May 07, 2005

Disgraced Catholic group "flees" U.S.

SCRANTON (PA)
Renew America

Matt C. Abbott
May 6, 2005

As I reported in my previous column, a sex abuse lawsuit against two Catholic priests — Carlos Urrutigoity and Eric Ensey — the Society of St. John, the Fraternity of St. Peter, the Diocese of Scranton, and (retired) Bishop James Timlin has been settled.

Dr. Jeffrey Bond, president of the Greeley, Pa.-based College of St. Justin Martyr, and who was once associated with the now-suppressed Society of St. John (SSJ), reports the SSJ has "fled" to Argentina. This move, according to Bond, had seemingly been planned for some time, particularly as the group — or clerical association, to be precise — became embroiled in scandal.

Bond, who still has three lawsuits against the SSJ and the diocese, believes the SSJ scandal is far from over. In an e-letter sent out today (May 6), Bond asserts:

"Urrutigoity and Ensey must still be laicized, a process which is supposedly underway, and a full investigation must be undertaken to determine the degree of guilt of the other SSJ priests. All of these priests — Daniel Fullerton, Dominic O'Connor, Basil Sarweh, and Dominic Carey — have lied to protect the predator priests of the SSJ, and all have been involved in deceiving Catholic donors.

"Moreover, Deacon Joseph Levine, who is now studying for the priesthood in the Diocese of Scranton, must never be ordained. As a former superior general of the SSJ, Deacon Levine not only insisted upon the innocence of Urrutigoity and Ensey long after their guilt was manifest, but he also perpetuated the fraud of presenting the SSJ as a religious community to unsuspecting Catholic donors.

Posted by kshaw at May 7, 2005 12:40 AM