Oakland Diocese’s chancellor gives list of 45 priests accused of abusing minors.
No clergymen since 1988 on list of ‘credibly accused’
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.
The list did not include the name of Father Alex Castillo, a priest in the Diocese of Oakland who was placed on administrative leave last month after an allegation of sexual contact with a youth. Wilcox said Castillo doesn’t meet the criteria for “credibly accused” because the investigation is not complete.
Diocese officials said there is no universal definition for a “credible accusation.” The Diocese of Oakland’s standard includes an allegation involving sexual abuse of a person younger than 18; that the alleged perpetrator was a priest, deacon, religious brother or religious sister at the time of the alleged abuse or after; that the alleged abuse was committed within the Diocese of Oakland jurisdiction or by an alleged perpetrator who was affiliated with it or lived in the area; and that “after review of the reasonably available, relevant information, there is reason to believe the allegation is more likely than not to be true.”
Barber initially planned to publish the names in November but delayed the release to verify information and contact survivors in advance. The 20 Oakland Diocese priests alone accounted for 174 victims, Wilcox said.
Wilcox said he’s spent several weeks reaching out to survivors but hasn’t yet spoken to all of them.
“Survivors in general were pleased with the step but still think the church needs to do more,” he said.
Some wanted a direct apology from the church, and others said the Diocese of Oakland needs to offer more services to victims.
“I come away with knowing that we have much more to do in terms of our outreach,” he said. “The Oakland Diocese at one point I know was a leader, and needs to get back to being leaders in survivor outreach and care . ... I think we got comfortable and we need to do more.”
The Oakland Diocese’s announcement comes on the heels of its counterparts in Santa Rosa and San Jose, which both released similar lists in the past few months.
The Catholic Church came under fire last year after a Pennsylvania grand jury found that church officials had covered up abuse by more than 300 priests over seven decades.
The revelations prompted several bishops around the country to take the unusual step of releasing the identities of alleged abusers in what’s billed as an effort to reform the institution.
Critics have said the efforts often fall short and have called for a more thorough investigation that mirrors the grand jury report in Pennsylvania.
In October, a law firm suing bishops for records on abuse released its own list of names of alleged abusers, totaling more than 200 clergy in the Bay Area. The Jeff Anderson & Associates list included more names of clergy than those released by the Diocese of San Jose, and named 95 tied to the Diocese of Oakland — more than double the diocese’s own list.
Wilcox says the discrepancy lies in the standard used to qualify for a credible allegation.
Church officials encouraged anyone with information concerning sexual misconduct by a clergy member or employee to contact local authorities and Wilcox directly. Wilcox can be reached at swilcox@oak diocese.org or 510-267-8334.