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I just sent this to our local paper. They usually print my letters to ed, we'll see on this one:

8/29/03

Letter to the Editor, Johnstown Tribune Democrat:

Responding to recent lawsuits, Bishop Adamec stated "the legal action
alleges that some sort of conspiracy exists within this diocesan church that
allows and even promotes inappropriate behavior on the part of its priests
in regard to minors. I deny and know of no such conspiracy."

Boston's Survivors First, an advocacy group for victims of clergy sexual
abuse, has compiled news of allegations against 19 priests in
Altoona-Johnstown, the highest number in Pennsylvania. The group has tracked
allegations against 14 in the Philadelphia archdiocese, six in Pittsburgh,
and one in nearby Greensburg.

Johnstown has 111,000 Catholics, Philadelphia 1,488,316, Pittsburgh 793,417,
and Greensburg has 189,000 Catholics. Our diocese therefore has 20 times as
many allegations of priest sexual abuse per Catholic as Philadelphia, 25
times as many as Pittsburgh, and 33 times as many as Greensburg PA!

Furthermore, Bishop Adamec must publicly explain at least one abuse case if
he desires to quell diocesan "conspiracy theories." According to local
newspaper articles, Father Robert J. Kelly continues to serve, unsupervised,
as Pastor of St. Peter and Paul parish in Philipsburg, while other priests
such as Fr. Martin McCamley and Fr. Bernard V. Grattan have been
unceremoniously removed. The allegations against Fr. Kelly appear just as
credible as the others.

Privately, many diocesan priests are expressing bewilderment over this gross
inequity, and the laity are scandalized. What does Fr. Kelly know that is
holding the hand of Bishop Adamec?

The grossly disproportionate numbers of molester priests and blatant
disparity in treatment of accused priests and persecution of orthodox
priests are the makings of "a conspiracy" hard to dispel in the minds of
many diocesan Catholics.

Dr. Brian J. Kopp