Bishop Howard J Hubbard (pictured) served as the leader of the Albany NY diocese from 1977 until his retirement in 2014. He holds the title of emeritus bishop and made the announcement in a statement released through a public relations firm.

The statement revealed that he and his new wife had tied the knot in a civil ceremony last month.

The identity of his spouse remains undisclosed, but the 84-year-old bishop expressed his affection, stating "I have fallen in love with a wonderful woman who has helped and cared for me and who believes in me. She has been a loving and supportive companion on this journey."

The revelation comes amidst a turbulent period for the Albany diocese which filed for bankruptcy protection in March.

The diocese comprises approximately 125 parishes and a Catholic population of over 300,000 across 14 counties.

Albany diocese faces a deluge of lawsuits stemming from a New York state law that enables adults who claim to have been sexually abused as children to pursue decades-old allegations against clergy members and others.

Many of these lawsuits have targeted Bishop Hubbard's tenure, with numerous accusations of misconduct including several against the bishop himself.

Hubbard's announcement "bizarre"

Reacting to the news, Jeff Anderson, a lawyer representing numerous victims of clergy abuse including those currently suing the Albany diocese, described Bishop Hubbard's marriage announcement as "bizarre."

Anderson went on to brand the retired bishop as a "mastermind of deceit, deception and concealment" for nearly four decades, covering up his own offences and those of other priests.

Bishop Edward B Scharfenberger, the current leader of the Albany diocese, released a statement expressing surprise at Bishop Hubbard's announcement. He clarified that the church did not recognise the marriage.

According to Bishop Scharfenberger, Bishop Hubbard as a retired bishop of the Roman Catholic Church is prohibited from entering into marriage.

Bishop Hubbard, once a prominent religious and political figure in New York's capital, earned a reputation as a liberal advocate for social justice causes. However, he has faced controversy for admitting to concealing allegations of abuse by priests during his tenure and following the church's practice of sending accused clergymen to treatment rather than involving law enforcement.

Hubbard denied accusations

Throughout his career, Bishop Hubbard has consistently denied any personal abuse. In 2004, he faced accusations of past sexual relationships with multiple men. An external investigation he requested ultimately cleared him of sexual misconduct.

In a statement last year, Bishop Hubbard expressed his desire to continue his ministry during retirement.

However, a church policy prohibiting clergy members accused of sexual misconduct from publicly functioning as priests, even if the allegations are false, led him to seek permission from the Vatican to return to the lay state.

The Vatican denied his request in March, advising him to wait patiently and abstain from public ministry until the resolution of the seven civil lawsuits alleging sexual misconduct against him.

Sources

New York Times

Catholic News Agency

CathNews New Zealand

Howard J Hubbard made the admission during a deposition taken last year. He said he didn't take action in part to avoid scandal and protect the reputation of the diocese.

Hundreds of people have sued the Albany diocese over sexual abuse which they say they endured as children, sometimes decades ago.

During the four-day deposition, Hubbard named several priests who had been accused of sexual abuse and were referred to treatment. Some later returned to ministry without notification to the public.

Hubbard testified he didn't report the allegations to law enforcement because he didn't feel he was required by law to do so. Instead he kept the allegations secret out of concern for "scandal and the respect of the priesthood".

One priest, David Bentley, admitted to Hubbard that he had engaged in the behaviour alleged. Bentley was eventually removed from the ministry by the diocese, despite Hubbard's inaction.

The transcript "will be read with horror by the public", said Cynthia LaFave, an attorney representing some plaintiffs. "The public will see the culpability of the Diocese in perpetuating a culture of sex abuse by priests that was allowed to continue for decades."

Hubbard ran the diocese in New York's state capital district from 1977 to 2014.

He has also been accused of sexual abuse, which he has denied.

He also testified that the diocese kept records documenting sexual abuse allegations in secret files. They were located in a locked room that only he and other top church officials could access.

In an emailed statement, a diocese spokesperson didn't address Hubbard's testimony directly but said the diocese's priority is "the protection and assistance of victim/survivors and the discovery of the truth".

The statement continued - it "has and continues to resolve pending claims of victims/survivors in mediations with the assistance of the court".

In arguing for the release of the deposition transcript, attorneys for some of the alleged victims had argued that the risk of pre-trial prejudice was no longer valid after Hubbard published an opinion piece in the Albany Times-Union last year in which he defended the diocese's handling of abuse complaints.

Sources

Crux Now

The Guardian

CathNews New Zealand