BishopAccountability.org
 
  Society Appeals to Vatican for Help

By Chris Birk
Scranton Times Tribune [Scranton PA]
February 14, 2005

Calling their suppression by the bishop of Scranton a "groundless and unlawful decision," members of the embattled Society of St. John in Pike County have appealed the decree to the Vatican, according to a society fund-raising letter.

In late November, the Most Rev. Joseph F. Martino issued the formal decree of suppression, cutting diocesan ties with the six-year-old public association of the faithful. In a front-page letter in the Nov. 25 edition of the Catholic Light, Bishop Martino outlined his rationale for the decision, citing "acts of commission and omission" regarding sexual abuse allegations and increasing financial stability.!Catholic canon law gives diocesan bishops full discretion to erect -- and eradicate -- public associations of the faithful. It also allows the Society of St. John an avenue of recourse.

The fund-raising letter was provided by Dr. Jeffrey Bond, a vocal critic of the society. Dr. Bond planned to operate a Catholic college at the Shohola property, an endeavor ultimately quelled by the Diocese.

Efforts to reach the Rev. Daniel J. Fullerton, society chancellor general, and acting diocesan spokesman Bill Genello were unsuccessful Sunday.

In a Dec. 28 fund-raising letter, Rev. Fullerton, the society's chancellor general, writes that "the decision is a misinformed one and that there are no grounds to justify it.

"Thanks be to Jesus Christ for the fact that the decree of suppression of the Society of Saint John by the new Bishop of Scranton is not the final decision," the letter reads in part. "We are Roman Catholics, and it belongs to Rome to have the final word on this matter.

"We will commit ourselves to the bitter end."

Efforts to reach Father Fullerton and acting diocesan spokesman Bill Genello were unsuccessful Sunday.

The Society of St. John initially set up its religious community at St. Gregory's Academy in Elmhurst in 1997. A year later, the Most Rev. James C. Timlin, then bishop of Scranton, officially welcomed the society as an entity under diocesan purview.

Relocating to an expansive wooded property in Shohola, Pike County, in 1999, the society sought to create a "city on a hill" culminating in a spiritual haven centered on education, traditional Catholic liturgy and communal worship.

In March 2002, a former St. Gregory's student filed a John Doe civil suit in U.S. District Court against two society priests, claiming he was sexually abused by the Rev. Carlos Urrutigoity and the Rev. Eric Ensey.

Along with Bishop Timlin and other clerics, the Diocese of Scranton is also named as a defendant in the lawsuit.

While Society of St. John members have dismissed the allegations against the two accused priests, Father Fullerton's letter doesn't mention them or delve into the specifics of Bishop Martino's rationale.

"This is not the first time that a new community has had to undergo great trials," the letter reads in part. "It is in hard times such as these that one can see the true motivation of people. We believe that throughout all these difficulties, we are, by God's grace, proving our true motivation."

Pending litigation against the accused priests, held up for months after Father Ensey declared bankruptcy, is set to resume March 23 with a status conference between the parties. A bankruptcy declaration automatically freezes a federal lawsuit, but U.S. Bankruptcy Court Judge John J. Thomas lifted the stay earlier this month.

 
 

Any original material on these pages is copyright © BishopAccountability.org 2004. Reproduce freely with attribution.