Window for Abuse Suits in New York Opens

By Tim Harfmann and Andrew Pugliese

New York state’s Child Victims Act (CVA) took effect on Aug. 14. The law lifts the statute of limitations, which gives those who say they were abused as minors one year to file a civil suit regardless of when the alleged crime occurred.

“Today, we stand with victims who were sexually abused as children,” Brooklyn Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio said in a statement Aug. 14. “We have reached this point because too many victims all across society have sadly carried this heavy cross for far too long. Sexual abuse is a heinous crime, and victim-survivors now have a new avenue to seek redress through the Child Victims Act.

“For anyone abused by a priest, employee or volunteer — I am sorry that a member of our church who you trusted became the source of pain and anguish. You should know the Diocese of Brooklyn has instituted the most aggressive policies to prevent any future abuse and to protect children.”

Similar child abuse laws have been passed in Arizona, California, Delaware, Hawaii and New Jersey. A two-year window for lawsuits in New Jersey is set to begin Dec. 1.

Last week, 30 alleged victims of abuse by New Jersey priests chose to file their claim with the New Jersey Independent Victim Compensation Program, according to NJ.com. The option is open to alleged victims in the five dioceses in New Jersey, allowing them to bring their claim to an independent mediator where the burden of proof is much less than it is in a courtroom.

The Diocese of Brooklyn is operating a similar program, called the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program (IRCP). That program, which started in June 2017, gives alleged victims a way to settle claims with the diocese. Anyone who elects to participate in the IRCP agrees not to sue the diocese.

“While no amount of money could ever heal the scars of abuse, the compensation program has been one way for us to show a concrete expression of our contrition and our desire to make amends,” Bishop Nicholas DiMarzio wrote in his weekly column in the Aug. 10 issue of The Tablet.

Bishop DiMarzio also recommends the IRCP as “a better way” forward than a lawsuit.

“What we do know is that litigation can be a lengthy endeavor. Our straightforward and non-adversarial process through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program is still an option worth exploring.”

So far, the Diocese of Brooklyn has settled almost 500 claims, and has paid over $90 million in settlements. The money has come from selling and mortgaging properties, not from donations, Bishop DiMarzio said.

Lawyers Camille Biros and Kenneth Feinberg are the mediators of the diocese’s IRCP, along with similar programs in 15 dioceses in New York, New Jersey and Pennsylvania. Biros said a lawsuit often takes about two years, while the IRCP process is usually completed in 90 days. Biros and Feinberg have handled more than 2,000 claims and fewer than a handful have rejected their offer.

“It’s an opportunity to resolve the issue with the program rather than be in a court of law and have to bring up, justify, and have all these documents in a court of law, rather than an independent program where it’s just a one-on-one or with your lawyer,” Biros said.

One piece of information Biros and Feinberg use in reaching their decision is the determination of credibility by the Diocesan Review Board, made up of former police officers, psychologists, attorneys, pastors, social workers, and victims.

The board reports allegations received by the diocesan reporting line to the appropriate district attorney’s office of concern, either Brooklyn or Queens, as well as the New York Police Department’s Special Victims Unit, according to Joseph Esposito, chairman of the review board and retired NYPD Chief of Department, in a statement. If the police and district attorney “pass on the case,” Esposito said the board directs its investigators “to do a thorough investigation on the allegation.” Once the investigators report their findings, the board votes on whether the allegation is substantiated or unsubstantiated. Then, a letter is drafted to the diocese. The report is also sent to the Vatican.

“We hear you. We love you. We have compassion for you. We will do everything we can to see to it that you get justice and relief in this horrible situation,” Esposito said in a statement.

“If I can get one thing across to the people of this diocese, this board is independent, very thorough, and we have the best interest of all as our main concern.”

The New York State Catholic Conference, the public policy arm of the state’s bishops, initially opposed efforts to pass the CVA, but supported it when lawmakers agreed to include public institutions in addition to the church, NYSCC spokesman Dennis Poust told Reuters.

Brian Toale, an alleged victim who belongs to the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP), said he plans to take advantage of New York state’s window to sue.

“When you make it easier for people to come forward and bring a suit, then it inspires other survivors to come forward,” Toale said.

The Independent Reconciliation Compensation Program: An Overview

Those alleging abuse by a clergy member of the Diocese of Brooklyn may still settle their claim with the diocese through the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program.

The diocese’s IRCP began in June 2017 and will be in effect during the one-year window during which New York state has lifted the statute of limitations for those filing lawsuits alleging sexual abuse when they were a minor. That window began on Aug. 14. Those who go through the IRCP process may not file a civil suit alleging abuse.

The IRCP in the Diocese of Brooklyn is being administered by Kenneth Feinberg, an attorney best known for administering the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund, and by Camille Biros, an associate of Feinberg’s. Feinberg and Biros decide the amount, if any, a claimant may receive. The diocese has agreed to abide by their decisions.

A panel consisting of Joseph P. Dunne, a former NYPD First Deputy Police Commissioner, and Joseph Golia, a former Queens County judge, is providing oversight for the IRCP.

Those claiming sexual abuse should call the diocese’s reporting number — (888) 634-4499 — to start the IRCP process. A claim will be heard after the claimant provides documents to support his or her allegation. Claims are reviewed by the administrators on a rolling basis.

For more information go to dioceseofbrooklyn.org and click on Clergy Sex Abuse Crisis Response.

Match Made in Heaven – Christian Couple Married for 7 Decades

Currents News Staff

Francis and Rosemary Klontz met in junior high in Auburn, Washington. They’ve been matching their outfits ever since.

“Well, my mother got us matching shirts when we were in high school. I picked them out and so, we’ve matched ever since,” said Rosemary.

“And I thought she was the cutest little thing when she came into our town. By the time we were seniors, we started going together,” added Francis.

At 19 years old, they were married. Now both 87 years young, Francis knows the term ‘happy wife, happy life’ all too well, letting his bride of more than half a century pick his outfits every day.

“She just lays it out for me, and I don’t have to worry about a thing,” he said.

They also sing together, and while it’s obvious they are in-tune with each other vocally, when asked what the secret to a happy marriage is, this duet is very much in sync.

“Jesus first, others second, yourself last – that’s the way to spell ‘joy.’ Jesus and others and you – what a wonderful way to spell joy,” said Rosemary.

And these “singing chaplains” perform at their local church, hospitals, and even just around the house.

Currents News for Tuesday, August 13, 2019

On the newscast: Just weeks before the school year begins–another Catholic academy in Brooklyn is closing its doors; United States bishops speaking out on a new immigration law–saying it undermines human dignity; Carnage in Sydney. A knife wielding man yelling “Allah Akbar” before stabbing pedestrians; And the repair of the world’s most famous cathedral is set to resume–after worries about the spread of toxic lead.

Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.

St. Francis Xavier-Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy to Close

By Emily Drooby and Allyson Escobar

CLINTON HILL — A historic school in Brooklyn will shutter its doors before the upcoming school year, due to a steep decline in enrollment that put the school in dire financial condition.

St. Francis Xavier-Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy, which has served Fort Greene/Clinton Hill are since 1910, will close on Aug. 31.

Thomas Chadzutko, the diocese’s superintendent of schools, said that a significant number of families left the academy in July.

“It left us in a very precarious situation that we could not see ourselves getting out of,” Chadzutko told The Tablet.

The school projected a deficit of more than $676,999 for the 2019-2020 school year, but increased that amount to almost $1 million with the sudden drop in enrollment.

“The immediacy of this decision has been prompted by a 30 percent decline in enrollment since the 2018-2019 school year concluded in June,” the school said in a press release.

“This growth of financial debt, combined with the decline in enrollment, has made St. Francis Xavier-Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy unsustainable.”

Tuition at St. Francis Xavier for the upcoming school year was slated to be $4,650, while the actual cost for each student was projected to be $13,825.

The school merged with All Saints in June 2018 because of declining enrollment. St. Francis had 122 students in the 2017-2018 academic year.

“With school starting in less than three weeks, it was a very painful decision…it was not an easy one to make, and took much discussion on the part of the members of the academy,” said Chadzutko. “Whenever these decisions are made, it’s really made after a lot of prayer and reflection, knowing that we want to make sure that as an office we can support the parents and childrens’ needs.”

“It comes after many efforts on the part of the diocesan support staff to maintain a financially viable and high quality educational program in this section of Brooklyn,” he added. “We regret that factors beyond our control led to this decision so close to the start of the school year.”

“We are most appreciative of the leadership and efforts of the administration, faculty and staff for all that they have tried to do to sustain St. Francis Xavier-Queen of All Saints Catholic Academy. We also recognize the efforts and support of the parents. We understand the impact this decision will have on the students and their families and will assist them in the transition.”

As the announcement was made, one parent noted on Facebook, “This is devastating and sad commentary on the state of religious education today. The Church and the Pope need to invest in our children, their future and in our faith … I cannot believe that this school is closing a couple of weeks before school starts. Where do the children go? Where do the teachers go? And what happens to all the children who transferred to that school when St. Francis Xavier closed? We could have been one of them.”

“So Saint Francis Xavier closed last year and the 2 schools merged and now the new school is closing,” another parent commented. “I feel bad for the kids, and to close just weeks before school starts with no warning is terrible.”

An information night has been scheduled for Aug. 20 at 6:30 p.m. to assist families in enrolling their children to neighboring Catholic academies.

Representatives from several schools, including Queen of the Rosary, Williamsburg; St. Gregory the Great, Flatbush; St. Francis of Assisi, Crown Heights; St. Joseph the Worker, Park Slope; and St. Saviour, Park Slope, will be in attendance to help with new registrations.

“There are some things we learn from sadly every [school] closing experience,” said Chadzutko. “We know that we need to marshal our resources and use what’s best to keep Catholic education in the area.

“We know that we need to marshal our resources and use what’s best to keep Catholic education in every area of the diocese.”

Pope to Allow External Audit of Vatican Bank Accounts

Currents News Staff

Pope Francis has implemented a bold economic reform to the Vatican’s financial entity of the Holy See, the Institute for the Works of Religion, in order to make it more transparent. From now on, by law and for the first time in its history, its accounts will be audited by an external audit.

This is an important step that follows the line taken by Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI, who to prevent money laundering in the Vatican, made the Holy See join the European Union from a monetary point of view. In this way it was obligatory to reform the system of the Institute for the Works of Religion in order to adapt it to the standards of transparency and control demanded by Brussels.

‘Priest With a Mic’ Brings Catholic Faith to the Streets With YouTube Series

Currents News Staff

Father Kyle Manno brings sidewalk evangelization to the streets of New York and around the world with his popular YouTube series, ‘Priest With a Mic.’

You might have seen him before or heard him ask tough questions regarding the Catholic faith. His online ministry is wildly popular, with some of his videos clocking in at over 600,000 views.

He is the Vocation Director of the Diocese of Rockford, Illinois, and joins us to discuss his experiences of sharing the Catholic faith with the world.

Man Detained by ICE Speaks Out After Raid

Currents News Staff

Hundreds of people were detained in Mississippi last week in a massive sweep by ICE targeting undocumented workers.

One of those workers is now speaking out about his experience.

Juan Garcia works at PECO Foods in Canton. He says Wednesday morning he was just finishing his shift when ICE agents raided the facility.

“All I saw was Glocks. 223’s. The Glocks and the handguns. they had them out. They just told me to keep my hands up. put them above my head and don’t move,” said Garcia.

PECO Foods was one of seven food plants in Mississippi raided by Homeland Security officials in an effort to find undocumented workers.

In total, 680 people were detained that day.

Garcia says he was able to prove his citizenship to agents inside the chicken plant, but not before finding his father, who was undocumented.

His father has worked at PECO Foods for nearly ten years.

“I’m trying to find my dad. See if he’s ok. Then I looked outside. I seen him. They put him in handcuffs,” said Garcia.

Garcia says his family was recently able to locate his father in Natchez. He says the plant is suffering from the effects of the raid.

“I cried plenty times. I told myself – I know my dad don’t wanna see me crying, he wants to see me smiling. But Without us, the plant ain’t gonna run. It hasn’t been running right,” said Garcia.

Another PECO Food’s Worker, Zach Gamlin, said “I understand you trying to clean the streets for danger but at the same time, people there was just making an honest living though. They was just trying to do their job and feed their family. You stopped them from doing all that.”

For now, Garcia says he and his family will have to wait it out. He hopes his father will make it back.

He has a message for those whose loved ones were detained during the raid.

“If they were to ask me. Just keep your head up. Be patient, cause they’ll be ok,” he said.

Currents News for Monday, August 12, 2019

On the newscast: The Trump administration is tightening rules that could deny citizenship to immigrants who need public assistance; In Tennessee, lawmakers are considering a total ban on abortion; How’s this for homework? Gender ID explanation charts; And a crisis on the high seas that’s still unfolding at this hour: Five hundred refugees and migrants are trapped in the Mediterranean.

Watch weeknights at 7:00 pm EST on NET-TV in the New York City area on Spectrum, Optimum, and Fios. Subscribe to our YouTube channel to receive notifications about new content.

Homeland Security’s New Regulations Could Limit Legal Immigration to U.S.

By Rhina Guidos

WASHINGTON (Catholic News Service) — The Trump administration announced Aug. 12 a plan to deny permanent legal immigration status for those who use public funds such as food stamps or public housing.

The news came as no surprise as administration officials had been publicly discussing for months instituting a “public charge” policy that would hurt immigrants’ chances at permanent residency, citizenship and even threatened deportation for those who sign up for public benefits.

The National Immigration Law Center said the term “public charge” in immigration law refers to “a person who is primarily dependent on the government for support,” and explained the new rule “would broaden the definition of who is to be considered a public charge so that it includes immigrants who use one or more government programs listed in the proposed rule.”

Though immigrants have had to prove self-sufficiency to obtain permanent residency, the expansion of the definition would add a hurdle for some.

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops had long argued against it and in September 2018 said such action would “prevent families from accessing important medical and social services vital to public health and welfare.” The new policy is set to take effect in 60 days, but it will likely be challenged in court.

“Through the public charge rule, President (Donald) Trump’s administration is reinforcing the ideals of self-sufficiency and personal responsibility, ensuring that immigrants are able to support themselves and become successful here in America,” said Ken Cuccinelli, acting director of U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services, during a White House briefing Aug. 12.

Catholic Legal Immigration Network Inc. in a statement following the announcement said the policy “is a direct assault on the American immigration system and threatens one of its core principles: family unity.”

Since the rule had been expected and because of the “great fear and anxiety” it caused, some immigrant families had refrained from asking for needed government help for health care, food and housing, said Anna Gallagher, the organization’s executive director.

“This strategy to suppress family immigration has significant public health and safety implications as families worry about meeting new financial hurdles,” she added.

The Christian nonprofit Bread for the World said the new rule would affect the health and well-being of millions of lawful residents. Jane Adams, the organization’s senior domestic policy analyst, said those impacted include children who are citizens but who were born to immigrant parents.

“Families will be forced to make the impossible choice of putting food on the table and staying together legally in the country,” she said in an Aug. 12 statement.

“The rule is already having a chilling effect on children and families and it hasn’t even gone into effect,” she said. “The Bible is clear that God wants us to be generous and welcoming to all people, specifically immigrants. We oppose the administration’s decision and urge them to immediately withdraw this rule.”

Why the Pope Probably Wasn’t Trolling Trump on Populism

By John L. Allen Jr.

ROME (CRUX) – I got a call Saturday to come on air from my friends at CNN, where I serve as senior Vatican analyst. The producers wanted me to join a morning news program, following a recent interview with Pope Francis in which he compared populist rhetoric about “us” and “we” to the kind of talk associated with the Nazis.

“I am worried because you hear speeches that resemble those by Hitler in 1934. ‘Us first, We… We ….’” Such thinking, the pontiff said, “is frightening.”

The gist of the TV question I got on Saturday was this: “Why did Pope Francis choose now to enter the debate about white supremacy and hate?”

Obviously, my answer was supposed to be that he has been appalled by the shootings in the U.S. in El Paso and Dayton, coupled with the fact that the El Paso gunman has been linked to white nationalism and anti-immigrant sentiment, and is concerned about the national debate the situation has unleashed about whether the populist rhetoric espoused by President Donald Trump, especially what he has to say about immigrants, may have played a role in the violence.

Alas, I ended up throwing a bit of cold water on the storyline.

First of all, in response to the question “why now?” for the pontiff’s interview, it’s important to remember that it came with the Italian newspaper La Stampa. Coincidentally, that happens to be the paper for which his new editorial director, veteran Italian journalist and confidante Andrea Tornielli, used to work. Tornielli was appointed in December 2018 and recently got a couple of new deputies from Pope Francis, including former interim papal spokesman Alessandro Gisotti.

In other words, it’s at least as likely that giving the interview to La Stampa was about paying off a debt to an old friend as it was a desire to engage current events in the United States.

Moreover, if there was any political subtext to the comments, it’s much more likely to be in the pontiff’s own backyard. In the last few days, the populist Deputy Prime Minister Matteo Salvini, known for his hardline anti-immigrant stance, has announced that he’s exiting the current ruling coalition with the left-wing Five Star movement and wants new elections to be called. Polls suggest Salvini and his League party would do very well, perhaps ending up in a position to sustain a government more or less on their own.

Recently I had lunch with a colleague in the Vatican press corps here I respect tremendously, and we speculated a bit about which newspapers Pope Francis probably sees every morning. The consensus was that they’re mostly Italian, leading us to suspect that if he had any specific political situation in the back of his mind when he made his comments on populism, it was probably Salvini rather than Trump or anyone else (say, Boris Johnson in the UK, Rodrigo Duterte in the Philippines, or Jair Bolsonaro in Brazil, all of whom would be equally good candidates.)

The theory that the Holy Father’s horizon was mostly European is reinforced by a less-quoted portion of his La Stampa interview, in which he said that national sovereignty is a worthy value to defend, “but relations with other countries, with the European community, must also be protected and promoted.” Indeed, much of the interview was about Europe and its future.

Granted, Pope Francis did issue a statement in response to the U.S. shootings, and Vatican media have prominently featured the statements of the U.S. bishops. Granted, too, it’s well-known that he is no friend to many aspects of the worldview represented by Trump. Still, there’s little reason to believe the Holy Father himself is hanging on every latest presidential utterance.

There’s a larger point, which is this: There’s a natural tendency for people everywhere to assume that when Pope Francis speaks, he must be talking about them. That impulse is turbo-charged for Americans, since we generally believe that everyone, everywhere, is thinking and talking about the same stuff we are, and if they’re not, it’s because they’re out of touch or part of the problem.

If you need a case in point, look no further than the clerical sexual abuse crisis. It’s absolutely inconceivable for many Americans that the sex abuse mess isn’t what the pontiff is thinking about when het gets up in the morning and goes to bed at night, yet the raw reality is that seen in a global perspective, it’s simply one among many priorities any pope would have to face.

In truth, popes are responsible for the affairs of a global church composed of 1.3 billion people in every nook and cranny of the planet, and much of the time their pronouncements are intentionally crafted to extend across space and time – in other words, not to refer directly to any specific personality or situation.

Moreover, there’s another reason to believe that this particular pope often isn’t talking about the U.S. even when we’re tempted to think he is, which is this: As a Latin American, Pope Francis resents the fact the United States believes itself to be the center of the universe, he has ambivalent feelings about America politically and culturally, his English isn’t that great, and he has few close American friends and advisors.

To bottom-line things, the American left needs to accept the fact that not everything this pope says about justice, the poor, immigrants, race and populism is an indictment of Donald Trump, and the American right needs to make peace with the fact that they think about Pope Francis far more than he thinks about them.

For Americans, Pope Francis is actually an invitation to think about the rest of the world, to ponder realities beyond our own borders that might shape a pope’s thinking. It’s a stretch, sure, but in a 21^st century multipolar world, that sort of exercise could probably do us some good – especially, one might add, with a Synod of Bishops on the Amazon looming in October.