Clergy sex victims blast Vatican inaction

NOTE - MORE DETAILS ON THIS EVENT WILL BE AVAILABLE NO LATER THAN 6 A.M PACIFIC TIME SUNDAY

It took 6 years to defrock convicted predator

Woman assaulted by the controversial cleric will talk

An Oakland ‘priest in exile’ who knew Kiesele will also speak

WHAT
At a sidewalk news conference outside a Catholic church, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will blast top church officials for keeping a convicted serial predator priest on the church payroll for six years.

WHEN
Sunday morning, April 11

WHERE
Outside a Bay Area Catholic church (likely in Oakland)

WHO
Five members of a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

WHY
On Friday, the Associated Press disclosed long-secret Catholic Church records that show that Pope Benedict, while a powerful Vatican official years ago, delayed ousting a serial Oakland predator priest, even though the predator and Oakland’s bishop were both cooperating in the defrocking process. The AP called the documents “.”

The cleric, Fr. Stephen Kiesele has at least 14 known victims and is now believed to be living in the Walnut Park area.

Kisele was a seminarian in Fremont CA from 1968 -1972. He abused kids at Santa Paula parish while a seminarian. Fr. John Cummins was chancellor of the Oakland diocese from 1962 –1970, then went to Sacramento before coming back to Oakland as bishop in 1977. Yet Bishop Cummins claimed, in a recent newspaper article, that he “didn’t know Kisele” since their time overlapped. (Cummins is now retired.)

Kiesele also has close ties to a high ranking Oakland diocesan official, Fr. George Crespin, who later became Cummins second-in-command and was himself accused of abuse. Kiesele worked with Crespin at Holy Rosary (Union City). Kiesele was arrested while at Holy Rosary. (Crespin is believed to be working at St. Mary’s parish in Berkeley, CA.)

San Diego attorney Irwin Zalkin (858-259-3011, 800-617-2622, imz@zalkin.com, irwin@zalkin.com) represents at least one Kiesele victim and Minnesota attorney Jeff Anderson 651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell, jeff@andersonadvocates.com) represents at least one too.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/news2010/03_04/2010_04_09_Luo_PopePut.htm
http://www.insidebayarea.com/search/ci_8744439

CONTACT
Melanie Sakoda 925-283-7945, cell 925-708-6175, melanie@pokrov.org