MAY 03, 2019
April 30, 2019
Dear Bishop Bambera,
I want to assure you that I have the highest regard for your office, and I am trying to be very careful to respect your ordained position. I want to thank you for taking the time to reply to my letter. However, your response was off-topic. In fact, I am not sure why you responded if you were not going to answer my questions.
When you refuse to answer specific questions, it leads me to believe that you are hiding something. I am a father whose children have been put directly in harm’s way in two different dioceses including yours. Help me to understand why I should accept your unyielding assurances that my children are safe.
You stated in your response, “I did what I could and what I thought was appropriate, based on the information available to me and in keeping with my then-current role in the Diocese.” I would like to know what information you had available to you at the time of each of these incidents mentioned in my previous letter. This would be necessary to understand your response.
I would specifically like to know what you mean by “your then-current role”.
Was it your subordinate position that did not allow you to call the police? (https://www.timesleader.com/news/717172/as-bambera-looked-on-abusive-father-ned-got-new-assignment)
Was this the reason that caused you to look the other way when a priest was grooming an adolescent? (https://www.dailyitem.com/download-the-catholic-diocese-grand-jury-report-here/pdf_e1159302-9ff3-11e8-a970-33505c20a2a3.html )
Was it your then-current role that made it impossible to question a seminarian that was sexually harassed? ( Letter from Roe to The Seminarians of St. Pius X Seminary, dated April 5, 1997, Doc. 80-8, “Roe Letter”, http://www.timesleader.com/news/20071108_08liberatore_tmb_ART.html )
What could be the reason that would make it ok not to report behavior that would be harmful to vulnerable individuals? (Memo from Father Bambera to Bishop Timlin, dated November 27, 1996, Doc. 80-7, “Bambera Memo”)
Given your knowledge of Fr. Liberatore’s prior “questionable behavior”, did you as a board member raise concerns with the University of Scranton? (http://digitalservices.scranton.edu/digital/api/collection/prpubs/id/2844/download, Memo from Father Bambera to Bishop Timlin, dated November 27, 1996, Doc. 80-7, “Bambera Memo”)
I have been unable to find your answers to these specific questions and those posed in my previous letter. The laity is past the point of accepting very general and vague answers. Whether or not you have done anything wrong, we deserve honest and direct answers. All I want is the truth and the questions posed are fair and reasonable. I strongly encourage you to take this first step so desperately needed in order to right the ship and answer these questions.
Sincerely,
Paul Ciaccia