• Amended suit filed against church leaders [? 2000s Fenwick, Gore, Joiner -NEW*] - Pentecostal Church of God. Girl.
The Register-Guard,
www.registerguard. com/news/2005/04/ 01/c1.cr.amendsuit. 0401.html ,
By Jeff Wright, April 01, 2005
OREGON, United States of America - An amended lawsuit filed Thursday accuses two top Pentecostal Church of God officials of counseling a young rape victim against going to police, instead urging her to travel out of state to face her perpetrator and other church officials in a "church-conducted tribunal."
The two accused church leaders - Harold Gore of Drain and Jamie Joiner of Kennewick, Wash. - said the charges are inaccurate and that the revised lawsuit is an attempt to win a larger settlement. The out-of-state meeting never happened because the victim backed out at the last minute.
Gore is bishop of the denomination's Oregon-Southern Idaho district. Joiner is bishop of the denomination's adjoining Pacific Northwest district and an assistant general superintendent on the church's 12-member national executive board based in Joplin, Mo.
The revised suit, filed in Lane County Circuit Court, is the latest wrinkle involving Charles Fenwick Jr., who was sentenced last August to five years in prison, the maximum term, for sexually abusing the female parishioner, beginning when she was 14.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 06:38 PM]
(This is the first of the Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
for Fri, April 01, 2005.)
• Archdiocese faces 10th abuse suit
[1954 Carman -NEW*] - Roman Catholic Church (RCC). Boy.
Courier,
By PAT KINNEY, Assistant City Editor, April 01, 2005
WATERLOO (IA) - The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Dubuque now faces its 10th outstanding clergy sex abuse lawsuit.
Attorneys for a Waterloo law firm filed the suit in Dubuque County District Court on behalf of an anonymous male plaintiff, "John Doe II," alleging he was abused by a now-deceased priest, the Rev. Albert Carman, in 1954.
Carman's last parish assignment was at Immaculate Conception Church in Clutier. He was a longtime faculty member at Loras College in Dubuque. At the time of the abuse, he was on staff at Loras Academy, a boys boarding school later merged with all-girls Clarke Academy to form Wahlert High School. He died in 1980.
Carman was chaplain for the boys who boarded at Loras Academy at the time of the alleged abuse according to the suit, filed by Waterloo attorneys Chad Swanson and Tom Staack.
The suit says Carman summoned the alleged victim/plaintiff to his residence and "sexually abused plaintiff by causing his pants to be taken down and by touching and blessing plaintiffs genitals with a crucifix."
• Jury may hear of priest's alleged tie to Hudson killings [2002 Erickson] - RCC. 2 killed.
Pioneer Press,
By Randy Furst, Star Tribune, April 01, 2005
WISCONSIN - The alleged involvement of a Catholic priest in the 2002 slayings of two funeral home workers in Hudson, Wis., soon may be headed to Wisconsin's version of a grand jury.
The St. Croix County district attorney is likely to review evidence concerning the deaths in the next few weeks and will have various options, including convening a hearing on the case, according to a source familiar with it.
The Rev. Ryan Erickson, 31, who committed suicide in December, is believed to be the chief suspect in the Feb. 5, 2002, slayings.
He denied any ties to the deaths of Dan O'Connell and James Ellison, according to police and other people who spoke with him.
Hudson police have previously indicated that they also were investigating Erickson about possible criminal involvement with minors.
• Deal of the Century [1970s-1990s Llanos, Ramos] - RCC. 21 + 25 boys.
CALIFORNIA -
Orange County Weekly,
by GUSTAVO ARELLANO, ~ April 1, 2005
The Los Angeles Dodgers and Anaheim Angels have traded with each other only once: in 1972, when the Halos shipped Andy Messersmith and Ken McMullen up Interstate 5 for Frank Robinson, Bill Singer, Mike Strahler, Billy Grabarkewitz and Bobby Valentine. The trade did little to improve each team: the Angels finished 1973 with a 79-83 record, while the Boys in Blue placed second behind the Cincinnati Reds in the National League West Division.
But in 1973, a deacon at St. Barbara's in Santa Ana tongued a boy, setting into motion one of the best swaps in trading history. The following year, officials with the Los Angeles Archdiocese elevated the deacon, Theodore Llanos, into the priesthood and placed him in an LA parish. Llanos went on to become the most notorious pedo-priest in Los Angeles County history, violating at least 21 children in various county parishes until he was placed on the disabled list (a.k.a. put on inactive leave) while at St. Lucy's in Long Beach in 1991.
But LA archdiocesan officials returned the favor to OC parishioners. Shortly after Llanos left Santa Ana in 1974, then-LA Cardinal Timothy Manning moved Eleuterio Ramos from Resurrection Church in Los Angeles to St. Joseph's in Placentia. In a 16-year career that ended in the Mexican Winter League (a.k.a. Tijuana) in 1994, Ramos became king of Orange County pedophiles, admitting to more than 25 victims.
The Llanos-Ramos transaction is reminiscent of the 1999 Marshall Faulk-Edgerrin James deal between the St. Louis Rams and Indianapolis Colts, in which both teams exchanged young stars and saw each prosper - if by "prosper," you mean chewing up a lot of yardage as NFL running backs for Faulk and James and chewing up a lot of kiddie trousers as Roman Catholic priests for Llanos and Ramos.
[a.k.a. = also known as]
• Two more file claims against Jesuit priest [1968-72 & 1972-77 Nawn (Jesuit), Convert, Pool , Llorente, Lundowski] - RCC. Boys.
Fairbanks News-Miner,
By MARY BETH SMETZER, ~ April 1, 2005
ALASKA - Two more men, identified as Jack Doe 5 and Jack Doe 6, have filed claims against Jesuit priest Francis Nawn, saying they were sexually abused by Nawn when he was ministering at St. Peter's Church in Sheldon Point.
The two men join four other plaintiffs who have accused Nawn of molesting them as children at Sheldon Point, a small southwestern Alaska community located on the Black River in the Yukon River Delta. Nawn is now deceased.
The defendants named in the lawsuit filed in Bethel Superior Court are the Catholic Diocese of Fairbanks, the Society of Jesus Oregon Province and the Alaska Jesuits.
Jack Doe 5 came forward to say the sexual abuse by Nawn started in 1968, when he was 9 and continued until he was 13.
Jack Doe 6, an altar boy, alleges similar abuse by Nawn beginning when he was 7 and continuing until he was 12, from 1972-77.
Two date, more than five dozen complaints alleging sexual abuse in the Fairbanks Diocese have been lodged.
In addition to Nawn, three other priests, the Revs. Jules Convert, James Poole and Segundo Llorente and Catholic volunteer Joseph Lundowski have been accused of sexual abuse. Only Poole, in his early 80s, is alive.
• Another hurdle for those seeking justice - RCC.
Baltimore Sun,
by Dan Rodricks, ~ April 1, 2005
MARYLAND - JOSEPH F. Vallario Jr. did not return my phone calls, so the only explanation I have is the one that Annapolis lobbyist Mike Gisriel says Vallario gave him - he doesn't like people going after dead priests.
Even if the priests molested children, Vallario doesn't think their victims should have the right to sue the priests' dioceses for damages long after the crimes occurred.
This, Gisriel says, is why the 68-year-old chairman of the House Judiciary Committee is deep-sixing a bill that would extend the time for victims to claim damages.
Gisriel, hired to represent victims of childhood sexual abuse, doesn't think Vallario will let the committee vote on the matter.
A ridiculous amount of power for one old-school pol, but that's our system.
At present, Maryland law allows such civil suits only before victims reach their 25th birthday.
Victims' advocates say that's not enough time; victims of such horrific crimes are too burdened with guilt, shame and fear to come forward until they are deep into adulthood, and many of the Catholic victims have waited until their parents died before going public.
• Disgraced bishop to stand trial [? 2000s Panteleimon] - Greek Orthodox. Embezzlement €300,000. Holds €3m.
Kathimerini,
http://ekathimerini. com/4dcgi/_w_articles _politics_100022 _01/04/2005 _54690 , April 1, 2005
GREECE - The suspended bishop of Attica, Panteleimon, was indicted yesterday to stand trial on criminal embezzlement charges, in yet another twist of the corruption and sex scandals bedeviling the Church of Greece.
The Council of Appeals Court Judges ruled that Panteleimon should be tried for allegedly siphoning off funds in excess of 100 million drachmas (300,000 euros) from the collection boxes of the convent of Ossios Ephraim in Nea Makri, eastern Attica, in 1996 and 1997.
The charges - which include embezzling state funds, as the money was subject to taxation - followed a formal complaint by the convent's nuns. An inspection of the bishop's finances has revealed that he holds over 3 million euros in bank accounts.
The Church suspended Panteleimon on February 4 pending an investigation into claims he was involved in a trial-fixing ring consisting of judges, lawyers and churchmen, owned shares in offshore companies and had made lewd suggestions to a young man over the phone - after tapes of the conversation were made public.
The bishop, who denies the charges, resisted intense pressure from the Church's ruling body, the Holy Synod, to resign.
• Fury over vaccine abuse 'inaction'
[1950s-60s] - RCC and other institutions.
Irish Independent,
www.unison.ie/ irish_independent/ stories.php3 ?ca=9&si=1367256 &issue _id=12267 , ~ April 1, 2005
IRELAND - INSTITUTIONAL detainees subjected to vaccine trials in the 1950s and 60s have been ignored by the Government's compensation commission and now a lobby group has threatened to take the issue to the European Court of Human Rights.
Last night, the Irish Survivors of Institutional Abuse International (ISIAI) confirmed that they've been informed the Ryan Commission - which continued the work of the Laffoy Commission - is unlikely to be able to process complaints from institutional detainees who were subjected to vaccine trials without permission.
The commission - which is already struggling to cope with the volume of claims to be processed - believes that it does not have the technical or research facilities to properly examine the vaccine issue.
However, the ISIAI argued that the vaccine trials for pharmaceutical companies were amongst the most upsetting and exploitative of the abuses suffered by those in state and Church institutions.
• Archbishop admits Church cannot afford compensation bill - RCC.
One in Four,
By John Downing, Political Correspondent - The Star, ~ April 1, 2005
IRELAND -
Archbishop Diarmuid Martin admits he does not have money to deal with clerical child abuse claims.
He is frank about the problem he inherited in the Dublin Archdiocese when he took over one year ago from Cardinal Desmond Connell. "I walked into an explosive situation. We are continuing to try to deal with it" he said simply.
"Aside from personal hurt and blighted lives, the bill is considerable. I am talking to the priests about how we face up to the issue". "It will mean finding new money, I don't have it," he told The Star.
Latest Dublin figures show EUR3.7 million has been paid in settlements, with EUR1.3m in legal costs to date. An extra EUR1 million was spent on archdiocesan child protection fund. But all the signs are that the problem is continuing to grow, with claims dating back to before 1996 still expected. The archdiocese has so far paid EUR2.5 to a "Stewardship Fund" set up to in 1996 to deal with the problem.
• Zanesville Pastor Released After Posting Bond [2005 Phillips] - North Terrace Church. Internet "girl".
WHIO,
www.whiotv.com/ news/4335434/ detail.html , March 31, 2005
FAIRBORN, Ohio -- A Zanesville church pastor posted bond in Fairborn and is now out of jail. However, he cannot go back to work because church administrators suspended him.
Graham Phillips, 25, was arrested in Fairborn earlier this week after investigators said he used a church computer to chat online with whom he thought was a teenage girl. They said he drove to Fairborn to meet the girl for sex.
Authorities said the teenager Phillips had been chatting with online was actually an undercover detective. ...
Previous Story: * March 30, 2005: Fairborn Police Arrest Zanesville Pastor#
• Priest to stand trial for abuse [1970s Klep (Salesian)] - RCC. 8 boys.
The Age,
www.theage.com. au/news/National/ Priest-to-stand -trial-for-abuse/ 2005/04/01/1112 302213363.html ;
By Jamie Berry, April 1, 2005
MELBOURNE (Vic) AUSTRALIA -
A Catholic priest will stand trial later this year on 29 charges of child sex abuse.
Frank Gerard Klep, 61, pleaded not guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and one of b*ggery.
The charges relate to alleged assaults against eight teenage boys at Sunbury's Rupertswood College in the 1970s, where Klep was principal for some time, Melbourne Magistrates Court was told.
[Emphasis added]
• Catholic priest on sex charges [1970s Klep (Salesian)] - RCC. 8 boys.
Herald Sun,
April 1, 2005
AUSTRALIA - A CATHOLIC priest facing 29 child sex charges dating back to the 1970s has been committed to stand trial in the Victorian County Court later this year.
Frank Gerard Klep, 61, pleaded not guilty to 28 counts of indecent assault and one of b*ggery.
Magistrate Rowan McIndoe today committed Father Klep to stand trial in the County Court on October 24.
The offences involve eight boys and were allegedly committed at Sunbury, 45km north-west of Melbourne between 1973 and 1979.
Father Klep, a member of the Salesian Order, was a teacher and later principal at the order's Rupertswood College in Sunbury, at the time of the alleged offences.
He left Melbourne in April 1998 to become the senior financial officer at a Salesian theological college in Samoa.
[Bolding added]
• Sex probe started, RC bishop insists [? 2000s] - RCC. Sexual harassment.
London Free Press (Canada),
By JOE BELANGER, April 1, 2005
CANADA - Roman Catholic Bishop Ronald Peter Fabbro denies he ignored a Brazilian couple's complaint of alleged sexual improprieties by a London priest that sparked a $3.1-million lawsuit.
A statement released yesterday by the diocese of London says Fabbro launched an investigation immediately after meeting the couple in November.
"Whenever these kinds of allegations are made, deep pain is felt by all parties," the diocese's statement said.
"The Church is about healing those who are wounded, and we seek to bring resolution."
The diocese said Fabbro "contacted the sexual harassment officer (of the diocese) and asked her to investigate these allegations by meeting with (Jose and Isabel) Do Prado.
• Rivera could be papal successor. - RCC.
The Herald Mexico,
www.eluniversal. com.mx/pls/impreso/ noticia.html?id _nota=9994 &tabla=miami ,
BY NICK WILSON, April 01, 2005
MEXICO - With Thursday's giving of last rites to Pope John Paul II the world's eyes turned to Rome; and Mexico home of Cardinal Norberto Rivera, a papacy frontrunner.
Many Mexicans have a special affection for the Pope, who canonized Mexico's Saint Juan Diego, the first Indian saint in the Americas, and to whom the Virgin of Guadalupe appeared according to the Church. The Pope visited the country five times - it was the first foreign trip of his papacy - as part of the special attention he paid to the second largest Catholic population after Brazil.
John Paul II's papacy coincided with a radical shift in relations between the Vatican and the Mexican government, which for decades had some of the world's strictest anti-religion laws, designed to rein in a Church that for centuries ruled as part of the colonial power structure.
Today, the Church enjoys a warm relationship with President Vicente Fox, who was criticized by some for kissing John Paul II's ring and attending the canonization, the first time a Mexican president attended a papal Mass. It recently granted him an annulment to his first marriage, giving official Church approval to his second marriage to conservative Catholic First Lady Marta Sahagún.
Things have changed so much in recent years that the Senate held a minute's silence, Thursday, when they mistakenly thought the Pope had died.
With Fox's pro-church, rightwing National Action Party (PAN) in power; increasing pressure to elect a pope from a thirdworld country and a college of conservative cardinals picked by John Paul II, things are looking up for Rivera.
At 62, Vatican watchers consider him to be the right age to succeed his benefactor.
Like the ailing Pope, Rivera is outspoken and traditionalist.
When sex abuse scandals rocked the church he talked of a "media campaign of persecution" against the Catholic Church in the United States, and said there was no "documented denunciation" alleging priestly sexual abuse of minors in Mexico.
The cardinal said that as a Latin American he feels a special obligation to defend the U.S. Church when it is attacked, and that he is a "great friend" of Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston.
Law resigned amid sustained media pressure and accusations that he covered up pedophilia by priests in his diocese. John Paul II had previously refused his first offer to quit.
Rivera said of the alleged media plot: "Not only in the United States but also in other parts of the world, one can see underway an orchestrated plan for striking at the prestige of the Church."
He also defended Honduran Cardinal Óscar Rodríguez Maradiaga, who is widely considered to be Latin America's other frontrunner for the papacy, and one of 10 cardinals on whom Vatican experts are placing bets for the top job.
Rodríguez compared the U.S. media's coverage of the sex scandals to persecutions under Roman emperors Nero and Diocletian, and 20th century dictators Hitler and Stalin.
[Emphasis added.]
[COMMENT: We persecute the children with sex abuse, society fights back -- and society's news media is Nero, Diocletian, Hitler and Stalin !!!
And, it's all a media plot! He's a friend of Cardinal Law! Scary to think that both these humbugs will be voting for the next Bishop of Rome at the conclave in April 2005, isn't it?
And some apologists rail against people leaving religion!
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Former priest in court on sex charges [1991-92] - Anglican. Child.
Ninemsn.com ;
http://news. ninemsn.com.au/ article.aspx ?id=19393 ,
10:27 AEDT, Fri Apr 1 2005
AUSTRALIA - A former Anglican priest charged with child sex abuse would have to surrender a substantial amount of his savings if he were to be released on bail, a court said.
The 50-year-old former priest made his first appearance in the Adelaide Magistrates Court on Thursday, charged with five counts of indecent assault, one charge of unlawful sexual intercourse and two counts of procuring the commission of an act of gross indecency.
The offences allegedly occurred between October 27, 1991 and May 31, 1992 when the man was employed as a school chaplain.
The man denied the charges and said he had a network of friends that were prepared to provide $20,000 bail surety and had considerable savings of his own that could be lodged with the court.
• Priest Sued For Sexual Abuse [1954-55 Carmen] - RCC. Teenager.
KWWL,
www.kwwl.com/ Global/story. asp?S=3151384 ,
~ April 1, 2005
DUBUQUE (IA) - Another Dubuque priest is being sued for sexual abuse. This one is at Loras Academy.
The lawsuit alleges that Father Albert L. Carmen abused a young teen at Loras Academy during the 1954-1955 school year.
Records show that Carman continued assignments with Loras Academy and Loras College, as well as other assignments including ones in Dubuque, Manly and Clutier.
• Shadows of 'Doubt' will hang over audience for a long time - RCC. Stage play.
USA Today,
By Elysa Gardner, March 31, 2005
NEW YORK - When Brian F. O'Byrne last appeared on a Broadway stage, it was in the guise of a sexual tormentor and serial killer of underage girls. In John Patrick Shanley's Doubt (* * * ½ out of four), which opened Thursday at the Walter Kerr Theatre, the actor plays someone accused of less extreme (if similarly disturbing) crimes - but his performance is even more unsettling.
That's because Father Flynn, the character O'Byrne introduced when Doubt opened off-Broadway last fall, is a priest, and an articulate, charismatic one at that. "There's nothing wrong with love," he tells Sister James, a naive young nun teaching at the parochial school in the Bronx where the play is set, in 1964. "It's an old tactic of cruel people to kill kindness in the name of virtue."
The "cruel" person he has in mind is the school's principal and Doubt's stringently unsentimental heroine, Sister Aloysius. Dedicating his work "to the many orders of Catholic nuns who devoted their lives to serving others in hospitals, schools and retirement homes," Shanley traces, with shattering acuity, Aloysius' one-woman struggle against a patriarchal church structure that protects and even promotes men who abuse authority - and love - in unspeakable ways.
[COMMENT: The playright Shanley must not be confused with the notorious paedophile Paul Shanley, convicted on February 7, 2005.
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Former Mason City man settles suit against Sioux City Diocese [1960s McFadden] - RCC. 26 lawsuits originally, 6 left. Children.
The Globe Gazette,
By NICK HYTREK, April 1, 2005
MASON CITY (IA) - A former Mason City man who alleged that a Sioux City priest sexually abused him in the 1960s has reached a settlement with the Roman Catholic Diocese of Sioux City.
Dirk Jablonski, 54, has agreed to a monetary settlement. No amount was disclosed.
The diocese originally faced 26 lawsuits. The total number of cases settled this month is 16, and four lawsuits were settled last year. The diocese now faces six lawsuits.
The suits allege that the Rev. George McFadden committed the abuse when Jablonski and others attended school in St. Francis of Assisi parish, which has since closed.
Jablonski is a former Mason City public works director and now works in a similar position in Rapid City, S.D. He declined to comment on the case, which was a condition of the settlement.
• Millville man files suit, claims abuse by priests [1986-92 Ryan, Kelly, Pisik] - RCC. Boys.
Courier Post,
www.courierpost online.com/news/ southjersey/ m040105q.htm ,
By RENEE WINKLER, Friday, April 1, 2005
CAMDEN (NJ) - The Diocese of Camden ignored priests who sexually abused young boys, a Millville man claims in a lawsuit.
Darren K. Leibow, 28, alleges he was sexually assaulted between 1986 and 1992, when he was an altar boy at Our Lady of the Lakes mission church in Collings Lake. He says he repressed the memories because of threats by one of the former priests, James R. Ryan, who is now dead.
The lawsuit, filed this week in Superior Court in Camden, lists as defendants the diocese, present and former bishops, one former priest and the estates of two others. In addition to Ryan, individual clergy named in the lawsuit are John P. Kelly, also deceased, and Timothy E. Pisik, who served a state prison term for sexual assault.
Leibow is represented by Edward J. Ross, whose law firm handled the 1994 civil cases against the diocese.
The earlier lawsuits, filed by men who claimed they were sexually assaulted by 15 Camden area priests, were dismissed because they were filed too late. However, the diocese paid $880,000 to those individual plaintiffs.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:17 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Fri, April 01, 2005
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont111.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed. #### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Sat, April 02, 2005 edition follows:- • Seattle's Catholic leaders remember pope - RCC.
KING 5,
www.king5.com/localnews/stories/NeW_040205WABpopereaxEL.19caa15df.html?hp ,
From KING 5 Staff and Associated Press, ~ April 2, 2005
SEATTLE (WA) USA -- At St. James Cathedral in Seattle, a bell began tolling at 1 p.m. as parishioners, some with tear-stained faces, quietly filed inside.
Services were held at St. James Cathedral in Seattle Friday.
"I'm happy for John Paul, he's with God. I have no doubt of that. He ran his course magnificantly," said the Rev. Michael G. Ryan, pastor at St. James. "I have to think he's having a great homecoming," he added.
Referring to John Paul's appeal to non-Catholics, Ryan said, "He connected with people's hearts." Many feel the pope's appeal lay in his ability to command respect from those who challenged his views. ...
The crisis of clerical sexual abuse emerged during his long tenure, and some Catholics blame him for driving parishioners out of pews and priests from the seminaries.
"He didn't put into office men who have an abiding pastoral care for priests. A great deal of this hideous crime of pedophilia has to be attributed to the fact that priests have no pastors. Their bishops don't take care of them," said the Rev. Matthew Naumes, a retired priest in Tacoma.
He said he hopes the new pontiff "will love the priesthood and remember he is a priest." "If we don't have a pope like that, soon the Catholic world will be a great deal smaller than we have right now," Naumes said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 05:47 PM]
• Pope John Paul II's legacy of paradox - RCC.
Financial Times,
By Robert Graham and Tony Barber, April 2 2005
VATICAN -
Pope John Paul II, who died at the age of 84, will be remembered above all else for his efforts to reinvigorate the Catholic Church and for his role in the fall of the Soviet empire - an achievement that ushered in a new era of religious and political freedom. Yet the exceptionally long pontificate of this, the first Polish pope, will also go down in history as a period of paradox.
It began with the Vatican's contribution to the demise of the totalitarian regimes of Communist Europe but it ended with division in the Church as a revered but authoritarian pope refused to tackle what critics saw as crucial issues of reform. The deep conservatism of the man who had fought so hard for glasnost - openness - in the Soviet Union meant he was having none of it in his own Church.
Perhaps his triumphs and failings showed different aspects of one of John Paul's strongest characteristics: his courage. It was this physical and moral courage, which was never in doubt, that gave him such stature on the international stage. ...
Tensions over sexual morality were made worse in 2002, when more than 60 Catholic priests in the US became the subject of child sex abuse investigations. The US Church paid millions of dollars in damages to victims, and Cardinal Bernard Law, the archbishop of Boston, resigned in disgrace over the subsequent handling of the scandal - though he was later appointed to head a basilica in Rome.
John Paul II condemned the molesting of children as an "appalling sin in the eyes of God". He stated that there was no place in the Church for those who would harm children. Yet there were many who felt his words needed to be backed by tougher action.
[Emphasis added]
• John Paul II, Spiritual and Political Force, Dies - RCC.
Bloomberg,
April 2, 2005
VATICAN (Bloomberg) -- Pope John Paul II, who traveled the globe for more than two decades spreading his message of peace, tolerance and reconciliation while stamping his conservative views on the hierarchy of the Roman Catholic Church, died at the Vatican. He was 84.
The spiritual leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics, who was in the 26th year of his papacy, died at 9:37 p.m. Rome time, the Vatican said. News of his death was announced from the steps of St. Peter's Basilica by Argentine Archbishop Leonardo Sandri to the 70,000 who had gathered in the church's square.
Polish-born Karol Jozef Wojtyla was the first non-Italian pope since Adrian VI more than 450 years ago and the third- longest-serving pope, surpassed only by Pius IX in the 19th century and St. Peter. ...
His efforts to unify Catholics and promote an image of Christian benevolence were tainted by cases of sexual abuse of children by U.S. priests and charges of a cover-up by senior church officials. Leadership Style
Sexual assault by priests is a crime and "an appalling sin" that has caused the Roman Catholic Church to be "viewed with distrust," he told a group of leading U.S. cardinals whom he summoned to Rome in April 2002. The pope called for a policy of "zero tolerance" and supported the cardinals' decision to expel any priest found guilty of serial sexual abuse.
[Emphasis added]
• Diocese settles sex abuse lawsuit [Teczar] - RCC. $US1.4m going.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By Darren Barbee, ~ April 2, 2005
FORT WORTH (TX) - The Fort Worth Roman Catholic Diocese has agreed to a $1.4 million out-of-court settlement with a Texas man who sued the diocese, alleging that a priest molested him when he was a minor.
The lawsuit, filed against the dioceses of Fort Worth and Worcester, Mass., contends that Fort Worth Bishop Joseph P. Delaney knew that the Rev. Thomas Teczar posed a threat to children because of a "sexual interest" in adolescents, according to court documents.
Before moving to the Fort Worth area, Teczar had worked as a priest in the Worcester Diocese, where he was forced out after being accused of inappropriate behavior with a teen-age boy.
Delaney could not be reached for comment Friday. Diocese spokesman Jeff Hensley declined to comment and said Delaney could not speak because he is ill.
As part of the lawsuit, Delaney gave a deposition that states that he was aware of the allegations against Teczar before bringing him to Fort Worth and that Teczar had admitted to Delaney his sexual feelings for adolescent boys.
Teczar worked at parishes in Fort Worth, Bedford and Ranger from the late 1980s until 1993, court documents state. A man who answered the phone at Teczar's home in Dudley, Mass., declined to comment. Teczar is no longer practicing as a priest.
Daniel J. Shea of Houston, an attorney representing the man who says Teczar molested him, said the size of the settlement is commensurate with the damage done to his client. His client, who lives in Texas, is identified by the name John Doe in court filings.
• Pastor accused of affair with 12-year-old [2005 Castle] - Faith Tabernacle Church. Girl.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
www.dfw.com/ mld/startelegram/ news/state/ 11289612.htm ,
By Susan Schrock, ~ April 2, 2005
GRAND PRAIRIE (TX) - A Grand Prairie pastor faces seven counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child after a 12-year-old Arlington girl told her mother that she had been involved with the man, police said.
Jerry N. Castle Jr., 25, was Dallas County Jail with bail set at $350,000. He is pastor of Faith Tabernacle Church on Aggie Drive in Grand Prairie.
On Sunday, police investigating a suspicious vehicle call found Castle kissing a 12-year-old girl in the 2000 block of Hunter Place Court in north Arlington. Castle was arrested on traffic warrants and the girl was released to her mother, said Detective John Brimmer, a Grand Prairie police spokesman.
Castle was arrested Thursday night on suspicion of sexual assault after the girl told her mother they had been having sex at his Grand Prairie home during spring break.
• Suspicious-vehicle call led to pastor's arrest in sex assault
[2005 Castle] - Faith Tabernacle Church. Girl.
The Dallas Morning News,
By JASON TRAHAN, April 2, 2005
GRAND PRAIRIE (TX) - An alert Arlington police officer checking out a suspicious vehicle led to the arrest four days later of a Grand Prairie pastor accused of having sex with a 12-year-old girl.
Police have accused Jerry Newton Castle Jr., 25, pastor of Faith Tabernacle Church, of having sex with the girl - a member of his congregation - at his house during a two-week period late last month while his wife was either asleep in another room or at work.
A member of Mr. Castle's family declined to talk about the allegations. His wife did not return a phone message.
Elizabeth Marquez, whose 6-year-old son used to play with Mr. Castle's kindergarten-age boy, said her neighbors kept to themselves. She also said the family's home was frequently attacked by pranksters wielding eggs and toilet paper.
Mr. Castle was being held Friday at Lew Sterrett Justice Center on seven counts of felony aggravated sexual assault of a child. His bail is set at $350,000. Court documents state that he admitted to the assaults when questioned by Grand Prairie detectives.
• Pastor jailed for sex assault. [2003 Cheung] - Lutheran. Retarded woman.
- News 24,
www.news24.com/ News24/World/ News/0,,2-10- 1462_1684329,00.html ,
09:11, Apr/02/2005
HONG KONG (SA) - A Hong Kong pastor has been jailed for beating and sexually assaulting a mentally retarded 23-year-old woman, a news report said on Saturday.
Lutheran Church pastor Cheung Wai-chung, 41, ordered the woman to go buy condoms so they could have sex in a church dormitory, then attacked her when she failed to do so, a court heard.
He sexually assaulted the woman and beat her with a leather belt in the attack in 2003 which led to him being stripped of his position as pastor, the South China Morning Post reported.
At a hearing on Friday, Cheung admitted charges of sexual assault and battery and was jailed for 21 months after magistrate Anthony Kwok said his actions had "destroyed the credibility of pastors".
• Former Catholic teacher charged with sex assault [? 1990s Murphy] - RCC. 2 boys.
MySA.com ;
www.mysanantonio. com/news/metro/ stories/MYSA0402 05.3B.teacher _charged.1980 ca31e.html ,
Associated Press, ~ April 2, 2005
HOUSTON (TX) - A former Catholic school teacher has been charged with sexual assaulting two boys over six years, authorities said Friday.
Stuart Alan Murphy, 57, was arrested after confessing to authorities he molested the boys, who were between 10 and 13 when the abuse began, said Lt. Ruben Diaz with the Harris County Sheriff's Department. One of the boys is still a minor, while the other is now an adult.
Murphy worked as a teacher at a Catholic school in Houston and volunteered as a choir director at Annunciation Catholic Church. Authorities did not release the name of the school.
Diaz said he did not know if Murphy had contact with the two boys through the school or the church.
Authorities were alerted to Murphy after a couple told police in the Houston suburb of Katy that it had found child pornography on their computer after he had stayed at their home.
• Bishop holds anniversary Mass [1970s Dupre; Lavigne] - RCC. Boys.
The Republican,
By BEA O'QUINN DEWBERRY
bdewberry@repub.com, Saturday, April 02, 2005
SPRINGFIELD (MA) - - A year after he pledged to bring healing to the local Catholic diocese, Bishop Timothy A. McDonnell, 67, said yesterday that mission would continue in earnest.
McDonnell, who was installed as the eighth bishop of the Springfield Roman Catholic Diocese on April 1, 2004, marked his first anniversary with a noon Mass at St. Michael's Cathedral.
He succeeded Bishop Thomas L. Dupre, who stepped down in February 2004, a day after The Republican confronted him with allegations that he molested two boys when he was a parish priest in the 1970s.
At his installation last year, McDonnell said healing the pain and damage caused by clergy abuse would be a top priority. He repeated those words yesterday after Mass.
"My prayer every day is that those who are hurt will know some relief from that hurt. It's only been a year, and healing can take a year, five years or can be a lifelong process," McDonnell said.
In this past year, McDonnell has had to address clergy sexual abuse lawsuits, a financial shortfall that has closed some schools and is expected to cause the closing and merging of many parishes, and the task of revitalizing the morale of many disheartened parishioners.
Many Catholics have praised McDonnell's decisions in tackling clergy abuse issues. Last May, he ended a $1,030 monthly stipend and benefits package for defrocked priest Richard R. Lavigne and has moved quickly to remove those facing abuse claims substantiated by a diocesan review board.
• Teacher confesses in child abuse case [< 10yrs 1990s-? 2000s Murphy] - RCC. Admitted. 2 boys.
Houston Chronicle,
By ZEKE MINAYA, ~ April 2, 2005
HOUSTON (TX) - A Catholic summer school teacher and volunteer church choir director has confessed to sexually abusing two brothers - including at least one incident in a classroom - over a period of nearly 10 years, Harris County Sheriff's officials said Friday.
Stuart Alan Murphy, 57, who volunteered as a choir director for Annunciation Catholic Church in downtown Houston and taught summer school at the Cardinal Newman School, faces two counts of aggravated sexual assault of a child and four counts of indecency with a child, according to court records.
He was arrested Wednesday and remains in the Harris County Jail in lieu of $600,000 bail.
According to probable cause affidavits, the brothers were 6 and 12 when the alleged abuse began. The two are now 14 and 22. Both have given statements to investigators implicating Murphy, who was characterized in the affidavits as a "family friend."
"We are unaware and have not been informed of any incident of sexual abuse of a minor by this individual at any of our church properties," said Annette Gonzales Taylor, a spokeswoman for the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston. "We have been and continue to cooperate with law enforcement."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 04:28 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Sat, April 2, 2005
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont111.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed. #### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Sun, April 03, 2005 edition follows:- • United by their need to heal - Relgion not specified. SNAP. Latino clergy abuse victims meet.
NorthJersey.com ;
www.bergen.com/ page.php?qstr=eXJ pcnk3ZjczN2Y3dn FlZUVFeXk2MTAmZmdiZ Ww3Zjd2cWVlRUV5e TY2NzQ4MjgmeXJpcnk 3ZjcxN2Y3dn FlZUVFeXkz ;
By MAYA KREMEN, HERALD NEWS, Sunday, April 3, 2005
TOTOWA (NJ) , USA - - In the past, they might have found themselves on separate sides of a protest march. One is a Mexican-American police officer and former Marine with a neat haircut. The other is a bearded Chicano professor with a rebellious streak.
But on Saturday the men came together for the same cause: to talk about being abused as children by Catholic priests, and to encourage other Latino victims to come forward.
About 25 people showed up at the first national meeting of Latino clergy abuse victims, held at the borough's American Legion hall. The meeting was organized by Johnny Vega of Wallington, who says he was abused by a parish priest in Paterson more than 20 years ago.
Partly as a way to cope, Vega founded a Latino branch of the group SNAP (Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) in Totowa in May of last year. This year, he decided to broaden the group to Latino victims nationwide.
However, on Saturday, few of the victims, victims' supporters and family members who sat on folding chairs watching a panel of speakers were Latino.
Vega said he wasn't surprised. He said Latino victims were often "too scared" to come out publicly about sexual abuse.
"You repress it, you forget about it," he said. "But eventually it's going to surface again, and you're going to have to face it." Talking about it, he said, is "one way to face it."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 09:11 PM]
• Louisianians react to the death of a pope - RCC.
Times-Picayune,
2:02 p.m. CT, The Associated Press, Apr/3/2005
NEW ORLEANS (LA) (AP) - On Sunday morning at St. Louis Cathedral in New Orleans, there was no escaping a link between the two news stories that had the attention of much of the nation all last week.
Archbishop Alfred Hughes, during Sunday morning Mass noted that John Paul the II had been a victim of violence - a shooting - in a May 13, 1981, assasination attempt. Then he touched on the death of a severely brain-damaged woman following an extended legal fight over whether her feeding tube should be removed.
Hughes left no doubt where he stood: "We have also experienced the sad victimization of Terry Schiavo and her tragic death." ...
"Like everyone, I'm certainly saddened by his passing. I think he was one of the great popes of church history," said Jason Berry, a Catholic and a freelance journalist.
Berry praised John Paul's "remarkably honest" approach to church history - including an unprecedented apology to Jews for past wrongdoings by Catholics - as well as foreign policy achievements.
"Obviously his role as a catalyst in helping to bring down the Soviet empire was quite extraordinary," Berry said in an interview with The Associated Press.
But Berry was critical of John Paul's passiveness in dealing with a burgeoning scandal involving pedophile priests. Berry helped uncover the scandal with a series of stories on Acadiana priest Gilbert Gauthe in the 1980s and in the book "Lead Us Not Into Temptation: Catholic Priests and the Sexual Abuse of Children."
"On balance, I think it a papacy marked by paradox: The greatness of the early years shadowed by the failure of the later years and his imability to confront the needs within the church itself."
• Pontiff left his mark on area leaders and residents - RCC.
Toledo Blade, By DAVID YONKE, BLADE RELIGION EDITOR, April 3, 2005
TOLEDO (OH) - Although Pope John Paul II never visited Toledo - the closest he came was a 1987 trip to Detroit - the longtime leader of the world's 1 billion Roman Catholics had a major impact on this region and its Catholic population.
The 307,000 Catholics in the Toledo diocese's 19 counties looked to the Pontiff for spiritual guidance for 26 years, and scores of local residents made journeys to see the Pope in person, many of them during his four-day visit to Toronto in 2002 for World Youth Day.
"Locally we certainly have felt his touch," said the Rev. Michael Billian, episcopal vicar of the diocese. ...
Claudia Vercellotti, co-coordinator of the local SNAP chapter, a support group for victims of clerical sexual abuse, said the Pope's legacy includes his fights against communism and poverty, but his greatest contribution is his mandate to protect children.
"The Pope said unequivocally that there is no place in ministry for anyone who harms the young," Ms. Vercellotti said. "But that has not been implemented by bishops across the country. The greatest legacy the Pope could leave is that above all he protected children, and now it's up to those who follow him."
[Bolding added]
• Accused priest resigns post [Fushek; 1980s Lehman] - RCC. Boys.
East Valley Tribune,
By Beth Lucas and Kristina Davis, April 3, 2005
MESA (AZ) - A popular Mesa priest, on leave while church officials investigate claims of sexual misconduct with a 14-year-old boy, announced Saturday he is resigning in order to protect his parishioners from the "ordeal."
Monsignor Dale Fushek penned a heartfelt goodbye letter in the church bulletin for his parishioners to read as they left mass Saturday, stating his resignation would be effective June 30.
Fushek led St. Timothy's Catholic Community in Mesa for 20 years and founded the nation's largest Catholic youth organization, Life Teen.
He has been on leave since December, when former church member William J. Cesolini accused Fushek of masturbating while watching another priest sexually abuse him in 1985, according to a lawsuit filed in January. Cesolini said he retrieved repressed memories of molestation by the Rev. Mark Lehman, who served 10 years in prison for molesting students in the late 1980s.
"My resignation is in no way an admission, or even a suggestion, of guilt," Fushek wrote. "The 'repressed memories' that have brought about these circumstances are utterly untrue. However, it will take many months and a lot of energy to deal with these hurtful accusations. It would be selfish of me to force the community to go through this ordeal, with me as your pastor. It is best for our beloved community to move on."
• Pope's handling of sex abuse criticized - RCC.
The News Journal,
By BETH MILLER, Apr/03/2005
WILMINGTON (DE) - Some of Pope John Paul II's suffering in the last days of his life was due to his willingness to suffer with Christ for the sins of the world, including the sins of the priests who sexually abused children during his ministry, a Dover psychiatrist said.
It was a scandal that grieved the pope and violated the spiritual principles he taught, said Dr. Mark Borer, who serves on the Catholic Diocese of Wilmington's Review Board that examines sexual abuse cases in the diocese.
Some victims of clergy sexual abuse, though, believe the pope's response to the scandal that emerged publicly in the United States in 2002 was inadequate at best, and at worst compounded their injury.
"He certainly hasn't done anything for the healing of victims," said Gary Belkot, 48, of Georgetown, who said he was abused as a seminary student at Villanova University in the mid-1970s.
The pope drew criticism for what was perceived as silence shortly after the scandal broke in January 2002, when the first of more than 10,000 cases nationwide became public.
By April, though, he had summoned U.S. cardinals to the Vatican for a summit on the issue. In a joint statement, the pope and cardinals acknowledged the gravity of the problem, urged "solidarity and assistance" for victims and their families, said they would promote correct moral teaching on the issue and affirmed the power of conversion and turning from sin.
[Bolding added.]
• Tarrant County Catholics mourn the Holy Father's death - RCC.
Fort Worth Star-Telegram,
By Darren Barbee, ~ April 3, 2005
FORT WORTH (TX) - The message traveled by television, emails from the Vatican and the tolling of a church bell at St. Patrick Cathedral in downtown Fort Worth.
Devout believers and lapsed Catholics entered candlelit sanctuaries. In Bedford they walked past a wedding party, wiping away tears. Others stopped at the first church they found on their way home from Saturday afternoon errands.
Throughout the day they prayed for Pope John Paul II - a man they knew from great distances and from vast rallies in Texas, Louisiana and Colorado - because his death felt so close. ...
Dede Schmidt, a member of the Fort Worth chapter of Voice of the Faithful, a Catholic group that supports victims of sexual abuse, said she admired the pope for his strong stance on social justice, his opposition to war and his dedication to peace.
But Schmidt, 73, also said she hopes the church will work toward greater openness, especially regarding reports of sexual abuse, and more
involvement for women.
[Bolding added]
• Records hint at dark past for convicted child molester [? 2000s Franklin] - Trinity Worship Center. Internet porn. Drugs, sex. Boys.
The Monitor,
www.themonitor.com/ SiteProcessor.cfm ?Template=/Global Templates/Details. cfm&StoryID=6518 &Section=Valley ;
by Brittney Booth, April 03,2005
EDINBURG (TX) - - Court documents allege Robert Franklin viewed male pornographic Web sites, had a history of drug abuse and had several relationships with teenage boys before the former Trinity Worship Center music minister pleaded guilty to sexually assaulting a young churchgoer.
The records reveal the dark side of a man once hailed as a charismatic minister who generously gave to help bring youths to Jesus.
Franklin, 38, pleaded guilty March 15 to sexually assaulting a 14-year-old boy who had come to him for spiritual mentoring. Before pleading guilty to two felony counts of sexual assault, he faced 10 additional charges from a grand jury alleging he gave marijuana and cocaine to the boy.
On March 29, 332nd state District Judge Mario Ramirez sentenced Franklin to six months in jail and 10 years probation. He also must complete 240 hours of community service and pay a $10,000 fine.
As part of his parole, Franklin will have to wear an electronic monitor, attend a 90-day drug-treatment program and enroll in the county's sex offender program. He will have to register as a sex offender in each city he lives in for the rest of his life.
• Abuse Scandal Gives Boston Mixed Feelings About Pope's Legacy - RCC.
The New York Times,
By PAM BELLUCK, Published April 2, 2005
BOSTON (MA) - Jack Connors, a prominent member of this city's large Catholic community, has a resonant memory of Pope John Paul II's visit to Boston in 1979. Throngs of people descended on Boston Common for a public Mass, many waiting for hours in a torrential rain.
"I was drenched," Mr. Connors said. "My kids wanted to know why are we here. We should have known it was a sign that we were in for some stormy weather."
It is the kind of anecdote that crystallizes the complex feelings many here have toward Pope John Paul II, who died on Saturday at the age of 84. It is a sense of awe and affection mixed with disappointment at his handling of the clergy sexual abuse scandal that exploded in Boston three years ago and continues to reverberate here.
"Am I angry with him? No," Mr. Connors said. "He was a good man and did what he thought was right. But regrettably, there wasn't as much thoughtfulness and oversight as one might hope for."
Similar reactions were common this weekend as many of the 2 million Catholics in and around Boston struggled with how to reconcile the respect and warmth they felt for John Paul with what they saw as too little attention paid too late to the problem of sexually abusive priests. In particular, there was criticism that when Cardinal Bernard F. Law was forced out of his position as Boston archbishop because of the scandal, he was not chastised or demoted, but was instead named archpriest of one of the four basilicas under Vatican direction in Rome, St. Mary Major's Basilica.
[Bolding added]
• Preparing for launch - RCC. Class action.
Baltimore Sun,
April 3, 2005
KENTUCKY - The pre-trial hearing in what might be the nation's first class action lawsuit against a Roman Catholic diocese over clerical sexual abuse is scheduled to begin in Burlington, Ky.
Steve Rubino, a New Jersey lawyer who has represented hundreds of victims of clerical sex abuse, said he believes the Burlington case is the first in the nation where a molestation lawsuit against a diocese is being permitted to go forward as a class action.
The diocese spans 14 counties and includes 89,000 parishioners, many of them in the Kentucky suburbs of Cincinnati. The two sides are expected to ask that the trial date be moved again while mediation goes on.
• Debate continues over pope's reaction to sex-abuse scandal - RCC.
Azcentral.com ;
by Alan Cooperman, Washington Post, 07:00 PM, Apr. 2, 2005
VATICAN - During his long reign, Pope John Paul II apologized to Muslims for the Crusades, to Jews for anti-Semitism, to Orthodox Christians for the sacking of Constantinople, to Italians for the Vatican's associations with the Mafia and to scientists for the persecution of Galileo.
He apologized so often, in fact, that an Italian journalist compiled a book of more than 90 papal statements of contrition.
Yet the pope never apologized for the most shocking behavior that came to light on his watch: sexual abuse of children by priests and the church's attempts to hush it up. To some alleged victims, that is a puzzling omission and a deep stain on his legacy. advertisement
"I would hate to see all the good works this pope has done over his lifetime be overshadowed by this scandal. But that's what may happen," said Gary M. Bergeron, of Lowell, Mass., who says he was molested in the 1970s by Rev. Joseph Birmingham, a priest accused of abusing more than a dozen altar boys. Birmingham has since died.
John Paul's defenders contend that sexual misconduct by priests is a worldwide problem that began before he became pope in 1978. They say once it came to light, he reacted decisively. Summoning America's cardinals to the Vatican in April 2002, he declared that "there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young."
Those words became the basis for the "zero tolerance" policy adopted two months later by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops. Over the following year, hundreds of priests resigned, retired or were suspended as the bishops pledged to remove any clergyman who had ever abused a minor.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 03:59 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Sun, April 03, 2005
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont111.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed. #### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Mon, April 04, 2005 edition follows:- • Church apologizes, and settles with priest-molestation victim [1970s Poole (Jesuit)] - RCC. Girl.
Anchorage Daily News,
www.adn.com/ news/alaska/story/ 6344431p-6221541 c.html ,
April 4th, 2005
ALASKA - The Roman Catholic Church said Monday it has reached a settlement with a woman who accused a Nome priest of molesting her in the 1970s.
The Rev. John D. Whitney, provincial supervisor of the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, acknowledged that the Rev. James Poole had abused a victim. Whitney apologized on behalf of the church.
"We apologize to the victim of this misconduct, and to all who have suffered a loss of hope and trust," Whitney said. "We ask forgiveness as we strive to ensure that such actions do not happen again."
Attorney Ken Roosa said early last month that the church had settled the case with his client, Elsie Boudreau, who now lives in the Anchorage area. Roosa repeated Monday that the settlement was for about $1 million.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:55 PM]
• Former Bishop Apologizes In Oakland Abuse Case. [1980 Ponciroli] - RCC. Boys.
KTVU,
www.ktvu.com/ news/4344187/ detail.html , POSTED 11:37 am PDT, April 4, 2005
HAYWARD (CA) -- The former bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Oakland said in court Monday he is "sorry" that church officials didn't conduct an extensive investigation into sexual abuse committed by a priest.
Testifying in an Alameda County Superior Court lawsuit against the Oakland diocese by two men who said they were abused as children by a priest in Antioch, John Cummings, now the diocese's bishop emeritus, said, "I didn't expect sexual abuse by priests to be a frequent occurrence."
Cummings said that in most instances the Oakland diocese didn't report allegations of sex abuse by priests to the local police because reporting wasn't mandatory until a law was passed in 1997.
Robert and Tom Thatcher's lawsuit alleges the diocese was negligent in assigning the Rev. Robert Ponciroli to St. Ignatius Church in Antioch in 1979 because officials knew he was a child molester.
The brothers say Ponciroli molested them on several occasions in 1980.
• Poll Finds Most Americans, U.S. Catholics Want Women Priests - RCC.
TheDenverChannel.com ;
www.thedenver channel.com/news/ 4343316/detail.html ,
UPDATED 10:04 am MDT April 4, 2005
WASHINGTON (DC) -- Most Americans want the next pope to work for changes in Roman Catholic Church policies to allow priests to marry and women to join the priesthood. And they want more done to combat sexual abuse by priests, an AP-Ipsos poll found.
Do you want Pope John Paul II's successor to try to change church policy to allow priests to marry and to let women become priests?
Yes, priests should be allowed to marry and women should be priests.
Women should be allowed to be priests, but priests should not marry.
Priests should be allowed to marry, but women should not be priests.
No, the church should stick to strict doctrine.
A solid majority of Americans, and Catholics in the country, are calling for the changes even while saying they widely admire Pope John Paul II, who supported traditional policies against priest marriage and against allowing women into the priesthood.
"He crossed so many boundaries, opened doors to many governments," said Joseph Riess, a Catholic businessman from Vienna, Va. "But I think it's time for changes."
Just over half of Americans, 51 percent, and almost three-fourths of Catholics say John Paul, who died Saturday, will be remembered as one of the greatest popes, according to the poll conducted for The Associated Press by Ipsos-Public Affairs.
• A modern-age pope, to a point - RCC.
The Washington Post,
By Hanna Rosin, April 4, 2005
So much was expected of Karol Wojtyla when he became pope in 1978. Here, for the first time, was a pontiff plucked not from the Vatican's inner chambers but a man of the world. He was not Italian; he skied, he kayaked, he acted in dramas. His fellow clerics compared him to John Wayne.
His faith, too, seemed tested. He had lost his mother early, lived in the shadow of Auschwitz, performed forced labor in a limestone quarry. "Do Not Be Afraid" was his motto at his inauguration.
So even before his first papal pronouncement, he was granted a place in history as the Roman Catholic Church's first modern pope, charged with leading the centuries-old institution into the next millennium - the "new springtime of Christianity," as he called it. ...
In the pews here, he faced a laity star-struck but not especially loyal. Very few Catholic Americans agree with the pope's teaching that even sex within marriage should have procreation in mind.
His inflexibility on this question, coupled with his
unwillingness to deliver a strong rebuke of the U.S. bishops involved in the sex-abuse scandals, meant "the credibility of the church on sexual matters was diminished or destroyed," said the Rev. Richard McBrien, a theologian at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana.
Each time an encyclical was anticipated, many Catholics, especially in the U.S., waited for a shift in policy. And each time they were disappointed, as the pope reinforced church orthodoxy on the role of women, sexual ethics, homosexuality.
[Bolding added]
• Catholic diocese seeks extension in stay of proceedings [St. George's Diocese] - RCC. Insolvency delay.
Canada NewsWire Group,
April 4, 2005
CORNER BROOK, NL, Canada /CNW/ - The Most Rev. Douglas Crosby, Bishop of St. George's Diocese, today confirmed that the Roman Catholic Episcopal Corporation of St. George's, the civil arm of the Diocese, is seeking a 45 day extension of the time to file a proposal under the Notice of Intention filed
on March 8, 2005 pursuant to the Bankruptcy and Insolvency Act.
This notice
effected a "stay of proceedings" in civil actions against the Corporation
including those launched since 1991 on behalf of 36 victims of sexual abuse.
Since March 8th, the Corporation has notified its creditors of the
filing, established a listing of the Corporation's land holdings, completed a
full review of the Corporation's insurance policies, initiated a review of a
number of legal issues affecting various stakeholders including creditors and
parishioners and has begun assembling a list of other assets within the
Corporation.
The Corporation is currently in the process of obtaining
independent valuations for each of its land holdings and, with the assistance
of legal counsel, is preparing to meet with the insurers to assess liability
coverage.
• Catholicism vigorous on Cape - RCC.
Cape Tod Times,
By SEAN GONSALVES,
~ April 4, 2005
MASSACHUSETTS - As Catholics around the world contemplate the legacy of Pope John Paul II and reflect on the future of the church, Catholic parishes on the Cape are vibrant - and growing.
Of the state's 3 million Catholics - roughly half the population of Massachusetts - 116,000 of them live on Cape Cod, according to Fall River Diocese officials.
Led by Bishop George W. Coleman, former pastor of Corpus Christi Parish in Sandwich, the Fall River Diocese encompasses 1,194 square miles in Southeastern Massachusetts and represents approximately 350,000 parishioners.
Of the diocese's 101 parishes, 22 are on the Cape and islands.
And while the church's teaching on certain moral issues and fallout from the clergy sex-abuse scandal has brought a dip in church attendance in recent years, the Cape has been a growth region for the Fall River Diocese, church officials say.
• Hughes removes man from priesthood [1993 Sanders] - RCC.
Times-Picayune,
By Bruce Nolan, Monday, April 04, 2005
LOUISIANA - Archbishop Alfred Hughes told a Belle Chasse congregation this weekend that he has permanently removed its former pastor from the priesthood after three hearing officers advised him they believed Pat Sanders sexually abused two teenagers on an overnight youth trip 12 years ago.
Hughes personally disclosed his decision to parishioners at Saturday evening Mass at Our Lady of Perpetual Help Parish. Bishop Roger Morin continued the announcements at all the parish's Sunday Masses while Hughes led a memorial Mass for Pope John Paul II at St. Louis Cathedral.
Hughes temporarily removed Sanders from duty in April 2004 while the Archdiocese of New Orleans conducted a detailed inquiry into the youths' claims. Since then, Sanders has been forbidden to identify himself as a priest or act as a priest, except to celebrate Mass in private.
Sanders denied the youths' allegations and has maintained his innocence in e-mail messages and in personal contacts with parishioners.
"I am devastated and heartbroken," he said Sunday by e-mail when asked to respond to Hughes' decision. "I feel an injustice has been done to me and my life's vocation has been taken away. I steadfastly maintain my innocence and will appeal this decision to the Vatican."
• The paradoxical pope [Marcial Maciel, Sodano, John Paul II] - RCC.
The Boston Globe,
www.boston.com/ news/globe/ editorial_opinion/ oped/articles/ 2005/04/04/the _paradoxical_pope ;
By Jason Berry | April 4, 2005
WHEN JOHN Paul II in 1979 made his first trip back to Poland as pope, he was determined to change the course of modern history. The stirring sermons exhorting human freedom, spiritual freedom, had long resonance through the final decade of the Cold War.
He orchestrated clandestine support to Solidarity leaders in
Poland, keeping pressure on the Communist regime. In 1989, when we watched the Soviet Empire crumble on television, John Paul stood a victor on the world stage, his very person transcending Stalin's famously cynical remark: "How many divisions has the Pope?"
In like measure, the middle years of his papacy demonstrated a remarkable honesty about a runaway consumerist mentality in Western capitalism and the church's own sins, committed in the Crusades, toward Jews, Muslims, even Galileo.
These and other virtues secure his role as one of history's great popes. An actor in his youth, he had a charm and charisma that captivated millions on his many travels. With a refined sense of drama, he turned his final days into a farewell act that, as many have said, made his physical suffering a reminder of Christ's sacrifice. ...
A champion of human rights to people under the boot heel of dicatorships, he chose as secretary of state Cardinal Angelo Sodano, a former papal ambassador to Chile who befriended the sadistic dictator Pinochet and tried to intervene on Pinochet's behalf when he was facing indictment by a
Spanish court.
Several weeks ago, when Sodano met with Secretary of State Condaleeza Rice, he awkwardly asked her help in defusing a sex abuse lawsuit filed against the Vatican by a Kentucky lawyer, something over which she had no control.
Within the Roman Curia, Sodano was a powerful supporter of another man he befriended in Chile who stands today, arguably, as the most notorious priest in Rome: Marcial Maciel Degollado, a Mexican who founded a religious order called the Legion of Christ. Maciel was accused in 1976 and 1979 of sexually assaulting seminarians. After years of being ignored by John Paul, eight ex-Legion members filed a canon law case against Maciel.
Over the last decade, as the clergy abuse crisis slowly spread in Ireland, Austria, North America, Australia, and Chile, John Paul's scattered comments were contradictory, expressing sympathy for victims while scolding the media for sensationalism even as he refused the request of US bishops to give them a streamlined process to defrock pedophiles. His response to the worst crisis of the modern church was passive to a fault.
As American Catholics reeled from the news of the abuse scandals, John Paul in a November 2004 ceremony at the Vatican praised Maciel in glowing terms. Meanwhile, a sign of a split emerged at the highest levels of the Vatican, Sodano ever the champion of Maciel, while Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, the chief theologian, reopened the dormant investigation of the Legion founder.
[Emphasis added]
[COMMENT: We could add Poland and Malta to the above mini-list of countries infected with RCC clergy child sex abuse. And we could add other religions, Christian and non-Christian. So far the most-publicised are the RCC, and non-RCC Churches in the English-speaking world.
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Priest in Mesa abuse case resigns [1985 Fushek] - RCC.
Azcentral.com ;
Associated Press, Apr. 4, 2005
ARIZONA - A former top official in the Phoenix Catholic Diocese has resigned amid allegations of sexual improprieties, according to a letter given to parishioners at an evening Mass on Saturday.
In his letter, Monsignor Dale Fushek, pastor of St. Timothy Catholic Church in Mesa and co-founder of a youth group, denied the allegations but said he resigned to protect parishioners from the "ordeal."
He said his resignation would be effective June 30. advertisement
Fushek was placed on leave after an attorney notified the diocese that a client claimed to have recovered a repressed memory involving sexual improprieties by Fushek in 1985.
A lawsuit in January named Fushek and Phil Baniewicz, president of Life Teen Inc. Former priest Mark Lehman, resigned Bishop Thomas J. O'Brien, Bishop Thomas J. Olmsted, the Diocese of Phoenix and St. Timothy's in Mesa also were named in the suit.
• Conclave faces changed landscape - RCC.
Pioneer Press,
BY BRIAN MURPHY, Associated Press, ~ Apr. 4, 2005
VATICAN CITY - The last time the College of Cardinals gathered to select a pope, the Cold War dominated the globe, non-European voices in the church were weak and unfocused and dialogue with other faiths was left to second-tier envoys.
None of that is true today.
When the cardinals assemble in the Sistine Chapel this month, the questions and priorities considered in selecting the successor of Pope John Paul II will reflect 26 years of profound shifts: the rising influence of African and Latin America clergy, greater pressure to allow married priests after damaging sex scandals and hopes for Vatican leadership in critical outreach between the West and the Muslim world. ...
High on the list could be greater sensitivity to the fallout from priest sex scandals that have battered the church in the United States, Europe and elsewhere. John Paul effectively closed the door on easing rules for priestly celibacy, which some Vatican critics consider a major obstacle to encouraging vocations.
Celibacy is a deeply rooted tradition in the church, but not an issue of immutable doctrine. In 1980, the late pope allowed married Episcopal clergy to join the Catholic Church and serve as priests. Married priests are common among Eastern Rite Catholics, which follow many Orthodox traditions but are loyal to the Vatican.
• Saint Or Sinner? - RCC.
Mirror,
~ Apr. 4, 2005
BRITAIN - THE passing of His Holiness The Pope is, in one way, none of the business of those who are not Roman Catholics.
If you do not believe that he was the anointed Vicar of Christ on Earth, and the holder of the Keys of Peter, you need not worry yourself at the thought of his Maker having subjected him to a long and painful and embarrassing dotage. (Even so, he fared better than his predecessor, who was un-chosen by Heaven only a few weeks after being anointed.) ...
It's easy to see why Pope John Paul might have wanted to pump up the morale of his flock with this mass production of holiness.
Under his stewardship, the most appalling scandal of all - the
institutional rape and torture of children - was allowed to spread and also to be denied. One of those most responsible for the cover-up, Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston, was hastily removed from American jurisdiction and given a sinecure at the Vatican.
[Bolding added]
• Papal Power - RCC. Disgraced Law sits on boards concerning clergy discipline.
Slate,
By Christopher Hitchens, Posted 2:51 PM PT, Friday, April 1, 2005
The papacy is not, in theory, a man-made office at all. Its holder is chosen for life, by God himself, to hold the keys of Peter and to be the vicar of Christ on earth. This is yet another of the self-imposed tortures that faith inflicts upon itself.
It means that you have to believe that the pope before last, who held on to the job for a matter of weeks before dying (or, according to some, before being murdered) was either unchosen by God in some fit of celestial pique, or left unprotected by heaven against his assassins.
And it means that you have to believe that the public agony and humiliation endured by the pontiff was also part of some divine design.
In the case of a presidency, or even a monarchy, provision can be made for abdication and succession when physical and mental deliquescence occur.
But there could obviously not have been any graceful retirement in the case of John Paul II.
The next vicar of Christ could hardly be expected to perform his sacred duties knowing that there was a still-living vicar of Christ, however decrepit, on the scene.
Thus, and as with the Schiavo case, every last morsel of misery has been compulsorily extracted from the business of death. For the people who credit the idea, apparently, heaven can wait. Odd.
I leave it to the faith-based to wrestle with all this. Or rather, I would be happy to do so if they would stay out of my life. But there is one detail that sticks with me.
A few years ago, it seemed quite probable that Cardinal Bernard Law of Boston would have to face trial for his appalling collusion in the child-rape racket that his diocese had been running.
The man had knowingly reassigned dangerous and sadistic criminals to positions where they would be able to exploit the defenseless.
He had withheld evidence and made himself an accomplice, before and after the fact, in the one offense that people of all faiths and of none have most united in condemning.
(Since I have more than once criticized Maureen Dowd in this space, I should say now that I think she put it best of all. A church that has allowed no latitude in its teachings on masturbation, premarital sex, birth control, and divorce suddenly asks for understanding and "wiggle room" for the most revolting crime on the books.)
Anyway, Cardinal Law isn't going to face a court, now. He has fled the jurisdiction and lives in Rome, where a sinecure at the Vatican has been found for him.
(Actually not that much of a sinecure: As archpriest of the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major, he also sits on two boards supervising priestly discipline - yes! - and the appointment of diocesan bishops.)
Even before this, he visited Rome on at least one occasion to discuss whether or not the church should obey American law.
And it has been conclusively established that the Vatican itself - including his holiness - was a part of the coverup and obstruction of justice that allowed the child-rape scandal to continue for so long.
[Bolding added]
• Local Catholics gather to honor John Paul II - RCC.
Daily Bulletin,
www.dailybulletin. com/Stories/0, 1413,203~21481 ~2796037,00.html ,
By Brad A. Greenberg, ~ Apr. 4, 2005
CALIFORNIA -
Thousands of Catholics flocked to local parishes Saturday to honor the life of Pope John Paul II.
"The world is a better place because he was in it," said Matt Beall, 21, of San Bernardino. "It is very sad he is gone, but it is also joyous because he is with the Lord."
The death of the 84-year-old pontiff closed the book on a fabled life for the third-longest-serving pope in history.
To many in the Inland Empire, John Paul embodied the teachings of Jesus Christ. ...
The Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests [SNAP] released a statement Saturday thanking John Paul for saying in 2002 that there is "no place in the priesthood for those who would harm the young."
"We all hope that his successor will push harder to hold bishops accountable for harboring priests who abuse children," Mary Grant, southwest regional director of Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, said.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 04:50 AM]
////////// End of Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker
www.ncrnews.org/abuse ,
Mon, April 04, 2005
Abuse Chronology:
http://www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/ethics/ethcont111.htm
For good teachings to be heeded, a big clean-up is needed. #### Clergy Sex Abuse Tracker,
www.ncrnews.org/abuse,
Tue, April 05, 2005 edition follows:- • CHURCH ABUSE PLAY WINS PULITZER. - RCC. Play "Doubt" (fiction).
BBC News,
http://news. bbc.co.uk/1/ hi/entertainment/ arts/4411411.stm ,
~ April 5, 2005
UNITED STATES - A play about child abuse in the Roman Catholic Church has been awarded the prestigious Pulitzer Prize for drama.
Doubt, by Oscar-winning writer John Patrick Shanley, won the prize just two days after the death of the Pope.
The play is about a priest accused of molesting a boy. It comes after a damaging scandal in the US Catholic Church that implicated 4,000 priests.
In other Pulitzer awards, Marilynne Robinson won the fiction prize and Ted Kooser picked up the poetry accolade.
Mr Shanley won an Academy Award for writing the screenplay for Moonstruck, starring Cher, in 1988. ...
In the journalism section, the Los Angeles Times won the public service award for its expose of deadly medical problems and racial injustice at an inner-city hospital.
The paper won another award for international reporting for its coverage of Russia, while The Wall Street Journal also picked up two prizes.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:11 AM]
[A more detailed version is below.]
[COMMENT: The playright Shanley is not to be confused with the paedophile Paul Shanley, convicted on February 7, 2005.
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Diocese officials plead ignorance [1970s Ponciroli] - Written memo dated 1975. RCC. 7 or 8 abuser-priests.
The Argus,
www.insidebayarea. com/argus/local news/ci_2640303 ,
By Josh Richman, ~ April 5, 2005
HAYWARD (CA) - Diocese of Oakland officials testified Monday that the church showed errors in judgment in handling a child-molesting priest.
Bishop Emeritus John Cummins, who led Alameda and Contra Costa counties' Roman Catholics from 1977 to 2003, acknowledged documents show his predecessor knew of allegations against the Rev. Robert Ponciroli in 1975, yet he did not learn of it until almost two decades later.
"I did not expect sexual abuse by priests to be a frequent occurrence," he testified, but he knows now that seven or eight priests abused children in his diocese during his tenure.
Earlier Monday, former diocese chancellor the Rev. Brian Joyce testified that although he chaired the diocese's clergy personnel committee from 1971 to 1979, he knew of no sexual complaints against Ponciroli - only complaints of tickling and losing his temper with altar boys. He said he confronted Ponciroli on those matters but "in no way" suspected molestation.
"My focus was his anger and his intimidating young people," he said. "I was wrong."
Attorney Rick Simons displayed a May 1975, memo from then-Bishop Floyd Begin indicating Begin knew of sexual abuse claims against Ponciroli during his time at Richmond's St. Cornelius parish.
[COMMENT: The "church showed errors in judgment ..."
But, Jesus is quoted as having said "Howbeit when he, the spirit of truth is come, he will guide you into all truth ... and he will shew you things to come."
(2 - 4 - 16:13)
Why then didn't these leaders know the truth about this clergyman, or even know in advance of this man's criminal intent, and have the wisdom, understanding, knowledge, fortitude, and awe of the Lord to remove him from the ministry?
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Two former Oakland Diocese leaders testify they never checked priest's file. [1979-80 Ponciroli] - RCC. Altar boys.
Contra Costa Times,
www.contracosta times.com/mld/ cctimes/news/ 11314211.htm ,
By Randy Myers, ~ April 5, 2005
HAYWARD (CA) - Two former leaders of the Catholic Diocese of Oakland said Monday in court that they never checked the personnel file of a former East Bay priest accused of sexually abusing altar boys.
John Cummins, bishop emeritus of the Oakland Diocese, and the Rev. Brian Joyce, the former diocesan chancellor and ex-chairman of the clergy personnel board, took the stand in the civil trial stemming from abuse charges brought by two former Antioch altar boys.
Brothers Robert and Tom Thatcher claim that they were sexually molested by since-defrocked priest Robert Ponciroli at Antioch's St. Ignatius Church from 1979 to 1980.
Their case is part of the more than 150 suits brought against Northern California dioceses after a 2002 state law lifted the statute of limitations for one year.
The Oakland Diocese admitted it acted negligently in the decades-old case and has agreed to pay compensatory damages it considers reasonable. The Diocese, however, disagrees with paying punitive damages sought by Robert Thatcher.
Joyce admits he and the Diocese made some errors in judgment. He described receiving a phone call about Ponciroli's "tickling," angry outbursts and intimidating behavior, and talking to the priest about it. Joyce served as diocesan chancellor in the 1970s and is a priest at Pleasant Hill's Christ the King Parish.
[COMMENT: Two former leaders "never checked the personnel file".
Another newsitem says that a memo dated 1975 mentioned sexual abuse allegations against Ponciroli.
If these leaders had the powers promised in 2 - 4 - 16:13 they would have known about his crimes before the memo was written. Furthermore, Jesus is quoted as saying "And look, I am with you always; yes, to the end of time." (2 - 1 - 28:20)
Why do such inept religions claim to be directed by heavenly and superhuman beings?
COMMENT ENDS.]
• Church acknowledges Nome priest abuse, settles civil suit. [1978-87 Poole (Jesuit)] - RCC. $US1m settlement. Girl.
Anchorage Daily News,
www.adn.com/ news/alaska/ story/6347140p -6224332c.html ,
By LISA DEMER, April 5th, 2005
ALASKA - The Catholic Church on Monday admitted that a former Nome priest committed sexual misconduct and said that it has settled a civil lawsuit that resulted from the abuse.
The Jesuits of the Oregon Province apologized for the actions of retired priest James Poole and called what he did inexcusable. The Jesuits and the Fairbanks Catholic Diocese together paid around $1 million to settle the case, according to the victim's attorneys, the diocese and a spokesman for the Jesuits.
The case concerns a woman, now 37, who accused Poole of kissing and fondling her dozens of times starting in 1978 when she was 10. The abuse included heavy petting and having her lie on top of him, the lawsuit said. It continued until she turned 19 and wrote him a letter saying she never wanted to be alone with him again, said the complainant, Elsie Boudreau. The lawsuit that she filed last year concentrates on the time she was 16 and younger.
"We admit that the sexual misconduct alleged to have occurred by James Poole did occur, and we are deeply sorry for it," said the Rev. John Whitney, head of the Jesuits' Oregon Province, who was reading from a prepared statement. The province includes Alaska, Oregon, Washington, Idaho and Montana.
Poole, now in his 80s, did not return calls to the Jesuit home in Spokane where he lives. In the past, he called Boudreau's claims "highly inflammatory and highly exaggerated."
• Jesuits make public apology to Jane Doe 1 [Poole (Jesuit)] - RCC. $US1m settlement. Legal battle, now an apology. Girl.
Fairbanks News-Miner,
www.news-miner. com/Stories/0,1413, 113~7244 ~2799263 ,00.html ,
By MARY BETH SMETZER, ~ April 5, 2005
ALASKA - The top Jesuit in the Northwest made a public apology Monday and a request for forgiveness and healing for Jane Doe 1 and other victims of sexual abuse by clergy in Alaska.
The provincial superior of the Oregon Province of the Society of Jesus, the Rev. John D. Whitney, traveled to Anchorage to also announce the finalization of a $1 million dollar settlement in a sexual abuse lawsuit against former Nome priest Father Jim Poole.
The Fairbanks Catholic Diocese was also a defendant in the suit.
"We apologize to the victim of this misconduct and to all who have suffered a loss of hope and trust," said Whitney in a written statement. "We ask forgiveness as we strive to ensure that such actions do not happen again."
However, the plaintiff in the civil suit, Elsie Boudreau, previously identified as Jane Doe 1, was not appeased by the conciliatory statement, calling it a "slap in the face."
"They don't mention having gone through over a year of litigation, attempting to dismiss the case, trying to keep records from the public, trying to keep me quiet," Boudreau said. "It feels disingenuous, and not very tasteful."
• Sex Abuse Victims Want Cardinals' Attention - RCC.
The Indiana Gazette,
www.zwire.com/ site/news.cfm ?BRD=1078&dept _id=151021&newsid =14284666&PAG =461&rfi=9 ,
By RACHEL ZOLL, AP Religion Writer, April 05, 2005
ROME - Three years ago Pope John Paul II summoned America's cardinals to the Vatican for an emergency meeting on the clergy sex abuse crisis. Now that those cardinals have returned to elect his successor, abuse victims fear the lessons from their suffering may be forgotten amid the ceremonies and papal politicking.
"It seems to me the victims offer a gift to the church," said Barbara Blaine, founder of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. "The church needs the voices of victims in order to sanctify itself, in order to redeem itself, because the church leaders were the ones responsible for this outrageous abuse."
Church leaders rarely mention the scandal when asked about the key challenges facing the next pope. Interfaith tensions, global poverty and declining religious observance in North America and Europe are widely considered more pressing. Some Catholic officials still think of the crisis as mainly an American one, even though Austria, Ireland and other countries have experienced similar scandals.
Sue Archibald, head of the victim advocacy group The Linkup, said she has little expectation that the cardinals will discuss abuse during their conclave to pick a new pope.
• Bishop: We missed signs of sex abuse [1970s Ponciroli] - 7 or 8 priest abusers. "Tickling" boys. RCC. Children.
Alameda Times-Star,
By Josh Richman, ~ April 5, 2005
HAYWARD (CA) - Diocese of Oakland officials testified Monday that the church showed errors in judgment in handling a child-molesting priest.
Bishop Emeritus John Cummins, who led Alameda and Contra Costa counties' Roman Catholics from 1977 to 2003, acknowledged documents show his predecessor knew of allegations against Father Robert Ponciroli in 1975, yet Cummins didn't learn of it until almost two decades later.
"I did not expect sexual abuse by priests to be a frequent occurrence," he testified, but he knows now that seven or eight priests abused children in his diocese during his tenure.
Earlier Monday, former diocese chancellor Father Brian Joyce testified that although he was chairman of the diocese's clergy personnel committee from 1971 to 1979, he knew of no sexual complaints against Ponciroli - only complaints of tickling and losing his temper with altar boys. He said he confronted Ponciroli on those matters, but "in no way" suspected molestation.
"My focus was his anger and his intimidating young people," he said. "I was wrong."
• Abuse victims hope for new help in fight - Call to punish those who protect abusers. RCC.
The Olympian,
By CHARISSE JONES, GANNETT NEWS SERVICE, April 5, 2005
UNITED STATES - Victims of the sex-abuse scandal that rocked the Roman Catholic Church praised Pope John Paul II's words condemning the crimes but said they hope the next pontiff will do more to punish those who protect abusive priests.
"I think he reached out to people at a level never done before by previous popes in working on peace and compassion, but when the issue of abuse arose within his own organization, that was a real test," said Sue Archibald, an abuse victim who is president of The Linkup, a group that assists victims of clergy abuse.
"He really could've done a lot more in addressing the issues and reaching out to people who had been wounded."
The January 2002 trial of a former priest accused of sexual abuse unleashed a flood of accusations that sparked the worst scandal to hit the U.S. Catholic Church.
More than 4,300 priests allegedly have abused more than 10,000 children and teenagers since 1950, according to a 2004 study by the John Jay College of Criminal Justice. The scandal has cost the church more than $900 million in settlements, leading some dioceses to declare bankruptcy.
The pope summoned U.S. cardinals to Rome in April 2002, telling them that "there is no place in the priesthood and religious life for those who would harm the young."
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 07:50 AM]
• Former priest pleads innocent to child rape charges. [1980s-90s Burns] - RCC.
Boston Herald,
Associated Press, Tuesday, April 5, 2005
BOSTON (MA) - - A defrocked Catholic priest pleaded innocent to child rape charges Tuesday in Suffolk Superior Court and was released on $5,000 bail.
Robert Burns, 56, of Concord, N.H., is charged with six counts of rape of a child under 16, and seven counts of indecent assault and battery on a child under 14.
Prosecutors said Burns molested five boys while he was assigned to parishes in the Jamaica Plain and Charlestown sections of Boston between the mid-1980s and early 90s.
Burns was convicted in 1996 of indecent assault of a child and was imprisoned for three years in New Hampshire. He was defrocked in 1999.
[Posted by Kathy Shaw at 08:03 PM]
• Case against priest who allegedly made lewd comments continued [? 2004 Gillespie] - RCC. Mother, girl.
Dateline Alabama,
The Associated Press, April 05, 2005
BOSTON (MA) - The charges against a Roman Catholic priest who allegedly sexually propositioned a 12-year-old girl and her mother at a Chelsea restaurant will be dismissed if he meets the conditions of a two-year probationary period.
The case against the Rev. Jerome F. Gillespie, who resigned as pastor of St. John the Evangelist parish in Swampscott after the Jan. 25 incident, was continued without a finding on Monday in Chelsea District Court.
As part of Gillespie's agreeing to sufficient facts, he must complete substance abuse, mental health, and sex offender evaluations, and cannot have contact with children under age 18 without notifying their parents about his case.
If Gillespie, 55, does not meet those conditions, the case will be put back on track for trial, prosecutors said.
• Analysis: Conclave a question of numbers - RCC.
Washington Times,
www.washtimes. com/upi-breaking/ 20050405-034143 -1863r.htm ,
By Roland Flamini, Chief International Correspondent, April 5, 2005
WASHINGTON (DC) (UPI) -- The pope is the sole leader of the Roman Catholic Church and at the same time the absolute ruler of Europe's smallest independent state. There is no permanent representational body governing the church, and no parliament in Vatican City. Yet the pope is elected through a democratic process that would be familiar to any U.S. politician.
Andrew Greeley, the Catholic priest and best-selling author, calls it "the political event par excellence" and compares it to "American conventions of the old days." ...
For the first time in many years the United States cardinals enter the conclave with diminished prestige as "king makers." In 1979 Cardinal John Krol of Philadelphia was reportedly a leading campaigner for Cardinal Wojtyla.
In other circumstances a powerful American point man in the coming conclave would have been Cardinal Bernard Law. He was influential both among U.S. cardinals but also in Latin America and in the Vatican. But that was before Law was forced to resign as archbishop of Boston in 2002 because of the sexual abuse crisis, and now holds a largely ceremonial post in the Vatican.
The pedophilia scandal, coupled with the U.S. hierarchy's support for the Iraq war, and later what many saw as the American bishops' interference in the 2004 presidential elections with their pronouncement on divorcees and Holy Communion, drew public criticism from other leading Catholic prelates, particularly in South America.
[Emphasis added]
• The Future of the Church - RCC.
Beliefnet,
By Deborah Caldwell, ~ April 5, 2005
The Catholic Church is no longer simply a European church. It's not even a Northern Hemisphere church. Nor is it primarily a white church. It is now a universal church found in every country, every race, and nearly every global culture.
All of which means that when the 117 cardinals begin their conclave next week to pick the next pope, they'll debate far more than liturgical fine points or birth control or how the church will deal with women's roles. They'll set the stage for Catholicism's embrace of the 21st century-complete with globalization, terrorism, poverty, American dominance, and the clash of Christianity and Islam. ...
On the other hand, says Reese, American cardinals are worried about the loss of morale among their members because of the priest sex abuse crisis. It's critical the Vatican keep Americans content because U.S. Catholics contribute about 25% of the Vatican's annual budget. Meanwhile, both Americans and Europeans want someone willing to bend on issues such as birth control and priestly celibacy; they also want a man who continues the pope's outreach to Protestants and Jews, and who can continue efforts to lure wealthy, secularized Catholics back to the pews. Those concerns might argue for an Italian pope, who could soothe Americans and energize Europeans.
• At a crossroads - RCC.
Chicago Tribune,
Published April 5, 2005
By Eileen P. Flynn, a professor at St. Peter's College and author of "Catholics at a Crossroads: Coverup, Crisis and Cure" and "Catholicism: Agenda for Renewal." UNITED STATES: People have absorbed the sad news that Pope John Paul II has passed on to the joy of the beatific vision, and our attention is turning to the issue of succession. Who will next carry the shepherd's staff and wear the fisherman's ring?
We are not accustomed to thinking of the papacy in functional terms. Instead, we tend to focus on the person who holds the office, the pope. Since Pope John Paul was such a strong and dominant person and since he held the papal office for more than a generation, we struggle to realize that the functions of the office differ from the officeholder and that they may be more important than the personality of the individual who sits on the throne at St. Peter's Basilica.
If the cardinal-electors want the next pope to be as interesting, energetic and influential as Pope John Paul, they will have an impossible task. And, they will be making a strategic error. Instead, as the Roman Catholic Church looks forward to the conclave to elect a successor to Karol Wojtyla, it would make more sense to consider the needs of the Catholic Church and the type of leader who has the strength to meet those needs. This leader need not be photogenic or silver-tongued; he could dislike air travel and feel uncomfortable with large crowds. No problem. Catholics will be fortunate if the next pope is open-minded, fair and totally dedicated to a clearly defined mission that is in line with the core priorities of Christianity. ...
The church's recent culture closed in on itself, and the hierarchy has been unable to credibly administer the church. The priest sex abuse scandal provides a tragic example of a church that lacked credibility and that refused to deal forthrightly with the crisis until leadership was dragged kicking and screaming by the media to listen to victim-survivors speak of their molestation. Bishops gave bureaucratic reasons for why they did not act decisively to remove priest abusers and Pope John Paul remained aloof from the crisis for as long as humanly possible.
How could this have been the case? For hundreds of years popes and bishops have considered themselves above the laity, a privileged class, leaders who were accountable to God, but not God's people, the church. This ingrained misconception needs to be abandoned, first by the next pope and, subsequently, by each and every member of the hierarchy.
• The Legacy of Pope John Paul II - RCC.
AlterNet,
By Amy Goodman, Democracy Now! Posted April 5, 2005.
UNITED STATES - The Pope died Saturday night at the age of 84. Officials announced the cause of death as septic shock -- an infection causing organ failure and cardiovascular system collapse.
A massive funeral is scheduled to take place on Friday. Rome authorities are braced for as many as two million mourners -- including more than 100 heads of state -- in the largest such event the city has ever seen.
John Paul's 26-year leadership of the Roman Catholic Church was the third longest in history and he was the first non-Italian pope in over 400 years. During his papacy, he visited a record 120 nations and was seen in person by millions. ...
Amy Goodman: What about the sexual abuse scandal?
Angela Bonavoglia: Women were key to the response to the sexual abuse scandal. That, I think, is a very important point. ... Barbara Blaine was sexually abused as a young woman from eighth grade through high school and spent years trying to get justice from the hierarchy in Detroit, where this happened to her. And finally she did get justice, but frankly it wasn't until she was about to go on the Oprah Winfrey Show that they finally relieved that particular priest of his duties. But Barbara, with a handful of people at a hotel room in Chicago in the late 1980s, started Survivors of Priest-Child Sex Abuse, and that organization has grown into over 5,000 people, and really those are the people who are advocates for survivors
