Fr John Gallagher |
The Catholic Whistleblowers network, which is
dedicated to exposing abuse cover-ups, has weighed in in support of Fr. John
Gallagher, claiming the diocese of Palm
Beach demoted him because he wasn't "silent about alleged
sexual abuse of minor children."
Irish-born Gallagher has served in Palm
Beach since 2000 and claims he was stood down from his role in the parish of
the Holy Name of Jesus Christ in West Palm Beach for reporting abuse-related
activities concerning Franciscan Fr Jose Palimattom, a visiting priest
from India, who had been at the parish of the Holy Name of Jesus Christ for
just four weeks in December 2014 when a complaint was made.
Fr Pallimatom |
Speaking to the Pat Kenny Radio Show
Jan. 27 in Ireland, the 48-year-old priest also claimed that when he contacted
the diocese to report the incident the morning after it had been reported to
him, the diocesan official told him, "We've dealt with this before, we
normally put them on a plane and send them back."
When he told the diocesan official that
he was cooperating with the sheriff he was told, "Well you don't have to
give them all the information."
According to Gallagher, when he related
the fact to the official that the incident between Palimattom and the boy had
been captured by a security camera, "they asked me not to reveal that
information to the sheriff's office."
In his radio interview, Gallagher
alleged that the diocese removed his possessions from his parochial house and
changed the locks on his home and his office.
He said shortly after April 1, 2015,
"things came to a head between the diocese and myself. They told me you
don't think and operate with the same mindset as we operate with."
Police believe Palimattom was grooming
the teen. Palimattom served a six-month sentence and was given a year's
probation and deported from the U.S.
On Thursday, Jan. 28, the diocese of Palm Beach
issued a news statement in which it revealed that Palimattom
had been invited to serve in the parish of the Holy Name of Jesus Christ by
Gallagher. It said that during its screening process, no prior misconduct was
revealed.
The statement, which was issued by
Dianne Laubert, communications director for the Florida diocese, said it was
"deeply disheartened and troubled" by the allegations of Gallagher
and stated that it could no longer stand by in "relative silence when we
know the allegations are a complete inaccurate representation of the
facts."
Elsewhere it stated Gallagher "was
not named as pastor of Holy Name of Jesus Church for a number of reasons not
related to the incident involving Father Palimattom," and that
"access to [Gallagher's] residence was never denied him, nor was he
refused sacraments."
"At his request, he was placed on
leave and continues to receive salary, health insurance and benefits," the
statement continued.
According to the diocese, the County
Tyrone-born priest was assigned to a different parish as parochial vicar and
was due to begin there July 1, 2015, but he never took up the assignment
because he asked to be put on medical leave, which was granted by Bishop Gerald
Barbarito.
But Gallagher told media that
he was "threatened by the diocese, offered a denotation, and I was asked
to resign from priesthood."
In his interview with the Pat Kenny
Radio Show he said the diocese told him "We are not happy with your
performance or what you have done."
According to Gallagher, he had been
operating as a one-man parish with nine Mases. "My collection went up 12%
and I took $147,000 off the debt in the time that I was there. The people voted
with their feet and their support and our Mass attendance went up."
He also highlighted that when he came
out of the hospital after his suspected heart attack, the interim pastor in the
parish, in addition to changing the locks, had "asked for my keys from Sr.
Ann Monahan, a Dominican of over 67 years, and because she had been in my room
getting stuff for me he fired her instantly on the spot and he escorted her off
the premises like a criminal."
Gallagher said that he contacted both
the Congregation for the Doctrine of Faith and the Vatican Commission for the
Protection of Minors about this matter, but he received no reply or
acknowledgement.
He also revealed that Cardinal Sean
O'Malley of Boston, who heads up the Vatican safeguarding commission,
telephoned him from Rome on Oct. 8, and told him to take a vacation.
O'Malley |
NCR sought a
response from the archdiocese of Boston on this but received no reply.
According to Gallagher, he decided to
go public about the row because after 24 years as a priest, his "legal
counsel said to me you have nowhere else to go but into the public domain --
you've given the church every opportunity."
The Catholic
Whistleblowers Steering Committee demanded in their statement that
the officials of the Catholic Church, including Pope Francis, "intervene justly
in this matter."
"It is outrageous that Fr. John
Gallagher, who has been complimented and lauded by law enforcement officials
for contacting them about alleged sexual abuse of a minor child by a priest, is
not being treated as a hero by Catholic Church officials, including his
bishop," they said.
The Catholic Whistleblowers group
demanded that Gallagher "be restored immediately to priestly ministry with
all related faculties, benefits, and apologies."
In addition, they said Barbarito should
be fired immediately by Pope Francis for his mishandling of the matter.
I recall Gallagher in Maynooth - a nut!
ReplyDeleteThat's a very summary conviction! Can you expand?
DeleteI left Maynooth in the early 90's. JG was a student there in my time. I am surprised to learn that he was eventually ordained. I would absolutely NOT take his version of events at face value. Even given the history of the Catholic Church on child abuse, I would be inclined to believe the diocese on this one - and definitely not him!!
ReplyDeleteWell you knew him. The diocese have said that he is doing this because he was not promoted to "pastor" ?
DeleteFr Gallagher did not make up the allegation against Fr Pallimatom: the man served a prison sentence for his crime. And a law-enforcement agency congratulated Gallagher for reporting it. What aspect of this makes Gallagher 'a nut'?
DeleteGallagher's problems are of his own making and they have nothing to do with him reporting the abuser. Gallagher is using that as an excuse to cover up his own issues and play at being the victim.
ReplyDeleteOpinion or facts with supporting evidence?
DeletePlease clarify.
MMM
And yet...he was speaking the truth about Fr Pallimatom. Even you, sceptical, as you so clearly are, cannot deny this.
DeleteWhat I am saying is this: I do not trust JG and I do not accept his version of events at face value. Period.
ReplyDeleteIf what Gallagher said about the abuser was true (and we both know it is), then, on what reasonable ground, do you dismiss his account of the difficulties between him and his diocese?
DeleteSure, he may have been 'a nut' at Maynooth, as you claim, but this was...what?...over twenty years. People can and do change. Perhaps he did.
Have you seen him since?
While I know not Gallagher or indeed the case in question whatever happen to open mindednesss and objectivity
ReplyDeleteIf you knew Gallagher, you would understand.
DeleteTo Anonymous at 16.04
DeleteHow well do YOU know Gallagher?
Despite repeated requests for informational evidence, the commmentator (at times I will later indicate) provides nothing other than what appears to be his personal opinions. In giving times for the anonymous commentator I make the assumption that all are made by the same person. I am obliged to make such guestimates as such commentators seem not to have the wit or wisdom to in some way, even by an anonymous nom de plume, to identify themselves.
ReplyDeleteThe unsupported comments I refer to are as follows: 30th Jan @ 14:31, @16:31, @22:28; and on 31st Jan @ 14:12 , & 16:04.
So if you are the one and same person, ......man up, give your evidence, otherwise we are obliged to take your comments as of no value or reliability.
MMMM you do/think whatever the hell you like. It will come out in time that this case is not as JG is portraying it.
DeleteThank you anonymous @ 18:14. Your response is revealing. 'Nuf said.
DeleteMMM
This article is interesting... some will say a smear, but it's a lot of people and very consistent comment.
ReplyDeletehttp://www.irishcentral.com/news/Was-Father-Gallagher-a-bad-parish-priest-or-a-hero-exposing-a-pedophile.html
Bishop Barbarito does not believe pederast priests should be named in the News guilty or not.He said this to the press when he left Olmstead NY.
ReplyDeleteBarbarito does not like priest's to be arrested because it guarantees their name will be in the news.