OAKLAND (CA)
San Francisco Chronicle
February 18, 2019
By Megan Cassidy
The Catholic Diocese of Oakland has released the names of 45 clergymen and religious brothers they say are “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors, the latest in a cascade of dioceses across the country to take such a step amid a scandal involving pedophile priests and decades of church coverups.
Oakland’s list includes priests, deacons and religious brothers who lived in the diocese as far back as 1962 — when the Oakland Diocese was founded — and encompasses Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
“I hope this will help bring healing to those who have suffered,” Oakland Bishop Michael Barber said in a letter to parishioners and friends of Oakland Diocese. “I pray the public acknowledgment of the sinful actions on the part of some priests will help many of us to find healing and hope, to restore our trust in the Church, and to repair the damage caused to the reputation of so many good priests.”
None of the men remains in the ministry. Most of the listed abuse date back to the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, with the latest reported incident coming in 1988. Diocese of Oakland officials say there have been no credible accusations of abuse since 1988, but acknowledge that the list may grow in the coming months.
“This is a milestone for us,” Diocese of Oakland Chancellor Stephen Wilcox said in an interview Sunday in anticipation of publishing the list Monday. “But we consider it — and the bishop (Barber) has said that in his statement here today — that this is a living list. This isn’t, ‘Oh, thank God we’ve got the list out. We’re done.’ This is now part of our process. And we know we have more work to do.”
A second, independent investigation is slated for completion this spring.
The diocese said it would publish its full list Monday at www.oakdiocese.org.
Of the 45 men named, 20 were priests in the Oakland Diocese, 14 of them deceased. Seventeen men on the list were religious priests and deacons or priests from other dioceses. Eight were religious brothers who lived in the Oakland Diocese.
Most have been previously identified through court filings or news articles. But five names have not been in the public domain until now, Wilcox said.
The Diocese of Oakland identified those men as:
• Thomas Duong Binh-Minh: Ordained for Diocese of Oakland on Aug. 24, 1990; alleged abuse occurred in 1987; removed from the ministry April 2002; last known location is Concord.
• Hilary Cooper: Incardinated for Diocese of Oakland on Oct. 1, 1976; alleged abuse occurred in 1978; removed from the ministry in 1995; status is listed as “prayer and penance.”
• Patrick Finnegan: Ordained for Diocese of San Francisco on Feb. 9, 1952; alleged abuse occurred in the 1960s and 1973; removed from the ministry Feb. 6, 1972; died Sept. 28, 1980.
• Daniel McLeod: Incardinated in Diocese of Oakland on April 16, 1970; alleged abuse occurred in 1969; retired Jan. 18, 1987; died Dec. 17, 2001.
• Virendra Coutts: A religious priest or deacon, or a priest from another diocese, who has lived in the Oakland Diocese.
Wilcox said he has turned over the list of names and information to the Alameda County district attorney to determine if prosecutions are warranted. Aside from the fact that many of the accused have died, Wilcox said statutes of limitations may be an issue.
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