Bishop Thomas John Paprocki used a March 10 press conference at the Catholic Pastoral Center to discount the recent assertion that two so-called "predator priests" held positions in the Diocese of Springfield in Illinois years ago.

Bishop Paprocki characterized the March 4 statement by the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests (SNAP) and Call to Action of Central Illinois as "full of unfounded gossip and false rumors."

Bishop Proprocki explained that Father Frank R. Martinez, from the Diocese of Davenport, was appointed chaplain for St. Mary's Hospital in Decatur, effective Oct. 7, 1985, but resigned and left his position on Dec. 25, 1985 and there were no allegations against him known to the Diocese of Springfield prior to his assignment.

"In fact, the timeline on the website, www.bishop-accountability.org/ia-davenport/assignments/Martinez-Frank-R-Jr-Davenport-IA.htm, states that the first allegation of sexual misconduct with a minor was lodged against Father Martinez on Dec. 26, 1986, more than a year after he left our diocese," said Bishop Paprocki.

"The other priest named [by SNAP], Reverend James Fitzgerald, was ordained in 1950 and was at St. Joseph Novitiate in Godfrey over 60 years ago, from 1951-1953. This was long before there were any allegations against him. Father Fitzgerald did not reside or work in the diocese after 1953," continued Bishop Paprocki. Both priests are now deceased.

SNAP also questioned why six priests withdrawn from their Chicago parishes in the 1990s appeared in an Official Catholic Directory with the same Litchfield phone number. As former chancellor of the Archdiocese of Chicago, Bishop Paprocki said he was familiar with the cases and that none of the priests were ever assigned to the Springfield diocese.

"The only Catholic institutions in that area are Holy Family Parish and St. Francis Hospital in Litchfield. The phone numbers for both the parish and the hospital were not then nor are they now the number listed for these six priests."

Bishop Paprocki said a further search of the official Catholic directory on the Archdiocese of Chicago's pages ... found the names of 277 priests listed ... . Cross-checking their names in the index, the same Litchfield phone number was listed for 265 of those 277 priests. "The repetition of this same phone number for 265 priests is clearly a mistake."

"It is a shame that someone can call a press conference and make false and defamatory claims that the media then report without question suggesting that 'predatory priests may have served' in our diocese simply because they had a phone number with a 217 area code that it took my staff just a few hours of research to uncover as a mistake," said Bishop Paprocki.

While debunking the claims of SNAP and Call to Action, the bishop amplified for reporters the diocese's adherence to its established safe environment programs to help protect children from sexual abuse and child molestation that include:

• A code of conduct for employees and volunteers who work with children and youth. This code makes clear what acceptable behavior is and the standards of conduct regarding sexual abuse and harassment.
• A code of conduct for clergy and religious leaders who work with children and youth. This code makes clear what acceptable behavior is and the standards of conduct regarding sexual abuse and harassment.
• All priests, lay ecclesial ministers, educators, church personnel, parents and volunteers are required to attend the diocese's Virtus® Protecting God's Children Training and undergo a criminal history background check. They are briefed on preventing, identifying, responding to and reporting child abuse. From 2002 through today 46,400 members of the Springfield diocese have received Safe Environment training and background checks.