December 10, 2004

Attorney urging Catholic priests to unionize

MILFORD (CT)
The Bristol Press

By BRIAN McCREADY and MEGGAN CLARK, Journal Register News Service12/10/2004

MILFORD -- Calling the Archdiocese of Hartford "arbitrary, capricious and arrogant," a New Haven attorney is urging priests around the state to unionize to protect their due process rights when they’re accused of sexual misconduct.

It’s an idea many members of the Catholic clergy consider appalling and improbable, but attorney Hugh Keefe, who has represented many priests who have been accused of misconduct, said Thursday he has reached out to top state union leaders in an effort to help priests unionize. Keefe said he has also broached the topic with many priests.

"Lying under the surface is tremendous resentment from the vast majority of Catholic priests who feel betrayed and not backed up by the hierarchy of the church," Keefe said.

The Most Rev. Peter Rosazza, an auxiliary bishop in New Haven, called the notion of priests unionizing "repugnant."

Posted by kshaw at December 10, 2004 09:42 AM