Victims" Group Critical of Abp. Rodi

WALA
May 16, 2013

http://www.fox10tv.com/dpp/news/local_news/mobile_county/victims-group-critical-of-abp-rodi

Mobile Catholic Archbishop Thomas Rodi

A victims’ advocacy group is critical of Mobile Archbishop Thomas Rodi and his response to the announcement that Rev. James Havens, the pastor of St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church faces an accusation of sexual abuse of a minor. In response, the Archbishop said, “We have been faithful to the promises the Archdiocese of Mobile has made to take accusations seriously.”

In a news release , SNAP or Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, said Archbishop Rodi “basically kept the accusation and suspension secret” until FOX10 News anchor Bob Grip posted a series of tweets about it. The only public intimation of a problem came when the Archbishop himself tweeted on Monday evening, May 13 that he was “About to begin a parish meeting dealing with a painful matter. Please say a prayer for all concerned.”

“Even now, there’s no notice on Rodi’s archdiocesan website about the suspension. Then, when Rodi finally ‘came clean’ about the accusation against Fr. James Havens, he tried to minimize the alleged horror by citing the year of the possible crime and the claim that it didn’t happen at a church (as if somehow, it’s less devastating for a child to be molested on one side or the other of an invisible property line),” continued SNAP.

When asked to elaborate on the news release, David Clohessy of SNAP said, instead of meeting privately with the St. Vincent de Paul community, the Archbishop should have:

held a news conference to announce the allegation & suspension.

begged victims, witnesses, whistleblowers – anyone who might be able to help prove or disprove allegation to step forward.

urged folks to call law enforcement first.

prodded folks to question others, esp. parishioners who suddenly stopped coming or moved away.

announced he’ll go to each parish where this priest ever worked issuing same message.

posted this message on his archdiocesan website.

posted this message in all parish bulletins.

Thursday afternoon, Rev. Havens' name was removed from the St. Vincent parish website and replaced with the name of the new administrator, Rev. Stephen Vrazel.

FOX10 News has learned an announcement about the allegation against Rev. Havens will be published in the archdiocesan newspaper, The Catholic Week , and that the Archbishop will soon be celebrating Mass at a parish where Rev. Havens had been previously assigned.

Archbishop Rodi commented, "I think we have been faithful to the promises the Archdiocese of Mobile has made to take accusations seriously, not to tolerate sexual abuse of minors, and to cooperate with civil authorities. These are the actions reasonable people have asked for and which we are following.”