DAYTON (OH)
The Catholic Telegraph
DAYTON DEANERY - "The Wounded Body of Christ: Sexual Abuse in the Church" series will continue at the University of Dayton as attorney and professor Patrick Schiltz discusses the issue of "Too Much Law, Too Little Justice: How Lawyers Helped to Turn a Clergy Sexual Abuse Problem Into a Clergy Sexual Abuse Crisis."
Schiltz, who holds the St. Thomas More Chair in Law at the University of St. Thomas School of Law in Minneapolis, will speak at 7 p.m. Jan. 10 in the Sears Recital Hall in the Jesse Philips Humanities Center on UD's campus. The presentation is free and open to the public.
"I will focus on the role that lawyers, especially the church's own lawyers, played in creating the clergy sexual abuse crisis and I will talk about how those same lawyers now have the opportunity to help the church emerge from the crisis," Schiltz said.
According to Schiltz, clergy sexual abuse has become uncommon during the past decade but litigation continues to increase. The amount of settlements continues to rise, causing financial problems for several dioceses.
"Dioceses, for the first time, have turned to the bankruptcy courts for protection," Schiltz said. "Three dioceses have now filed for bankruptcy, and more are sure to follow."
Posted by kshaw at December 23, 2004 10:48 AM