San Jose: Protestors demand that Catholic dioceses release names of predator priests

By Tracy Seipe
Daily Democrat
February 27, 2016

http://www.dailydemocrat.com/general-news/20160227/san-jose-protestors-demand-that-catholic-dioceses-release-names-of-predator-priests/2

SAN JOSE -- As passersby drove by honking their horns or cheering in support, four demonstrators waved signs in front of the Diocese of San Jose headquarters on Saturday as part of a nationwide protest to pressure U.S. Catholic bishops to disclose the names of 2,800 predator priests.

"Today, 30 dioceses in the U.S. have listed those priests in their dioceses that have been credibly accused or convicted or admitted guilt," said Tim Lennon, 68, who said he was molested at age 12 by a Catholic priest in Iowa, then often driven by that priest to another parish to say confession.

"What we are saying is that the 165 other dioceses in the U.S. should make public their internal lists and open the books -- and that includes San Jose," said the San Francisco resident.

The demonstrations in 10 U.S. cities -- including one at 11 a.m. Sunday at the Oakland Cathedral -- are taking place on the same weekend as Sunday's Academy Awards ceremony, which will feature best picture nominee "Spotlight."

The movie chronicles the Boston Globe's Pulitzer Prize-winning investigation into widespread child sex abuse in the Boston area by dozens of Roman Catholic priests.

In a statement Saturday, Liz Sullivan, a spokeswoman for the Diocese of San Jose and Bishop Patrick McGrath, said, "We have been transparent. All of the names of the offenders have been made public in the newspaper."

But Lennon said that in 2004 the diocese knew of 15 credibly accused priests yet failed to release their names. Without independent examination, he said, those names will remain secret.

"The San Jose Diocese does not want to name names, because a couple of things will happen," Lennon said. "More victims will come forward. Other victims who have been abused will say, 'Why isn't my abuser also on the list?' Even if we take the San Jose Diocese at its word, why would they oppose bringing the names forward?"

Sullivan responded in an email, saying, "We can be as upfront as we can be. If that doesn't satisfy them, then let them be."

Lennon's fellow protesters also named other former Bay Area Catholic priests who, they said, have been accused of abuse yet now live and work around people who are likely unaware of their histories.

"We are saying that this is not a thing of the past -- this is still happening," said Tim Stier, 67, of Oakland, a former priest at Corpus Christi Catholic Church in Fremont.

Stier's predecessor, who died in 1989, was accused by two brothers, former altar boys at the church, of repeatedly molesting them. His meeting with one of the brothers in 2004 led Stier to take a sabbatical and finally leave the church in 2005.

He said his bishop at the time would not agree to open a public dialog on the crisis facing the church. Stier chronicled that odyssey in his 2015 self-published book "Crying Out for Justice."

Lennon, a member of Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests, was also joined Saturday by fellow protesters Melanie Sakoda, 63, of Moraga, and former Catholic high school teacher Virginia McCarthy, 56, of Santa Clara.

All four protesters praised the movie "Spotlight" for what they called the courage of the reporters and the filmmakers and their contribution to transparency, as well as the honest portrayal of abuse survivors.

Said Stier: "It steamrolls right through Catholic denial."