John Paul II Pedophile Priest abused San Francisco boy for a decade

Recently sentenced pedophile priest molested a San Fran boy for a decade

New child sex abuse lawsuit is filed against Mother Teresa's 'confessor'

Victim's mother, who lives in California, will speak publicly for the 1st time

Despite being already jailed for 25 years, cleric still faces more criminal charges

Nationally known predator was just defrocked last year and abused just 4 years ago

WHAT

At a sidewalk news conference, a mom whose son was molested for a decade by a just-sentenced predator priest will
--- disclose and discuss her son's new child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit against the cleric & his supervisors,
--- beg Catholics to ask friends & family if they were hurt by the pedophile and if so, to report promptly to police, &
--- urge local church officials to aggressively reach out to others who saw, suspected or suffered his crimes.

The accused is perhaps the most prominent US Catholic priest to ever have been convicted of child molestation. For decades, he belonged to perhaps America's most prominent Catholic religious order, the Jesuits.

WHEN
TODAY, Monday, Feb. 23, at 1:30 p.m.

WHERE
Outside San Francisco University, 2495 Golden Gate Avenue, in San Francisco

WHO
Child sex abuse victims who belong to a support group called SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAPnetwork.org), including a Milwaukee therapist who is the organization's long-time Midwest Director

WHY
On Feb. 11, Fr. Donald McGuire, an internationally-known Jesuit, was sentenced to 25 years in prison for molesting. kids. He is the most high-profile Catholic priest to ever be convicted for sexually abuse, having been Mother Teresa's spiritual advisor, spoken at hundreds of schools and churches, and led retreats across the globe. In the 1970s, he taught at the University of San Francisco.

Late Friday, a new child sex abuse and cover up lawsuit was filed against McGuire and his supervisors. It charges that McGuire repeatedly assaulted a boy for ten years (1988-98) at several places in California, at a Jesuit facility in suburban Chicago, and on retreats across the country.

In Feb. 2006, McGuire was found guilty of molesting two other boys in Wisconsin. Last March, prosecutors in Phoenix AZ filed more criminal charges against McGuire for molesting two other boys there between 1998 and 2002.

At least seven civil molestation suits have been filed against McGuire.

McGuire, now in his 70s, was finally defrocked last year, even though his Jesuit supervisors received repeated reports of his crimes as far back as the 1960s.

The victim is represented by attorneys Kevin McGuire (949) 510 1229, Jeff Anderson (612) 817 8665, and Marc Pearlman (773) 368 0142. For the victim's privacy, his mother does not want her last name or hometown used but will give interviews and answer questions.

CONTACT
Barbara Dorris of St. Louis, SNAP outreach director (314) 862 7688 home, 314 503 0003 cell
Joey Piscatelli of Martinez, SNAP Bay Area director (925) 262 3699 cell
David Clohessy of St. Louis, SNAP national director (314) 566 9790 cell


Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org

========

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

SNAP Press Statement

For immediate release: Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Statement on Jesuits Filing for Bankruptcy

Statement by Barbara Dorris, National Outreach Director, 314-862-7688

Shame on the Jesuits for exploiting the Chapter 11 process to shield their secrets and continue concealing their complicity. And shame on them for using deceptive, insensitive language to minimize and deny their culpability and further hurt those already in deep pain.

At least 28 child molesting Jesuit clergymen have been publicly exposed as serial predators in the Northwest. We suspect there are at least that many others who've never faced legal action and whose identities are known only to secretive church officials.

History, psychology and common sense suggest that there are at least that many other Catholic officials, Jesuit and diocesan, who knew of or suspected these terrible crimes, but stayed silent or helped hide them.

So it's deceitful for Jesuits to call this awful, on-going scandal the result of "a few men."

Consider the rest of the Jesuit's language. Years of deceit and child rape in unsuspecting parishes and native villages become a "sad chapter in our province's history." Devastating felonies against innocent kids by dozens of alleged spiritual leaders become "the actions of a few men." Deeply wounded men and women who were raped and sodomized as kids become "claimants." Long-standing and largely successful but callous and reckless efforts to hide these crimes become ignored. (There's no mention whatsoever of the role of the Jesuit hierarchy in all of this, conveniently helping church officials keep the focus on the 'bad apple' predator priests.)

Finally, the Jesuits' claim of 'limited resources' is equally deceptive. We believe it's disingenuous for a bishop to pretend to be poor, isolated and helpless, adrift from the rest of the world-wide Catholic institutions and structures, and unable to do what's right to protect the vulnerable and heal the wounded. It's even more deceptive for an obviously huge, world-wide institution like the Jesuits to split silly hairs and claim false distinctions and act like one 'province' is entirely separate from the rest.

What's the right way to respond? Treat victims as individuals, not as cattle. Immediately help those victims who are in desperate need of short term financial help for therapy and medical costs. Let victims who want to go to court go to court. Settle with those who want to settle. Disclose the names of all the predators. Disclose and discipline those who enabled or ignored the abuse, especially those who destroyed evidence, stonewalled police, intimidated witnesses, fired whistle blowers, deceived Catholics and lied to or threatened victims and their families. Publicly beg others who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes and cover ups to come forward, call police, get help and start healing. Stop splitting absurd hairs and drawing false distinctions. Use the extensive resources of this massive global enterprise to do what's right. If need be, borrow money from other Catholic institutions (even Cardinal Bernard Law in Boston did this, taking a $25 million loan from the Knights of Columbus.)

Finally, start acting like compassionate shepherds, not cold-hearted CEOs.

Contact
David Clohessy, National Director of SNAP 314-566-9790
Barbara Blaine, President of SNAP 312-399-4747
Bill Crane, Oregon SNAP leader 503-781-5245
Tom Keenan, Alaska SNAP leader 907-229-4131

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests
www.snapnetwork.org
=========

Suits send Jesuits to file Chapter 11
Abuse alleged - Liabilities facing the five-state province add up to $62 million
Wednesday, February 18, 2009
BRYAN DENSON and NANCY HAUGHT
The Oregonian Staff
The Northwest's Jesuits filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy reorganization Tuesday in Portland, citing civil lawsuits resulting from allegations of clergy sex abuse.

Formally known as the Society of Jesus, Oregon Province, the Roman Catholic order declared assets of $4.8 million and liabilities of nearly $62 million, according to the 123-page filing posted in U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the District of Oregon.

The five-state Jesuit province is listed as a defendant in nine active lawsuits in Alaska, Idaho and Washington. Another suit was settled last September in Multnomah County. The suits were brought by plaintiffs alleging sexual abuse by priests.

Advertisement


"Our decision to file Chapter 11 was not an easy one, but with approximately 200 additional claims pending or threatened, it is the only way we believe that all claimants can be offered a fair financial settlement within the limited resources of the province," said Oregon's provincial, the Rev. Patrick J. Lee, in a written statement.

Although the Oregon province is the largest geographically in the world, it remains the poorest financially of the Jesuits' 10 provinces in the United States, according to the order's Web site.

According to the Portland-based province, the Jesuits have settled at least 200 legal claims since 2001, paying more than $25 million, not including payments by the province's insurers. The bankruptcy filing listed assets of $1.2 million in real property and $3.7 million in personal property.

"Our hope is that by filing Chapter 11, we can begin to bring this sad chapter in our province's history to an end," Lee said. "We continue to pray for all those who have been hurt by the actions of a few men, so that they can receive the healing and reconciliation that they deserve."

Lee said the filing will allow the province to resolve its pending claims, manage its financial situation and continue its ministries in Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Alaska. The province includes more than 250 Jesuits.

The Jesuits came to the Northwest in 1841 after being invited by the Flathead tribe from what is now Montana.

The Oregon province, created in 1932, has two universities -- Seattle University and Gonzaga University in Spokane -- and four high schools, including Jesuit High School in Beaverton. In 2001, the order established St. Andrew Nativity School in Northeast Portland.

Bryan Denson: 503-294-7614; bryandenson@news.oregonian.com Nancy Haught: 503-294-7625; nancyhaught @news.oregonian.com