Sunday, December 18, 2005
EMAIL FROM DR. BOND
Dear Friends,
The former Bishop of the Diocese of Scranton, James C. Timlin, has been accused once again of concealing homosexual clerical abuse. Those of you who followed closely the Society of St. John scandal will remember that we long ago established a connection between Bishop Timlin's handling of the SSJ homosexual predators and his handling of an earlier infamous abuse case involving Rev. Robert Caparelli. (See http://www.saintjustinmartyr.org/news/BishopTimlinOpenLetter4.html.) Caparelli, a priest of the Diocese of Scranton, was the first priest in the United States diagnosed as being HIV-positive who pleaded guilty to sexually abusing altar boys. He died of AIDS in the Lackawanna Correctional Facility in December 1994.
The Diocese of Scranton is now being sued by another victim of Caparelli. Speaking on behalf of his client, retired navy officer, David Irvin, Attorney Joseph Saunders has rightly accused Timlin as follows:
"Then Monsignor Timlin, who became Bishop Timlin, knew about father Caparelli's proclivity to engage in sexual conduct with children, concealed it, and allowed this to go on. Bishop Timlin knew about his before Mr. Irvin was molested in 1969."
This latest lawsuit may be the one that finally compels the Diocese of Scranton to reveal the sordid truth about Timlin's history of concealing homosexual abuse, for this lawsuit cannot be dismissed under Pennsylvania's strict statute of limitations laws. You can learn the details of the case from the articles linked below:
http://www.wyou.com/news/default.asp?mode=shownews&id=5335
http://www.thetimes-tribune.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=15750765&BRD=2185&PAG=461&dept_id=415898&rfi=8
http://www.phillyburbs.com/pb-dyn/news/103-12132005-583727.html
Pax vobiscum,
Dr. Jeffrey M. Bond
