Agony in Albany - The Roman Catholic Faithful

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Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. / AMDG May 2004 Albany newsletter*More than ten years ago Bishop Brom ofSan Diego, California paid a former seminarian fromWinona, MN. more than $70,000 after the seminarianalleged that Brom coerced him into a sexual relationshipin the 1980’s .RCF was founded within the Diocese ofSpringfield in Illinois. There, Bishop Daniel Ryanresigned in October of 1999 after RCF made hispredatory homosexual activity public. Ryan was notonly having sex with his priests, he had picked upunderage boys off the street and paid them for sexualfavors. When we brought this information to the hierarchy,they refused to act. It was only after RCF wentpublic that Ryan resigned. The new Bishop, GeorgeLucas, would later use Diocesan funds to buy Ryan aSpringfield home to live in.On March 14, 2003 RCF’s attorney and Itraveled to Washington, D.C. to be interviewed byMr. Robert Bennett, of the bishops’ Sexual ReviewBoard. We presented Mr. Bennett with several hundredpages documenting our investigation of BishopDaniel Ryan and the hierarchy’s cover-up.To obtain a copy of the Bennett report, pastnewsletters, and press releases, contact RCF or visitour web site at www.rcf.orgRCF IS preparing a CD that contains additionalinformation regarding abuses within the dioceseof Albany. It will be made available when complete.If you have any information regarding clergymisconduct or abuse of authority within the AlbanyDiocese please contact RCF.We are also in the process of placing all ourpast newsletters and reports on CDs. We will notifyour members when it becomes available.To be placed on our mailing send a contributionof any size to RCF. $25.00 per family per year issuggested but not required. Larger donations to helpin our work are gladly accepted.Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc (RCF)PO Box 109,Petersburg, Illinois 62675Phone: 217-632-5920Fax: 217-632-7054Web Site: www.rcf.orgEmail: sbrady@rcf.orgRecommended Reading“The Throw Away Child”By Susanne RobertsonISBN: 1-4137-0094-2Published by “Publish America”www.publishamerica.comThe book tells of death and abuse at St. Colman’sHome in Colonie, New York. A children’s homewithin in the Albany diocese.RCF will be covering this story in greater detail infuture reports. It is a must read.RCF has some copies available.******************AMCHURCH COMES OUT:The U.S. Bishops, Pedophile Scandals andthe Homosexual AgendaBy Paul LikoudisPublished by Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc.Retail $24.95 hardcover (see enclosed flyer)For your copy at a reduced price, mention this adand send $15.00 to:RCF, P.O. Box 109, Petersburg, IL 62675217-632-5920 (credit card orders accepted)Reduced rates for volume orders****************Vatican II, Homosexuality & PedophiliaBy Atila Sinke GuimaraesTo order contact:Tradition in Action, Inc.P.O. Box 23135Los Angeles, CA 90023www. TraditioninAction.orgFor issues with sex education contact:Mother’s WatchP.O. Box 1029, Frederick, MD 21702-0029Ph: 410-761-7437 / Fax: 410-761-4233Or Ph: 540-822-3875 / Fax: 540-822-3876www.motherswatch.org6
Roman Catholic Faithful, Inc. / AMDG May 2004 Albany newsletterIn Wake of Priest’s Death....BISHOP HUBBARD LAUNCHES PUBLIC RELATIONS CAMPAIGNby Paul LikoudisThree months after the mysterious death ofAlbany priest Fr. John Minkler, found dead 48 hoursafter he was coerced by Bishop Howard Hubbard andhis chancellor Fr. Kenneth Doyle into signing a statementdenying he ever wrote a letter nearly nine yearsago to the late John Cardinal O’Connor exposingHubbard as the ringleader of a cabal of homosexualpriests, Hubbard has withstood a barrage of witheringcriticism that reveals not only his tenacity, but hisstill-solid grip on the powers-that-be in Albany – andthat includes the politicians, the press and the police.Hubbard, the “boy bishop” who has conducteda reign of terror over Albany Catholics since1977, is now waging the fight of his life to maintainthe public approval his ego needs; but in true form,his public relations campaign is marked by outrightlies, sending his agents to disrupt a public meeting,smearing his critics and accusers, shifting blame andpresenting himself as the victim of rabid rightwingers.Fr. Minkler, who was a close collaboratorwith this reporter for the “Agony in Albany” series ofarticles published by The Wanderer 13 years ago, wason retreat at a monastery in Spencer, Mass., when hereceived a call from Fr. Doyle summoning him to thechancery. When he arrived for the meeting, he waspresented with an affidavit denying he had written theletter to O’Connor, and ordered to sign it.In the statement, Fr. Minkler also swore –which was true – that he had never spoken with attorneyJohn Aretakis (who handed out two copies of theletter to reporters at a press conference Hubbard convenedto defend himself against allegations of homosexualactivity, some of whom already had it); that hehad never made such allegations against Hubbard;and that he had “never, in writing or otherwise, communicatedwith the Archdiocese of New York regardingsuch allegations.”The affidavit concluded: “I make this statementof my own free will and I know that making afalse statement is a crime.”Contrary to Fr. Minkler’s recollection to thisreporter, made six hours after his visit to the chancery,Hubbard lied to reporters at a press conferenceafter Minkler’s death was reported:“Father Minkler made an appointment to seeme and he told me that he did not author the letter,and he wanted to be with me face to face and to assureme that he had not written anything to CardinalO'Connor about me. He did not know the priests thatwere named in the letter, and he did not know how hisname got associated with the letter.”The meeting with Doyle was very brief, andhe only saw Hubbard from a hallway. Minkler toldthis reporter. “Fr. Doyle had this disclaimer all madeout, and he said, ‘Sign it.’”“I signed it with mental reservations, andnow I’m going to have to go to Confession down inNew York, because I can’t go in this diocese,” Minklertold me.But in that long Friday evening conversationwith this reporter, Minkler sounded scared. He recountedthe day’s events, and feared that the disclosureof the letter he wrote to Cardinal O’Connor in1995 – at the cardinal’s request – would be disastrousfor him.He asked for advice, and he was extremelyapprehensive about a forthcoming meeting with Hubbard,set for Monday February 16. I suggested that hepre-empt the meeting by holding his own press conference“and let everything out.” His response wasthat if he did that, “I’d be dead.”On Monday morning at 7 a.m., AlbanyCatholic Bob McCauley called me, barely able tospeak through his tears, to say Fr. Minkler was dead.He died early on Sunday afternoon, apparently of aheart attack.THE LETTER TO O’CONNOROn Monday February 16, Fr. Minkler’s deathwas the top news story on Albany radio and television,and by Monday evening, reports of Fr. Minkler’sdeath was being reported in more than 100newspapers, mostly through Associated Press reports,in the United States and England.For Bishop Hubbard, the news of Minkler’sdeath came in the midst of an intense public relationscampaign in which he would meet with the press inan effort to undo the damage caused a week earlier by7
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