Media miss major point in Milwaukee abuse story

During the years when reports of clerical sexual abuse were crossing the desk of the former archbishop of Milwaukee, Rembert Weakland, OSB – who resigned his post after revelations of his own homosexual predations and a payoff were publicly exposed in May 2002 – was pushing explicit sex education and pro-homosexual programs in his archdiocese.

One of the striking revelations in the 6,000 pages of documentation released July 1 by Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki is that the majority of complaints against offending priests – both current and those of a historical nature dating back decades – landed on Archbishop Weakland's desk between 1979 and 1990.

Indeed, 29 of the 42 complaints of sexual abuse by archdiocesan priests that led to the archdiocese filing for bankruptcy in federal court were reported to Weakland in that period.

The first such report to reach Weakland, in April 1979, concerned Fr. William Effinger, from the father of a minor male who accused Effinger of molesting his son. Later, in the "summer of 1979," Weakland recounted in his autobiography, A Pilgrim in a Pilgrim Church, he "had accepted my homosexual orientation," and begun his infatuation with Paul Marcoux, which led to Marcoux's charge of "date rape" and a $450,000 settlement, paid by the archdiocese.

continue at Renew America

Former priest, dismissed on abuse charges, suing Milwaukee archdiocese

A former Milwaukee priest who was removed from ministry after being charged with sexual abuse but cleared by a jury in a civil trial, is seeking $450,000 in damages from the archdiocese.

Marvin Knighton says he was removed from the priesthood wrongfully, after a jury found him not guilty on sex-abuse charges. Church officials, conducting an independent inquiry, concluded that the charges against him were credible even if they did not meet the “reasonable doubt” standard required in civil law.

Knighton’s claim came to light in bankruptcy proceedings for the Milwaukee archdiocese. His name appears, alongside the names of sex-abuse victims, on the list of archdiocesan creditors.

continue at Catholic Culture

HT acardnal

Paper: Few Milwaukee clergy abuse victims get large sums

MILWAUKEE — Clergy sex abuse victims have long accused the Archdiocese of Milwaukee of spending more money on lawyers to protect itself than to care for those who suffered at the hands of abusive priests. An Associated Press analysis of documents released this week found most of the $30 million the archdiocese paid out through mid-2012 went to victim settlements and therapy, but the bulk of it went to just a few victims — while hundreds of others got no money at all.

The archdiocese released the records as part of a deal with victims suing it for fraud in federal bankruptcy court. The documents cover 88 settlements worth at least $6.6 million and provide the first detailed look at which victims were paid, how much and when. Until this week, the archdiocese had only released annual totals.

The records support victims’ longtime claim that Wisconsin for many years was among the more difficult states for them to get compensation. The main reason was a Wisconsin Supreme Court ruling in 1995 that made it nearly impossible to hold the church responsible for its priests’ actions. The court said the church was protected from negligence lawsuits by the First Amendment. No longer afraid of litigation, the archdiocese established a no-settlement policy that lasted until the national clergy abuse scandal erupted in 2002.

- See more at: http://www.chieftain.com/life/religion/1401743-120/victims-archdiocese-settlements-milwaukee#sthash.Q3a6XmYU.dpuf

Milwaukee abuse documents roundup

Abp. Listecki making rounds with media, like this WTMJ interview(full interview):


Full interview, Part 1, Part 2, Part 3, Part 4 (Sklba question, Listecki defends)

That said....  it seemed the Archdiocese passed on the Wisconsin Public Radio interview

The Journal Sentinel has a section to the coverage.  http://www.jsonline.com/news/milwaukee/114180079.html  (They apparently do not have url SEO capabilities)

Thousands of documents released by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee on Monday include a long-ago report of an accused priest granted a temporary assignment in Washburn only to reoffend in his new location, a lawyer reviewing the files told the News Tribune and Superior Telegram.

“If he is willing to come to Superior to work for a time until he has readjusted himself to the life of a diocesan priest, I shall be happy to receive him,” Bishop William O’Connor of the Diocese of Superior wrote to Milwaukee Archbishop Moses Kiley about the Rev. Oswald Krusing in November 1942.

continue at Duluth Trib

Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki on Tuesday defended his predecessor's transfer of $57 million off the Roman Catholic archdiocese's books and into a special cemetery trust, saying Archbishop Timothy Dolan, now cardinal of New York, was simply ensuring that the funds would be used for their intended purpose.

A document released Monday as part of the bankruptcy shows Dolan sought Vatican approval for the transfer in June 2007, saying it would help protect the funds "from any legal claim or liability."

The letter was written just weeks before a Wisconsin Supreme Court decision that allowed sex abuse victims to sue religious institutions for their actions in response to sexual abuse allegations under the state's fraud statute.

JS 

Jerome Listecki defends transfer of funds off archdiocese's books: Archbishop says Timothy Dolan preserved money for cemeteries, reports Annysa Johnson at the Milwaukee Journal Sentinel. I assume the court will eventually rule for our Archdiocese on this, as it did regarding funds deposited with it by parishes for investment.

TPE

NECW: 5 Things to Know about Milwaukee clergy abuse

Fox6: Victim shares story of clergy sex abuse at age 8

New York Times: Dolan Sought to Protect Church Assets, Files Show

Fox News: Milwaukee diocese (sic) posts priest sex abuse records

Fox6: Deposition of Bishop Sklba released with church documents

Years ago, FOX6 News showed you the video deposition of Archbishop Rembert Weakland as it relates to clergy sex abuse cases within the Milwaukee Archdiocese. [I see SNAP posted bits and pieces, is the whole thing available in video form?] Now, we’re learning more about Weakland’s right-hand man.

The deposition of Bishop Richard Sklba was released on Monday, July 1st. Now retired, Sklba is a Vicar — or higher-ranking clergy member — at times, representing other priests.

Bishop Sklba was a priest for nearly 52 years. He knew much about the laws of church leadership. But when asked about some of the training outside of Scripture, he was at times, less knowledgeable.

In 2011 court documents, Sklba was asked if there was training to detect sexual abuse. His answers were not forthcoming. When asked if there was training for priests to manage their sexual lives so they would not engage in sexual abuse, Sklba found the tone offensive.

Eventually, Sklba admitted it was practice to report abuse to civil authorities only if the victim who reported it was under the age of 18. Further, he said if an adult came to him with a concern, he would suggest they go to civil authorities, adding it was not within his range of experience to do otherwise.

Sometimes the church kept logs about abuse allegations — sometimes it didn’t.

When asked if Sklba had any suspicions about abuse involving Ronald Bandle, James Beck or Michael Benham — all now labeled clergy offenders by the Archdiocese — he replied, not at all.

continue at Fox6

I'll probably just do a roundup in a week or so with the rest of these stories. 

Dad29: SNAP Is Right About Sklba

A headbutt follows?

SNAP's presser following the doc-dump on pedophile priests in Milwaukee:

...Sklba’s fingerprints are spread over nearly a quarter of a century of child sex crimes. Yet, he continues to hold a prominent role in the life of the Archdiocese, presiding at confirmations, masses at the cathedral, and living comfortably and well.

At a bare minimum, Sklba should gracefully bow out of public life in the Archdiocese like Weakland has, and be grateful he has not been prosecuted—as he should be—for criminal conspiracy. And if he doesn’t do that — it’s time for his boss, Jerome Listecki, to do it for him.”...

Absolutely correct.

Dad29

Not to mention that awkward, glorious sendoff from the archdiocesan newspaper....

Photo

Abp. Listecki: Abuse documents to be posted next week

On April 3rd, I informed you of my decision to authorize the release of documents related to diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. These documents are scheduled to be posted to the archdiocesan website next week and I’m sure they will generate many stories in the news.

We have worked with the attorneys for abuse survivors who identified almost 6,000 pages of documents they believe should be made public and that best demonstrate how the archdiocese handled allegations of sexual abuse, responded to reports, and dealt with offending priests. Those are the documents that will be posted.

My hope in voluntarily making these documents public is that they will aid abuse survivors, families, and others in understanding the past, reviewing the present and allowing the Church in southeastern Wisconsin to continue moving forward. We can never tell abuse survivors enough how sorry we are for what they endured. My apology goes out to all who have been harmed and I continue to offer to meet with any individual abuse survivors who would find it helpful.

What we do today in responding to reports of abuse is different than in decades past but that fact does not erase the past. The documents present one part of the history of what happened and demonstrate how people tried to do their best with what they knew at the time. We may never have the complete picture because the records are not always clear and there is no way to delve more deeply because many of the people involved are dead or have had memories fade as 20, 30 or 40 years or more have passed.

But, we know that bad things happened to innocent children and youth.  The arc of understanding sexual abuse of a minor progressed from being seen as a moral failing and sin that needed personal resolve and spiritual direction; to a psychological deficiency that required therapy and could be cured; to issues of addiction requiring more extensive therapy and restrictions on ministry; to recognition of the long-term effects of abuse and the need to hold the perpetrator accountable for this criminal activity. 

Acknowledging our past means examining how the Church, especially its bishops and priests, dealt with this issue over the years.  It includes facing up to mistakes that were made, even if some of those mistakes become apparent only in hindsight.  It means demonstrating our resolve to make sure nothing like this can ever happen again.  Today, I am confident that no organization in the world does more to combat sexual abuse of minors than the Catholic Church in the United States.

continue at ArchMil