As Fr. Jack Spaulding’s sex-misconduct case heads to Rome; a look at “Scottsdale Visionaries”, and Medjugorje {UPDATED} J.D. Long-García/CATHOLIC SUN A priest who was involved with the “Scottsdale Visionaries” in the late 80’s/early 90’s at St. Maria Goretti Parish in Scottsdale, Arizona has had his sexual misconduct case sent to Rome. News broke this week that Fr. Jack Spaulding’s priesthood now rests with Rome, pending review of information sent by the Diocese of Phoenix to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF). Click here for the diocesan statement on Fr. Spaulding, which was actually released in October 2011. What makes this case so unusual is that the victim, who was allegedly abused in 1984-85 when he was a teen, died in June of 2010 and it is the young man’s father who filed the accusations with the diocese. It may be the first such case reviewed by the CDF. Three more accusers have come forward with accusations stemming back to the 70’s, making it a total of four claims since Fr. Spaulding was suspended and put on administrative leave on June 24, 2011. This is a judgment we leave in the hands of the Holy See. Father Spaulding is a devout, and much beloved priest, among his flock, as this 2010 article in the diocesan paper, The Catholic Sun, reveals. The same article states that he had a show for four years on EWTN. The most important thing for the sake of justice to both Fr. Spaulding and the alleged victims, is that they arrive at the truth and deal with it appropriately. If he is deemed guilty, then disciplinary actions; if he is exonerated, then his good name given back to him. Unfortunately, few innocent priests, once accused, ever get any help from the diocese restoring their good names (N.B.: I rarely link to the dissident, National catholic Reporter, but John Allen’s excellent reporting is an anomaly there).