September 05, 2005

Settlement Reached in Church RICO Case

UNITED STATES
MichNews.com

By Matt C. Abbott
MichNews.com
Sep 5, 2005

In July 2004, former seminarian Philip Hower filed a RICO suit against several Catholic bishops and dioceses, alleging that his ordination was blocked because he had blown the whistle on the activities of certain corrupt clergy.

(Details of the case can be seen here:
http://www.cruxnews.com/rose/rose-23july04.html)

A settlement was reached on August 18.

Hower's attorney, Ivan Abrams, issued the following statement (edited):

After years of litigation, opposition, and frustration, plaintiffs Philip A. Hower and his mother, Meta Hower, settled their racketeering (RICO) lawsuit against the Dioceses of Tucson, Harrisburg, Columbus, and others, as well as against a number of prominent bishops, including Keeler and Kicanas.

Posted by kshaw at September 5, 2005 03:10 PM