Tuesday, November 30, 2004
CONFIRMATION OF SUPPRESSION OF THE SSJ
from Catholic World News:
In a canonical decree that was published on November 25 by the diocesan newspaper, the Catholic Light , Bishop Martino announced that he was suppressing the Society. The bishop's announcement said that after 6 years of operation "the Society has shown no progress in attaining its stated purposes," and had become "principally a debt servicing operation." He also revealed that the Scranton diocese had backed a $2.6 million loan to cover some of the Society's debts.
Bishop Martino's announcement did not directly respond to accusations that the leaders of the Society had molested students at a school run by the group. Father Carlos Urritigoity and Father Eric Ensley were removed from active leadership of the Society by Bishop Timlin early in 2002, after the bishop received complaints about misconduct by the two priests. The Society denied the charges; the cases against the two priests remain unresolved.
In his announcement, however, Bishop Martino suggested that the conduct of the Society's leaders had been, at a minimum, imprudent.
