Abp. Hebda "happy" to have met "helpful" Jeff Anderson, SNAP apologizes for false charges against St Louis priest

KSTP: When I mention the name Jeff Anderson … Is he a nemesis? Or is this someone who has helped the truth come to light?

HEBDA: I'm happy I've had the opportunity to meet him on a number of occasions to work with him. I think he was helpful with the archdiocese, helping us to figure out what's the best way to move forward. So there is certainly a sense of gratitude that's there for that.

The archdiocese has set aside $155 million for settlements with about 400 victims. About $120 million is insurance money. The rest of the money is from the sale of local church properties. The archdiocese has legal bills of about $15 million, which also will be paid out of that pool.

full interview at KSTP

SNAP certainly did have a positive role to play in the abuse scandal, but this is the same Jeff Anderson who wanted to raid parishes for cash and falsified accusations against a St. Louis priest.

Interestingly enough, I see SNAP apologised today(a little late for that but ok) for its hit job on a St Louis priest:

An American support group for victims of clergy abuse has apologized to a Catholic priest who sued them after child molestation charges against him were dropped.

The Archdiocese of St. Louis, Missouri, disclosed on November 27 the apology from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), the Associated Press reported.

"SNAP acknowledges that false claims of clergy sexual abuse injure those clerics falsely accused and the Roman Catholic Church," the group said. The group added that it apologized for "any false or inaccurate statements" related to the accusations against Xiu Hui "Joseph" Jiang that "in any way disparaged" him, the archbishop and other archdiocese officials.

Is SNAP making an effort to move beyond just being ambulance chasers?  Let's look at the fine print:

SNAP confirmed on November 27 that the apology was included in the settlement of the lawsuit. Court records show the case was dismissed on November 21 but gave no details about the settlement.

So maybe not.  I've said many times, there needs to be something like SNAP out there, but an organization that takes a more ethical approach to litigation.

SNAP files coercion lawsuit against Bp. Hoeppner of Crookston MN Diocese, bishop denies any wrongdoing

A former vicar general for the Diocese of Winona accused of coercion "categorically denies" the claim that he covered up an allegation of clergy sexual assault, according to a statement released by the Diocese of Crookston, where he now is bishop.

Michael Joseph Hoeppner, 67, is the first bishop in the United States to be individually sued for coercion, said Jeff Anderson, a St. Paul attorney who's represented hundreds of survivors of clergy abuse. The personal injury lawsuit was filed Tuesday.

Hoeppner was vicar general at Winona from about 1998 until being named bishop at Crookston in 2007, church records show.

In 2010, Ron Vasek was exploring the possibility of becoming a deacon in the Catholic Church when he allegedly told Hoeppner he'd been sexually assaulted in about 1971 by Roger Grundhaus.

At the time of the alleged abuse, Grundhaus was a priest at the diocese; he was vicar general of the Crookston diocese from 1991 to 2008.

continue at Roch Post-Bulletin

So why is being charged with coercion instead of a heftier charge?  According to Minn Public Radio, it sounds like the case has already been reviewed by law enforcement and no charges were brought.

But in a statement Tuesday the Diocese of Crookston said the bishop "categorically denies that he in any way forced, coerced or encouraged Mr. Vasek to not pursue his allegations." The statement said the diocese encourages the reporting of abuse. It said Vasek's abuse claims were reported to law enforcement in 2011, but did not say who made the report.

The diocese said it plans to conduct an investigation into the allegations, and would have no further comment about Vasek's allegations until it is complete.

The accused priest declined to comment. He retired in 2010, and his name does not appear on a list of clergy who the diocese said had been accused of abuse. In 2014, the Diocese of Crookston released the names of six accused priests after similar releases by other Minnesota dioceses in response to public pressure from victims and parishioners and, in some cases, court orders and pending litigation.

MPR

We've seen SNAP parade around some other baseless claims, and might be looking at ways of getting their money without suffering the now real possibility of a countersuit.

Director of SNAP resigns amid pay for play lawsuit

The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests announced Tuesday that its longtime national director, accused by a former SNAP employee of referring potential clients to attorneys in return for financial kickbacks to the group, resigned at the end of last year.

The announcement that David Clohessy, of St. Louis, left the Chicago-based organization comes a week after he and other leaders were named in a lawsuit filed by a former employee who said she was fired shortly after asking superiors whether SNAP was referring victims to attorneys in exchange for donations to the organization.
...
According to the suit filed in Cook County Circuit Court, Gretchen Rachel Hammond worked as a director of development from July 2011 until she said she was fired in February 2013. She grew suspicious when she was not permitted to participate in an internal audit of SNAP [Gee, sounds like the same thing they consistently accuse dioceses of doing] by an accounting firm and was barred from attending programs to help generate material for grant proposals, the suit said.

She also was given access to a list of lawyers who regularly donated to SNAP but was told to never tell anyone that lawyers donate to the organization, according to the lawsuit. It was when Clohessy accidentally copied her on an email to an attorney, asking when SNAP could expect the next donation, that Hammond began to ask questions and the workplace climate dramatically changed, she alleged in the lawsuit.

story at Chicago Tribune

Related: Federal judge sides with St. Louis priest in SNAP defamation case

SNAP say sex abuse claims against Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis surpass 400

Ray: In the inimitable style of attorneys wanting to make their point, Anderson does not say how many new "abusers" are mentioned in these complaints. Right now, about 80 abusers are known to have been active in the St Paul Minneapolis Archdiocese in the past 65 years. Many of them are dead, many removed from ministry already and a large number already retired.

Clergy sex abuse claims against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis poured in as the 5 p.m. deadline approached Monday. By the end of the day, the scope of the church’s problem was more clear: Attorneys counted more than 400 claims.

Attorneys representing sex abuse victims had been working around the clock to prepare the claims, stemming from the sexual abuse of children by dozens of Catholic priests over decades.

details at Star Tribune

St. Paul Archdiocese whistleblower releases 107-page affidavit describing abuse "cover-ups"

The whistleblower who disclosed priest sexual abuse cases and their mishandling by the Twin Cities archdiocese has written a scorching 107-page affidavit describing top officials' cover-ups, blaming of victims, willful ignorance, lies and a "cavalier attitude toward the safety of other people's children."

Canon lawyer Jennifer M. Haselberger, who served as chancellor for canonical affairs at the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis from 2008 to 2013, submitted the document in the civil case of Doe 1. The plaintiff sued the archdiocese, the Diocese of Winona and former priest Thomas Adamson last year, claiming Adamson abused him in the 1970s. Plaintiff's attorney Jeffrey Anderson filed Haselberger's affidavit Tuesday in Ramsey County District Court.

Anderson's experience with church-related sexual abuse cases goes back 30 years, he said, and he found the affidavit to be "the most stinging and broad-ranging indictment I've ever seen of these practices."

Anderson claims in the Doe 1 lawsuit that the archdiocese created a "public nuisance" by moving offending priests among parishes without disclosing allegations against them.

Haselberger explained her motivation for penning the affidavit to the Pioneer Press on Tuesday. "While it is for the court to determine whether the archdiocese has created a public nuisance, I think our community benefits from the knowledge of the archdiocese's practices," she said.

Haselberger detailed the action, or lack of action, of past and present officials in the archdiocese, including former Archbishop Harry Flynn, Archbishop John Nienstedt, Bishop Lee Piche, former Vicar General Kevin McDonough, former Vicar General Peter Laird and former chancellor for civil affairs and archdiocese attorney Andrew Eisenzimmer.

continue at Pioneer Press

Wow, a substantial charge against Church hierarchy backed with alleged evidence, and not a bunch of lunatics making personal accusations against the metropolitan.  Repeatedly making false accusations against Abp. Nienstedt is only going to strengthen the archdiocesan case against any needed reforms.

Maybe I haven't been following that closely, but I'm not sure there's anything new at least in this story?  Culture of clericalism?  Perhaps, but I don't know that "A records management system that had files spread out in different locations" is exactly a blockbuster scandal.  Whatever happened to Haselberger when she worked there got her ticked off, I mean I would be too if Laird decided to walk out of the building and not listen to me.  Teaming up with Jeff Anderson who says it's "the most stinging and broad-ranging indictment I've ever seen of these practice" which is lawyer talk for, "yeah, this is the case I'm working on right now," will hopefully yield a better culture in the chancery.  Unfortunately, lawsuits generally are the only way to motivate the guys up top.

Also STrib: Archdiocese had ‘cavalier attitude’ about clergy abuse cases

Latest in the Twin Cities, another resignation, pretty clear defense for Keating

Abp. Flynn resigns from St. Thomas board

Former Archbishop Harry Flynn, who led the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis during a time when recently revealed clergy sex abuse allegations were secretly being investigated by church officials, has resigned from the University of St. Thomas Board of Trustees.

The private Catholic university based in St. Paul announced Saturday that Flynn had stepped down Thursday, “effective at the end of the day.” The board elected Michael Dougherty, a trustee since 2003 and chief executive officer of Dougherty Financial Group LLC in Minneapolis, as interim chairman. The trustees expect to elect a permanent chairman and vice chairman on Feb. 13.

Flynn served as archbishop from 1995 to 2008, a period during which the archdiocese investigated reports of cases that have recently come to light, including that of the Rev. Michael J. Keating, a priest who has been a prominent professor at St. Thomas. Flynn had chaired the St. Thomas board since 1995. He was succeeded as archbishop by the Rev. John Nienstedt.

Flynn is/was at least somewhat a promoter of "gay," not necessarily against the marriage amendment though.

Claim: Evidence of Keating emails expressing love to girl who says he abused her

The University of St. Thomas priest accused of sexual contact with a young girl expressed love and affection for her in e-mails he sent her from Rome when she was 14 and 15 years old.

“Be really sure that I love you lots and lots and never think of you without a smile coming to my mind,” the Rev. Michael J. Keating wrote in one of at least 19 e-mails made public Thursday on the website of her attorney, Jeff Anderson of St. Paul. [I think it's hilarious that they wont say he owns SNAP] Anderson said the writings were presented to the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis seven years ago in a church review of his client’s sexual abuse claims, but officials disregarded them.

The e-mails, which the girl’s mother has described as “quite seductive,” were part of the case the girl’s family brought to church authorities in 2006. The church sided with Keating, and the woman maintained a public silence until she sued Keating last week, alleging three years of harmful sexual contact that caused her deep psychological trauma.

Lawyer for accused St. Paul priest says sex abuse claims are false

A lawyer for the Rev. Michael Keating spoke publicly for the first time Thursday about allegations that he had sexual contact with a young teenage girl when he was studying for the priesthood.

In a statement released to the Star Tribune, Keating’s attorney Fred Bruno said, “The allegations in this lawsuit are false and highly defamatory. The plaintiff’s attorney is merely recycling claims that were thoroughly discredited over six years ago after being originally lofted. The plaintiff’s accusations at that time were independently investigated by multiple government agencies, professionals, and organizations, including the Chisago County Sheriff, the Chisago County Attorney, the Archdiocese, and two independent forensic psychologists.

“These comprehensive efforts concluded that the allegations were unsubstantiated. Additionally, Father Keating passed a polygraph administered by Minnesota’s most experienced and highly regarded law enforcement polygrapher.

Wowza, Uh, Jeff Anderson just got served..... which he knew he would....  Is he just trying to rally the press and get rid of the statute of limitations?   After all, don't forget what SNAP would like to do to every church.

Update, always check out Terry's place before posting.


McDonough resigns from St. Thomas board

The Rev. Kevin McDonough, a Catholic official who was closely involved in the handling of three controversial sexual misconduct investigations of fellow priests, has resigned from the board of trustees at the University of St. Thomas, where one of the accused priests is a professor of Catholic studies.

The resignation of McDonough, a former vicar general of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, is the second high-profile departure in the widening scandal. The Rev. Peter Laird, who served as vicar general to Archbishop John Nienstedt, resigned two weeks ago after a church whistleblower went to civil authorities with a complaint that the archdiocese did not take action against priests accused of sexual improprieties.

McDonough had been an investigator for the church in those cases.

and this:

A Boston public relations firm with experience in handling the priest sex abuse scandal in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Boston recently made a pitch to do strategic communications work for Nienstedt. It wasn’t confirmed if the firm, Rasky Baerlein, was the one hired. Rasky’s website lists “crisis and reputation management” as one of its specialties.

Report: Out for Money: Jeff Anderson and SNAP

David Clohessy was out in front of the Chancery of the Archdiocese on Thursday October 10th. The Executive Director of SNAP (Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests) according to his own testimony has done this thousands of times. SNAP has been busy in the Twin Cities of late. They have been drawn here by the media frenzy surrounding the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis. There is currently at least one lawsuit pending against the Archdiocese, filed by local lawyer Jeff Anderson. Having worked together before, Clohessy and Anderson’s routine is well known. During the course of the allegations, investigations, press feeding frenzy, depositions and (occasional) court show downs; SNAP and Anderson take steps to apply “the most intense pressure”, a phrase from Anson D. Shupe, author of Rogue Clerics. 

But last year, as part of a lawsuit pending in Missouri, Clohessy himself was unwillingly deposed. The deposition was recently made public. The document raises more questions than it provides answers. Not only does Clohessy’s testimony undermine the credibility of his own organization, his words also raise questions about Jeff Anderson.

Source: David Clohessy’s Deposition.

Clohessy unsuccessfully tried to use the Missouri Rape Crisis Center Statute to shield himself from being deposed. When asked, “Did you identify yourself as a rape crisis center?” Clohessy answered, “I don’t know.” (pg. 87) Rape crisis centers typically have licensed personnel to counsel and treat victims. From the deposition:

continue at Juicy Ecumenicism

Milwaukee Archdiocese allows police to see defrocked priest's file

The Archdiocese of Milwaukee will allow a Fond du Lac police detective to review the file of a defrocked priest as part of an ongoing sex-abuse investigation, in response to a motion filed Thursday by victims in its bankruptcy case.

The archdiocese, which refused the detective access in December, citing the seal on certain documents in the bankruptcy, said Thursday that that was in error. And it blamed the lapse on miscommunication involving two staff members.

But lawyers for victims in the bankruptcy said they would push ahead with the motion asking U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley to make public all records, depositions and other documents involving credibly accused priests and church workers, arguing the move is needed to protect children.

"Not a chance," victims attorney Jeffrey Anderson said, in response to the archdiocese's request that he and colleague Michael Finnegan withdraw the motion.

"There's a public and moral imperative to be answered here. And the only way is to release this information to the survivors and the public," he said.

Archdiocese spokesman Jerry Topczewski said it has a long-standing policy of cooperating with civil authorities investigating clergy abuse. He and attorney Frank LoCoco accused Anderson and Finnegan of exploiting an isolated incident in an attempt to get Kelley to revisit the broad protective order she issued in 2011 to shield victims seeking anonymity in the bankruptcy.

"No one wants to obstruct a lawful investigation," LoCoco said. "And to date, we've had no other complaints from law enforcement," he said. "This is just Jeff Anderson's way of getting this issue back in front of Judge Kelley."

continue at JS

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Abp. Listecki on SNAP/creditors sniffing around parishes for money

SNAPs vision of Milwaukee parishes

Whenever there is news on our Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceeding, I try to keep you updated. I don’t want to overwhelm you with constant emails, but I am trying to be mindful of the need for the people of the archdiocese to have up-to-date information directly from me.

Several things have happened over the past weeks. A variety of motions have been filed and media has reported about the creditors trying to expand their demands onto parish assets and monies.

The parishes are separately incorporated entities and have been since the 1800s. The separate incorporation status and structure of parishes is actually directed by Wisconsin State Statutes, originally adopted in 1876, so any attack on them is frivolous. That being said, it’s not surprising that these efforts are underway since the assets of the archdiocese are very limited. It is the cost of these legal maneuvers that is disappointing. It is the parishes that have to absorb the added expense of acquiring legal counsel for something they had nothing to do with.

The way bankruptcy works is the “debtor” (in this case, the archdiocese) pays the lawyers on both sides. Every time the creditors’ committee files a motion, we are obligated to respond. Then a hearing is scheduled, discovery or research is undertaken, “experts” are hired by the creditors’ committee, and witnesses are called to testify. So while the case drags on, the archdiocese is forced to spend literally millions of dollars on attorney fees for the lawyers representing the archdiocese, as well as those representing the creditors’ committee.

Typically in a Chapter 11 proceeding, the creditors’ committee legal fees are about 20 percent of the total fees of the proceeding because it is the debtor that directs the majority of the process. However, in this proceeding, the creditors’ committee attorneys and their experts have already tallied more than $4 million in fees. That’s more than 50 percent of the $7 million-plus already spent on legal and professional fees.

Some have said this wouldn’t be the case if the archdiocese wasn’t fighting the creditors at every opportunity. But here’s the truth. The creditors’ committee is represented by attorneys from California who have followed a similar legal strategy in other diocesan bankruptcies across the country. Also involved is Jeffrey Anderson, a tort attorney from Minnesota who has been suing the Catholic Church for decades. He will receive his 40 percent contingency fee from whatever is the final settlement.

Some people have said we should simply pay people a settlement. Arriving at a settlement figure was one of the reasons we entered into mediation earlier this fall and also back in 2010 before we were forced to file for Chapter 11. Before Chapter 11, we offered 15 claimants $4.6 million dollars. Suffice it to say, today the demands have grown. Simply put, we cannot pay money we don’t have or attempt to use money that doesn’t belong to us in order to meet the demands of the creditors’ committee. Even the creditors’ committee attorneys have acknowledged the limited and dwindling resources of the archdiocese.

The crime of sexual abuse is a heinous one and the actions of the priests who committed these crimes were horrific. That such abuse was perpetrated by priests and that some of these priests were reassigned was covered extensively in the media in the 1990s, long before the frenzy of media coverage re-emerged in 2002.

We understand the effects of the abuse people suffered are long lasting. Even though the abuse claims would not have stood the test of the statutes of limitations, the archdiocese voluntarily instituted an independent mediation system (in 2004) to provide support and attempt to bring resolution to those who had been harmed. Many abuse survivors (almost 200) [tragic] received spiritual, therapeutic and financial assistance. In fact, one of the first motions filed by the archdiocese in the Chapter 11 proceeding was to ask the court for permission to continue to pay therapy costs and structured settlements for abuse survivors.

continue at ArchMil

Milwaukee Archdiocese, SNAP fail to reach bankruptcy settlement

The court-ordered mediation between the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and victims of sexual abuse has failed, sending the parties back to the U.S. Bankruptcy Court to resume what one court official has called a scorched earth legal battle.

The church and victims — at 575 members, they represent the largest class of creditors in the bankruptcy — have been in court-ordered mediation since July 20.

Victims attorney Jeffrey Anderson confirmed Monday that the mediation had failed but declined to elaborate on the sticking points, citing the confidentiality of the proceedings.
He said victims would now move forward to force the disclosure of thousands of pages of documents now under court seal, and to scrutinize the transfer of millions of dollars off the church’s books into trusts in the years before the bankruptcy.

The lack of a resolution “puts us back to where we were, ready to move forward with all the issues and battles that need to be fought."

continue at JS Faith Watch

HT TPE

By Mr. Berres' account on archdiocesan costs:

That $7.5 million since January 4, 2011, divided by what I calculate at 648 days as of today, works out to $11,574.07 per day.

Abp. Listeck blasts Lassa-Pasch coalition, sloppy MJS reporting, sets the record straight

My emphasis:

Since my return from Rome last week, I have been catching up on all the things that happened while I was away for the ad limina trip and the consistory where my friend and predecessor Timothy M. Dolan was elevated to the office of Cardinal.

The first thing that confronted me was the media coverage of the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 proceeding and statements made about the number of abuse claims filed and the safety of children in the Church today.
Any instance of sexual abuse of a minor is a disgusting sin and a horrible crime. My heartfelt apology goes out to anyone who has been harmed. When Pope Benedict visited the United States in April 2008, he rightly referred to the sexual abuse of children by priests as “evil” and a “sin,” acknowledging that the crisis was “sometimes very badly handled by Church leaders.”

However, statements reported as facts in the media, go beyond the adversarial rhetoric we have come to expect in this proceeding. On top of that, several state legislators, without having access to factual information regarding any of the claims, compounded the issue by calling for the state attorney general to investigate, unaware that both old and new claims have been turned over to and been reviewed by district attorneys for more than a decade.

The combination of these two actions is, to me, the equivalent of shouting “fire” in a crowded movie theater and it set off a number of anxious inquiries from our people to which I feel compelled to respond. Here are the facts about the archdiocese’s policies and protocols that have been rigorously followed since 2002.

First, of all the claims filed in the archdiocesan bankruptcy only one (1) claim alleges sexual abuse occurring since 2000. That means the vast majority of claims allege incidents of abuse that date back decades, in some cases more than 70 years.[the Lassa-Pasch coalition and MJS support prosecution of dead priests] This means the Safe Environment education and protocols implemented by the archdiocese in the mid-1990s are working. As a point of comparison, there have been more than 40 cases of sexual abuse in our state involving public school personnel since 2000 -- and those are just the cases where a person was convicted in court.

Second, it is true that some new names of diocesan priests did surface in the claims process. In those instances, if the accused is still alive, the claim has been sent to the appropriate district attorney’s office for review. If the district attorney chooses not to pursue the case, the archdiocese follows its policies and conducts an independent investigation. During that time, the priest is restricted from public ministry. In addition, any claim against a religious order priest is sent to the religious order with a copy of the allegation sent to the district attorney. This has been diocesan policy for years and it was at my insistence that we worked with the claimants’ attorneys to ensure we could continue this investigative process in Chapter 11. We encourage anyone making a claim involving a lay person to also follow our lead and report the claim to the district attorney.

Third, and just as important, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee has listed the names of diocesan priests with substantiated allegations of sexual abuse of a minor on its website since 2004. When Cardinal Dolan made the decision to list these names, he faced a tremendous amount of criticism since the majority of those listed were never convicted of a crime. No other organization that I am aware of has taken such a drastic step to publicly identify perpetrators within its own organization. Our state legislators should demand public school districts to do the same for teachers and school employees who have been charged with sexual abuse.

Fourth, claimants’ attorneys said there are 75 new priests named in claims who are not listed on the archdiocesan website. What they neglected to say is that all of these priests are either dead or have been reported to the district attorney.

Fifth, claims filed in the Chapter 11 totaled approximately 570 claims. Attorneys representing abuse survivors have attempted to make the pool of claims as large as possible, including at least three tort attorneys who purchased television advertising to solicit clients. In a claims process, anyone can say anything about anybody. Now the system will evaluate those claims.

There is no excuse for what happened within the Church. But there is also no excuse for public officials or media to hold the Church to a different standard than other institutions in society.

As a Church, WE voluntarily hold ourselves to a higher standard. I wish each perpetrator could be punished under criminal law, but as the district attorneys tell us, that is not possible. Instead, the Church has imposed its own rigorous standards and consequences, as proven by the 44 priest-perpetrators listed on the archdiocesan website who either are no longer priests or can no longer serve in any public ministry. We exercise this degree of accountability regardless of the criminal statutes of limitations and it goes beyond what civil authorities can impose.

Since 2004, the archdiocese voluntarily implemented a mediation system that allowed abuse survivors to seek the resolution the criminal courts would not allow, namely, a way to receive assurance their perpetrator was held accountable and that they themselves received pastoral, spiritual, therapeutic and financial considerations. We fought to try and continue this mediation system in the bankruptcy proceeding, but claimants’ attorneys said “no.”

Our Safe Environment initiatives have trained more than 30,000 people who work with children; conducted criminal background checks on staff and volunteers; and provided tools and training for people to recognize suspicious behavior.

These continued attacks on the Church are to be expected. They’ve been happening in different forms for centuries. They have been elevated during this past decade when the Church has admittedly been humbled by the clergy sexual abuse crisis. Reporters, editorial writers and some legislators will use this opportunity to try and weaken the Church’s teaching authority, especially on social issues such as marriage, abortion, workers’ rights, health care and religious freedom. I will not allow that to happen.

In the Chapter 11 proceeding, our goals remain the same. The archdiocese wants to reach resolution with abuse survivors and continue its essential ministries for those who rely upon the Church for assistance.

During this penitential season of Lent, we must humble ourselves in front of our Lord, asking forgiveness for our sins and demonstrating our resolve to ensure nothing like this can ever happen again. As the leader of this Catholic community, I must also call for all involved in this proceeding to act justly and speak truthfully as we continue to reach out and attempt to bring healing through the mandate of Christ to LOVE ONE ANOTHER.

In His Name,

Archbishop Jerome E. Listecki

Arch Milwaukee

Wow!
 
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Wisconsin Democrats want probe into Milwaukee Archdiocese sex offense

MILWAUKEE (WTAQ) - Nine Democratic state lawmakers have asked the Justice Department to investigate an attorney's claim that eight-thousand sex offenses were committed by people connected with the Milwaukee Catholic Archdiocese.

At a court hearing last week, Jeff Anderson said up to 100 previously undisclosed offenders committed the crimes.

If it's true, the legislators said it's nothing short of a "public safety crisis." And they said the hiding of the offenses might have resulted in hundreds of other abuses against children as well.

Justice spokeswoman Dana Brueck says the agency will review the lawmakers' request.

Anderson made the allegation to a judge investigating compensation claims by over 570 victims of sex abuse by priests. Those claims were made as part of the church's Chapter 11 bankrtupcy reorganization.

Peter Isley of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said he would welcome a Justice Department review. The lawmakers seeking it are Senators Julie Lassa, Lena Taylor, Bob Jauch, and Jessica King -- and Representatives Sandy Pasch, Chris Taylor, Kelda Helen Roys, Robert Turner, and Terese Berceau.

WTAQ

SNAP: "8,000 instances of abuse" in Milwaukee Archdiocese hearing

Sealed documents filed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy identify at least 8,000 instances of child sexual abuse and 100 alleged offenders - 75 of them priests - who have not previously been named by the archdiocese, a victims' attorney said Thursday.

In an emotional preamble to her ruling, before a packed courtroom, [Judge] Kelley expressed a reverence for the Catholic Church and compassion for the victims, saying she was "brought to tears more than once" reading the accounts of the men and women who allege they were sexually abused as children by priests, deacons, nuns, teachers and others over the past 60 years.

"But I cannot let compassion be the basis for my decision. It must be governed by law," Kelley said.

details at MJS

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Abp. Listecki issues clarification on high numbers of claims

After WTMJ reported that Abp. Listecki was "unfazed" (read: could care less about victims) by the number of accusations, he released a statement to the faithful to clarify what is going on. 

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

A little over one year ago, the archdiocese filed for Chapter 11 financial reorganization in U.S. Bankruptcy Court. This brief letter is intended to give you some information regarding the progress we have made and assure you of our commitment to candid communication.

The archdiocese’s website, www.archmil.org, is continually updated with the latest news. I encourage you to visit the site if you want more information about the Chapter 11 process or more details about a story you may read or hear in the news media during the year. [slightly humorous, the link in the email did not work, and this letter is not on their website anywhere where I could find it]

We filed for Chapter 11 because we were unable to reach a mediated resolution with victims/survivors involved in lawsuits against the archdiocese. That, combined with a court decision that said insurance companies are not bound to contribute any money to a financial settlement, made it clear that reorganization was the best way to fairly and equitably fulfill our obligations.

Here are a couple of things to remember about what the Archdiocese of Milwaukee wants to accomplish through the Chapter 11 process.

The archdiocese wants to fairly compensate abuse survivors of diocesan priests with claims allowed by the bankruptcy court. [The archdiocese is not responsible for those crimes committed by say Jesuit priests, which I'm sure SNAP is claiming they should] At the same time, we want to ensure that the Church is able to carry on its essential ministries to meet the needs of parishes, parishioners and others who rely upon the Church for assistance. Chapter 11 reorganization is the best way to achieve these goals.

In all likelihood, more than 500 claims will be filed with the court. The claims notification process was purposely designed to solicit all possible claims. We have objected to some of these claims because, under the law, they fall outside of the parameters allowed by the bankruptcy court. As an organization, we have a responsibility to do the legal things necessary under the bankruptcy law to ensure that rightful claimants receive equitable compensation in the Chapter 11 proceeding.

For example, we don’t believe that someone who has already received a previous legal settlement should be eligible for additional compensation under the Chapter 11 process, or that the archdiocese should be responsible for perpetrators who were not priests or employees of the archdiocese.

Any instance of sexual abuse of a minor is a horrible crime and sin. We are committed to outreach and therapy for abuse survivors of our diocesan priests, regardless of whether or not their particular claim is eligible for consideration by the court in the Chapter 11 proceeding.

Because of that, I asked the court to allow the archdiocese to create a therapy fund that would provide resources for therapy and counseling assistance for abuse survivors of diocesan clergy abuse as long as such a need exists. This fund will be launched with an initial contribution of $300,000. The therapy fund will be “evergreen,” meaning that it will be established in a way that allows it to be replenished, so that payments for therapy will continue for as long as abuse victims come forward for such assistance. We are establishing it, not because we are required to, but because our faith calls us to do so.  [Unlike, say, SNAPs motives]

The archdiocese has been forthcoming with information about the abuse scandal. The names of all known diocesan clergy with substantiated allegations are posted on the archdiocesan website, as are many documents and information related to abuse.

My prayer is that 2012 will bring us closer to a final resolution of the Chapter 11 process, with a just and equitable settlement for abuse survivors, and that the Church of southeastern Wisconsin will be renewed in its ministry and energized in its commitment to preach and live the Gospel.

With assurance of prayers and asking God’s blessing upon you and your loved ones, I am,

Sincerely yours in Christ

Most Reverend Jerome E. Listecki
Archbishop of Milwaukee

SNAP: Milwaukee Archdiocese's strategy might disqualify abuse victims

With just weeks to go before a Feb. 1 deadline in its bankruptcy, the Archdiocese of Milwaukee is casting a wide net in search of clergy sex abuse victims who might seek to file claims, publishing ads in state and national newspapers and asking its parishes and schools to spread the word.

At the same time, victims advocates say, the archdiocese is embarking on a legal strategy that could result in the vast majority of the nearly 200 sex abuse claims filed to date being thrown out of court, leaving those victims ineligible for a financial settlement from the church - and perhaps changing the trajectory of the bankruptcy case.

That strategy will be tested Feb. 9, when U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley hears arguments on a motion, filed in No vember by the archdiocese under court seal, objecting to three victims' claims for compensation.

Lawyers for victims and a church official declined to identify the cases or the legal reasoning behind the move, citing the court seal.

continue at MJS

No time to comment but I think this piece is disingenuous.  "Strategy" .. sigh.  What MJS continues to do is assume that all abuse victims want to destroy the archdiocese as much as they do.  Of course, this is the same MJS that publicly endorses prosecution of dead priests and bishops.    

Wisconsin Public Radio: SNAP wants list from Diocese of La Crosse

We're here to help.....

In a recent interview with the La Crosse Tribune, Diocese of La Crosse attorney James Birnbaum said eleven priests had been accused of abuse since 2003. The accusers are adults who said they were abused more than 20 years ago. Birnbaum says the Diocese of La Crosse Clergy Child Sexual Abuse Review Board found that ten of those priests had either died or left the ministry, and they couldn't confirm one case.

John Pilmaier finds this troubling. He's the Wisconsin Director for SNAP, or Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests. Pilmaier has sent an e-mail to La Crosse Bishop William Callahan urging the Diocese to release the total number of sexual abuse claims and names of priests accused of abuse. He says he just wants the Diocese to be open with information and level with people, "We don't know how many, who they are, if they are still priests, still in the ministry. The Diocese simply has not been open and transparent about which members of the Diocese have hurt children."

Pilmaier says if a priest is let go from the ministry due to an assault, they could get another job and the public would not know that person's history.

WPR

Monnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeey! 

10 dead priests, if only we could remove the statute of limitations we could really crack the bank open.... oh yeah, that's right.  SNAP wants to sue the diocese over dead priests and bishops.  That's their idea of "justice."

Retry of Trial Lawyer Stimulus Bill in Wisconsin

Wisconsin lawmakers and advocates for victims of sex abuse are using this weekend’s Badger game against Penn State as the backdrop for re-introducing legislation that would make it easier for victims to sue their perpetrators in civil court.

State Sen. Julie Lassa (D-Stevens Point) and Sandy Pasch (D-Whitefish Bay) are announcing today that they will re-introduce the so-called Child Victims Act that has failed at least twice in recent years.

The measure would eliminate the statute of limitations in future cases involving the sexual assault of a child by an adult. And it would open a two-year window to refile cases in which victims were previously barred by earlier statutes of limitations.  [Yes, that means we can dig up dead bishops and priests and make us Catholics pay for it.  Not extending the limitation, but removing it completely.  Wisconsin was made a state in 1848.]

Members of SNAP, the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, which has lobbied unsuccessfully for similar bills over the last two legislative sessions, will join Lassa and Pasch at a news conference this afternoon at the capitol.  [I have some old posts on SNAPs push for this if you are interested]

“The bills will bring crucial reforms to the state’s statute of limitations on civil suits in sexual assault cases involving children, and would help prevent the serial child abuse that happened at Penn State,” SNAP’s Milwaukee director, John Pilmaier, said in a statement. [... maybe I'm missing something but how does extending the limitation have any effect on what happens today.  There are already laws in place for these kinds of abuses, right?]

The measure, which is modeled after legislation passed in other states, failed to make it to the floor in the last two legislative sessions. It was opposed by Wisconsin’s Catholic bishops, the Wisconsin Conference of Churches and others who said it could financially ruin religious institutions and their ability to minister to the poor and vulnerable.  [Listen, I really am in favor of state intervention in these matters, but let's ask a question.  Why aren't we extending the statue of limitations on criminal cases??  Why is it only the money maker that's getting extended?  Remember what SNAP sees when they see your church.  I can't imagine the pain that this kind of abuse caused families, but unfortunately those with an agenda against what the Catholic Church teaches want to use this as an opportunity to financially destroy as much of the Church as they can.]

It comes against the backdrop of the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy, in which nearly 100 people have filed claims alleged sexual abuse by clergy or employees when they were children. The archdiocese has suggested it will move to bar at least some of those claims because the civil statute of limitations has passed.

State law currently bars victims from suing after they reach age 35.

MJS Faith Watch

Just because one time Catholic Julie Lassa was reprimanded by her former bishop(who happens to now be Wisconsin's third cardinal) for supporting unlimited taxpayer funded abortion rights, she has made it her business to stick it to the Church in any way she can.

Photo

Ex-monk admits sexual misconduct while under Abp. Hamus at Conception Abbey

A former Benedictine monk who directed a boys choir at a northwest Missouri abbey in the 1980s admitted on Thursday that he had inappropriate sexual relations with several members of the group.

Bede Parry, who led the Abbey Boy Choir of Conception Abbey from 1982 to 1987, told The Kansas City Star that he had sexual contact with five or six of the choir members as well as a student at a Minnesota university.

One of the former choir members filed a lawsuit on Thursday, contending that Parry molested him in 1987 during a summer camp at the abbey.

The lawsuit, filed against Conception Abbey by a Missouri man under the name John Doe 181, alleges that the abbey knew that Parry had sexually abused other students prior to abusing him but covered it up.

"Frankly, those allegations, most of them are true," Parry said in a phone interview with The Star from Las Vegas. "As far as I’m concerned, great harm was done to those people. To lie and not recognize that would be a gross injustice to those folks.

"The whole thing is terrible. I feel so terrible. I’m just praying for everybody, and I ask for prayers."

Most of the inappropriate sexual contact was with males over 18, Parry said. Two of the encounters, he said, involved males ages 16 to 18. He said he has not had inappropriate sexual relations since the 1987 incident.

Jeff Anderson, a Minnesota lawyer who represents the plaintiff, called the situation "a grave institutional failure."

"Bede Parry wasn’t able to control himself, but it was the (Conception Abbey) abbot and the top officials who knew that and made the choice to protect themselves at the peril of many kids and young adults," he said.

Conception Abbey is a Benedictine monastery with a 30-acre campus. It is home to one of the largest Roman Catholic college seminaries in the nation and the largest priest-training center in the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph. The seminary, which the monks run, draws students from about two dozen dioceses in the United States.

Between 1973 and 1979, the lawsuit says, Parry told the Conception Abbey abbot that he had inappropriate sexual contact with three people at the abbey. And in 1981, the lawsuit says, Parry had sexual contact with a student at St. John’s in Minnesota. Parry admitted that misconduct to several people, including abbots at Conception and St. John’s, according to the lawsuit.

Parry confirmed to The Star his three relationships between 1973 and 1979 at Conception Abbey and one in 1981 in Minnesota. He said he reported those incidents to then-abbot Jerome Hanus at Conception Abbey and to the abbot at St. John’s Abbey in Minnesota.

Hanus is now head of the Archdiocese of Dubuque, Iowa. His office did not return phone calls for comment on Thursday.

Parry said he first opened up about his sexual misconduct last fall, when a Seattle area man named Pat Marker showed up at his doorstep. Marker, a sex abuse victim who had attended St. John’s Preparatory School in Minnesota, had learned about Parry while researching other cases from St. John’s.

"I confronted Bede with the allegations ... that took place at St. John’s, and he admitted to the misconduct and expressed remorse but did not disclose any information about the (Conception Abbey) boys choir at that time," Marker said. "After learning he directed the choir, I confronted him again. At first he denied anything but later admitted to misconduct."

Read more: http://www.kansascity.com/2011/11/08/3255149/ex-monk-admits-sexual-misconduct.html#ixzz1dmsmE4Ex

Allegations against former Green Bay bishop, Bp. David Zubik

Former Green Bay Bishop David Zubik took the unusual step of calling a news conference Wednesday to announce that he has been accused of forcibly kissing a student decades ago, and to deny the charges.

Zubik, currently the bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh, said the former student made the accusation in August after the man's request to volunteer in the diocese was rejected. Soon after the rejection, the man alleged that the incident happened when he was a student at Quigley Catholic High School in the 1980s.

"The accusation is false, offensive and outrageous," Zubik said, adding that no such behavior occurred when he was at the school from 1980 to 1987.

Zubik served as bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Green Bay from December 2003 to September 2007, when he was installed as the 12th bishop of the diocese of Pittsburgh.

The diocese did not return calls for comment Wednesday night.

Late Wednesday afternoon, Beaver County District Attorney Anthony Berosh said the accusations had no basis.

"There was no factual basis for the allegation. No basis in law or in fact," Berosh said.

Berosh said his office reviewed documents in the case and made numerous attempts to meet with the man who claimed Zubik forcibly kissed him.The man declined offers to meet, and then visited the District Attorney's Office unannounced last week and made a new claim that a nun had touched him on an airplane, in full view of the passengers, Berosh said.

 the rest at GBPressGaz

Sounds like a nut.

SNAP files charges against Vatican, public rolls their eyes

$t. $NAP's condominiums

An international coalition of sex-abuse victims has lodged charges with the International Criminal Court at the Hague, charging Pope Benedict XVI and other leading Vatican officials with crimes against humanity.

Leaders of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), assisted by the Center for Constitutional Rights, filed an 80-page complaint, accompanied by over 20,000 pages of supporting evidence, claiming that the Holy See bears "direct and superior responsibility for the crimes against humanity of rape and other sexual violence committed around the world." The charges were directed against Pope Benedict and three Vatican officials: Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, the Secretary of State; his predecessor, Cardinal Angelo Sodano; and Cardinal William Levada, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Experts in international law said that it is extremely unlikely the Hague court will take up the case. The court does not have jurisdiction over the Holy See, and the charges raised in the complaint fall well short of the standards required for an international trial. Similar charges against the Vatican had been lodged in the past, and no prosecution ensued.

However, legal experts said that the SNAP case could serve the group's purposes by "raising awareness" of their cause. In other words, the case will generate publicity.

Catholic Culture