Catholic News Service
NEWS BRIEFS Jun-15-2005
SCRANTON, Pa. (CNS) — The Vatican Congregation for Clergy has confirmed Scranton Bishop Joseph F. Martino’s decision to suppress the Society of St. John, a small organization of traditionally minded priests that has been troubled by financial difficulties and allegations that two of its members had sexually molested a minor. The Catholic Light, Scranton diocesan newspaper, reported June 9 that a Vatican decree dated May 3 rejected the society’s appeal against the bishop’s decision to suppress it. “The bishop has directed that the members of the suppressed society may not celebrate the Eucharist at a private residence where they are now located, may not engage in any fund-raising activities and must carry a prominent notice on the Web site www.ssjohn.org that the Society of St. John is no longer a recognized ecclesial entity of the Roman Catholic Church,” the newspaper said. As of June 15, the Web site still described the society as “working under the leadership of the pope and bishops of the church,” with no reference to its suppression.
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Vatican rules against society of priests
The River Reporter (Narrowsburg, NY)
16 June – 22 June 2005
SHOHOLA, PA — The Vatican has ruled in support of the Bishop of Scranton’s condemnation of the Society of St. John, located in Shohola.
The Vatican’s Congregation of the Clergy ruled on May 3, 2005 that the society be subject to the decree of suppression issued by Most Rev. Joseph F. Marino, Bishop of Scranton, according to an account in The Scranton Times on June 9. Last fall, the bishop cited a lingering sexual abuse lawsuit and mounting financial problems among his reasons for cutting off the embattled society.
The Vatican congregation stated that the society “has repeatedly refused to fully cooperate with the bishop in the execution of his responsibilities regarding the oversight of the financial situation of the society.”
Rev. Daniel Fullerton, the chancellor general of the society, and other members of the society did not return phone calls.
Subsequent to the Vatican ruling, the Diocese of Scranton had issued a new set of directives to the society that prevents priests of the society from celebrating Holy Communion at their private residence and society members from participating in fundraising activities. It also orders that the society’s website, www.ssjohn.org, must carry a prominent notice that the society is no longer a recognized ecclesiastical entity in the Catholic Church.
At press time, the website had no such notification.
The society sold its 1,000-acre property on Route 434 in May 2005 for $3.05 million, repaying a $2.53 loan to the diocese. The property was sold to Michael and Elizabeth Geitz of Summit, NJ.
Bill Genello, spokesman for the Diocese of Scranton, said the statement of the Vatican stands by itself. The bishop would not comment further.
A former student of St. Gregory’s Academy, where some of the society’s priests were in residence, accused two priests—Revs. Carlos Urrutigoity and Eric Ensey—of sexual abuse in a federal civil suit. The suit was settled in May 2005 with the diocese forced to contribute $200,000 as part of the settlement.
Dr. Jeffrey Bond, a long-time opponent of the society said, “The victory is bittersweet because it took almost four years and countless hours of work to achieve. The guilt of the two priests was manifest in August 2001, yet the Society of St. John was not suppressed by the Bishop of Scranton until November 2004. It took Rome another six months to reject the society’s appeal.”