KNX
March 31, 2007
http://www.knx1070.com/pages/330066.php?contentType=4&contentId=393715
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San Diego, CA. (CNS) — The Catholic Diocese of San Diego has released a list of 38 priests "against whom there are credible allegations" of sexual abuse, but it says none of the clergy are active and more than half are dead.
The list, published Friday on the diocese's Web site, reveals the names of clergy and where they served, but does not say when the alleged abuse occurred or the nature of the abuse.
Twenty-six of the clergy were described as being in the San Diego or San Bernardino Diocese and 12 were described as being outside the diocese, but in the San Diego-San Bernardino area.
A few of the clergy were with the diocese as recently as the 1990s, but most left in the 1950s, '60s and '70s, and more than 20 are dead.
The earliest beginning assignment for a priest on the list dated back to 1928 in Los Angeles.
The priests served at churches, schools, colleges, hospitals and mental institutions.
The list was released a day after it was reported that bankruptcy attorneys for the diocese filed a plan for settling about 150 lawsuits alleging sexual abuse of children by priests.
Church officials have proposed establishing a $95 million pool of money. Payments would range from about $10,000 to $800,000 to victims settling lawsuits for abuse by clergy in incidents dating back decades, which is roughly half of what plaintiffs were expected to be seeking in four years of closed- door negotiations.
Settlements and jury awards in such cases in California have ranged from about $1.1 million to $1.6 million per victim, according to plaintiffs' attorneys.
Attorneys representing the alleged victims called the reorganization plan "premature" and "meaningless" in the month-old Chapter 11 process, which could last years, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported.
And a group representing victims of clergy abuse expressed concern that the list of priests was incomplete. "We suspect and fear that this list will not be accurate and complete and that (Bishop Robert H.) Brom is making this long overdue step only because he has come under fire for his recent move to seek bankruptcy protection," Joelle Casteix of the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests said in a statement.
Brom announced the bankruptcy filing last month when talks aimed at settling lawsuits alleging abuse by priests failed.
"Bishop Brom is doing what many bishops do: keeping the focus on the bad apple priests while continuing to hide corrupt officials at the top — corrupt officials who would have been exposed if brave and courageous survivors were allowed their day in court," Casteix said.
"Unfortunately, we'll never know how many San Diego kids were molested before today because of the years of Brom's secrecy. But one fact is clear: he should have released these names many, many years ago," Casteix said.
The next scheduled hearing in the bankruptcy case before federal Judge Louise DeCarl Adler is set for April 11.
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