November 12, 2007

Some of SNAP's reservations re: candidates for the USCCB presidency

Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan –

Dolan fought long and hard, using technical legal defenses, before mediating or settling dozens of abuse cases in his archdiocese. He uses parishioner donations to fight reforming the restrictive Wisconsin statute of limitations.

*****

Chicago Archbishop Cardinal Francis E. George –

George is seeking to overturn Illinois' new child protection law in the courts and allowed a convicted molester to live and work with him (Fr. Ken Martin) six months after the Dallas Charter took effect. He has failed to discipline a pastor (Fr. George Miller) who knowingly ignored the Dallas Charter by letting a twice-removed perpetrator (Fr. John Calicott) to teach sex education to kids in his old parish. He ignored repeated warnings about Fr. Daniel McCormack, including the recommendation of his own review board, and kept McCormack in ministry until the priest was arrested. (Prosecutors said McCormack was molesting boys on “an almost daily basis.”)

*****

Tucson Bishop Gerald F. Kicanas –

Without offering evidence of any financial hardship or consulting with Catholic lay people or victims, Kicanas prematurely and suddenly declared bankruptcy on the eve of a potentially embarrassing civil molestation trial which involves considerable evidence of diocesan cover up

He has asked for and won a rigid, arbitrary cut off date past which victims cannot come forward and get help.

*****

Philadelphia Archbishop Cardinal Justin F. Rigali –

During his eight year tenure in St. Louis, Rigali never once met with leaders or members of the local victims support group. He allowed at least two clerics to remain as pastors despite civil lawsuits against them, and permitted one pastor to sue his accuser for slander. During a criminal trial against a priest who’d admitted to the police he was a molester, Rigali allowed defense attorneys to repeatedly attack the credibility and motives of the victim and his family. When a grand jury probe exposed widespread cover up of clergy sex crimes in Philadelphia, Rigali’s spokesmen attacked the jurors and prosecutors, claiming they were ‘anti-Catholic.’

*****

Austin Bishop Gregory Aymond -

According to the National Catholic Reporter, he opposes a national registry of abusive priests even though he’s the head of the bishops sex abuse committee.

*****

Louisville Archbishop Joseph Kurtz –

He became Bishop of Knoxville, Bishop Anthony O’Connell resigned, admitting that he molested at least one boy. (He was sued by several others). Despite pleas from victims and Catholics, Kurtz left up photos, paintings, sculptures and even a building named after O’Connell, apparently not caring about how much these public honors of a predator hurt some victims and may have intimidated others into staying silent.

*****

Bridgeport Bishop William Lori –

He has spent tens, perhaps hundreds of thousands of dollars fighting in court to keep documents hidden about clergy sex crimes in his diocese. In 2003, he kept Msgr. Martin P. Ryan, a priest accused of molesting a young teenage girl in active ministry even though the diocese paid a substantial settlement to one of his victims. Ryan still works today at a parish in New Fairfield CT.

*****

Erie Bishop Donald Trautman –

According to the Dallas Morning News (2002) “In March, he said that his diocese had none of the scandals that had hit Catholic leaders elsewhere. ‘All the problems here have been addressed,’ Bishop Trautman said. ‘That I can say before the Lord.’ A month later, the Rev. Robert Bower resigned after a local newspaper reported that he had been arrested on child pornography charges in 1999. The district attorney said the case was dropped because police mishandled evidence. More recently, Bishop Trautman initially refused to comply with the prosecutor's demand for records on suspected abusers, but later agreed to surrender some files. The bishop said his review of those records led him to suspend some priests, whom he would not identify.”

*****

Oakland Bishop Allen Vigneron –

Just yesterday, Vigneron came under fire for quietly promoting a priest who pled guilty to exposing himself and lewd public conduct in 1990. Vigneron is making Fr. Padraig Greene pastor of two churches but failing to warn parishioners or the public about his crimes.

http://www.mercurynews.com/breakingnews/ci_7437558

SNAP - Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org)

Barbara Blaine of Chicago, SNAP President 312 399 4747 9606
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP Outreach Director 314 862 7688
David Clohessy of St. Louis SNAP National Director 314 566 9790 cell, 314 645 5915