More allegations against Albany Diocese

Capital News 9 ^ | April 15, 2004 | Jessica Schneider

[sidewalk]

Outspoken attorney John Aretakis continued to press the Albany Diocese on Bishop Howard Hubbard's alleged homosexual relations and is now saying the note left by Father John Minkler before his suicide lashed out at the Bishop.

"I have been told by people who are aware of the letter. That it does address Bishop Hubbard's homosexuality and the rampant homosexuality and sexual misconduct of many Albany Diocesan priests, including Bishop Hubbard," Aretakis said.

Aretakis stood by several alleged victims of clergy abuse, all who said Bishop Hubbard's homosexual lifestyle was well known around the community. And they also said Hubbard did everything in his power to shelter his fellow gay priests.

David Leonard, alleged clergy sex abuse victim said, "Priests in Bishop Hubbard's Diocese have gotten away with their own private sexual activities for years -- like Father Minkler told us, because Bishop Hubbard so brazenly and arrogantly denied being gay. Now all priests and the Bishop are called on as great big liars. Again, where is the polygraph?"

Leonard, who is now 62, claimed he was abused by a Boston area priest when he was an adolescent. He also said he was manipulated into a homosexual relationship as an adult by an area priest.

Ken Goldfarb, spokesman for the Albany Diocese said there will be a polygraph test for Hubbard, and former federal attorney Mary Jo White's investigation is far from over. He also said these new allegations were false and bizarre claims manufactured by Aretakis in his ugly campaign against Bishop Hubbard.

However, David Leonard was outspoken in his belief that Hubbard was harboring abusive and homosexual priests. He said he met with Boston Archbishop Sean O'Malley at the end of February, and O'Malley encouraged him to speak out.

"He said that we have to rid the ranks of these individuals that have caused so much damage to the Roman Catholic Church and its credibility," Leonard said.

Calls to the Boston Archdiocese were not returned, and the Albany Diocese would not comment about Leonard's claims that he spoke to Archbishop O'Malley.

[Unam Sanctam]

What is freaking wrong with these prelates? Don't they care at all about the Church and the situation she faces in this country in a hostile environment? Don't they care about Christ and His holy teachings? Don't they care about upholding the teachinngs of the faith and helping the Church shine and be attractive to people in the modern world? Don't they care about decency? Don't they care about chastity and family values? The more I hear about this "hapless bench of bishops", the more depressed I feel about the Church. Hubbard seems to be worst than most -- almost a Weakland-type character -- but so many seem really questionable in their commitment to the Faith and morality. Christ's guarantee to preserve the Church is all that can be relied upon -- we can put no trust in men, we can put no trust in princes, as the Psalmist said.

[Antoninus]

Pingo.

[Goreknowshowtocheat]

Until the Catholics let heterosexual priests marry, the seminaries will be full of homosexuals. No self-respecting hetero wants to dive into the homo-dominated seminary environment. I do not know why they don't let their noblest members marry and multiply. I know tradition and all, but this is not working very well.

[Desdemona]

Tradition works just fine in places where it's really done by tradition and where homosexuals are not allowed in the seminaries. Albany isn't one of those places.

[Unam Sanctam]

I disagree. The discipline of celibacy is a powerful symbol of total commitment to Christ and the Church, and with the passing of monasteries and convents practical the only reminder in the present society of the beauty of the evangelical counsel of chastity, and a sign to our sex-crazed world that sex is not everything. I think better faith formation and discipline is all that is needed.

[Unam Sanctam]

I disagree. The discipline of celibacy is a powerful symbol of total commitment to Christ and the Church, and with the passing of monasteries and convents practical the only reminder in the present society of the beauty of the evangelical counsel of chastity, and a sign to our sex-crazed world that sex is not everything. I think better faith formation and discipline is all that is needed.

[Antoninus]

Until the Catholics let heterosexual priests marry, the seminaries will be full of homosexuals. No self-respecting hetero wants to dive into the homo-dominated seminary environment. I do not know why they don't let their noblest members marry and multiply. I know tradition and all, but this is not working very well.

Tell you what. You don't tell us how to run our Church and we won't tell you how to run yours. Deal?

[Aliska]

Source

BEGIN QUOTE

Man claims abuse by Catholic priest Updated: 5/19/2003 10:28 PM By: Capital News 9 web staff

Another man has stepped forward, claiming he was sexually abused by a priest and the Catholic Church covered it up.

David Leonard alleges the church hid his abuse for years, making him swear on a Bible to never tell.

Leonard also claims that Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard ordered a $6,000 exorcism of his body. Leonard claims the alleged exorcism in Little Falls, New York led to several stays in a mental hospital, depression and attempted suicide.

He said, "I'm not going to cover and I'm not going to be quiet for the crimes and the terrible evil that is in the Roman Catholic Church and bishops covering up the lies because they all know what happened, they all knew and they turned their heads."

In a written statement to Capital News 9, the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany said, "Bishop Hubbard has never performed an exorcism, nor has he ever authorized nor been asked to authorize an exorcism for a victim of clergy sexual abuse."

Leonard was introduced to the media by attorney John Aretakis who represents several alleged church abuse victims. But Leonard said he has not retained a lawyer and no suit has been filed on his behalf.

END QUOTE

I'm sorry, but it appears to me that this particular witness is being exploited. There is no new or tangible evidence here to lend any credence in the case against Hubbard. I wish they would put up or shut up. Furthermore, there are details such as swearing on a bible (do catholics normally do this other than in court?) and the alleged exorcism doesn't sound to be on the up and up, unless a renegade priest performed some kind of informal one. It is beginning to look like Aretakis is grabbing at straws to keep this in the news.

[Aliska]

Note that previous post is background information only as it was published in May 2003.

[dsc]

"What is freaking wrong with these prelates? Don't they care at all about the Church and the situation she faces in this country in a hostile environment?"

HeLOOOOOooooooo...

The phrase "Smoke of Satan" is **NOT** a figure of speech.

[St.Chuck]

It is beginning to look like Aretakis is grabbing at straws to keep this in the news.

Beginning? Mr. Aretakis has consistently embraced the most incredulous of accusers. Every time his name comes up, so does the most ludicrous of stories. The only way he could become credible at this point is if Danny DeVito portrays him in the film adaptation.

[St.Chuck]

The phrase "Smoke of Satan" is **NOT** a figure of speech.

The prase, "Smoke of Satan", in it's context, referred to those who questioned the decisions of the papacy. It was as applicable to rad trads as it was to modernists, who rad trads mistakenly think the pope was thinking of.

[NYer]

former federal attorney Mary Jo White's investigation is far from over.

The 2004 Annual Bishop's Appeal, arrived in the mail this week. It's been 'recycled'. If Hubbard and the Albany Diocese can afford to foot Mary Jo White's legal fees @ $770/hour, they don't need my dime. Sadly, those agencies that could benefit are probably being stripped bare (no pun intended), to shelter and protect Hubbard's homosexual agenda.

[dsc]

"The prase, "Smoke of Satan", in it's context, referred to those who questioned the decisions of the papacy. It was as applicable to rad trads as it was to modernists, who rad trads mistakenly think the pope was thinking of."

Right is wrong,
And wrong, right.
White is black
And black, white.
Night is day
And day, night.
Liberal logic
Is quite a fright.

War is peace
And freedom, slavery.
Toil is ease
And virtue, knavery.
So intones
The liberal savory
Lips all aquiver
With ersatz bravery.

How can that be?
We ask in a quandary.
That dirty shirt
Should go to the laundary.
Patience we’ve not
With liberal maundering
Stick to the truth;
Repent of your wandering.

The phrase refers to the literal Smoke of Satan, one of whose manifestations is the Modernist Heresy. It refers in no way to opposition to the Smoke of Satan, even should a twisted perspective see such opposition as somehow wrongful.

[Dajjal]

Bumpus ad summum

[Sun]

In the early 60's the Vatican informed bishops that homosexuals should not be allowed to become priests. The seminaries did not listen to the Vatican, and look what happened.

I do not think that we should defrock celibate priests, because they have proved that they have the willpower to be celibate. However, to be prudent, no more homosexuals should be allowed in seminaries; and, of course, there should be no 2nd chances for guilty priests.

[sinkspur]

Leonard also claims that Albany Bishop Howard Hubbard ordered a $6,000 exorcism of his body.

Aretakis has now resorted to bringing forth nutcases to try to keep his vendetta against Hubbard in the news, as you say.

Hubbard could not have a more unsympathetic opposition.

[Renlea]

wasnt there a story in the paper last week or something where a person said that aretakis gave her an affidavit to sign that had all sorts of lies on it????

aretakis has not given me one little piece of evidence that could be proven he can say all he wants to about the note at this point i want him to show it to us if he has it. i mean if he has it why doesnt he show it? BECAUSE HE DOESNT HAVE IT. it's a bluff.

i thought also that you just can't take a polygraph it has to be given to you by an investigator or da or something right?

there is no evidence here!

it is all hearsay!

it is he said she said, that this guy sleeps with this other guy!

this is what you hear in the halls when you were in high school! oh jimmy told me that jane is a slut, oh did you see fran wearing that awful shirt? they say you never graduate from hs really and that's TRUE.

and that is all it has been.

i am really sure now that aretakis doesnt have anything behind him and that he is just doing this to keep himself in the news. there is nothing new here and these poor victims of sexual abuse aare not getting their fair share or their fair hearing now b/c they are attached to this nut case lawyer.

come on, other than an UNSIGNED UNDATED letter and one priests "i saw janie kissing jackie in the bathroom ooooohhhhhhhh" letters give me one shred of information THAT ARETAKIS HAS GIVEN US that is verifiably true

you won't find it. because it doesn't exist.

the guy is as my little sister said when we were little "a
poop head."

and i dont believe him anymore

bring on a new lawyer a credible one!!!

[sinkspur]

it is all hearsay!

Of course. Aretakis is a smear-artist. He's had THREE lawsuits thrown out, having brought all THREE of them outside the statute of limitations.

Hubbard could not have picked better opponents.