| |
DIOCESE/State Watch
Orange CA – Associated Press reports: “Attorneys for a woman who
alleges sexual abuse by a lay teacher at a Roman Catholic high school asked a
judge Wednesday to hold the bishop of the Diocese of Orange in contempt of court.
The motion, filed in Orange County Superior Court in Santa Ana, alleges that
Bishop Tod D. Brown sent a key church official to Canada for unspecified medical
treatment one week after a judge ordered him to complete a sworn deposition in
the case.” Read
more.
- For a fine assessment of what is happening in Orange County CA in the
context of what former VOTF president Jim Post always referred to as the
need for “sunlight” and
its disinfecting properties, click
here.
Chicago IL – The Chicago Tribune reports that one victim
of Fr. Daniel McCormack has settled his lawsuit while at least two other cases
against McCormack
and the Archdiocese of Chicago are pending. An attorney for one of the other
victims of McCormack said, "If we can help it, we're not going to settle
a case before we depose the cardinal.” For the full story, click
here.
Pittsburgh PA – From Reuters news service, “The
Roman Catholic Diocese of Pittsburgh has voluntarily set up a $1.25 million
fund to aid the
victims of 32 cases of clergy sexual abuse, an attorney for the victims said
on Monday.” Read
more.
Bridgeport CT – “Rev. Michael Jude Fay, a former
Connecticut pastor, admitted to stealing possibly more than $1million.” The
highly publicized case brought to light once again the challenge of vigilance
over parish finances.
See the Darien Times.
- Vigilance is ours: For a bad news/good news story about parish finances,
go to New
Jersey’s Star Ledger.
Yes, an alleged $30,000 went missing and guess who discovered it?
Los Angeles CA – The announced settlement of the Los Angeles abuse cases
will lead to yet another delay in the release of diocesan documents -- and
this one is court-mandated. By California law, settlements like this must await
a complete review of all the documents involved: by the plaintiffs and their
attorneys, by the perpetrators and their attorneys, by all other parties to
the case and their attorneys. In other words, no one will be seeing these documents
until the courts say so.
- An interview with one LA victim begins with this statement: “Cardinal
Stritch stood over me in 1955 and said I had to stop ‘babbling’ to
everyone about what Father Horne had done to me. He said, ‘Sometimes
you have to lie in order to protect a greater good.’ So I kept quiet
for 40 years. Now in my late 50s -- I babble.” For the complete interview,
click here.
|
