Pocono Record (Pennsylvania)
By Beth Brelje
Pocono Record Writer
March 14, 2014
A Roman Catholic priest who was accused of molesting boys in Shohola and Moscow, Pa., has been promoted to the No. 2 position in his diocese in Paraguay.
That is according to a database released this week, listing Catholic clergy from Argentina involved in sex abuse cases. The database was compiled by BishopAccountability.org, an organization that aims to keep a record of sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
Former Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton allowed the Rev. Carlos Urrutigoity to transfer to a parish in the South American country of Paraguay after multiple witness statements in several court cases claimed that Urrutigoity routinely slept in bed with and had sex with boys in his care, calling it spiritual guidance.
Currently, Urrutigoity is vicar general of the Ciudad del Este diocese in Paraguay. That makes him the second in command, just under the bishop there. Part of his job is to investigate any claim of sexual abuse that might come to the diocese.
“Now he is in a position of power. I’m concerned for the children of Paraguay. From everything I’ve learned, Father Carlos has not stopped. This is a basic child protection issue,” said Patrick Wall, a former priest who is now a Minnesota-based advocate for victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
Between 1950 and the present, 6,193 Roman Catholic priests have sexually assaulted children, according to Wall.
“In my experience, if you allow a guy who has sexual proclivity for children to go unchecked, he will abuse several hundred children in his professional life as a priest,” Wall said.
Allegations of local abuse
A 2002 federal lawsuit was brought in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by “John Doe,” a student at St. Gregory’s Academy in Moscow, against Urrutigoity, the Rev. Eric Ensey, and then-Bishop James Timlin of the Diocese of Scranton.
The suit alleged that Urrutigoity and Ensey offered “spiritual direction” to the student by sleeping with him and that both priests sexually assaulted him at Saint Gregory’s Academy and at a Shohola property that was supposed to be developed into a Catholic college and village for the Society of Saint John, founded by Urrutigoity. The society was focused on celebrating Mass in Latin.
Testimony in the 2002 case brought at least three similar claims of bed-sharing and sexual advances to light.
In 2002, Timlin suspended Urrutigoity and Ensey from their ministries and sent them to Southdown Institute in Canada for psychological evaluations.
Southdown specializes in treating clergy who have sexual boundary problems.
Minutes from a March 2002 Diocese of Scranton independent review board summarize evaluations by Southdown Institute:
The institute “strongly recommended that (Ensey) undergo residential treatment to address severe anxiety and depression” that was the result of repressed sexuality. The evaluation said Ensey’s sexual attraction toward adolescent boys is “a stage he appears to be locked into.”
And it recommended Ensey “be strictly prohibited from any public ministry of any kind; he should have no contact with any young person.”
The evaluation of Urrutigoity said: “In view of the credible allegation from the seminarian (John Doe), his admitted practice of sleeping with boys and young men and the troubling evaluation by the Southdown Institute, Father Carlos Urrutigoity should be removed from active ministry; his faculties should be revoked; he should be asked to live privately.”
Despite these recommendations, their priesthoods did not end.
The Scranton diocese settled the John Doe case in 2006, reportedly for more than $400,000.
Due to the sex scandal and funding issues, plans for the college and village on the Shohola property were abandoned by the diocese and the land was sold to a private party.
Timlin retired as bishop in 2003.
In 2004, Martino became bishop. He allowed Urrutigoity to transfer to Paraguay, where he was promoted to monsignor as of 2012.
As of February 2014, Urrutigoity was promoted to vicar general.
“This is a grand example of a worldwide policy that a priest can sexually abuse kids in another country and go somewhere else and become vicar general of the diocese,” Wall said, adding that Bishop Plano, Urrutigoity’s superior, should report him to the police and kick him out of the priesthood.
“This is not a God issue, this is a problem with people who pretend to believe in God who are involved in criminal conduct,” Wall said.
Priest in Pike County sex case promoted after move to Paraguay
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A Roman Catholic priest who was accused of molesting boys in Shohola and Moscow, Pa., has been promoted to the No. 2 position in his diocese in Paraguay.
That is according to a database released this week, listing Catholic clergy from Argentina involved in sex abuse cases. The database was compiled by BishopAccountability.org, an organization that aims to keep a record of sex abuse in the Catholic Church.
Former Bishop Joseph Martino of the Diocese of Scranton allowed the Rev. Carlos Urrutigoity to transfer to a parish in the South American country of Paraguay after multiple witness statements in several court cases claimed that Urrutigoity routinely slept in bed with and had sex with boys in his care, calling it spiritual guidance.
Currently, Urrutigoity is vicar general of the Ciudad del Este diocese in Paraguay. That makes him the second in command, just under the bishop there. Part of his job is to investigate any claim of sexual abuse that might come to the diocese.
“Now he is in a position of power. I’m concerned for the children of Paraguay. From everything I’ve learned, Father Carlos has not stopped. This is a basic child protection issue,” said Patrick Wall, a former priest who is now a Minnesota-based advocate for victims of sexual abuse by clergy.
Between 1950 and the present, 6,193 Roman Catholic priests have sexually assaulted children, according to Wall.
“In my experience, if you allow a guy who has sexual proclivity for children to go unchecked, he will abuse several hundred children in his professional life as a priest,” Wall said.
Allegations of local abuse
A 2002 federal lawsuit was brought in the Middle District of Pennsylvania by “John Doe,” a student at St. Gregory’s Academy in Moscow, against Urrutigoity, the Rev. Eric Ensey, and then-Bishop James Timlin of the Diocese of Scranton.
The suit alleged that Urrutigoity and Ensey offered “spiritual direction” to the student by sleeping with him and that both priests sexually assaulted him at Saint Gregory’s Academy and at a Shohola property that was supposed to be developed into a Catholic college and village for the Society of Saint John, founded by Urrutigoity. The society was focused on celebrating Mass in Latin.
Testimony in the 2002 case brought at least three similar claims of bed-sharing and sexual advances to light.
In 2002, Timlin suspended Urrutigoity and Ensey from their ministries and sent them to Southdown Institute in Canada for psychological evaluations.
Southdown specializes in treating clergy who have sexual boundary problems.
Minutes from a March 2002 Diocese of Scranton independent review board summarize evaluations by Southdown Institute:
The institute “strongly recommended that (Ensey) undergo residential treatment to address severe anxiety and depression” that was the result of repressed sexuality. The evaluation said Ensey’s sexual attraction toward adolescent boys is “a stage he appears to be locked into.”
And it recommended Ensey “be strictly prohibited from any public ministry of any kind; he should have no contact with any young person.”
The evaluation of Urrutigoity said: “In view of the credible allegation from the seminarian (John Doe), his admitted practice of sleeping with boys and young men and the troubling evaluation by the Southdown Institute, Father Carlos Urrutigoity should be removed from active ministry; his faculties should be revoked; he should be asked to live privately.”
Despite these recommendations, their priesthoods did not end.
The Scranton diocese settled the John Doe case in 2006, reportedly for more than $400,000.
Due to the sex scandal and funding issues, plans for the college and village on the Shohola property were abandoned by the diocese and the land was sold to a private party.
Timlin retired as bishop in 2003.
In 2004, Martino became bishop. He allowed Urrutigoity to transfer to Paraguay, where he was promoted to monsignor as of 2012.
As of February 2014, Urrutigoity was promoted to vicar general.
“This is a grand example of a worldwide policy that a priest can sexually abuse kids in another country and go somewhere else and become vicar general of the diocese,” Wall said, adding that Bishop Plano, Urrutigoity’s superior, should report him to the police and kick him out of the priesthood.
“This is not a God issue, this is a problem with people who pretend to believe in God who are involved in criminal conduct,” Wall said.
– See more at: http://www.poconorecord.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20140314/NEWS/403140330/-1/NEWS01#.UyNXP0yMBso.email
Just when I think I am well beyond surprise along comes this: Father Carlos Urrutigoity has been made, first Monsignor, and then Vicar General of the Ciudad del Este diocese in Paraguay. That would be thanks to the Bishop of the diocese, Bishop Rogelio Ricardo Livieres Plano. The bishop is a member of Opus Dei – well, according to Opus Dei he is not a member of Opus Dei per se, but he is a member of the Priestly Society of the Holy Cross which most people would view as Opus Dei and to which all Opus Dei priests belong.
Bad enough the bishop is helping Urrutigoity climb the ladder of worldly success, bet he is alaos setting him up as a role model for youth and allows Urrutigoity to intermingle with them freely. The following is a google translation (Father Dominic Carey, from Vancouver, BC, was with Urrutigoity in Shahola PA . He had no problem with priests sleeping with the young boys at St. Gregory’s Academy – and there he is along with Urrutigoity giving a youth course. Here is the translation:
Registration open for the 2014 Youth Course – Course of Catholic Culture
Tuesday, January 14, 2014 12:00
altLa Vicariate Youth set details for the annual training course for young people, where speakers will discuss the most diverse and interesting current issues from a Catholic perspective. The course will be held at Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish , Area 6 , Hernandárias from 20 to 26 January 2014 . Registration takes place through the following link : http://goo.gl/gVfNxh .
The cost for the course is Young Gs. 220,000 , which includes lodging, meals , transportation to activities and places of work and study materials . The organization also offer scholarships for low-income people .
Requirements to participate in this course are:
– Be 17 years of age until the day the course starts .
– Fill the registration form ( http://goo.gl/gVfNxh ) or submitting the form printed in the Diocese of Ciudad del Este or the Sacred Heart of Jesus Parish Hernandarias .
– The cards will be selected by the computer training course to be convened to selected phone .
– The course fee will be paid on the day the course starts .
– CATHOLIC YOUTH MISSIONS: Those who go to the missions and the Course will discount: For both activities Gs pay . 260,000.
The Speakers who accompany youth participants are:
1. S.E.R. Bishop Rogelio Livieres
Two . Bishop Carlos Urrutigoity
Three . Bishop Dr. Dominic Carey
April . Bishop Dr. Victor Siqueiros, IVE
May . Bishop Jorge Miguel Martínez
6. I Revd . P. Javier Olivera, IVE
7. Prof. Gregory Mr. Cataldi Viedma
8. Prof. Ivone Fedeli ( Brazil )
9. Prof. Nestor Siqueiros ( Argentina )
10. Prof. Cesar Arzamendia
Conferences will be on the following topics :
1. Gnosticism : anti religion of man and religion.
Two . Catholics in politics.
Three . Church History : Gnosticism and the early heresies .
April . Church History : Black legends of the conquest of America .
May . Sacrosanctum Concilium : The liturgy at Vatican II
6. Modern art and anti – art
7. The revolution of ideas.
8. Filizzola – law Hope: a law of deceit
9. Hearing music : Mozart Requiem
10. The art of reasoning well .
11. Globalization of ridicule.
The liturgical and spiritual activities to be undertaken are:
1. Daily Mass
Two . Morning and Evening Prayer
Three . Holy Rosary
April . Torchlight procession
May . Eucharistic Adoration and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament
6. Confessions and spiritual direction.
Are also scheduled other activities such as :
Film discussion: The Lord of the Rings
Workshops: matters of faith regarding the pastoral , spiritual life and society will be developed .
Extras and recreation
1. Guided tours: Monday Jumping and activities on site.
Two . artistic Peñas
Three . sport
Some of the Brothers of Christian Instruction ex Japan must be looking for new pastures and children to molest, or perhaps more ideas to write another chapter of their Karmasutra of pedophilia. Paraguay might be a nice place to hide while they shop for more children. Japan and Canada must be getting a bit awkward for them.
-17 year old participants…
-scholarships for those with financial needs
-20 to 26 January…
-at least one “accused” abuser
-a bishop who “sympatizes” with priests and youth sharing a bed…
And it will all end with “confession” and “spiritual direction”!!!!
It reads like a scenario and timeline previously described in other situations where there was a need to give “absolution” to the victim….
It could be “legitimate” but it could also be an “opportunity”.
Finally, “The Lord of the Rings”!!?? A treat and candy for a poor kid… the proverbial “reward”…
Can”t let the guards down or it will become another front page in …40 years maybe?
jg