Diocese Statement on New Lawsuit
SAN DIEGO (January 8, 2020) – The following is the statement from the Catholic Diocese of San Diego regarding today’s press conference regarding Father Efrén Cirilo Neri:
Father Neri was a priest of the Archdiocese of Yucatan, Mexico; he served at Cristo Rey Parish in Rialto, California from 1951 to 1959. At that time, Rialto was part of the Diocese of San Diego. Today, it is part of the Diocese of San Bernardino. In 1958, he was accused of fathering a child, which he denied. The formal Church investigation was inconclusive, but support was provided for the child and Father Neri subsequently sought assignments in other jurisdictions.
He was never transferred. He was never removed from the priesthood. He left his job at Rialto and took on new responsibilities in the Diocese of Fresno, where he served in several parishes until medical problems forced his retirement in 1976. He died in 1982 in Fresno.
He was “granted faculties,” that is, permission to work as a priest, when he was assigned to Cristo Rey in Rialto. When he left there, he no longer needed those faculties, so they were terminated. Instead, he was given faculties in the Diocese of Fresno when he obtained employment there. After a standard 5-year period, he requested and was granted permission to officially move from the Archdiocese of Yucatan to the Diocese of Fresno. He became a priest of Fresno in 1965.
The allegation of paternity was revealed to the Diocese of Fresno.
His name does not appear on the list of accused priests because no reports have ever been received accusing Father Neri of misbehaving with a minor. Not in San Diego, not in San Bernardino, not in Fresno.
Without knowing the details of this case, we know that we have a moral obligation to assist any victim-survivor of clergy abuse, so we urge the attorney in this case to contact us so that therapy can be arranged at our expense. There are no preconditions and the offer of therapy remains independent of any lawsuit against the diocese.
Child sexual abuse is an act of evil, regardless of when it occurs, but as a result of several reforms in 2002 and before — including mandatory Safe Environment training for clergy and staff at all churches and schools, annual age-appropriate training for students in Catholic schools and religious education, criminal background checks and increased awareness and vigilance — there have been no new incidents of abuse reported to the diocese in nearly two decades.
Details about the steps the Diocese has taken to prevent and report abuse can be found on our website www.safeinourdiocese.org
Finally, we want to invite any victim-survivor of sexual abuse to participate in the Independent Compensation Program established last year as an additional avenue they can use to pursue their legal claims. There is no cost or obligation to victims, and the process is confidential. If they go through the compensation program and decide to reject the compensation offer they receive, they will not have given up their right to pursue their claim in court. In most cases, a qualifying victim-survivor will receive an offer within 90 days of the completion of their claim.