When we first became aware of the possibility of AB 218 resulting in lawsuits against priests alive and in ministry, claiming sexual abuse, we determined to be proactive to protect our children and young people, and to protect the reputation of falsely accused priests. We did this in an abundance of caution for those whom we serve, and for the priests who have a responsibility to continue their ministry to their parishioners and those in need.
At my direction, a former Assistant United States Attorney investigated the allegations made against both Father Mockel and Father Young and found the allegations were not credible. Given this, both priests have and deserve my continued support and have full ministerial rights.
I have been advised that since the plaintiffs have not come forward with any corroborative facts to verify their claims, the release of these priests’ names in connection with these lawsuits was done in violation of California law.
As a recent article originally published by the Chicago Tribune described, false accusations harm survivors who are already concerned about being believed, priests who have been falsely accused, and the parishes and entities which they serve.
For more than 30 years, even before the US bishops approved the ground-breaking Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, the Diocese of Oakland has been providing support to survivors of sexual abuse by clergy. The diocese also provides a rigorous safe environment program, which requires all volunteers, employees and clergy to undergo a criminal background check and be educated about the nature of child sexual abuse, how it is perpetrated, how to report it, and strategies for prevention. Both the background checks and training are repeated on a regular basis. Nothing is more important to us than the safety and health of our parishioners and everyone else associated and affiliated with the Church.
How many people have won the lottery by suing the church?
What makes an allegation credible?
What corroborative facts are needed?
Not this diocese but a different one, about 20 years ago, a friend’s nephew was molested by a priest and his parents were told that since there was no other person that had complained about him, they could not go forward.
The bishop is right. False accusations harm victims of clergy abuse. And, of course, the falsely accused clergy are harmed, even when vindicated. I have been falsely accused and it’s a terribly painful living nightmare. Unlike civil law, we’re not informed of who is making the accusations, even when we know they are untrue. And, the trauma of such continues long past the time of vindication. Corrupt, abusive clergy should be dealt with swiftly, certainly and severely. And, false accusers should be dealt with swifty and certainly, even if not so severely. Much of this horrific pain for the Church and a horrible witness to the world stems from many in the Church, especially leaders, surrendering to the tenets of the sexual revolution.
I understand your point. You only have to work in or be involved in a parish setting to know that there are some unbalanced people (lay, religious, etc.) who associate themselves with church employees in a deleterious way. They can cause chaos if they perceive a slight and then confuse that with abuse, and you can find yourself defenseless against any charges brought forth. Innocent clergy suffer because it’s a setting rife with utmost charity for uncharitable people.
I am sorry that you went through that. I can imagine it would harm your ability to trust people.
I preferred the days before Vatican II, of reverence, holiness and respect for God, in the Church– and dressing and behaving well, with respect. . Too much humanistic emphasis is not good. Your priest is not supposed to be a needy, casual, emotional, overly–warm, unmanly, weak, unbalanced, slightly irreverent secular “touchy-feely” psychologist, cracking jokes like a comic, giving hugs and touching all the time, and talking about humanism amd feelings. A priest should be very mature, manly, respectful and compassionate, oriented to God. He stands in the place of Christ at our altars, as our “alter Christus,” saying Mass, giving Sacraments, teaching, preaching, and guiding people, truthfully and objectively, in Christ. Parishioners and their children should act respectfully, in church. Respect each other, be reminded of God’s holy presence, do not be too casual or “touchy-feely” with one another nor with your priests. Always act mature in church. View the priest with respect as Christ’s representative on earth. Call him respectfully by his surname, as “Father Smith,” for example– not “Father Joe.” And call parishioners by their surnames, too- “Mr., Mrs., or Miss.” There should be a firm teaching on chastity, dressing and behaving modestly, maturely, and respectfully– and the subject of sex should be completely taboo, as in days of long ago. No need for that subject. Teach chastity, chaste speech, and respect. The subject of sexuality can be respectfully referred to, in a Christian manner, in Marriage Prep classes. NFP can also be taught privately and respectfully to married couples. Marriage is a Sacrament, God must be respected in it.
Good behavior needed – let’s not teach about sex until marriage prep? What do we tell the 40+% of high school students who have already had sex? Me thinks you could use a good dose of reality. The parish priest is trying to lead a group of people who don’t believe a lot of what the Church teaches. If you want to empty the church for good, give a lengthy sermon about forbidden sex and abortions. Most priests are doing what they can to for attendees into a church community.
Just Saying– Do not believe the lies of the media, that all American kids are leading terrible lives of sexual sin– and sneaking around, or shacking-up, and having abortions! Many young people seek to lead good lives, especially those from good, solid family homes, with good parents in good marriages, who also instruct their kids in the Catholic Faith from an early age. There are also many devout, close-knit Protestant families, deeply practicing their Christian faith, daily. Many of these good people do homeschooling, and socialize with homeschooling families, in the same homeschool programs, from their church– Catholic or Protestant. Their kids usually meet others from the same background, have chaste courtships and marriages, with both families happily involved, as kin. Also, there are many devout Muslims with close-knit families, who daily practice their religious faith, and raise their kids in it. Our churches need to strongly teach the Catholic Faith to kids, from early childhood, and strongly support Catholic families and kids in the practice of the Faith. Also, never underestimate the power of Jesus Christ– and His Most Blessed Mother– to “mysteriously” bring wayward, fallen kids– tragically deceived and destroyed by a life of sin in the Death Culture– to a wonderful, new life in Christ. Time and time again, all through history, we have seen amazing examples of tragically fallen people, all ages, brought to a religious conversions, by the Blessed Mother, as well as by Christ– some even became Saints! St. John Vianney, the Cure d’Ars of France, was one outstanding priest, who worked tirelessly, alone, to bring an entire wayward village back to the Church, to be faithful, devout, practicing Catholics. Our task as Catholics and as Christians, is to evangelize and convert the dark, sinful Death Culture, into the Culture of Life, for Christ. Many are working hard at this task, for Christ. As Bishop Strickland reminded us recently, the Rosary is a great weapon, to fight sin– along with evangelization and good catechesis.
They don’t teach about sex at Church, except for the self-protection class.
Maybe that is all your church does. Other churches do much better. Fr. Illo has excellent programs for Catholic families and children, teens, and young adults, at Star of the Sea church in San Francisco. He also has Stella Maris Academy, a classical Catholic school, with grades PK-8. Many Catholic young people have found good Catholic spouses at Star of the Sea, and have gotten married, and started good Catholic families. Fr. Illo is excellent. Bishop Strickland of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas, has excellent programs, too. Bishop Strickland is founder and president of the St. Philip Institute, the catechetical and evangelization arm of the Diocese of Tyler. That diocese is booming with devout Catholic families, and many seminarians, too, under the excellent leadership of Bishop Strickland. The famous Mother Miriam of the Lamb of God is there, with her religious order. She just made her Final Vows at a big Mass with Bishop Strickland. The FSSP is there, too. There is also a wonderful program for students at Texas A&M, in College Station, Texas, at St. Mary’s Catholic Student Center, which serves 17,000 Catholic students. They have a beautiful new church, with outstanding programs for Catholic students. Many young Catholics do not want the Death Culture garbage, and the cafeteria-Catholic garbage of Nancy Pelosi/Joe Biden fame. They are seeking true Catholic teachings and traditions. They want to find good, devout Catholic spouses, with chaste dating and courtship– and marry, and start good Catholic families.There are some good, authentically-Catholic colleges and universities, such as Thomas Aquinas College, in Santa Paula, CA, with serious young devout Catholic students. The Cardinal Newman Society, headed by Patrick Reilly, has been working hard for about three decades to clean up Catholic colleges and schools, and help Catholic parents choose good Catholic colleges for their kids. Great idea, to pray and discern a good Catholic parish to join, or a good new location to move to, with excellent Catholic churches, under outstanding spiritual leadership! Overall, California is probably not the greatest place for good Catholic churches, schools, universities, and programs to support authentic Catholic teaching and morality. If I were young, I might consider moving to the Diocese of Tyler, with Bishop Strickland.
We are talking about sex education. At Church? You said there were classes so not at Mass.
I would not do it.
When I lived in Texas, parents were allowed to opt their children out of sex ed.
I don’t think a priest should be teaching sex ed.
In Bishop Strickland’s Diocese of Tyler, which the good Bishop calls “The Teaching Diocese,” his St. Philip Institute covers catechetical and evangelistic needs for all age-groups, children, youth and adults, with good Marriage and Family programs. There is a great deal of ongoing support for the Catholic Faith, in that Diocese. I have heard that the Masses at all their churches are all very reverent, both the Novus Ordo and Latin Tridentine Masses– and Mass-goers are very reverent, nicely-dressed, very respectful, with lots of women and girls choosing to wear pretty mantillas at both the Novus Ordo and Tridentine Latin Masses. There are many good religious devotions and groups to join, at all the churches, and people are very friendly, with good Catholics frequently inviting other Catholic families, and people of all ages, to informal get-togethers, backyard bar-b-ques, and other informal events, all the time. I heard recently, that more than 300 Catholic families have moved to the Diocese of Tyler, lately– with more coming– specifically because of the outstanding spiritual leadership of Bishop Strickland! Property is very cheap there, the crime rate is low, the quality of life is high, and there are good Catholic schools for your kids. Sounds wonderful!
To: not at Mass and priest– Sorry, you are tragically mistaken. The Catholic Church does not teach so-called “sex-ed”– that is evil, of the sinful secular world– it is totally opposed to Christ’s teachings. The Catholic Church teaches her people about God’s creation of Man and Woman, and His Divine purpose for them, in the Sacrament of Holy Matrimony. Our Church guides her people in Christ’s holy teachings of Self-Control and the Virtue of Chastity. Authentic Catholic teachings can be found in the Bible, the Catechism, and in Pope St. Paul VI’s encyclical, “Humanae Vitae.” Bishop Strickland recently gave an excellent talk on this subject, on his weekly Virgin Most Powerful radio show, “The Bishop Strickland Hour,” with Terry Barber.
I said that it didn’t. You said Father Illo and Bishops Strickland did.
But I’m mistaken?
Now you are agreeing with me but saying I am tragically mistaken.
Really?
Have you thought about writing or helping write children’s books based on your childhood?
No matter if you dislike or disrespect or disdain them, every priest is conformed to Christ in a special way by the Sacrament of Holy Orders. Christ is present in the priest. It is Christ who offers the Mass through the person of the priest. When any priest forgives sin, it is Christ forgiving sins.
There is no standard definition for a “credible accusation.” For the Diocese of Oakland, we used the following criteria to determine if a name should be placed on this list.
The Diocese must have knowledge of an allegation made against the person to be named and the allegation must include all the following:
The allegation involved sexual abuse of a minor (under the age of 18 at the time of the alleged abuse).
The alleged perpetrator was a priest, deacon, religious brother, or religious sister either at the time of the alleged abuse or sometime after the alleged abuse.
The alleged abuse is claimed to have been committed:
within the geographic jurisdiction of the Diocese of Oakland, or
by a priest or deacon of the Diocese of Oakland, or
by a seminarian or lay person affiliated with the Diocese who was later ordained, or
by a priest or deacon who is known to have lived in Alameda or Contra Costa counties and who has been identified by another diocese, a religious order, law enforcement or a court of law as being credibly accused.
After review of the reasonably available, relevant information, there is reason to believe the allegation is more likely than not to be true.
The process for evaluating whether an allegation is credible is not a legal process. Examples of information used to ascertain credibility include, but are not limited to, admissions by the accused, criminal convictions, other types of legal actions, patterns of conduct, and prior determinations closer to the time of the alleged sexual abuse or the time when the matter was first investigated. The determination of credibility of an allegation does not establish that a crime was committed.
Of course– to be a human being, is normal. Christ was both human and Divine. However, it is wrong for either a priest or a layman to say something like, “well, I committed a crime (making and selling pornography, embezzlement, child sex molestation, etc.) “because I am so human.” What is needed– is respect. Respect for God, respect for a priest, respect for parishioners and their children, by priests.
Let me see if I got this straight:
The Bishop of Oakland has decided that allegations from decades ago of his Vicar General and his Vicar of Priest were not credible after an internal investigation.
Both of them were allowed to stay in ministry which includes teaching at a high school and being a pastor of a parish and school.
This is not how it is supposed to work anymore.