No Charges Filed in Sex, Finance Case

Authorities wiped their hands of allegations about sexual and financial misconduct in the Diocese of Santa Rosa on Wednesday, saying that a criminal investigation had failed to gather enough evidence to file charges.

Police and prosecutors issued a statement about a series of allegedly forced sexual encounters between the former head of the diocese, Bishop G. Patrick Ziemann, and a priest he ordained.

The statement also said evidence “suggests inappropriate measures were applied to cover up” a theft of money from St. Mary of the Angels Church in Ukiah, and that in general, “there has been gross mismanagement of diocese funds.”

But the diocese told police it could not prove that Ziemann had criminal intent in the financial matters, and that his authority to manage the church’s money was “highly discretionary and without stringent checks and balances to prevent abuses.”

Although individual Catholic churches and schools within the six-county diocese are still reeling from the discovery of the $16-million debt after Ziemann’s July 21 resignation, they cannot legally be considered victims, prosecutors decided.

“The Diocese of Santa Rosa would be the only legal victim of any inappropriate handling of those funds,” the statement said, and until it shows “willingness to fully cooperate as a victim of a crime,” there is no point in filing charges.

Church spokesman Maurice Healy denied stonewalling the investigators and said an internal investigation into the misspent money is continuing.

Healy also dismissed allegations by Father Jorge Hume Salas that Ziemann forced him to have sex. “The sexual side is between Ziemann and Salas,” he said.