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| Diocese of Scranton |
I met Bishop Timlin several times over the years. I found him to be a polite, courteous man who seemed a little uncomfortable in the spotlight. Now it can be told. One afternoon, Timlin confessed to me that he wasn't thrilled with all the attention paid to him during Scranton's annual St. Patrick's Parade.
Bishop Timlin held a news conference on an afternoon in 1984, after Democratic vice presidential candidate Geraldine Ferraro campaigned in Scranton. The bishop wasn't happy a strong pro choice candidate was on his turf. The network news people were there, and Timlin got roughed up at that news conference pretty good. I'm sure that in Timlin's heart of hearts, he regretted it. Many of us felt, at the time, Timlin was attempting to achieve a big media footprint as his immediate predecessor John O'Connor had done. O'Connor was a master in front of cameras and microphones. They were big shoes to fill. Some would say "impossible."
It is no secret that news organizations prepare obituaries in advance. Bishop Timlin was my assignment years ago. Dear readers, this one wasn't easy. Fortunately, WNEP had extensive video of Timlin's time as bishop-- the ups and the downs. It was a struggle to find the right tone. Here was a beloved figure in his community who clearly had made some major mistakes. I won't go in to it chapter and verse. It's a well known fact that Bishop Timlin didn't do enough to protect children during his watch. A grand jury found proof of that. Timlin's own diocese admitted it. It could not be overlooked. It should not be overlooked. It should never be forgotten.
There is an arc with obituaries. The initial entries are usually mostly positive. A critical analysis follows, warts and all. However, there could be no discussion of Bishop James Timlin, at any time, without noting his failures. Insensitive? Maybe. Honesty and integrity? Always.
I don't recall exactly when I started writing the obituary that first aired Sunday evening. It was years ago, but I do remember all the revisions and tweaking, all the discussions with management for their input and approval, all the photographers and editors who searched through the archives and put it all together. Thank you, all.
It goes beyond the child sex abuse scandal. Timlin should have been closing churches and schools as the need lessened. He didn't. Bishop Joseph Martino came in after Timlin retired, and he was forced to swing the axe to clean up the mess. I will concede that Martino really appeared to lack compassion in the process.
When the history books are written, the legacy of Bishop James Timlin will be his failures more than his successes.
Bishop Timlin was 95 years old.
