[2][3] In early 2002, Bishop John McCormack publicly announced the names of 14 priests in the diocese who had been accused of sexually abusing children.
In April of that same year, he was removed from his post as chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops' Ad Hoc Committee on Sexual Abuse.
Despite repeated calls for his resignation,[4][5][6] including from the New Hampshire Union Leader, he has refused to do so, stating, "Pope John Paul II appointed me to be your shepherd...I will remain [to] toil ceaselessly on your behalf as bishop of Manchester.
[11] Lamontagne claimed that McCormack and other prominent church members wanted a speedy settlement and, in an example of behaving "pastorally" rather than as a litigant, instructed their attorneys to take a moderate stance and eschew hardline legal tactics.
"[11] In 2005, McCormack spoke at a baccalaureate service at Trinity High School despite a student petition asking him not to attend because of his role in the sex abuse scandal.