San Diego Diocese’s Statement Regarding New Lawsuits

San Diego Diocese’s Statement Regarding New Lawsuits

STATEMENT RETRACTION AND CORRECTION

**ATTENTION EDITORS**

A statement released on January 2, 2020 by Kevin Eckery, vice chancellor of the Diocese of San Diego and spokesperson for the diocese contained a major factual error concerning the status of deceased Rev. Alexander Pinter, a credibly accused priest of the Diocese of Oakland, CA—NOT, the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, OH

That statement has been retracted and corrected.  We apologize for the error.

_____

Please attribute this statement to Kevin Eckery, vice chancellor of the Diocese of San Diego and spokesperson for the diocese:

 “Because of an editing error at the Diocese of San Diego, deceased Rev. Alexander Pinter, a priest of the Catholic Diocese of Oakland was inadvertently identified as being incardinated (i.e. assigned or belonging) to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. 

“This is incorrect.

“Rev. Pinter was never assigned to the Archdiocese of Cincinnati, has no record of complaints in the Archdiocese of Cincinnati and has no reason to be listed in any record of credibly accused priests maintained by the Archdiocese.

“His name is currently published on the list of credibly accused priests at the Diocese of Oakland, CA.  That list may be found here:

https://oakdiocese.org/credible-accusations

 “The Diocese of San Diego apologizes for any concern or inconvenience this error may have caused.

 “Our revised statement concerning Rev. Pinter is below:

“While we can’t respond to any specifics involved in these lawsuits, five of the six men mentioned in today’s news conference are known sexual predators whose names have been published on our website. All of the men are dead. Two of them belong to Catholic religious orders (Koerner and Marron) and were not San Diego diocesan priests. A sixth, Alexander Pinter, was briefly in San Diego in the early 60’s, but eventually moved to the Diocese of Oakland.  The Diocese of Oakland, CA published Pinter’s name on their list of accused priests, but no complaint about Pinter was ever received in the Diocese of San Diego.

“At least one of these men was rightfully sent to prison for his crimes.  Our hearts and prayers and deepest apologies go out to their victims and all victims of clergy sex abuse.

“Regardless of the legal issues involved, we have a moral obligation to provide assistance to any victim-survivor of that abuse and we would urge their attorney to contact us so that counseling can be arranged at our expense.  There are no prior conditions and the offer of counseling stands regardless of any lawsuit against the diocese.

“The sexual abuse of minors is evil, regardless of when it happens, but as a result of various reforms in 2002 and earlier, including mandatory Safe Environment training for clergy and all church workers, annual age-appropriate safety training for students in Catholic schools and religious education, enhanced criminal background checks and enhanced awareness and vigilance, no new incidents of abuse have been 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 at www.safeinourdiocese.org

“Finally, we would also invite any victim-survivor of sexual abuse to participate in the Independent Compensation Program established this fall as an additional avenue they can use to pursue their legal claims.  There are no costs or obligation to victims.  If they go through the compensation program and reject the compensation offer they receive, they have not given up their right to pursue their claim in the courts.  In most cases, a victim-survivor will receive an offer within 90 days of their claim being finalized.”

Contact: Kevin Eckery 916-296-5945 (cell)

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pulido’s coat of arms is divided into four quarters with wavy horizontal lines from top to bottom. The blue and white lines represent the Blessed Virgin Mary. They also suggest water, which alludes to Jesus washing the feet of His disciples and to the waters of baptism. The red and gold lines represent the Holy Spirit and fire. The colors also can be seen as referring to the Blood that (along with water) poured from Jesus’ side at His crucifixion, as well as to the bread (gold) and wine (red) transformed into the Eucharist. At the center is a roundel featuring a symbolic representation of the “mandatum” (washing of the feet), which he believes exemplifies service to all humanity. The roundel’s outer edge is a line composed of small humps; it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Diocese of Yakima, where Bishop Pulido served as a priest before being named a bishop.

About the Coat of Arms

Bishop Pham’s coat of arms depicts a red boat on a blue ocean, which is crisscrossed by diagonal lines suggesting a fisherman’s net. This symbolizes his ministry as a “fisher of men,” as well as how his own father had been a fisherman. The boat is also a symbol of the Church, which is often referred to as the “barque of Peter.” At the center of the sail is a red beehive (a symbol of the bishop’s baptismal patron saint, St. John Chrysostom, who was known as a “honey-tongued” preacher). The beehive is surrounded by two green palm branches (an ancient symbol of martyrdom; the bishop’s ancestors were among Vietnam’s first martyrs). The eight red tongues of fire around the boat are a symbol of the Holy Spirit and a representation of the diversity of ethnic and cultural communities. The red of the boat, the beehive and the tongues of fire allude to the blood of the martyrs.

About the Coat of Arms

The coat of arms combines symbols that reflect Bishop Bejarano’s spiritual life and priestly ministry. The main part of the shield shows four wavy vertical lines on a gold background. These represent flowing waters. This alludes to his chosen motto and also symbolizes the graces that come from the Divine life to quench our thirst for God. The upper third of the shield is red because it is borrowed from the coat of arms of the Order of Mercy, of which the Bishop’s patron saint, Raymond Nonnatus, was a member. The central symbol resembles a monstrance because St. Raymond is often depicted holding one. The Eucharist is Bishop Bejarano’s inspiration for his vocation. It was through the Eucharist that he received his call to the priesthood at age seven and which keeps his faith and his ministry going. It represents the call to offer oneself as a living sacrifice. The monstrance is flanked on either side by an image of the Sacred Heart, alluding to the mercy of God and echoing the idea of a sacrificial offering of oneself united to the sacrifice of Christ, and of a rose for Our Lady. It is an allusion to Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, and highlights the bishop’s Hispanic heritage.

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