Fairbanks diocese blasted for withholding documents (Still Stonewalling After All These Years)

Anchorage Daily News ^ | February 16, 2006 | RACHEL D'ORO

[AlaskaErik]

A national organization for survivors of priest sexual abuse blasted Fairbanks Catholic leaders on Wednesday, saying officials are trying to keep records of an accused priest secret as the case heads for trial at the end of the month.

The Chicago-based Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests sent a harshly worded letter to Bishop Donald Kettler to "stop stonewalling" and allow the release of all documents pertaining to the Rev. James E. Poole. The 82-year-old retired Jesuit priest has been accused of abusing five women during a four-decade career in rural Alaska.

Poole, who founded KNOM radio in Nome, was recently severed from the civil lawsuit -- filed by a woman alleging she was abused in the mid-1970s -- because the statute of limitations has expired. But the Fairbanks diocese and Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, remain listed as defendants in the trial scheduled for Feb. 27 in Nome.

"Keeping these documents hidden is telling survivors, parishioners and the public that you care more about your precious secrets than you care about your precious children," SNAP officials wrote in the letter e-mailed and faxed to Kettler Wednesday.

[AlaskaErik]

I simply can't believe the Catholic Church won't own up to the crimes (sins) committed by its priests. I'm reminded of the cartoon where Mohammed is at the Pearly Gates trying to stop muslims from entering as he says "Stop, we're running out of virgins". In its place I see a cartoon where the Devil tells the newly arrived "Stop, we have so many priests down here that we're full".

[eleni121]

I simply can't believe the Catholic Church won't own up to the crimes (sins) committed by its priests\
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And unless they own up ---nothing else they say or do will hold any credibility. They might was well become just another secular org.

[Cicero]

Let's separate anti-Catholicism from solving this problem.
It's not "the Catholic Church" that's at fault. It's certain abusive priests, mostly belonging to certain liberal orders or products of the seminaries in the 60s and 70s. Their numbers are relatively small, but because they are priests it naturally enrages people.

Then there are the bishops and others who have covered for these priests. Some bishops have, seemingly, covered up while known offenders continued to do evil. Other bishops have covered up after the fact.

Still other bishops hesitate and delay because they fear lawsuits that will bankrupt their dioceses. They may not even be the bishops responsible at the time the crimes took place. Sometimes trial lawyers have abused the system and taken money that was given for charitable purposes and should have been used for much better purposes.

So, a few more facts and a little less generalizing would be useful. In any case, if the bishop is guilty we should be talking about a bad priest and a bad bishop, not a bad Church.

[AlaskaErik]

So, a few more facts and a little less generalizing would be useful. In any case, if the bishop is guilty we should be talking about a bad priest and a bad bishop, not a bad Church.

So why doesn't the church tell the stonewallers to stop stonewalling? Make them come clean. Or maybe Rome hopes the problem will go away. Sorry, I don't buy it. Remember where the buck stops. Or in this case, the Euro.

[Bigh4u2]

" So why doesn't the church tell the stonewallers to stop stonewalling? Make them come clean."

You mean just like they stopped them from ordaining Women and Gay priests?

It's a little tough to stop someone who refuses to listen.

[PAR35]

In any case, if the bishop is guilty we should be talking about a bad priest and a bad bishop, not a bad Church.

I'll make a deal with you. I'll quit blaming the 'Church' when the Vatican starts defrocking bishops. Until then, the blame can continue to flow right to the top.