References cont. (19) — Clergy Child Molesters

• Request that former Brisbane archbishop Hollingworth resign.  Australia flag; www.flagaustnat.asn.au /  PERTH, Western Australia: Dear Senator (or other addressee), We ought to have had a new Governor-General about three months after the Queen's visit to Australia. I recommended that about that time. Anyway, we now have another opportunity to upgrade the office of Governor-General. If you doubt this, read the Report of the Board of Inquiry into Past Handling of Complaints of Sexual Abuse in the Anglican Church, Diocese of Brisbane at http://www.parliament.qld.gov.au/AnglicanReport.pdf . If Dr Hollingworth does not resign within seven days, please support any lawful action to remove him. He is, of course, not the only public figure who ought to be removed from office for similar condoning of sexual abuse. Many bishops of both Anglican and Catholic Churches ought to be removed -- however, this is not your function. But you can at least do something about the shameless way that the quasi head of state has held on to the perquisites of office, when he seems to lack the judgement required. -- John Massam, Perth, E-mail to WA Australian Senators and others, May 4 03.   To read the Report, you require Acrobat® Reader.
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• Sex, Power and the Clergy. The scandal of sexual abuse by the clergy is made far worse in the eyes of the public by the way the Churches have handled the problem. Evasion, denial and legal spin-doctoring have been the norm. What are the consequences for faith, and what role does the media play in helping or hindering the healing process? . . . The media have been essential in bringing the matter of clerical sexual abuse to the attention of the public and the police. In an unprecedented series of investigative reports, the Boston Globe, which just received the Pulitzer Prize, forced the Roman Catholic Church in Boston to take appropriate action against known paedophiles, whom it had protected. Recently, 'Compass', on ABC-TV broadcast a program on the Boston situation, where one of the victims, Arthur Austin, spoke about his experience with the now infamous Catholic priest, Father Shanley. ...
Rachael Kohn: Muriel Porter knows well the resistance of churches in dealing with very sensitive and explosive issues. She's an active Anglican who has sat on church synods, she is married to priest Brian Porter, and she's a journalist and author. Muriel has been awarded the Order of Australia for her advocacy of women's and social justice issues in the church, and she is the author of many books, including her latest, Sex, Power and the Clergy. Muriel Porter, welcome to The Spirit of Things. Muriel Porter: Thank you. Rachael Kohn: Muriel, when I think of the issue of sexual abuse by the clergy, my mind goes back to the early '80s when I first read an article in an American magazine about serial abusers who'd been shunted along to different parishes, perpetuating a problem that's still with us. But after reading your book, I have the sense that there are so many sensitivities around this issue. I wonder if we'll ever know the real extent of the problem. Are you more hopeful? Muriel Porter: I don't think we'll ever know the full extent of sexual abuse in families or domestic violence. . . . But overall, people in the know would say that the extent is probably between 10% & 15% of clergy, and that would be across the board, not just the Catholic church, but the Anglican and Protestant churches as well, though the Catholic church tends to be more in the area of, very sadly, the abuse of children, and also teenagers, while in the Anglican and Protestant churches it's more likely to be abuse of adults. . . . a high level of abuse of vulnerable adult women by Anglican and Protestant clergy, up to the same figure of between 10% and 15% overall. Rachael Kohn: . . . In America, where Catholics are still a minority, though a big one, the media has been accused of anti-Catholic bias. I've also read about Catholics who see the recent coverage of clerical sexual abuse as a Jewish press conspiracy. Muriel Porter: . . . I have sat at tables of Anglican church leaders where I've heard this same complaint made. . . . For all my search and reading of the situation in America and my own personal experience, I believe that the press generally has treated this issue with great fairness and dispassion, and in fact almost been a bit hesitant about it, certainly not sensationalised it in the way it could be. . . . Rachael Kohn: Well on the other hand, you've pointed out in your book that journals like Eureka Street, a Jesuit publication which pursues a social justice platform, didn't devote enough attention to the problem; is that complacency or avoidance? Muriel Porter: . . . My only comment is that it is rather surprising that there hasn't been much attention from a serious journal such as Eureka Street, in comparison with, say, The Tablet in England, the Catholic weekly magazine there, which has devoted a lot of time and space to very careful intellectual scrutiny of this issue, hasn't sensationalised it, but has certainly given it the sort of in-depth analysis and The Tablet's stable partner, the Priest and People magazine, has just devoted an entire issue to this whole topic. Their March edition, I've just received it by airmail, it has some excellent and thought-provoking and theologically astute articles about the issue. . . . Rachael Kohn: . . . I was wondering whether the theology of forgiveness and reconciliation needs to be reworked. It's quite troubling to read a bishop's letter calling for prayer for the offending clergy and brothers who've abused disabled men in their charge for 25 years. . . . Muriel Porter: Well I think it's well-meaning probably at some levels. But at other levels I think you're right, it is cynical, and it is wrong. It is an abuse of the theological notion of forgiveness. It's a very easy thing to bandy about you see, isn't it? And people say to me, 'I thought the clergy were about forgiveness and reconciliation, and surely what we should be on about too, is if these people have sinned, don't they also deserve forgiveness?' But the Christian tradition right back to the earliest days of the church, actually has a fairly tough line on forgiveness. It's not something that's bandied about too readily or too easily, I'm sure God forgives much more readily than we ever do, but the church's tradition has been, the earliest of the church, required quite substantial penance of those who had seriously sinned against someone else or against the Christian community. And I wouldn't quite like to see that happening again because they actually did require sometimes years of penance. People had to be on the outside of the Christian community, and then if they were accepted back in into full communion, they had to, for the rest of their lives often, live lives not being married, or going off on a Crusade or whatever else, as a form of penance. (Dr Muriel Porter is a journalist, author and leading Anglican laywoman. She is also lecturer in journalism at RMIT University in Melbourne, and writes regularly on religion for The Age newspaper. In 2002 she was awarded the Order of Australia Medal for her advocacy of women's and social justice issues in the Christian church.) -- Australian Broadcasting Corporation, Religion, The Spirit of Things, "Sex, Power and the Clergy," www.abc.net.au/rn/relig/spirit/stories/s841561.htm , with Rachael Kohn, on Sun May 4 03.
########## Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Sunday, May 4, 2003 edition follows:-
• Lay woman runs parishes http://www.bayarea.com/mld/mercurynews/living/5777374.htm , The Mercury News, By Susan Hogan/Albach, Dallas Morning News: KOSCIUSKO, Mississippi. - In the wooded middle of the state is this small town named for a Polish patriot in the American Revolution. Today, it's known best for its revolutionary women. First, there's Oprah Winfrey, who was born in a farmhouse on the outskirts of Kosciusko, population 7,372. Then there's Barbara Sturbaum, a spiritual trailblazer who mirrors Winfrey's forthright manner, albeit without her name recognition. This wisp-like woman with the white bowl-cut hair quietly treads where few Catholic lay women are allowed by church hierarchy. She leads two parishes without resident priests. The clergy sexual-abuse scandal that erupted last year ignited lay Catholics across the country to lobby for a greater voice in church affairs. They want more accountability, less secrecy and better collaboration among bishops, priests and lay people. Some call it a new model of church, but it's old hat in Kosciusko (pronounced kahs-ee-US-ko). When the last resident priest retired in 1987, Catholics took to heart what he told them -- that they were the church -- and carried on under lay leadership. (Posted by Kathy Shaw 10:17:23 AM)
• Day of prayer would have aided healing, priest-psychologist says http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/stories.nsf/news/ 35CA5BF91D 5AB9C986256D 1B00250B31? OpenDocument& highlight=2%2C patricia%2C rice&headline =Day+of+prayer+ would+have+ aided+healing,+ priest-psychologist+says , St. Louis Post-Dispatch, By PATRICIA RICE. ST. LOUIS (M0): American Catholics missed an opportunity for healing and renewal by not having a national day of prayer and fasting in response to the abuse by some priests of minors, said a priest psychologist here this weekend. Such a day of penance may have helped purify Catholic dioceses in this country, said the Rev. Benedict J. Groeschel, a Franciscan friar and director of the New York Archdiocese's Spiritual Development office. He is the author of many books, including "From Scandal to Hope," which was published last year. Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan, a native of St. Louis, wrote the introduction to that book. Groeschel spoke at the two-day National Association of Diaconate Directors' annual convention here which concluded Saturday. The association represents a majority of the 13,000 permanent ordained Catholic deacons in the United States. Priests who abused people and the bishops who reassigned them were not the only ones who bear responsibility for the scandal, he said. Most Catholic priests and lay persons may not have known about sexual abuse of minors but many looked the other way at wider moral laxity among church members, he said. Many accepted watered-down, secularized ideas about moral issues, he said.
• Survivor to share story of abuse and healing http://www.townonline.com/framingham/news/local_regional/ft_feaftsurvivor05022003.htm , Framingham Tab. FRAMINGHAM (MA): Phil Saviano, founder of the New England chapter of SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) will share his personal story of abuse and healing on Thursday, May 8th at 7 p.m. in St. Ann's parish hall at 124 Cochituate Road in Wayland. The evening is presented by St. Zepherin Response and organized by the Wayland parishes of St. Ann and St. Zepherin. Saviano first spoke out about sexual abuse in the Catholic Church more than ten years ago. As a child, he was victimized by Fr. David Holley of the Worcester Archdiocese. In 1993, Saviano and three other Holley victims filed the first sexual abuse lawsuit against the Catholic Church in Massachusetts. In the course of his investigation, Saviano documented that six bishops across the country had known that Fr. Holley was a child molester. Saviano accepted a settlement of $12,500, but did not agree to any provisions of confidentiality. A few years later, he founded the New England chapter of SNAP. It was through SNAP that many victims first found a path to healing and empowerment, finally gaining the courage to tell the world about their abuse.
• Church leaders discuss abuse http://www.capitalnews9.com/content/headlines/?ArID=24938&SecID=33 , Capital News. ALBANY (NY): Concerned Catholics gathered in Albany to discuss the current issues in the church. The Coalition of Concerned Catholics in the Albany Diocese presented the 13th Northeast Regional Forum. Representatives from all over the Catholic Church were there to listen about and discuss the current sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church. C. Joseph Doyle is the Executive Director for Catholic Action League of Massachusetts said, "It's the solution of a traditional Catholic approach, which is to restore fidelity to Catholic teaching, restore fidelity to Catholic morality and pursue personal holiness interior conversion."
• Hollingworth row 'damages office': Beattie http://www.theage.com.au/ articles/ 2003/05/04/ 1051987594144.html , The Age, Melbourne, May 4 2003. BRISBANE, Australia: The furore over how Governor-General Peter Hollingworth dealt with sex abuse claims in Queensland's Anglican Church could irreparably damage the vice-regal office, Premier Peter Beattie said today. Mr Beattie called on Australians to read the report on how the Brisbane diocese dealt with allegations of sexual abuse within the church when Dr Hollingworth was Brisbane archbishop. "What is important is that Australians make their own judgment and let them know their views," he said. Mr Beattie defended his decision to table the report in the Queensland parliament, after Mr Howard refused to table it in the federal parliament.
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• Anderson says GG should stay http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987595186.html , The Age, Melbourne, Sunday 4 May 2003. AUSTRALIA: Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson says Governor-General Peter Hollingworth had made a "serious lapse of judgment" but should not be forced to quit. Acting as prime minister while John Howard is overseas, Mr Anderson said Australians should be very careful before drawing conclusions about the former Brisbane archbishop. An inquiry, commissioned by current Brisbane archbishop Phillip Aspinall and tabled in the Queensland Parliament, found Dr Hollingworth allowed a priest to continue his ministry despite knowing he was a child abuser. "He, himself is not accused of having committed that most dreadful of sins, sexual abuse against a child and he has shown remorse over a serious lapse of judgment," Mr Anderson told the Nine Network's Sunday program
• No grounds for G-G dismissal: Costello http://www.theage.com.au/ articles/ 2003/05/04/ 1051987 594940.html , The Age, May 4 2003. AUSTRALIA: Treasurer Peter Costello has said there are no grounds for dismissing the Governor-General over his handling of sexual abuse allegations against priests in his diocese during his tenure as Archbishop of Brisbane. Mr Costello said the issue was whether Dr Peter Hollingworth did the right thing when he was Archbishop of Brisbane. "Most Australians would say that he didn't, that he should have taken a stronger line against those priests that he knew had engaged in molestation," Mr Costello said. "So it's really a question of his conduct in that office, an office he had prior to becoming governor-general, and that's a matter for him."
• Priest abuse victims' lawyer confronts clergy http://www. poughkeepsiejournal. com/today/ localnews/ stories/ lo050403s1.shtml , Poughkeepsie Journal, By Nik Bonopartis. POUGHKEEPSIE (NY): More than a year and a half after the abuse scandal that rocked the Catholic Church first appeared, the church's problems have largely faded from the headlines as Americans have focused on the war on terrorism and operations in Iraq. But a Boston lawyer who has represented more than 200 victims of sexual abuse in the clergy scandal says the stories could again grab the attention of Americans as more files are uncovered and more abuse cases play out in court. "It's going to come right back," lawyer Eric MacLeish said in an interview Thursday with the Journal. MacLeish, a 1975 graduate of Vassar College, was in Poughkeepsie to deliver the spring convocation address to Vassar's graduating seniors.
• Priests with troubled pasts http://www.azcentral.com/arizonarepublic/news/articles/0504priests041. html , The Arizona Republic. PHOENIX (AZ): Priests accused of sexual abuse or harassment worked in nearly half of all parishes in the Roman Catholic Diocese of Phoenix during the past three decades, according to an analysis of public records compiled by The Arizona Republic. The analysis reveals that church leaders often dealt with allegations of sexual abuse by reassigning priests rather than disciplining them and that some of the worst repeat offenders were transferred into predominantly Hispanic parishes. Those practices, which put children at risk and in some cases led to abuse that could have been stopped, began long before Bishop Thomas O'Brien came to power in 1982. In fact, some of the most-troubling policies can be tied directly to O'Brien's predecessor, James Rausch, one-time head of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, who spent his last years leading the Phoenix Diocese. But records show O'Brien failed to correct many problems he inherited from Rausch while vowing publicly to bring about change.
• Inheriting a legacy of secrecy, scandal http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0504priests-context04. html , The Arizona Republic, by Joseph A. Reaves and Kelly Ettenborough, May 4, 2003. PHOENIZ (AZ): Silence trumped justice far too long for victims of sexual abuse in the Phoenix Diocese. On that, most everyone agrees. Why and how it happened, though, remains a gnawing question. There's surely no single explanation. The possibilities include a former bishop's struggle with sex, a desperate shortage of priests and the fear of scandal. But the world was a different place decades ago when allegations of sexual abuse were routinely covered up. And, like the times, Phoenix Bishop Thomas O'Brien says the church has changed as well. "Society as a whole has come to a greater understanding of these pathologies in recent decades, and the church has learned along with the rest of the community," O'Brien wrote in an opinion column published by The Arizona Republic last year. "We have learned, and we continue to learn from each challenge." [COMMENT: How come "the church has learned along with the rest of the community"? Rubbish -- the early Christians were taught not to even greet someone who had joined them, and then committed serious offences. If the Churches, supposedly founded 2000 years ago, need to learn about these "pathologies," Heaven help us! Anyway, what about reporting to the police? "Render to Caesar the things that are Caesar's". COMMENT ENDS.]
• Bishop shares blame after report http://www.thecouriermail.news.com.au/ common/story_page/ 0,5936,6381718% 255E1702,00.html , The Courier Mail, Brisbane, By Paul Osborne, 04 May 03. AUSTRALIA: A bishop who ministered in the Anglican Church under Governor-General Peter Hollingworth has said he was happy to share the blame over the handling of sexual abuse complaints. The report of an inquiry into the Brisbane Anglican diocese's handling of sexual abuse complaints found Dr Hollingworth - then archbishop of Brisbane - allowed a known paedophile priest to continue in his ministry. The report was tabled in Queensland parliament last week, intensifying calls for Dr Hollingworth to resign as governor-general. Brisbane southern region Bishop Ron Williams, who the inquiry report said was involved in discussions and received correspondence regarding several cases, said today he was "happy to share any blame that is there".
• Archbishop provides revised chronology of abuse reports http://www.al.com/ news/mobileregister/ index.ssf?/xml/ story.ssf/html_ standard.xsl?/ base/news/ 10520400 52274700.xml , Mobile Register, By Kristen Campbell and Steve Myers. MOBILE (AL): During recent weeks, Mobile Archbishop Oscar H. Lipscomb has changed the timeline about what he knew and when he knew it regarding the reporting of sexual abuse allegations against the Rev. J. Alexander Sherlock. Sherlock, a longtime Mobile priest, is one of five clergy members with ties to the Archdiocese of Mobile under criminal investigation by Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr.'s office. Sherlock, 62, made his resignation from the priesthood effective Feb. 28, leaving his assignment as pastor of St. Peter's Catholic Church in Montgomery. The Very Rev. Michael L. Farmer, chancellor of the Archdiocese of Mobile, said confusion about the chronology of reports concerning Sherlock occurred as a result of Lipscomb's memory and the lack of written records about one of the alleged victims.
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• Priest accused of inappropriate behavior while at Maxwell http://www.al.com/ news/mobileregister/ index.ssf?/xml/ story.ssf/html_ standard.xsl?/base/ news/10520397 76274700.xml , Mobile Register, 05/04/03, By Steve Myers. MOBILE (AL): One of the priests named in a local criminal probe into sexual abuse was accused of sexually inappropriate behavior while he was a chaplain at Maxwell Air Force Base in Montgomery, according to church and law enforcement officials. That priest, Barry E. Ryan, has been a high school teacher in Florida, where school officials say they didn't know of the accusation against him. Little information has been disclosed about the allegation involving Ryan, who recently requested leave from his job as a school library media specialist in Stuart, Fla. Ryan's home diocese, the Diocese of Brooklyn, N.Y., provided no specifics during several interviews, and Mobile County District Attorney John Tyson Jr. said he has seen no details in local church documents that identified Ryan as an alleged abuser. The Archdiocese of Mobile provided the local documents pertaining to Ryan and five other clergy in response to an open-ended request by Tyson in March. He asked the church for information on J. Alexander Sherlock, a Montgomery priest who resigned from his post because of accusations of child sex abuse, and any other priests with similar problems.
• 10 join abuse suit against church http://www.courier-journal.com/localnews/2003/05/04in/met-front-abus0504-5587.html , The Courier-Journal, By HAROLD J. ADAMS, hjadams@courier-journal.com . KENTUCKY, USA: Ten people, including a Clark County judge, who claim they were sexually abused by a priest while attending St. Augustine Catholic Elementary School in Jeffersonville in the 1950s and 60s have joined a lawsuit a woman filed against the Archdiocese of Indianapolis last year. The 11 plaintiffs allege they were abused by the Rev. Albert Deery, who died in 1972, according to Karl Truman, one of three attorneys for the plaintiffs. They've asked the Clark Circuit Court to certify their suit as a class action, representing all who attended the school and parish between 1942 and 1972 "and who were subjected to tortuous and criminal actions by Father Albert Deery," according to the class-action petition. The suit, which names Archbishop Daniel Buechlein as well as the archdiocese as defendants, contends the defendants "took no action to discipline or sanction Deery or to inform or warn the plaintiffs, their parents, or other students and parents that Deery was sexually abusing young women and men attending churches and schools served by Deery.
• Scandal dogs Australian governor http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/2999599.stm , BBC. AUSTRALIA: Pressure is mounting on Australia's governor-general to quit amid plans for a no-confidence vote and new claims over the hushing-up of sex abuse by clergy. Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, the former Archbishop of Brisbane, has refused to resign after an inquiry found he had allowed a known paedophile to continue working as a priest. But on Sunday the opposition Democrats announced plans to table a motion of no-confidence in Mr Hollingworth - Queen Elizabeth II's representative in Australia. The move came two days after the Australian Government backed the beleaguered governor-general. Prime Minister John Howard said he did not regret appointing Mr Hollingworth, and his deputy John Anderson urged people to "stand back" and acknowledge that the governor had been prepared to admit his failure.
• G-G report will not be tabled http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/04/1051987593524.html , The Age, May 4 2003. AUSTRALIA: Prime Minister John Howard refused a request to table a report into complaints about the Governor-General's handling of child sex abuse allegations while he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane, his successor has said. Dr Phillip Aspinall, the current Archbishop of Brisbane, who commissioned the report, said he had asked Mr Howard to table the document, which resulted from an independent inquiry into the claims. But, Dr Aspinall told the Sunday programme, Mr Howard "declined". "He said it would be an abuse of parliamentary privilege," Dr Aspinall said.
• Churchgoers gather to welcome Archbishop Martin http://breakingnews.iol.ie/ news/story. asp?j=36507636 &p=365x8xyx , Ireland On-line. IRELAND: Churchgoers gathered in the Dublin rain today to greet the man who will take on one of the most high-profile jobs in the Catholic Church in Ireland. Archbishop Diarmuid Martin smiled and joked with parishioners after it was announced he is to succeed Cardinal Desmond Connell as the new Archbishop of Dublin. The 58-year-old Dubliner – who is successor-in-waiting until Cardinal Connell's resignation is accepted – promised to help victims of the sex abuse scandal that has rocked the Catholic Church in Ireland.
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• Anger at `false claim' in movie http://ichuddersfield.icnetwork.co.uk/0100news/0100localnews/ page. cfm ?objectid=12918256 &method=full&siteid=50060&headline=Anger%20at%20%60false%20claim , The Huddersfield Daily Examiner, By Jane Yelland. BRITAIN: A Huddersfield man is involved in a campaign against the makers of Evelyn, the film starring 007 actor Pierce Brosnan. The film charts a father's effort to retrieve his children from harsh industrial schools run by Catholic orders in Ireland. It is based on the true story of Desmond Doyle, a single father who in 1950s Ireland is declared an unfit father. His three children are taken into care, but Doyle takes on the Catholic Church and wins his children back after a huge legal battle. The film closes with the words: "As a result of Desmond Doyle's victory, the Children's Act was amended, enabling many children throughout Ireland to be reunited with their families." But Jim Beresford, of Raw Nook Road, Salendine Nook, who attended Artane Industrial School in north Dublin, wants the makers of Evelyn, Irish Dreamtime, to drop what he says is a false claim. Mr Beresford, a researcher for Irish Survivors of Child Abuse (Soca), says his incarceration at Artane between 1961 and 1963 was two years of hell and the Doyle 1955 Supreme Court judgement did nothing to help him or any other children in the schools.
• N.J. law still blocks suits on sex abuse by clergy http://www.northjersey.com/ page.php?qstr= eXJpcnk 3Zjcz N2Y3dn FlZUVFeXkz JmZnYmVsN2Y3dnFlZ UVFeXk2MzczNTA1 JnlyaXJ5N2Y3M TdmN3ZxZWVFRXl5Mw== , NewJersey.com, By JOHN CHADWICK. NEW JERSEY. USA: The grieving parents sued the Catholic Church, seeking justice in the death of their son. Christopher Schultz of Emerson had committed suicide months after accusing a Roman Catholic brother of sexually abusing him. He was 12 when he drank poison from his parents' medicine cabinet. But New Jersey courts said the family had no case, regardless of whether there was any evidence. They ruled that an obscure state law protected the Newark Archdiocese from even having to stand trial. That was in 1984. In the nearly two decades since, New Jersey's Charitable Immunity Act has scuttled scores more lawsuits, including many alleging clergy sexual abuse. In the wake of the crisis in the Catholic Church, the statute has become the focal point in a battle for change.
• Hollingworth crisis deepens http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/ common/story_page/ 0,5478, 6376948 %255E662,00.html , Herald Sun Sunday, By Gerard McManus in Canberra, 04 May 03. AUSTRALIA: The Governor-General should look to his own conscience to resolve the crisis of confidence affecting his office, Acting Prime Minister John Anderson said yesterday. In the strongest words yet from a senior minister, Mr Anderson said the Government would not seek to replace Dr Peter Hollingworth, but he "must weigh carefully his own conscience, feelings and responsibilities and I know that he will do that". Mr Anderson said Australians should not rush to judge Dr Hollingworth and that he had not committed any act to warrant his sacking. "This is a difficult issue, but it is certainly clear that the Government in no way believes that Dr Hollingworth should be removed or that his office should be curtailed," Mr Anderson said. He said Dr Hollingworth had performed his tasks well and shown concern over a past misjudgment.
• The G-G is a dud: he must go http://www.heraldsun.news.com.au/ common/story_ page/0,5478, 6379735% 255E421,00.html , Herald Sun, By Matt Price, 04 May 03. AUSTRALIA: My favourite political cartoon appeared when then federal Health Minister Carmen Lawrence was under siege during the Easton affair. For months, Lawrence's political opponents had demanded she resign. As a royal commission produced damaging evidence, the cries grew louder, yet Lawrence stayed put. Coincidentally, a pile of whales became stranded in WA's southwest. This inspired cartoonist Dean Alston to depict Lawrence as a giant beached whale. The caption read: "Nobody knows why they do it." Which brings us to Peter Hollingworth. At one level, there are plenty of reasons why the Governor-General chooses to ignore critics baying for his scalp. A tidy $310,000 a year, for starters. Two magnificent official residences, on Lake Burley Griffin and Sydney Harbour, cooks, butlers, servants, swish cars, unlimited domestic and international travel. Dinner with important people in high places.
• Support fades for the G-G http://www.sundaytimes.news.com.au/ common/story_page/0,7034,6376467%255E949,00.html , The Sunday Times, By Sharon Labi, 04 May 03. AUSTRALIA: Federal Government support for the Governor-General appeared to be waning yesterday after Acting Prime Minister John Anderson told him to weigh his conscience before deciding his future. Peter Hollingworth is under growing pressure to resign over his handling of sex abuse cases while Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. A damning report into child sexual abuse in the Brisbane Anglican Church found Dr Hollingworth made a serious error of judgment by allowing a known pedophile to continue working. But Dr Hollingworth was standing firm amid a growing chorus of calls by state premiers, political leaders and abuse victims' advocates for his scalp. Prime Minister John Howard rejected any suggestion he was trying to protect Dr Hollingworth by failing to table the Anglican Church's report in Federal Parliament.
• Connell successor is 58-year-old Dubliner http://www.ireland.com/newspaper/front/2003/0503/1170105235HM1MARTIN.html , Irish Times. IRELAND: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, the Holy See's Permanent Observer at the UN in Geneva, is to be appointed coadjutor Archbishop of Dublin. The announcement is expected to be made at a press conference in Dublin today. Archbishop Martin is understood to have travelled to Rome yesterday, before returning to Dublin last night. Currently titular Archbishop of Glendalough, the 58-year-old Dubliner will succeed Cardinal Connell on the latter's retirement, probably within two years. ... Untouched by any of the scandals that have beset the Catholic Church, Archbishop Martin is seen as being a clean pair of hands. Born in Dublin in 1945, he attended the Oblate School, Inchicore, the De La Salle Brothers in Ballyfermot, and Marian College, Ballsbridge. He studied at Clonliffe in Dublin and was ordained in 1969, after which he served in Cabinteely.
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• A damaging defence of the indefensible http://www.theage.com.au/ articles/ 2003/05/03/ 1051876900832.html , The Age, May 4 2003. AUSTRALIA: If John Howard is to avoid a backlash, writes Michelle Grattan, he needs the Governor-General to give up the job. John Howard's last public declaration before hopping on the plane to America was amazing. He claimed- categorically - that he didn't regret appointing Peter Hollingworth Governor-General. Really? The PM is acting on the belief that, when it comes to the Governor-General, there can only be black or white. As soon as Howard equivocates, that's it. But this means the PM looks to be either telling a whopping fib or tolerating behaviour by Hollingworth that most ordinary people would think totally wrong.
• Libs join push for G-G to go http://www.theage.com.au/articles/2003/05/02/1051382096161.html , The Age, May 3 2003, By Phillip Hudson, Greg Roberts. AUSTRALIA: Pressure was mounting last night for Peter Hollingworth to stand down as Governor-General, with concern in government ranks about his handling of child sex complaints. Deputy Prime Minister John Anderson said the Government would not sack Dr Hollingworth but an increasing number of Liberal and National Party MPs believe he should resign. Dr Hollingworth last night refused to respond to requests to answer his critics as he attended a charity dinner in Canberra. Government House said he was standing firm after an Anglican Church report said he allowed a known pedophile to remain a priest.
• Catholic Charities lowers goal for drive after donations drop http://www.cleveland.com/ news/plaindealer/ index.ssf?/base/ cuyahoga/ 1051961685248300.xml , The Plain Dealer, 05/03/03, Susan Ruiz Patton. CLEVELAND (OH): Catholic Charities' annual appeal, which did not reach last year's $11.4 million goal, has lowered its sights this year by nearly $1 million to reflect decreased giving. The $10.5 million appeal -- which taps parishioners throughout the Cleveland diocese for donations through December -- officially kicked off yesterday when volunteers passed out candy and brochures outside the Cathedral of St. John the Evangelist in downtown Cleveland. Last year, 10,000 fewer parishioners gave money than in 2001, with donations totaling $9.6 million, said diocese spokesman Ed Mayer. The 2002 campaign was hampered by the sour economy and accusations of child sexual abuse against some Catholic priests in Northeast Ohio, said John Klee, executive vice president of Catholic Charities Corp.
• Bishop sued by alleged school molestation victim http://www.sacbee.com/ content/ news/story/ 6560059p- 7510307c.html , Sacramento Bee, Published 2:15 a.m. PDT Saturday, May 3, 2003, By Ralph Montaño. SACRAMENTO (CA): A woman who says she was molested by a janitor at a Catholic school in Folsom has sued Sacramento Bishop William K. Weigand alleging fraud and negligence, claiming she was misled by the diocese victim's advocate. The advocate, Nancy Milton, who is also named in the lawsuit, responded to callers who used the diocese sex-abuse hot line. The suit, filed Wednesday by Sacramento attorney Joseph George, claimed Milton acted as a lawyer and investigator for the diocese, not a therapist. The plaintiff, Reya Rutherford of Washoe, Nev., is the third person to file a lawsuit about the sex-abuse hot line. Rutherford said she was molested in 1964 by a maintenance worker at St. John the Baptist Parish in Folsom. According to the suit, she contacted church officials about the abuse at the time and in 2002, at which time the church referred her to Milton.
• Australian governor-general told to quit over sex scandal http://www.brunei-online. com/bb/ fri/may2 w27.htm , Borneo Bulletin. SYDNEY, Australia: (AFP): Australia's ceremonial head of state, Governor-General Peter Hollingworth, faced calls to resign Thursday after a report criticised him for not acting against a paedophile priest when he was Anglican archbishop of Brisbane. But Prime Minister John Howard came to Hollingworth's defence, rejecting demands he dismiss the official over the scandal. "I'm not going to sack the govern-general," Howard told reporters before flying out of Sydney for a visit to the United States. The independent report released in the Queensland state parliament said the former church leader, now Queen Elizabeth's representative in Australia, received clear evidence that the priest committed sexual offences against young boys but allowed him to continue to preach. (Posted by Kathy Shaw 9:22:34 AM)
########## End of Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Sunday, May 4, 2003
########## Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Monday, May 5, 2003 edition follows:-
• Ex-priest's court proceedings delayed http://www.trivalleyherald.com/ Stories/ 0,1413,86~ 10671~ 1370296,00.html , Tri-Valley Herald, From staff and wire reports: MARTINEZ (CA): Legal proceedings have been postponed for a former priest charged with molesting altar boys years ago in Antioch. The Contra Costa County District Attorney's Office has decided to hold off on court appearances for Robert Ponciroli, 66, until June, when the U.S. Supreme Court is set to issue a decision regarding sexual abuse allegations against religious figures. Ponciroli, extradited from Florida last month, remains in jail in Martinez on suspicion of molesting altar boys in the 1970s and 1980s, including a now 32-year-old Antioch man who was a member of the St. Ignatius Church in 1979, authorities said. (Posted by Kathy Shaw 8:12:55 AM)
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• Protesters send message by mail http://www.cmonitor.com/stories/front2003/confession_bill_2003.shtml , Concord Monitor, By Annmarie Timmins. NEW HAMPSHIRE: A conservative Catholic group from Pennsylvania is deluging state lawmakers and two newspapers with e-mails and postcards protesting an effort to require clergy to break the seal of confession when they learn of child abuse. In the two days since it started its campaign, The American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family and Property has arranged to have about 500 form e-mails sent to legislators and about 120 similar postcards sent to the Concord Monitor and The Union Leader. Robert Ritchie, secretary for the group, said lawmakers can expect 2,000 e-mails each and newspapers can expect 5,000 postcards before the campaign ends next month. The campaign is upsetting lawmakers and the Diocese of Manchester, which shares the group's opposition to the legislation but does not support its approach. Pat McGee, spokesman for the diocese, said the church's attorney has asked the group to stop jamming lawmakers' e-mail accounts. "People are free to do whatever they want, but we think it's an annoyance," McGee said. "When we take a position on legislation, we communicate those positions directly to the Legislature in a professional manner."
• Voice of Faithful Donation Rejected http://www.newsday.com/news/ local/longisland/ ny-vot0504,0, 5400454.story? coll=ny-linews- headlines , Newsday, By Rita Ciolli. LONG ISLAND (NY): Catholic Charities of the Diocese of Rockville Centre has rejected $750 in donations from the Long Island Voice of the Faithful. The action comes days after the grassroots group sent Bishop William Murphy a letter telling the leader of Long Island Catholics he is not capable of healing a diocese wounded by revelations that priests sexually abused children. Voice of the Faithful sent checks for $250 each to Regina Residence in East Merrick, which serves girls ages 11 to 18 who have a "crisis pregnancy" or are new mothers; Christopher Residence in Valley Stream; and Newman Residence in Manhasset for adults with developmental difficulties. "Catholic Charities is an integral part of the work of the Church in the Diocese of Rockville Centre, and it is important to maintain a sense of unity of mission," the social services agency said in a written statement to Newsday. "To that end we do not believe it would be appropriate for Catholic Charities or its programs to accept donations from the organization Voice of the Faithful."
• Panel could aid priest abuse suits http://www.philly.com/mld/dailynews/news/local/5787775.htm , Philadelphia Inquirer, By RON GOLDWYN, goldwyr@phillynews.com . PHILADELPHIA (PA): A year-long grand jury investigating alleged sexual abuse by priests in Philadelphia could hold the key to future suits by abuse victims -- litigation that has been rare, and rarely successful. A $300 million suit filed in Long Island -- which includes a Philadelphia abuse victims' group leader among 23 plaintiffs -- cites a grand jury report as part of new legal tactics on old allegations. The approach could serve as a model in any Philadelphia litigation, such as the suit filed last week by a former South Philadelphian who alleges he was abused by a priest in 1982 and 1983. The Long Island suit, against the Diocese of Rockville Centre, N.Y., includes a scathing Suffolk County grand jury report literally as Exhibit A. The report found a massive and carefully planned church coverup to keep priest abuse under wraps until legal deadlines had passed.
• Ex-priest spotted near Mexico http://www.presstelegram.com/Stories/0,1413,204~21474~1369421,00.html , Long Beach Press-Telegram, By Associated Press. LOS ANGELES (CA): A former Orange County priest who has spent a year on the run from sex abuse charges has been spotted in west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, and Texas authorities believe he now lives in their state or across the border. Authorities also say Siegfried F. Widera, 62, who is accused of 42 counts of child molestation and worked in the Diocese of Orange from 1976 to 1985, may be trying to work as a priest in small villages in northern Mexico. "El Paso is literally 10 feet from the Mexican border,' said El Paso County sheriff's spokesman Rick Glancey. "We suspect that he may be trying to conduct himself as a member of the clergy in some of the smaller villages in northern Mexico who are unaware of his past.' Members of the West Texas Southwest Fugitive Task Force count Widera as one of the most wanted sex crime figures in the country and are leading the search for him. The task force is distributing Widera's photo and trying to broadcast it on Mexican television.
• Queen's representative in Australia may have to resign over handling of sex abuse claims http://www. bayarea. com/mld/cctimes/news/5788599.htm , Contra Costa Times, By Jamie Tarabay, Associated Press. SYDNEY, Australia: Queen Elizabeth's representative in Australia is facing fresh pressure to resign after a church report revealed more allegations of his failure to act against a known pedophile. Politicians and community groups alike are calling for the ouster of Governor-General Peter Hollingworth after a Queensland state Anglican Church report found he allowed a priest to continue his ministry in the 1990s despite knowing he was a child abuser. At the time, Hollingworth was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane. Prime Minister John Howard, who appointed Hollingworth, has staunchly backed him. "There is nothing in his conduct as governor-general and indeed no proper basis in relation to other matters for me to recommend to the queen that his commission be terminated," he told reporters Sunday.
• Despite hard times, church sets $9M drive http://www2.bostonherald.com/ news/ local_regional/ chur05052003.htm , Boston Herald, by Thomas Caywood, Monday, May 5, 2003. BOSTON (MA): The Archdiocese of Boston yesterday passed around the collection plate for an annual fund-raiser aimed at raking in $9 million, a tall order with the economy on the skids and clergy sex abuse settlement talks seemingly stalled. Even so, Roxbury's St. Patrick Parish got its Catholic Appeal 2003 drive off to a rousing start with a heart-felt call for donations from chairwoman Ruth Grant. "She was so persuasive, I promised I'd double my contribution from last year and demanded everybody in the parish do the same," the Rev. Walter Waldron, pastor of St. Patrick, chuckled. Echoing what Bishop Richard Lennon, temporary head of the archdiocese, said in announcing the fund drive late last month, Waldron assured his flock any money they donate will go to further the church's good works. "None goes to (sex abuse) lawsuits, period. No question about that," he said.
Overview at: www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/minilist.htm
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• Supporting victims remains group's focus http://www.stltoday.com/ stltoday/news/ stories.nsf/ News/420F579C A448AAF A86256D1 D001BC379?OpenDocument &Headline=Supporting +victims+remains+group , St. Louis Post-Dispatch, By Greg Jonsson, updated: 05/05/2003 12:22 AM. ST. LOUIS (MO): He woke up at 4 in the morning and paced in the darkness for three hours, when he finally called his brother. "Put your clothes on," he told his brother. "Tell your wife you'll be gone for about an hour." A few minutes later they were at a St. Louis County parish, and everything looked the same. The air conditioner hanging in the window. The door he'd kept between himself and the priest after he was abused. The porch where he'd waited for his mother to come pick him up early one morning 30 years ago. "It was a little shaky," the man said with an empty laugh. "I'm glad I did it. I'm glad I took my brother with me." It was a simple story about a man facing a fear he had lived with for decades, but it had a powerful effect on the members of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests [SNAP]. Some members of the support group cried, others passed around tissues. Some just sat in awe of the man's courage. Sunday, May 4, 2003
• Mum tells of liar tag after sex complaint http://www.thecouriermail. news.com.au/ common/ story_page/ 0,5936,6382692% 255E3102,00.html , The Courier-Mail. AUSTRALIA: Former Anglican Church school headmaster Gilbert Case allegedly accused a mother of lying when she recounted how a another schoolteacher sexually molested a schoolboy in 1984. The other teacher was jailed after he was convicted in 1994 of 15 sex offences, including 12 acts of gross indecency and two of carnal knowledge at a Darwin high school. The acts included masturbating naked schoolboys who were tied to a table as part of a make-believe bondage session. Mr Case, the headmaster of the Anglican-run St Paul's School at Bald Hills, Brisbane, from 1979 to 2001, was yesterday again silent on whether he would resign as executive director of the Anglican Schools Office in Queensland after criticism in a church sex-abuse report.
• Texas authorities search for accused former Orange County priest http://www.bayarea.com/ mld/mercurynews/ news/local/ 5785704.htm , The Mercury News, Associated Press. LOS ANGELES (CA): A former Orange County priest who has spent a year on the run from sex abuse charges has been spotted in west Texas, southern New Mexico and northern Mexico, and Texas authorities believe he now lives in their state or across the border. Authorities also say Siegfried F. Widera, 62, who is accused of 42 counts of child molestation and worked in the Diocese of Orange from 1976 to 1985, may be trying to work as a priest in small villages in northern Mexico. "El Paso is literally 10 feet from the Mexican border," said El Paso County sheriff's spokesman Rick Glancey. "We suspect that he may be trying to conduct himself as a member of the clergy in some of the smaller villages in northern Mexico who are unaware of his past." Members of the West Texas Southwest Fugitive Task Force count Widera as one of the most wanted sex crime figures in the country and are leading the search for him. The task force is distributing Widera's photo and trying to broadcast it on Mexican television.
• G-G can end furore http://www.bordermail.com.au/newsflow/pageitem?page_id=586386 , The Border Mail. AUSTRALIA: Treasurer Mr Peter Costello had hinted that Governor-General Dr Peter Hollingworth could end the furore over his role in sex abuse scandals by resigning for personal reasons. Mr Costello kept the pressure on the beleaguered Governor-General by saying his future was up to him. With acting Prime Minister Mr John Anderson saying at the weekend that Dr Hollingworth should "weigh his conscience", the two most senior members of the Federal Government in the absence of Prime Minister Mr John Howard have suggested that the Governor-General should consider his position. Mr Costello said there was no ground for Mr Howard to recommend to the Queen that Dr Hollingworth be dismissed because whatever errors he made were made when he was Anglican Archbishop of Brisbane.
• PM stands by isolated G-G http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6383121%255E421,00.html , News.com.au , By Ashleigh Wilson, Luke McIlveen and staff writers, May 05, 2003. AUSTRALIA: Governor-General Peter Hollingworth has vowed not to stand down in the wake of a report into his handling a sex abuse case and Prime Minister John Howard said there was no reason to sack him. Speaking in New York today, John Howard said there was no valid reason for Dr Hollingworth to lose his job. "There is nothing in his conduct as governor-general and indeed no proper basis in relation to other matters for me to recommend to the Queen that his commission be terminated," he said. "Beyond that, I don't intend to comment on the speculation and commentary that has occurred in Australia since I left." The governor-general has been under pressure following the release of a report into the treatment of sexual abuse cases within the Anglican archdiocese of Brisbane. The report criticised Dr Hollingworth for failing to act properly against a pedophile priest during his tenure as archbishop.
• Albany Catholic Diocese removes two more priests http://www.fox23news.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=DB66490D-C4D2-4940-8329-48D75AD72A86 , Fox23 News (AP), ALBANY (NY): The Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany has removed two priests from ministry because of allegations of sexual abuse of minors during the 1970s. Bishop Howard Hubbard announced that the Reverend Sean McMahon was permanently removed from public ministry on the recommendation of the Diocesan Sexual Misconduct Panel. Officials say the Reverend John Connolly has been placed on administrative leave and removed from ministry while the panel continues an investigation of two claims against him. Connolly has denied both allegations.
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• Cardinal successor Martin admits flock 'feel betrayed' http://www.unison.ie/ irish_independent/ stories.php3?ca =9&si=967417& issue>_ id=9146 , Sunday Independent, Frank Khan and Martin Fitzpatrick. IRELAND: Archbishop Diarmuid Martin appointed by the pope as the successor to Cardinal Desmond Connell as archbishop of Dublin spoke out yesterday about those who were "estranged" from the church. Minutes after his appointment was made public he told the congregation at the Pro-Cathedral: "I'm aware there are those for whom meaning and hope were lost in their lives through the actions of church personnel." Standing beside the cardinal who has been at the centre of controversy over the archdiocese's handling of sexual abuse cases the incoming archbishop declared: "The hurt is all the greater if they feel betrayed by someone they had turned to in trust." As the largely elderly congregation listened intently he added: "I am prepared to work with them and with all so that the church in the Dublin diocese can be, more and more, a church at its best, bringing comfort and strength - that hope and meaning of the message of Jesus, which has inspired so many in this city and diocese over the years."
• Abuse victim welcomes new Bishop http://u.tv/newsroom/indepth.asp?id=31874&pt=n , U TV. IRELAND: A victim of clerical sex abuse today welcomed the appointment of a new Archbishop to take over the Dublin Archdiocese upon Cardinal Desmond Connell's retirement. Marie Collins said she hoped Archbishop Diarmuid Martin would bring a more transparent approach to the handling of cases. "He is a younger man and he is coming in fresh and hopefully he will have a more modern approach," she said. The 58-year-old Dubliner will act as coadjutor - or assistant - to Cardinal Connell until his retirement some time in the next two years.
• PM's support for G-G wavers http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/05/05/1051987617995.html , Sydney Morning Herald, By Mark Riley in New York and Cynthia Banham in Canberra, May 5 2003. AUSTRALIA: The Prime Minister, John Howard, early this morning softened his strong defence of the beleaguered Governor-General but said he would not seek the removal of Peter Hollingworth. Mr Howard said there was nothing in Dr Hollingworth's actions as Governor-General that would require him to be sacked. However, he made no defence of Dr Hollingworth's actions in the child sex abuse scandal which has embroiled the vice-regal office. Mr Howard's refusal to mount a strong defence of the Governor-General follows remarks by the deputy Prime Minister, John Anderson, and the Treasurer, Peter Costello, that appeared to invite Dr Hollingworth to resign.
• FOUR KNOWN PRIEST MOLESTERS: NOTRE DAME CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY, U.S.A. SOUTH BEND (Indiana): University of Notre Dame officials are reaching out to former students who report they experienced sexual misconduct by clergy while attending the university. The university recently established a three-member panel of contacts for former students or alumni who want to report cases of inappropriate behavior by clergy. "It takes a great deal of courage for them to come forward," said panel member Carol Mooney, a university vice president and associate provost. The other two contacts are John C. Cavadini, chair of the theology department; and Carol Kaesebier, vice president and general counsel. The goal is to listen and determine what the university can do to help people who report they were victimized while attending Notre Dame, Mooney said. The effort comes amid requests by some alumni for detailed information about how the university handles cases of alleged clergy sexual misconduct and how many cases have been reported in the past three decades. . . . The four cases known so far are believed to be: . . . The alumni group also is asking whether any cases of alleged misconduct have resulted in financial settlements, what happens to offenders, and whether information about such offenders is shared between the university and the Congregation of Holy Cross. For a complete list of the group's questions: www.firetrap.com/sand. . . . Dr. James Muller, a 1965 graduate, also is involved in the alumni discussion. Muller, a Boston cardiologist, is a prominent voice in the national debate about the crisis in the Catholic Church. He's a founder and chair of Voice of the Faithful (VOTF), a lay initiative launched in Muller's parish last year in response to the growing scandal of sexual abuse cases in the Archdiocese of Boston. -- South Bend Tribune, "ND reaches out to victims; Former students claim clergy misconduct; Alumni Group Wants To Know How University Handles Investigations," http://www.southbendtribune.com/ stories/ 2003/05/04/ local.20030504- sbt-FULL-A1- ND_reaches_out.sto (A fee of $US 1.95 is charged to sight this) , By Margaret Fosmoe, mfosmoe@sbtinfo.com , May 4 03
[FOOTNOTE: University of Notre Dame, Notre Dame, Indiana, 46556, United States of America, Phone: 574-631-5000, http://www.nd.edu/] Article dated: May 4 03
• G-G vows to remain in office http://www.news.com.au/ common/story_page/0,4057,6383121 %255 E26737, 00.html , News.com.au , By Ashleigh Wilson and Luke McIlveen, May 05, 2003. AUSTRALIA: Embattled Governor-General Peter Hollingworth is vowing not to stand down, despite growing political pressure for him to resign. As senior federal government figures Peter Costello and John Anderson refused to rally behind Dr Hollingworth yesterday, a spokesman for the Governor-General told The Australian he would tough it out. "The Governor-General has no intention of standing down," the spokesman said. "He is a man who examines his conscience constantly. If he didn't have a conscience he wouldn't have gone into the church, he wouldn't have spent many years running the Brotherhood of St Laurence and being a social worker. "I believe that the man is conducting his job in good conscience." The vice-regal defence came as Democrats leader Andrew Bartlett said he would seek cross-party agreement for a Senate motion of no confidence in the Governor-General.
Overview at: www.multiline.com.au/~johnm/minilist.htm
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• Gag alleged over abuse http://news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6383365%255E26462,00.html , News.com.au , By Danny Rose, May 05, 2003. TASMANIA: A group representing Tasmanian children abused by Anglican priests yesterday accused the church of stifling debate on the issue. Survivors Confronting Child Abuse and Rape (SCCAR) vice-president Steve Fisher said it appeared the damaging topic had been dropped from an imminent state meeting. The group represents about 50 victims and their supporters relating to proven and alleged sex offences decades ago. The Bishop of Tasmania, the Right Rev John Harrower, said yesterday the group's concerns were based on a misunderstanding.
• Priest's abuse of children was known for years http://www.courier-journal.com/ localnews/ 2003/05/04 ky/ke050403 s402874.htm , By Andrew Wolfson, awolfson@courier-journal.com , The Courier-Journal, Sunday, May 4, 2003. LOUISVILLE (Kentucky): As a seminary student at Cincinnati's Mount St. Mary's, the Rev. Daniel C. Clark ranked last in his class after his first year, and faculty later described him as "very much of a loner." But Clark seemed to have one gift, according to his evaluations: He was great with children. "His way with youths was really an asset to our parish," wrote Robert Sonntag, a church leader in Aurora, Ind., where Clark worked with Boy Scouts and other children in 1978, before he was ordained. . . . In lawsuits filed against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Louisville, Clark, 55, is accused of molesting 19 children ages 5 to 17. Convicted in 1988 of sodomizing one boy and sexually abusing another, Clark also faces 60 years to life in prison if found guilty of new criminal charges alleging he abused two other boys from 1998 until last May. He has pleaded innocent; a trial is scheduled to begin June 24 in Bullitt Circuit Court. Clark, who now wears an orange jail jumpsuit instead of his clerical collar, has been held in the Bullitt County Detention Center since his arrest Aug. 7, unable to make his $500,000 bail. . . . Archdiocesan officials twice talked with Clark about voluntarily leaving the priesthood -- once before his 1988 conviction "because of his past record" of molesting children, and once after. But when Clark balked both times, Kelly declined to petition the Vatican to defrock him. . . . Clark began a relationship with Geraldine Henry, once promising to leave the church and marry her. But eventually, Ralph and John Henry would confide in their mother that Clark had molested them, according to Divine and lawsuits both men have filed against the archdiocese.
• G-G to face new claim -- Canon John Payne AUSTRALIA: Governor-General Peter Hollingworth faces a new claim that he appointed a priest while knowing he was the subject of sex-abuse claims. An Anglican board of inquiry last week reported that then Archbishop Hollingworth had allowed pedophile priest John Litton Elliot to remain a minister despite knowing Elliot had sexually abused a boy. The new claim is that Dr Hollingworth insisted Canon John Payne work in a parish despite accusations he had molested two altar boys, one of whom was intellectually disabled, when previously working there. -- News.com.au , "G-G to face new claim on priest," http://www.news.com.au/common/story_page/0,4057,6383319%255E26737,00.html , By Amanda Gearing and Chris Griffith, May 05, 2003. (Posted by Kathy Shaw 10:34:11 AM)
########## End of Poynteronline, Abuse Tracker, Monday, May 5, 2003
FOR GOOD TEACHINGS TO BE HEEDED, A BIG CLEAN-UP IS NEEDED
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