James Timlin

Timlin was accused in a 2018 Pennsylvania grand jury report of covering up sexual abuse crimes by priests in his diocese during his tenure as bishop.

[2] After earning his Bachelor of Sacred Theology degree from the Gregorian University,[3] Timlin was appointed assistant pastor of St. John the Evangelist Parish in Pittston, Pennsylvania, in 1952.

[1] He also served as chairman of the diocesan Liturgical Commission and the Priests' Education Committee, as well as librarian and secretary of St. Pius X Seminary in Dalton, Pennsylvania.

[2] Serving a five-year term as episcopal moderator of the National Association of Holy Name Societies, Timlin became vicar general of the diocese in 1976 and pastor of the Nativity of Our Lord Parish in Scranton in 1979.

[4] 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 and 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.

[5] 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.

In October 1986, after Timlin learned about the crime, he sent Skotek to Saint Luke Institute in Silver Spring, Maryland, for psychological evaluation.

[8] The 2018 grand jury investigation also indicated that Timlin sent a request to the judge sentencing Robert Caparelli, another priest convicted of sexual abuse, asking that he be sent to a church treatment center instead of prison.

[11] On November 12, 2018, Timlin defied Bambera's order by attending the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops general assembly in Baltimore.

[12] On February 25, 2020, Timlin again defied Bambera by attending the installation mass of archbishop Nelson J. Pérez, dressed in bishop's regalia.