The U.S. bishops’ conference and the Holy See face a class action lawsuit filed by six men who claim they were sexually abused by Catholic clergy during their childhoods. They are seeking financial damages as well as public contrition and reparation from the Church.
The 80-page suit filed Nov. 13 claims that the Vatican and the bishops knew about – and covered up for – the “endemic, systemic, rampant, and pervasive rape and sexual abuse” of the plaintiffs and others at the hands of active members of the clergy, religious orders, and other Church representatives.
Rather than protect the plaintiffs, the lawsuit says Church leaders protected and – “incredibly” – promoted the offenders.
Richard Coffman, one of two attorneys on the case from Beaumont, Texas, told the Beaumont Enterprise that he has been watching the unfolding of the recent sex abuse scandals in the Catholic Church and felt the “time was right” to file this lawsuit.
“There’s just a louder and louder outcry going on across the United States for the Catholic church to do something about this situation,” Coffman added.
The lawsuit was filed during the autumn plenary assembly of the USCCB in Baltimore, during which the bishops voted down a proposal that would have “encouraged” the Vatican to “release soon” all documents related to the allegations of misconduct against former cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
The plaintiffs are seeking “compensatory damages, economic damages, punitive damages, RICO treble damages, medical monitoring, pre- and post-judgment interest, and attorneys’ fees, litigation expenses, and court costs.”
They also seek relief that would compel the Vatican and the bishops to “comply with various state statutes requiring them to report the abusive Clergy to law enforcement or other responsible authorities, terminate the abusive Clergy, identify the abusive Clergy to the general public so that parents may protect their children going forward, release documents evidencing such Clergy abuse to achieve transparency, and such other relief the Court deems just and proper.”
Full story at Catholic News Agency.
Maybe suits like this will convince the Bishops to really come clean on the abuse crisis.
It’s Pope Francis who has to come clean on everything.
Domino effect
The floodgates have been opened and there is no way to close them. The only thing to close are the wallets of the laity!!
Thank you for alleviating my indecision.
The Little Sisters of the Poor in San Pedro get my money from now on.
The Legatus organization (an association of Catholic business professionals), which provides subsyantial funds to tje Vatican, has just announced that it will not make its regular contribution for 2018.
Wallets are closing!!!!
Let’s see whether any other organizations of Catholic professionals follow suit.
I hope so.
Looks like Bp. Malone of Buffalo will be contributing his retirement mansion to the victins’ compensation fund, or at least for attorney fees:
https://catholicherald.co.uk/news/2018/11/16/bishop-malone-criticized-for-200000-house-renovation/
As this rolls forward and other suits are filed, nothing Catholic will be safe – not any of the religious orders, nor assets including the parish church buildings owned by your local bishop.
By his actions at the USCCB meeting in forbidding the US Bishops to consider and vote on their plan, Bergoglio has provided direct evidence that the US Catholic Church is under the control of the Vatican. Henceforth, any Vatican claims that it is not financially responsible for lawsuits brought by US individuals against the Vatican for acts committed in the US will likely not be upheld by US courts. It looks like Bergoglio has out-smarted himself to the detriment of the financial well-being of the Catholic Church.
The Holy Father shames the very people who are in the best position to help:
https://apnews.com/c183ed8b9269499ea0f537d9e8a9f2b6
I read the article. Of all the unmitigated gall!!!
Instead, shouldn’t the Holy Father be concerned with voluntary charity? The veiled undertone of his exhortation promotes involuntary expropriation and redistribution of the personal asstes of others. However, the Holy Father is a product of “Liberation Theology”, so he does not know any better.
It might be better for the Holy Father to “remain silent” on his theory of wealth redistribution and concentrate on the dwindling contributions from the U.S. Church. Legatus has already cancelled the current year’s tithe.
With this latest development, let us also remind ourselves of this previous event pf abuse of funds sent to The Holy See:
https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/wuerl-masterminded-25-million-papal-foundation-grant-to-vatican
In addition to moral accountability, thete must also be fiscal accountability.