Media Release - Catholic Whistleblowers Steering Committee– July 27-28, 2015

Catholic Whistleblowers
July 27, 2015

http://www.catholicwhistleblowers.com/

On July 29, 2015, the Catholic Whistleblowers Steering Committee will submit to Pope Francis’ newly-established Vatican tribunal a case of abuse of office against Archbishop John J. Myers of the Archdiocese of Newark, New Jersey, regarding incidents of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults by clergy, and request that Archbishop John J. Myers be removed as Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and the clerical state, that he be denied access to his lavish retirement home, and assigned to a life of prayer and penance

What

A press conference sponsored by the Catholic Whistleblowers Steering Committee which will announce the filing of a case against Archbishop John J. Myers of Newark, New Jersey to the newly-established Vatican tribunal that investigates and holds accountable bishops who abuse their office in matters of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults

When

Wednesday, July 29, 2015 at 11:30 AM

Where

Fair Bridge Hotel and Conference Center, 130 New Jersey Route 10 West, East Hanover, NJ 07936

Who

Members of the Catholic Whistleblowers Steering Committee, victim/survivors of sexual abuse and their families, and victim/survivors of the actions and decisions of John J. Myers as Bishop of Peoria, IL and Archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, including: Peoria, IL Diocese parents (of sexual abuse victims) Helen Rainforth and Linda Bruns; Newark, NJ sexual abuse victim/survivor Samuel Rivera; Milwaukee retired priest and canon lawyer Rev. James Connell; former Newark Archdiocesan priest Dr. Robert M. Hoatson; New York Archdiocese sexual abuse victim/survivor Sr. Claire Smith; victims’ advocate and whistleblower Sr. Maureen Paul Turlish of New Castle, DE and Philadelphia, PA; and, New York Archdiocese whistleblower Fr. Ronald Lemmert, who will represent and speak on behalf of Fr. Patrick Collins, a retired priest of the Peoria, IL Diocese

Why

Pope Francis has expressed his desire to hold accountable bishops who have abused their office with regard to incidents of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults, and established on June 6, 2015 a Vatican tribunal to hear cases of such abuse of office. The Catholic Whistleblowers Steering Committee, with the involvement of victim/survivors of sexual abuse, advocates, and supporters, have compiled a case of abuse of office against Archbishop John J. Myers of the Newark, NJ Archdiocese, and will submit documentation of such abuse to Vatican authorities with copies to the Papal Nuncio in Washington, DC, and Archbishop Myers. From the time he was named co-adjutor Bishop of Peoria, IL in 1990 to his tenure as Archbishop of Newark, NJ from 2002 to the present, John J. Myers has abused his episcopal office on many occasions, including a serious cover-up of the sexual abuse of priests in the Peoria, IL Diocese and the mistreatment of families of sexual abuse victim/survivors there. John J. Myers also retaliated against a Newark Archdiocesan priest for speaking out about clergy sexual abuse, forcing him to leave the priesthood, and he mishandled the cases of sexual abuse against the notorious Fr. Michael Fugee and other priests, including a Newark Archdiocesan priest who was allowed to retire one week after 6 victim/survivors received a settlement of hundreds of thousands of dollars. The press conference will call on Pope Francis to remove Archbishop Myers from the Newark Archdiocese and the clerical state, deny him access to a lavish retirement home, and assign him to a life of prayer and penance.

Contacts

Robert M. Hoatson, Ph.D., West Orange, NJ - 862-368-2800

Rev. James Connell, Milwaukee, WI – 414-940-8054