The Worthy Adversary

Fifteen Years After Dallas, Part Four: Convicted Priest Deemed “Safe” by Oklahoma City Archbishop, Catholics Rightly Upset

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Clergy Abuse Crisis

Jose Alexis Davila accepted a plea deal for battery against a 20-year-old female parishioner in 2012. The plea agreement came when the victim was too scared to testify. Why? Well, a parishioner ‘lynch mob’ tried to stop her mother from attending prayer group and accosted her brother. They also called her a liar and a slut. Nice.

Then-San Diego Bishop Cirilo Flores did nothing to help the victim or reach out to parishioners and warn them about the harm they were doing.

Fr. Jose Alexis Davila

Prosecutors were able to get a sentence of three years’ probation and community service. Despite this, the Diocese of San Diego tried to reinstate Davila, until local outrage and media attention stopped the move.

Davila disappeared until 2016, when he showed up at a parish in in the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City. When parishioners became upset, Oklahoma Archbishop Paul Coakley said that he had all of the information necessary about Davila and considered him “fit for ministry” and safe.

Oklahoma City Archbishop Paul Coakley

When more parishioners complained and media attention heated up, however, he changed his mind, citing “new information.” He refused to disclose what this “new information” was.

Davila’s whereabouts are now unknown. He is still a priest in good standing.

Comments

2 responses to “Fifteen Years After Dallas, Part Four: Convicted Priest Deemed “Safe” by Oklahoma City Archbishop, Catholics Rightly Upset”

June 15, 2017

GLENN GOROSPE

This archbishop, as well as those in the previous two parts of Fifteen Years after Dallas, take no initiative and rely on the standard practice of DELIBERATE INDIFFERENCE by the hierarchy towards survivors (victims). Bishop Bartchak of Pennsylvania in Part 1 plagiarizes parts of the Charter and tries to sell it as his own reforms. The Charter is a useless document when priests and bishops refuse to enforce it. I cannot wait to be further amused by this institution in the next article.
Also, with regards to overzealous parishioners, it is a misdemeanor to intimidate victims or witnesses. When in doubt call the police.

Reply
1. July 14, 2018
  
  M. DeBruyne
  
  Archbishop Paul Coakley would not meet with us or report the clerical childhood sexual abuse of my son by a priest for over four years after we first initated reporting the abuse. He has also refused to meet with us even though we continue to support the Catholic parish and enroll our children in Catholic schools. From my experience of Archbishop Coakley, he has no concept as to what constitutes sexual abuse and refuses to support the Victim’s Advocate in his Archdiocese when she works hard on behalf of the victims.
  
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