COLUMBUS (OH)
Toledo Blade
By JIM PROVANCE
BLADE COLUMBUS BUREAU
COLUMBUS - In an unprecedented move, a Catholic bishop will testify next week before an Ohio legislative panel, a sign of how strongly the church wants to stop a bill allowing lawsuits alleging sexual abuse as long as 35 years ago.
"It's important they hear from the shepherd of the flock, that he explain what the church has committed itself to doing," said Tim Luckhaupt, executive head of Catholic Conference of Ohio. "We know people have been harmed, and we want to show what we are trying to do is help those people and make sure it doesn't happen again."
He said no final decision has been made as to which bishop will appear next Thursday. Ohio bishops have already taken the highly unusual step of personally meeting behind closed doors with legislative leaders on the controversial issue.
The House Judiciary Committee is considering a bill opening a one-time, one-year window for victims of child sexual abuse as long ago as 1970 to file lawsuits against their abusers as well as those they contend shielded them.
The Senate passed the bill unanimously last spring.