OAKLAND -- A former Catholic priest living in Alameda is facing extradition to Ireland, where he faces 10 separate cases of sexual abuse dating to the early 1970s. Patrick McCabe, who was a priest in the North Bay and Sacramento during the 1980s after being accused of sexual abuse in Dublin, Ireland, between 1973-81, is being held at Santa Rita Jail in Dublin.
No one in the Bay Area has accused McCabe of misconduct, Alameda investigators said.
McCabe, 74, surrendered to U.S. Marshals Service last month and is being denied bail. He faces a hearing on Friday.
David Cohen, an attorney who is challenging the extradition orders from Ireland, said McCabe suffers from numerous serious health problems, ncluding diabetes and heart disease. He is a "frail, weak old man" who is too sick to be extradited, Cohen said.
Cohen also said that the extradition order is based only on a summary of accusations against McCabe and includes no sworn or signed statements. "These allegations were made recently but relate to old charges," Cohen said. "The evidence does not amount to probable cause for extradition."
Church authorities moved the former priest to the United States after accusations against him surfaced in Ireland. He served in Guerneville, Sacramento, Eureka, Stockton and several other areas before leaving the priesthood in 1988. That same year he moved to Alameda, where Interpol finally tracked him down.
