Tuesday, November 13, 2018
SCRANTON, Pa. (AP) — A retired Roman Catholic bishop in Pennsylvania who has come under harsh criticism for his handling of clergy sex abuse has defied his successor by attending this week’s national meeting of U.S. bishops.
Former Bishop James Timlin was seen Monday at the meeting of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops in Baltimore.
After a Pennsylvania grand jury faulted Timlin for his handling of clergy sex abuse, Scranton Bishop Joseph Bambera barred him from representing the diocese in public. Bambera cited Timlin’s failure to protect children from abusive priests.
Diocesan spokesman Bill Genello says Bambera asked Timlin not to attend, but added that membership in the bishops group and attendance at conferences is beyond Bambera’s control.
The group was expected to vote on proposed new steps to address the clergy abuse crisis but postponed it under orders from the Vatican.