Agony in Albany - The Roman Catholic Faithful

Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. / AMDG May 2004 Albany newsletterdiocese.“He speaks softly and methodically, trainingplacid blue eyes on the questioner to make sure hisanswers satisfy....“National conservative Catholic groups tookaim at Hubbard years before clergy abuse scandal hitfront pages and the conservative weekly, the Wanderer,has regularly targeted the bishop.“When he became America's youngest bishop at38 and took over his home diocese in 1977, he was inthe vanguard of the Church's liberal lurch since VaticanII in the 1960s. He helped lead the Church into amore open institution with girl altar servers, morelaity involvement including women lectors, and ministriesto help gay Catholics, among other measures....”One week after the Boston Globe ran Gormley’sdefense of Hubbard, the newspaper which stillenjoys taking credit for exposing corruption in theChurch hierarchy, ran another defense of Hubbard byAlbany freelance writer and journalism professorDarryl McGrath, a frequent reporter on “women’sreproductive health issues” for the Internet site,Women’s Enews, the news service of the NationalOrganization of Women, and Metroland, an“alternative” newspaper in Albany.McGrath’s favorable report on Hubbard wasalso featured on the Internet gay news blog(gay_blog.blogspot.com)McGrath opened her report: “When BishopHoward Hubbard of the Roman Catholic Diocese ofAlbany takes center stage at a news conference, it isusually to speak out on the death penalty, poverty, orsome other issue of social justice,” but now, she adds,he is “repeatedly” denying that “he has ever had anysexual relationship.”She offers a brief review of recent events,and then provides this gross mischaracterization ofher hometown as a “city of 90,000 people, largelyconservative and heavily Roman Catholic,” and adds,“Hubbard is respected for his ecumenical skills, hissocial activism, and his concern for the poor.“He's lived what he's preached,” said MichaelBurgess, who started a campaign of purple lapelribbons at his Albany parish to show support for Hubbard.‘He's the saintliest man I've ever met in the wayhe's lived his life.’”McGrath also quotes from a recent editorialby Albany Times Union editor Harry Rosenfeld, whodeplored the attacks on his good friend the bishop,arguing, “a fair-minded public would demonstratesolidarity with the bishop. He needs the support ofpeople who recognize the depth of the unfairness ofhis situation.”She also brought in moral support fromDavid Kaczynski, executive director of New YorkersAgainst the Death Penalty, who “has worked closelywith Hubbard -- who serves as president of thegroup's board” – and brother of the “Unabomber.”“He's an extraordinarily strong person,” Kaczynskitold McGrath. “I think the thing that has carriedthis place through is the bishop's clear and consistentstatements that he is completely innocent. It'shard to imagine someone having the arrogance todeny these things if they were true.”The Globe’s decision to publish McGrath’spuff-piece on Hubbard, speculated C. Joseph Doyle,executive director of the Massachusetts Catholic ActionLeague, “is part of an on-going, massive coverupin the form of an expose”.“The Globe,” he added, “has never used theword ‘homosexual’ in any of its reports on clericalsexual misconduct and crimes. It always uses‘pedophile’ or ‘ephebophile’, but won’t dare use the‘h-word’ for fear of offending a very powerful constituencyand pushing an agenda.”UPDATE ON THE INVESTIGATIONOn March 9, the Troy Record reported thatinvestigators hired by former federal prosecutor MaryJo White intimidated an elderly woman who was aclose friend of the late Fr. John Minkler, the Albanypriest who mysteriously died after he was coerced tosigning an affidavit denying he wrote a report onclerical homosexuality in the diocese for the late JohnCardinal O’Connor.The Record declared:“Investigators hired by the Albany DiocesanReview Board to look into allegations of sexual misconductagainst Bishop Howard Hubbard refused tointerview an elderly person who may have shed lighton the death of Rev. John Minkler.“The interview was supposed to occur inMinkler's 11th-floor office at the Stratton VeteransAffairs Hospital in Albany, but private investigatorsrepresenting Mary Jo White walked away from thetable after realizing the elderly person wanted attor-14