Victim of Alleged Sex Abuse Opens Up about his Life’s Nightmare

Author: Theodore Kalmoukos

Date Published: 12/15/2007

Publication: The National Herald

Former Parishioner from Chicago-Area Church: Scars of Molestation Will Always Be With Me

BOSTON – The man who first reported to the Archdiocese that he was allegedly molested as a teenager by then Rev. Nicholas Katinas, who is now defrocked, has broken his long and painful silence in an exclusive interview with The National Herald and described his nearly lifelong nightmare.

Met. Iakovos: Katinas Was Gone By the Time I Became the Bishop

Author: Theodore Kalmoukos

Date Published: 12/15/2007

Publication: The National Herald

BOSTON, Mass. – In statements to the National Herald, Metropolitan Iakovos of Chicago said he wanted to clarify his position on the pedophilia scandal allegedly involving Nicholas Katinas, who has been defrocked.

Mr. Katinas is the former longtime pastor of Holy Trinity Church in Dallas, also served as parish priest at the Assumption in Olympia Fields, Illinois. He is accused of sexual misconduct with minors.

Metropolitan Iakovos rejected allegations that he knew about Mr. Katinas’ alleged sex abuse of young boys, and that he attempted to cover up Mr. Katinas.

Official Notice: Katinas Defrocked

The December issue of the Greek Archdiocese official publication “The Orthodox Observer” lists clergy updates on page 34. The cite Nicholas Katinas as “Returned to status of layman.”

This is the first official Archdiocese confirmation of an earlier unofficial report that Katinas was defrocked in July, 2007. The December issue of this publication can be viewed online at http://www.goarch.org/en/news/observer.

The Archdiocese has still not publicly responded to new claims in the recent amended Katinas lawsuit which allege a coverup that spans decades.

Bishop Nikolai Tonsures Registered Sex Offendor

Bishop Nikolai of Alaska (OCA) is recently shown tonsuring Terenty Dushkin to be a Reader of St. Innocent Cathedral (picture above, from the Diocese of Alaska website).

According to Pokrov.org, Dushkin has been convicted of nine felony charges and is required to register as a sex offender.

Additional information may be obtained from the Alaskan sex offender registry.

Terenty Duskin attended St. Herman of Alaska Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska, in the fall of 2003. St. Herman is one of three seminaries belonging to the Orthodox Church in America (OCA). Duskin was expelled from the seminary in December of that year, “because he did not follow certain rules required of all students.” The Bishop has not disclosed which rules were broken.

Bishop Nikolai himself is the subject of sexual misconduct allegations, as widely reported in the Alaska Kodiak Daily Mirror and other media.

God Grant Us Fearless Bishops Who Call for Repentance

In light of recent sexual misconduct cover up allegations, we are mindful of our need for holy leaders. December 9th’s Prologue from Ochrid reading by Saint Nikolai Velimirovich reminds us of Orthodox Saints who defended the weak and fearlessly called for repentance. God grant us again leaders in our day of such character. Saint Nikolai’s December 9th Reflection says:

Fear of God drives all fear from the hearts of men. In every great hierarch of the Orthodox Church, we see meekness and fearlessness wonderfully united.

St. Nicholas grabbed the sword of the executioner and pulled it away so that innocent men would not be beheaded.

St. Chrysostom reproached the Empress Eudoxia for her misdeeds without consideration for the unpleasantness and danger to his own life, to which he was exposed as a result.

And there are many, many other examples similar to this: Emperor Valentinian the Elder, upon hearing of Ambrose’s stern criticism of him, said: “I knew of your fearlessness; that is why I helped you to be chosen as bishop. Correct our faults as the Law of God teaches, and heal our unrighteousness.”

When Valentinian the Younger, at the instigation of his mother Justina, an Arian, ordered that the cathedral church in Milan be yielded to the heretics, Ambrose shut himself in the church with the faithful and would not come out for three days. He sent a message to the emperor and empress that, if they desired his death, he was prepared at any moment “here in the church to be run through either by the sword or spear.” Hearing this, the emperor and empress withdrew their decree. When a riot occurred in Thessalonica, at which time about seven thousand people were beheaded by the decree of Emperor Theodosius the Great, Ambrose became so enraged at the emperor that, when the emperor visited Milan and wished to enter the church, the saint forbade him. The emperor said to Ambrose: “Even David sinned and was not deprived of God’s mercy.” To this the bishop replied: “As you have imitated David in sin, imitate him also in repentance.” The emperor was ashamed, turned back and repented bitterly of the sin he had committed.

2 More Alleged Victims Come Forward Against Katinas

Author: Theodore Kalmoukos

Date Published: 12/07/2007

Publication: The National Herald

New Court Petition Details Alleged Cover-Up by Church Officials

BOSTON, Mass. – Two more alleged victims of former priest Nicholas Katinas have come forward, according to an amended legal action which has already been filed on behalf of two other alleged victims. The fourth alleged victim is from of Milwaukee, Wisconsin and is referred to as John Doe IV. He has apparently “attempted suicide several times,” according to the petition.

The complaint also alleges Rev. Nicholas Triantafilou, vicar general of the Archdiocese during the time of the alleged sexual abuse against minors, and currently president of Hellenic College/Holy Cross Greek Orthodox School of Theology in Brookline, “covered up” complaints about Katinas, which had been brought to his attention. Father Triantafilou had many meetings with the parents and the boy, and apparently convinced them that their son, who was 11 years of age at the time, had misunderstood Mr. Katinas’ actions and behavior.

Similar allegations of a cover-up had been raised in the petition against Metropolitans Iakovos of Chicago and Isaiah of Denver. The latter was serving as chancellor of the Chicago Diocese at the time.

Painful but true

Author: Theodore Kalmoukos

Date Published: 12/07/2007

Publication: The National Herald

It is painful, but true: Our Archdiocese is going through a dark period. It is being attacked with the force of a terrible storm, that is a huge moral and financial problem. But it does not have the moral fortitude to respond.

It appears to be held hostage, prevented from making the necessary decisions to deal with the onslaught. Nor is it finding the strength to utter a single word of comfort to the alleged victims, much less a word of apology to its flock.

We are talking of about the case of Nicholas Katinas, of course, the defrocked priest who is accused of sexual misconduct with young boys – a case which, instead of disappearing magically as some people hope, is taking on new traumatic dimensions.

Lawsuit: Archdiocese knew about abuse claims

Download the December 1st article in the Dallas News which gives a more detailed overview on the latest Katinas lawsuit news than their November 31st news brief.

Author: Sam Hodges
Date Published: 12/1/2007
Publication: Dallas Morning News

Leaders of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America knew the Rev. Nicholas Katinas had been accused of child sexual abuse but let him continue for years as pastor of Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Church in North Dallas, an amended lawsuit claims.

“The entire lawsuit shows a pattern and practice of officials in the Greek Orthodox Church of cover-up,” said Tahira Khan Merritt, the Dallas lawyer who represents alleged victims of Mr. Katinas.

The suit was amended this week and now includes a fourth plaintiff claiming to have been abused by Mr. Katinas.

Full Text of Court Case Posted on The National Herald

(Editors note: the day after The National Herald posted this document, it abruptly disappeared from their web site without explanation. No word yet if the legal document will be reposted to their site).

The court case against Reverend Nicholas E. Katinas, Bishop Isaiah of Denver and Archbishop Demetrios by John Doe I, John Doe II John Doe III, John Doe IV is now posted at The National Herald (you must buy an online subscription for a small fee to read their articles).

We are posting the full, un-edited amended petition of the sexual abuse case against Katinas, in the interest of fully informing our community about the worst sexual abuse crisis to hit our Church. Please be informed that that due to the descriptive language of some of the acts performed you might wish not to go through it. As for the rest who can manage to read it they can draw their own conclusions. source

Visit The National Herald for more information. To read a redacted version of this lawsuit, please read our earlier article with lawsuit related documents which edits out some of the explicit and disturbing material.

Read It and Weep, Truly …

Reactions are pouring in as news of the Katinas sexual abuse coverup conspiracy allegations becomes widespread. One recent reaction from the TakeOurChurchBack blog:

Read It and Weep, Truly …

It now appears that the cover-up involving Fr. Katinas has spanned DECADES and involves numerous incidents.

We at TOCB believe it is tragic that so many people sought to have Fr. Katinas merely “re-assigned” rather than reported. Who knows how many more victims might have been spared had our clergy, hierarchy and laity the courage to report these incidents when they first began occurring? Source