Early years James Timlin was born on August 5, 1927, in
Scranton, Pennsylvania, to James and Helen (née Norton) Timlin. He received his elementary education at
St. John the Evangelist Grade School in
Wilkes-Barre, Pennsylvania, and Holy Rosary Grade School in Scranton. He then attended Holy Rosary High School in Scranton. After high school, Timlin enrolled at
St. Charles College in
Catonsville, Maryland, then went to
St. Mary's Seminary in
Baltimore, Maryland. The diocese then sent him to reside at the
Pontifical North American College while attending the
Pontifical Gregorian University in
Rome.
Priesthood On July 16, 1951, Timlin was
ordained to the
priesthood for the Diocese of Scranton by Archbishop
Martin J. O'Connor. He then earned his
Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Gregorian University. After returning to Scranton, the diocese assigned Timlin as
assistant pastor of
St. John the Evangelist Parish in
Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1952. Timlin then served as assistant pastor of
St. Peter's Cathedral Parish in Scranton from 1953 to 1966 when he was named assistant chancellor of the diocese and private secretary to Bishop
J. Carroll McCormick. During his tenure, Timlin held the Second Diocesan Synod, established the Bishop's Annual Appeal, presided over a major restructuring of parishes as a result of the
priest shortage. He introduced a new policy for
Catholic schools consisting of regional mergers, construction of modern facilities, new fundraising efforts, and a more equitable sharing of operational costs between parents, pastors, and the diocese. In 2003, Timlin refused to attend the commencement ceremonies for the
University of Scranton because of the
pro-choice stance of honorary-degree recipient
Chris Matthews.
Retirement, legacy and death After reaching the mandatory
retirement age of 75 in 2002, Timlin sent his letter of
resignation as bishop of Scranton to Pope John Paul II; the pope accepted it on July 25, 2003. In 1987, after Skotek returned to the diocese, Timlin reassigned him to St. Aloysius Parish in Wilkes-Barre. Timlin never notified parishioners in St. Aloysius or civil authorities about Skotek's rape of the girl. On December 13, 1989, the diocese sent a payment of $75,000 to the family of the rape victim. As part of the settlement, the family had to sign a
non-disclosure agreement and
liability waiver for both the diocese and Skotek. On June 11, 2020, the University of Scranton removed Timlin's name from all of its facilities, renaming its plaza Romero Plaza after Salvadoran archbishop
Óscar Romero. On August 31, 2018, Scranton bishop
Joseph Bambera prohibited Timlin from representing the diocese at any public events, liturgical or otherwise. This was the strongest action that Bambera could apply against Timlin. Bambera also referred the Timlin case to the Vatican
Congregation for Bishops. Bambera had served as the vicar for priests for the diocese from 1995 to 1998, and he later admitted helping Timlin reassign a priest who had abused a minor, although Timlin made the decision. On February 25, 2020, Timlin again defied Bambera by attending the installation mass of archbishop
Nelson J. Pérez, dressed in bishop's regalia. A spokesperson for the
Archdiocese of Philadelphia confirmed that it had invited Timlin to the mass. Timlin, Bambera and the Diocese of Scranton were sued in July 2020 by three men claiming sexual abuse when they were minors by diocese priests. Two plaintiffs alleged abuse by Michael J. Pulicare, a priest in
Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, in the 1970s. The third plaintiff claimed abuse by Ralph N. Ferraldo, an assistant pastor at Our Lady of Grace Parish in
Hazleton, Pennsylvania, from 1982 to 1983. Timlin died in Scranton on April 9, 2023, at age 95. ==See also==