THE FIRST TIME THIS WEEK. <13:53:07 THE EMAIL SAID THANK YOU JOHN. AND .. SO THAT WAS IMPORTANT FOR ME TO GET THAT AFFIRMATION THAT WHAT WE'RE DOING HERE IS IMPORTANT FOR A NUMBER OF PEOPLE> HE SAYS WHAT THE DIOCESE IS DOING -- IS AN IMPORTANT STEP FOR THE CHURCH... BEING CONSISTENT IN ITS MESSAGE OF LOVE AND UNDERSTANDING.

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The Roman Catholic Dioceses of Burlington released a list Thursday of former priests accused of sexually abusing children in cases stretching back decades. The diocese posted a list of 40 names on its website dating back to 1950. Of those on the list, at least 26 are dead and another two are presumed dead. The other 12 have either left the ministry or been removed from their position. This release follows a nine-month investigation by a committee of seven independent from the diocese. Thousands of pages of personnel files and past reports to compile all 40 names. At a press conference hosted by the Burlington diocese, members with the church outlined processes for adding a former priest to the list. "If there was one substantiated and credible allegation against the priest, it was enough for his name to be placed on the list," Bishop Christopher Coyne said. Each name is accompanied by parishes where the priests served and a date of affirmed reduction to lay person by the Vatican, however the list provides no details on reported allegations or a time period for them. With more than half of the former priests listed now dead, officials with the diocese stressed the need to recognize past mistakes while also implementing proper training and outlets to hold members accountable and avoid situations of sexual abuse in the future. "We failed these children. We failed the children, the teenagers, the families," Coyne said. "I can't fix what happened, but I'll do all I can to make sure it never happens again."The names listed in the diocese's release are accompanied by a list of resources for survivors and a diocese hotline to report abuse. More than 140 Roman Catholic dioceses, among other religious orders, have released similar lists in recent years. This includes a July 31 report from the Roman Catholic Diocese of Machester outlining 73 priests accused of sexually abusing children. Tune in to NBC5 News at Five for additional coverage.