He was a longtime priest at St. Cecilia’s Catholic Church in Oak Cliff. “This has been a dirty secret that’s been going on for decades.” 
 
 On Sunday, Dallas Bishop Edward Burns had this to say when a reporter asked specifically why it took six months for the diocese to go public with allegations of sex abuse against Paredes. Petersen said he had been abused by Richard Johnson, a priest who was suspended in 2006 when he was at St. Patrick Church in Lake Highlands. Burns said these situations have to be approached methodically. Paredes can no longer administer the sacraments or otherwise represent himself as a priest, the bishop said. Burns decided to disclose the allegations to parishioners Sunday after a meeting Thursday with the Diocesan Review Board, a group of non-clergy Catholics who counsel the diocese on matters involving the sexual abuse of minors. The information was not disclosed earlier because Burns "did not want to hinder [the police] investigation or compromise the anonymity of victims," a church spokeswoman said. But he is speaking out on behalf of other potential victims through a nationwide group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. ► Aug. 18: Some priests sent to psychiatric clinics for sex-abuse treatment 
 
 ► Aug. 17: Why the Catholic Church still struggles with sexual abuse scandals 
 
 "Why would Bishop burns suppress this crucial information?" Lisa Kendzior and Paul Petersen, local chapter leaders of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, said in a joint statement that they found it disturbing Burns didn't tell parishioners about the allegations sooner. It was the diocese that immediately reported them to police. "What about concern for the safety of children and the need to comfort any survivors?" It says Bishop Burns was “prepared to announce the allegations in March” but there was “concern for the victims” who asked that it not be made public. "Where is the transparency that the Catholic bishops promised?"
– The Catholic Church has hired two private investigators to track down a former Dallas priest who disappeared months before sexual abuse allegations against him surfaced. Pastor at St. Cecilia Catholic Church in Oak Cliff for 27 years, Rev. Edmundo Paredes stands accused of molesting three boys in their midteens between 10 and 20 years ago, though the exact period is being withheld to protect the victims’ identities, reports the Dallas Morning News. Paredes, 69, was removed from St. Cecilia in June 2017 after allegedly stealing $60,000 to $80,000 in cash. This February, church officials also learned of sexual abuse allegations, which were reported to police and found to be credible, Bishop Edward Burns told parishioners on Sunday. "I recognize this diocese cannot cover its ears, its eyes, its mouth. We need to look at this head on," Burns said. Still, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests questions the delay in releasing the information. Officials initially said the allegations weren’t disclosed earlier because of a police investigation. Late Monday, however, the Diocese of Dallas said a Pennsylvania grand jury report describing more than 1,000 victims of abuse by clergy since the 1940s had motivated the disclosure after victims objected to an announcement in March, per Fox 4. Officials suspect Paredes is in his native Philippines, which he visited annually, per WFAA. Per the Morning News, authorities there say they are unaware of his location.