BishopAccountability.org
	Newly Discovered Evidence Shows Pope Moved Slowly with Offender Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests March 2, 2011 http://www.snapnetwork.org/snap_press_releases/2011_press_releases/030211_newly_discovered_evidence_shows_pope_moved_slowly_with_offender.htm WHAT Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will disclose and discuss 200 newly released pages about a notorious serial pedophile priest that are being posted on line today, including --a 2003 letter from NY's archbishop to the Pope about the pedophile, and --a memo noting that the predator threatened to "contact the press about all he knows." The victims will harshly blast Milwaukee's current and former church officials for --essentially doing nothing to warn the public about the serial predator, and --moving slowly to defrock him. And they will call on three prelates to explain and apologize for their delays, secrecy and inaction. WHEN Wednesday, March 2 at 10:00 a.m. WHERE On the sidewalk outside the Catholic cathedral, 831 N. Van Buren St. in Milwaukee WHO Three-five clergy sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org) WHY Today, a Boston-based research group is posting on line 200 pages of long-secret church records about Fr. Franklyn Becker, an admitted and officially-diagnosed serial pedophile Milwaukee priest. They show that in 2003, then-Milwaukee Archbishop Timothy Dolan waited nine months before taking action against Becker. The documents also show that then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger (now Pope Benedict) delayed more than 1.5 years before officially defrocking Becker. And the records reveal that Dolan kept quiet about Becker's having been defrocked for two more years. Neither Dolan nor Benedict nor current Milwaukee Archbishop Jerome Listecki, as best SNAP can tell, took or are taking any effective action to warn parents or protect kids from him. In the 2003 letter, Dolan says he is afraid of "scandal" and writing because Becker had been arrested in California. Before being finally defrocked in 2004, records show that two church officials (Fr. Curt Frederick of Waukesha, 262 547 2763 and Deacon Dave Zimprich, 414 769 3409, zimprichd@archmil.org) gave Becker $10,000. The records also show that until he was defrocked, Becker was receiving roughly $35,000 a year from the archdiocese, along with medical and dental coverage. In 2005, Zimpich also wrote that Becker was frustrated at the way the archdiocese was treating him, and that Becker would "contact the press or somebody because of all he knows." Zimpich wrote "I told him that he knew he wasn't going to do this (and) that the press wouldn't give him insurance nor would they even give him much of a check for the information for a story." In 2006, Becker told a church official that he was concerned that the archdiocese would make public that he's been defrocked. The church official wrote "I told him (Becker) the archdiocese wasn't advertising that." Church officials first got a report of abuse by Becker in 1963. Twenty years later, they learned he was diagnosed as a pedophile. Still, they let him work in parishes around kids until 2002. Becker has faced at least three civil child sex abuse and cover up lawsuits. He worked in California, West Virginia and Missouri. He is believed to be living in the southeastern Wisconsin town of Mayville. Dolan was named Archbishop of Milwaukee in June 2002, named Archbishop of New York in February 2009 and was installed in New York in April 2009. Becker's victims are represented by Minnesota attorneys Jeff Anderson (651 227 9990, 612 817 8665 cell) and Mike Finnegan (651 227 9990, 612 205 5531 cell, mike@andersonadvocates.com). SNAP wants Archbishop Listecki to go to each parish where Becker worked and beg victims, witnesses and whistleblowers to call police. SNAP is holding a similar event in New York City (where Dolan now works) today. CONTACT Peter Isely 414 429 7259 peteriselly@yahoo.com, David Clohessy 314 566 9790 cell, SNAPclohessy@aol.com, Barbara Dorris 314 503 0003 cell, SNAPdorris@gmail.com
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