Posted on 02/18/2004 7:22:57 AM PST by B Knotts
The Albany County Coroner tells Fox 23 News autopsy results on Father John Minkler's body were inconclusive, and they are waiting for more tests to determine exactly how he died. But today we spoke with several people who say they spoke with Father Minkler just days before his death.
Stephen Brady is the director of Roman Catholic Faithful, an Illinois-based group which investigates clergy corruption allegations. Brady faxed us documents which he says are just some of his correspondence with Father John Minkler.
The signature on the cover letter appears similar to the one on the affidavit Minkler gave the Diocese on Friday. In the affadavit, Father Minkler said he never wrote a 7-page letter to Cardinal O'Connor citing improprieties by Bishop Howard Hubbard.
Brady claims Minkler sent him the letter in 2001 and made it clear he wanted to remain anonymous. "He made it clear he wanted to be very careful. He in no way wanted Bishop Hubbard to ever find out who was behind this, who was going to O'Connor behind his back, and who was looking into information in the Diocese regarding misconduct, especially homosexual activity," said Brady. The editor of "The Wanderer," a national Catholic weekly published in Minnesota, tells Fox 23 News Father Minkler has been informing him about problems within the Albany Diocese for 13 years. Paul Likouidis says he spoke with Father Minkler on Friday, just two days before Minkler was found dead in his Watervliet home.
He alleges Minkler told him he was called into the Diocese office and asked to sign this affidavit. "He went into an office and his longtime friend Father Ken Doyle had a document for him to sign and all Doyle said was sign this," said Likoudis. "What he said to me was 'Hubbard forced me to lie,' and he felt very bad about that."
Likoudis says he advised Father Minkler to call Father Joseph Wilson of St. Luke's Church in Queens for advice. Father Wilson says he too spoke to Minkler on Friday, and he was distraught. "I don't remember his exact phrase, but the connotation was he was trying to put out the fires caused by his mention. He did concede to me that he had written on the bishop and he had handed that report into Cardinal O'Connor," said Father Wilson.
The Diocese issued a statement late today saying, "Father John Minkler denied four times to officials of the Albany Diocese that he had written a letter critical of Bishop Howard Hubbard." The statement goes on to say, "at no time did anyone associated with the Albany Diocese seek to pressure Father Minkler to meet with diocesan officials or to deny the letter or to sign a statement denying the letter. At no time was Father Minkler summoned to the Diocesan Pastoral Center. He came willingly..."
I'll be looking for some really weird happenings over the next few days. I think Hubbard is starting to get desperate. I confess I am taking entirely too much pleasure in watching Hubbard squirm.
Perhaps it's time to take out your own subscription ;-D
You can ask for a FREE sample copy by following this link.
An excerpt:
Fr Minkler did, though, tell our mutual friend who had first put us together that he had seen the Bishop. Here, though, his account differs from what Bp Hubbard said at the press conference. Hubbard said that Fr Minkler had turned up, unannounced and upset, at the chancery office. My friend was told by Fr Minkler that he had received a peremptory summons to the chancery via phone msg, which was waiting when he returned from retreat.I think he was deeply unhappy and regretful about having signed the false affadavit. He told our mutual friend, "They forced me to lie." He never mentioned it to me, or to the other priest he spoke with. I think it was a very heavy burden to him.
Of course anything's possible. But I think a far more likely explanation would be the vow of obedience Fr. Minkler took at ordination. I'm no expert on canon law and I don't know if a priest can be ordered to lie.
Maximilian and Black Elk are much more knowledgable about these things.
One could certainly wonder whether certain allegations which have come out in various cases may in fact be false and, hence, some type of blackmail or pressure. That's possible. Sort of..."if you keep talking about this stuff, you might end up accused as well..."
It's really hard to evaluate a situation like this based on the sketchy details in the media.
Could be more weasel words. The priest may have gone as soon as he found out on his answering machine or whatever that he had been asked to come in.
And if it is true.
Hubbard needs to practice his responses so that they are always consistent.
His supporters won't notice, and if they do, they'll ignore it.
Very unlikely I'd say. As dumb as Hubbard is, I don't think he is stupid enough to get into a Mexican Standoff situation with any of his subordinates, because he has a lot more to lose.
Let's suppose for a moment Minkler has a few counts of misdeeds but Hubbard has a lot more. Then it makes sense that this gigantic Cruiser (pun intented) stays far away from the firing range of the Small Submarine's torpedos.
It is commonly known that these homomaniancs use mutually assured destruction as insurance, their version of "honor among crooks". It is also known that Hubbard's homo gang enjoy favors and privileges and don't get internal exiled like Fr. Minkler did. The fact that Minkler has been in exile for so long due to his orthodoxy would point to an undefiled service of a faithful priest.
We can't really know for sure.
From Albany Times Union, February 17
"Minkler was a priest for 32 years. He served as an associate pastor at St. Joseph's Parish in Rensselaer, St. Francis de Sales Parish in Troy and St. Teresa's Parish in Albany.
"He later was secretary to Archbishop Joseph Ryan of the Military Vicariate before being appointed chaplain at the Stratton VA hospital in 1984."
Until the 80's, it appears he had three regular parish assignments as associate pastor.
Sure we can, and Hubbard does. He has Fr. Minkler's personnel file and access to previous files also. Hubbard knows. That's why I am standing by my premise.
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