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0623 Priest 2
0623 Priest 2
0623 Priest 2
The wanderer
Here are key dates in the global odyssey of Father Dominic, who has served as a priest in three countries since fleeing child molestation charges in London.
The Dallas Morning News spent a year tracking the international movement of Catholic priests accused of sexual abuse. Reporters traveled extensively and conducted hundreds of interviews, reviewed thousands of church and law enforcement documents, and built a database with more than 200 cases.
1974 He is ordained a priest of the Catholic Archdiocese of Lahore, Pakistan. Late 1970s He begins periodic trips to London and does temporary church work in the Westminster Archdiocese. Mid-1980s Father Dominic studies in Rome and does temporary work in the New York City and London areas. December 1996 He is arrested while serving at a London church and charged with molesting two young boys years earlier at another parish in the Westminster Archdiocese. A fellow priest bails him out of jail. Church officials send him to a clergy treatment center in rural England. Early 1997 Father Dominic jumps bail and flies home
The ndings
Nearly half of the more than 200 cases we identified involve clergy who tried to elude law enforcement. About 30 remain free in one country while facing ongoing criminal inquiries, arrest warrants or convictions in another. Most runaway priests remain in the church, the worlds largest organization, so they should be easier to locate than other fugitives. Instead, Catholic leaders have used international transfers to thwart justice, a practice that poses far greater challenges to law enforcement than the domestic moves exposed in the 2002 scandal. Police and prosecutors, however, often fail to take basic steps to catch fugitive priests. Church discipline, such as the U.S. bishops new policy, doesnt keep all offenders out of ministry. Dozens of priests who are no longer eligible to work in this country have found sanctuary abroad.
1. London, ENGLAND
NORTH AMERICA
ASIA
Pacific Ocean
SOUTH AMERICA
Atlantic Ocean
AFRICA
Indian Ocean
tion would have been routine first the United States and later Italy. He left Pakistan after Lahore Archdiocese leaders barred him from ministry, Archbishop Saldanha said. By 1999, he was living in the New York City area and trying to get American dioceses to hire him. Los Angeles and Brooklyn were among those that refused, citing vaguely negative reports from Lahore. The Rev. John J. Brown, Brooklyns clergy personnel director, said the Lahore Archdiocese did not reveal that there was a criminal case in London. Lahore church leaders knew of its existence, according to a British church officials letter to one of Father Dominics accusers. Monsignor Brown said Father Dominic did mention the case but said it had been dismissed and he had been exonerated. He said he did not check the priests claims with authorities. Hearing details this week about Father Dominics case was disturbing, Monsignor Brown said. He said the U.S. church must rely on foreign bishops to be open and honest about their priests who come to this country to work. After striking out in the United States, Father Dominic returned to his native Pakistan. Archbishop Saldanha said he worked at a Muslim school in Lahore and then found a Catholic leader who would take him in another part of Pakistan: Bishop Andrew Francis,
leader of the Multan Diocese. The priest became pastor of the Multan cathedral, not with our permission, Archbishop Saldanha said. But after a while, Bishop Francis sent the priest back to Lahore. There was some personal animosity, said the archbishop, who added that he knew no details. Bishop Francis could not be reached for comment. Next Father Dominic tried his luck in America again. And this time, he succeeded: The Newark Archdiocese put him to work in summer 2002, shortly after U.S. bishops passed a zero tolerance sexual abuse policy during their annual meeting in Dallas. He was stationed at St. Francis of Assisi in Ridgefield Park on instructions from archdiocese headquarters, said Father Field, the priest who worked with him. He said he did not know who gave the instructions.
But the Newark archdiocesan office that oversees visiting priests said it had no record of Father Dominic. The Rev. William Fadrowski, who was executive director of clergy personnel in 2002, said he had never heard of the priest and didnt understand how he could have been allowed to work at St. Francis. Its very, very abnormal, Monsignor Fadrowski said. Newark Archbishop John Myers said he, too, did not recognize Father Dominics name and called his presence in a parish odd. It certainly is not according to our policies and expectations, he said. Archbishop Saldanha, head of the priests home diocese in Pakistan, initially said he thought Father Dominic was living at the New Jersey church on a private visit and was not exercising his ministry. Archbishop Myers did not ask whether the priest should be allowed to function, Archbishop Saldanha said. In a later interview, however, he said he had received a background check form from Newark but did not complete and return it. Archbishop Saldanha also said that Father Dominic had occasionally said Mass while at St. Francis but that he was not doing any pastoral work not dealing with people. Father Dominic left St. Francis after about two months, according
The team
REPORTERS: Brendan M. Case, Reese Dunklin and Brooks Egerton STAFF PHOTOGRAPHERS: Erich Schlegel, Cheryl Diaz Meyer and Mona Reeder GRAPHIC ARTIST: Sergio Peanha DESIGNER: Rob Schneider COPY EDITOR: Becky Williams NEWS ASSISTANT: Javier Garca PHOTO EDITORS: Jodie Steck and Chris Wilkins PROJECT EDITOR: Pam Maples
to Father Field, who said he thought the priest had returned to his home country because of problems with his religious workers visa. It isnt clear where Father Dominic went after Newark. But by last October, he was living along northern Italys Riviera, working in the quaint beach town of Albissola Marina and up in the hills at Ellera. In announcing the priests appointment, the Savona-Noli Diocese newsletter described him as a friend of the bishop, the Rev. Domenico Calcagno.
See BISHOP Page 13A
The Rev. Yusaf Dominic has been serving in the quaint beach town of Albissola Marina and up in the hills in the nearby village of Ellera along northern Italys Riviera since last October.