OREGON
National Catholic Reporter
[the complaint made to the Bureau of Labor and Industries]
Dan Morris-Young | Oct. 17, 2014
A former priest of Baker, Ore., diocese has filed a complaint with the Oregon Bureau of Labor and Industries, charging that “unlawful retaliatory conduct” by Bishop Liam Cary and the diocese damaged his health and reputation.
In the Sept. 30 filing, James A. Radloff, former pastor of St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Bend, Ore., charges that a “campaign” was launched against him after he filed a report asking that Cary refrain from hearing children’s confessions at St. Francis pending investigation of an incident involving a male teen.
“Prior to Easter 2013, a teen-aged boy attended confession at the St. Francis Church on what is called reconciliation night,” the complaint states. “There were numerous priests available … The boy entered a private confessional with Bishop Cary, who kept the boy in confession for approximately one hour. When the boy emerged, he appeared shaken, upset and distraught. Although he did not immediately share all of what was discussed between him and Bishop Cary, the boy reported that Bishop Cary insisted upon meeting with the boy again in private at another time. When the parents of the boy learned of this incident, they reported it to me.”
While the statement does not name the boy or his family, they were aware the incident would be described in the pleading “and were OK with it,” said Bill Buchanan, Radloff’s attorney.
“The diocese has no comment,” a diocesan employee told NCR on Thursday.
The complaint states that Radloff “immediately reported the incident to my supervisor, Bishop Cary, and asked the Bishop to refrain from taking any more confessions from children until such time as the incident could be investigated.”
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