The answer is simple: they thought no one would notice.
When Indian priest Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul pleaded guilty in 2012 to child molestation in the Diocese of Crookston, MN, Jeyapaul’s victims and their supporters (including SNAP, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests) believed—at first—that they had won a huge victory.
After pleading guilty, Jeyapaul served a year in prison and was deported back to India … where a year after his return, he has been reinstated as a priest with the approval of the Vatican.
As a result of the reinstatement, one of Jeyapaul’s victims, Megan Peterson, 26, is filing a federal lawsuit—a last-ditch effort to demand transparency about Jeyapaul and an explanation as to why the Vatican and US and Indian bishops are breaking their promises of reform and child safety.
A former New Yorker who says she was sexually abused by a priest reinstated by the Vatican earlier this year – even though he had pleaded guilty to criminal charges – is expected to file a federal lawsuit against the cleric’s diocese in India.
Minnesota attorney Jeff Anderson will file suit on behalf of Megan Peterson in federal court that claims the Diocese of Ootacamund endangered children by reinstating the Rev. Joseph Jeyapaul to ministry.
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The Vatican’s decision to reinstate Jeyapaul was especially disturbing, Peterson told The News earlier this year, because Pope Francis said a month later there was a special place in hell for bishops and other church officials who enable rather than report child-molesting clergymen.
Peterson and SNAP rightfully believe that the church in India should act immediately, the Vatican should apologize and explain their actions, and the US bishops who allowed Jeyapaul to work and abuse in their dioceses should speak up and demand that he priest be permanently removed from ministry.
But the response from the bishops and the Vatican … nothing.
Because they had hoped that none of us would notice.
Of all of the abuse and cover-up that have been exposed as a result of Hawaii’s civil window for victims of sexual abuse, few things are as explosive as a report released yesterday that states the Vatican knew Hawaii’s former bishop was a sex predator before he was appointed ordinary.
The report, written by Fr. Thomas Doyle (who is also a personal friend), outlines how in 1981, he was tasked with investigating Ferrario for the Apostolic Delegation (now known as the Papal Nuncio).
Shortly after the retirement [of Honolulu Bishop Scanlon] was announced, the papal nuncio began to receive letters from laypersons in Honolulu all of which were urging the Holy See not to appoint Ferrario.
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The papal nuncio, Archbishop Pio Laghi also received a letter from the father of a young boy who claimed he had been sexually abused by Bishop Ferrario at the seminary. This letter, combined with the large volume of other communications, prompted Archbishop Laghi to do something.
He communicated with the Holy See and informed them about the accusations. He was instructed to conduct a confidential investigation and to appoint the retired bishop, Bishop Scanlan, to carry this out. Scanlan was sent a letter with the instructions from the Holy See. He was instructed to contact the father and his son and to meet with them. He was told the entire matter was to be carried out in absolute secrecy and that the man and his son were to be sworn to secrecy before they were interviewed.
He met with them at a restaurant and questioned them, especially the young boy, using language that was both elusive and intimidating. They were reminded that it would seriously sinful if they gave inaccurate information. In spite of the intimidation the young man stuck to his story of having been sexually abused by Ferrario. The bishop recorded it all in writing but added that he did not think it was totally true and that the boy may have been misinterpreting Bishop Ferrario’s actions. He based this opinion only on his subjective reactions to the entire matter.
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The Vatican was informed that there were serious allegations against Ferrario, not only of homosexual behavior with age-appropriate men, but also with under aged boys. What the officials in the Vatican actually believed is not known. However they chose to ignore the warnings and appointed Ferrario as bishop.
Doyle also discusses the case of David Figueroa, who was sexually abused by Ferrario in the 1970s:
In 1975 the future bishop engaged David, then 15 years old, in a pattern of sexual assault and abuse that would carry on until David was 21.
David’s mother found out about the sexual abuse in 1979. In 1985 she wrote to the papal nuncio (Archbishop, later Cardinal Pio Laghi) and described the sexual abuse of her son. Laghi referred the matter to the Holy See and was instructed to carry out a secret investigation.
Fmr. Bishop and five-time accused predator Joseph Ferrario
According to the report, the investigation was superficial and involved a limited meeting with David and his mother.
The results were sent to the Holy See. Ferrario was summoned to Rome to discuss the accusations and in 1987 the Holy See made a decision that was never publicized.
But the Vatican wasn’t content with a sham investigation. They had to shut down David, his mother, and blossoming rumors that Ferrario preyed on boys.
The Diocese of Honolulu issued a press release in 1989 which said that the rumors were false and that those involved were “associated with an ultra-conservative religious group in Hawaii who claim to be Catholic but who, in reality, are at odds with the Catholic teaching and authority.” The statement also said that “Archbishop Giovanni Re, Secretary of the Vatican Congregation of Bishops which investigated the charges and dismissed them in 1987, said “there did not turn out to be anything against the bishop. For us the accusations were baseless.”
The report also talks about other Ferrario victims and how they were treated by the Diocese of Honolulu and representatives of the Vatican.
Mark Pinkosh, one of Ferrario’s victims
In 1993, Ferrario retired as bishop at the relatively young age of 67. He died in 2003.
At least five victims of Bishop Ferrario have come forward under the civil window.
Parishioners at Los Angeles Archdiocese’s St. Kateri Church were not pleased when they were informed that disgraced Cardinal Roger Mahony was going to perform their parish confirmations.
Brooke Bambrick is among the outraged. Growing up Catholic, her father was a deacon at St. Monica’s. When he found out about the widespread coverups and Mahony’s failure to hold abusers accountable and protect the abused, he decided the family should leave the Catholic Church.
“He thought it was hypocritical of the church,” said Bambrick. “Mahony protected the priests and shuffled them around, that’s a crime, and a crime against kids.”
Now that Mahony is coming to Saint Kateri, she is outraged and believes the church should request another Bishop for the ceremony.
“It is an atrocity that he is able to step foot in a church,” she said. “He ignored the facts and allowed people to do atrocious things to children. The Catholic Church didn’t handle it correctly and he shouldn’t officiate at such a large church here in the valley.”
But instead of just “taking it,” parishioners decided to do something.
Reports are now saying that the parish filed a formal complaint with Archbishop Gomez and that the Los Angeles prelate approved the removal of Mahony from their services. [[Update: LA’s Channel 9 news ran the story at 10 pm April 7.]]
Good job. Now it’s time to remove him from everything else. I wonder if there is a formal complaint form for that issue.
