BishopAccountability.org
	Don't Close the Book Yet Pokrov June 6, 2009 http://www.pokrov.org/display.asp?ds=Article&id=1025 Ever since the sex abuse scandal allegedly involving minors broke out, Nicholas Katinas, the disgraced and defrocked former priest, kept an eerie silence. He did not utter one world either in his defense, or to express any remorse to his many accusers. Neither were his whereabouts known. At first, he apparently moved to Rhodes, the island from which he hails, and later to Florida. He was probably hiding because he was too scared to face his alleged victims, or too ashamed to be seen in public. Whatever it was, we now may never know. But even though Mr. Katinas passed away, one thing will definitely not go away: His name will be forever identified in the annals of our community's history with the most despicable sex scandal against children whose parents entrusted them to him as their pastor. He will also be identified as the person over whom the Church hierarchy displayed a serious, and still unexplained, lack of moral judgment, as well as administrative incompetence which resulted in the further disillusionment of Church faithful and the blackening of the Archdiocese's image across the country and overseas. His reassignment to one parish – where he, of course, almost doubtlessly continued his sick and allegedly criminal conduct – in the wake of his allegedly criminal behavior at another parish, must be viewed as a low point in the life of the Church in America. We continue to be baffled about why so many members of the Church hierarchy went out of their way to support and protect Mr. Katinas, so that he could "die as a priest," which was reportedly his (unfulfilled) wish. As for the poor victims, they were left exposed to the elements. No words of repentance, no expressions of empathy of understanding for their suffering, their pain and their ruined lives were offered. They were instead ignored, even smeared by some who insensitively dared to ask, "Why would they come out now, after so many years? What's behind it? What are their motives?" Eventually, the Archdiocese inevitably had to face the facts, and reached out-of-court settlements with some of the victims. The amounts of those settlements continue to be "classified information," as though the faithful who give their hard-earned money to the Church every Sunday have no right to be informed about the business conducted on their behalf. This is indeed a very painful episode in the history of our church. But the passing of Nicholas Katinas is not an opportunity to close the book on this horrible chapter, but rather to open it wider so that the people can learn the full extent of the crimes committed and the measures taken in response to those crimes; so that the specter of sex abuse against children will never again be allowed to raise its ugly head among our clergy.
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