Bishop Adamec Goes Unnoticed and Unmourned into Retirement last January

The Eponymous Flower ^ | April 9, 2011 | Tancred

[0beron]

Bishop Adamec of the highly troubled Altoona-Johnestown Diocese retired in January of this year. How was it it was missed? Someone should have been popping the cork of champagne. But like the despot of a distant oriental country flooded with sand and camels tethered in the ruins of better days, his unhappy reign has passed like the report of a swinging rusty sign, deep in the rust belt somewhere between Detroit and Saginaw.

[BlueDragon]

gotta go...be back in a couple of hours or so

[Judith Anne]

I have no idea what your post is about.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

All that illustrates is that self-awareness, introspection and criticism of the RCC by RCs runs very shallow.

[presently no screen name]

Why is that? In sleep mode because I addressed the catholic victims of the criminal catholic priests whose evil actions were covered up by the catholic hierarchy?

[D-fendr]

Yeah, that’s what it illustrates all right.

[Judith Anne]

I have no idea what you mean by that.

[Celtic Cross]

"guess this might be a poor time to ask "can I get an amen"?"

Sure, take two! :)

[rikkitt]

I lived in the A-J diocese for 18 years, before the time of Bishop Adamec. I happened to meet him several years ago, and found him to be a pleasant man. While A-J has had more than it’s share of pedophile scandal, Bishop Adamec did what he thought best for the diocese (no easy task, given the wide variety of opinions and problems). He did as well as any bishops, and he leaves the diocese in essentially better shape than he found it. I think people should pray for him and also for Bishop Bartchak, as the latter assumes his duties. From all I’ve read, Bishop Bartchak is an excellent choice. I hope the catholics there give him a warm welcome and a chance to prove himself.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

I lived in the A-J diocese for 18 years, before the time of Bishop Adamec. I happened to meet him several years ago, and found him to be a pleasant man.

I'm pinging some folks to some background on Bishop Adamec, but particularly to the final excerpted sentence in red -- "Records also show that police knew of the sex scandals but discussed them discreetly with diocese officials instead of making arrests."

This is just one more reason why these pederast priest sex scandals take forever to come to light, if ever.

PRIEST KILLS SELF AFTER BISHOP'S LETTER

"In 1996, The Wanderer published a six-week series on Bishop Adamec’s “reign of terror” in the diocese, his persecution of priests and his malicious treatment of concerned laity who objected to his lavish personal lifestyle, his tolerance of liturgical abuses, the cultivation of his cult of personality and the dubious selection of seminarians.

In the course of the series of articles, allegations were made that Bishop Adamec had purchased his bishopric, with a multi-million dollar donation to the building of the U.S. bishops’ new headquarters in Washington, D.C. near the campus of the Catholic University of America. Allegedly, Adamec obtained the funds through the Slovak Federation. The allegations published by The Wanderer received no official response, but at that year’s meeting of the conference of bishops, the bishops spent most of their executive session discussing punitive actions against The Wanderer for publishing the expose on Adamec.

But more importantly...

TIME BISHOP (ADAMEC OF ALTOONA-JOHNSTOWN) COMES CLEAN

"Officials of Altoona-Johnstown Roman Catholic Diocese have known of at least 10 priests implicated in sex abuse cases involving hundreds of young boys, according to public records reviewed by the Tribune-Democrat.

But the offenders remained in the priesthood, and the diocese meted out such mild punishments as transfers, therapy or "rest and recreation."

Not one criminal report was made. Not one priest was arrested.

Only one offender was defrocked Francis Luddy and that came only after a trial and a $2 million-plus assessment against the Church.

Most incidents occurred while now-retired James Hogan was bishop.

But Joseph Adamec, bishop since 1987, has consistently denied a widespread problem, calling the Luddy trial "an isolated case."

In the meantime, testimony about rampant pedophilia was being whispered privately to Blair County Jude Hiram Carpenter behind closed doors.

Records also show that police knew of the sex scandals but discussed them discreetly with diocese officials instead of making arrests...

[rikkitt]

I was already aware of those incidents, tragic as they were. Police have been discreetly discussing sensitive cases with officials for years. In the case of the A-J diocese, this goes back to the time of the late Bishop Hogan. Obviously the way in which the Church handles such cases today is different than what was done previously. I think both Hogan and Adamec were following the accepted procedures of their day, which differ from what is the current practice.

[Dr. Eckleburg]

Police have been discreetly discussing sensitive cases with officials for years.

Right there is the problem. Why would police be "discreetly discussing sensitive cases with officials for years?"

When sexual abuse of children is suspected, arrests are made. Period.

Not so for the Roman Catholic church. It gets a pass.

Just what makes these cases "sensitive?" Because they involve a pederast priest? Why does it takes years? Why just "discussions?"

Twenty-seven priests suspended for suspected child sexual abuse in one diocese in one city.

That's the result of "discreetly discussing sensitive cases with officials for years."

Absolutely pathetic.

[rikkitt]

I agree that sexual abuse must not be tolerated. As I understand it, if there is a credible accusation, the priest is removed from duty and a full investigation is made, including the criminal justice element. Sadly that had not always been the practice, and the avoidance of scandal was a motive to handle such situations discreetly. A-J had many incidents, as did Bridgeport, CT. Bishop Lori of Bridgeport and new Bishop Bartchak of A-J seem to adhere to the new official church policy. I think Bishop Adamec was in the position of putting things right, after a long period of secrecy.