OHIO
Toledo Blade
OHIO'S Roman Catholic bishops made a strategic mistake last week when they sent one of their relative newcomers to appear before the Ohio House Judiciary Committee on legislation that would open a new avenue for civil lawsuits alleging long-ago sexual abuse by clergy.
Lawmakers had been hoping for some answers and explanation on public policy changes to deal with the realization that the church hierarchy covered up such abuse for decades. What they got, instead, was yet another variation on official stonewalling.
It came in the form of testimony from Bishop Frederick Campbell, of the Columbus diocese, who has been in office just 11 months and has had little experience with abuse cases.
Damning with faint praise, the committee's chairman, Rep. John Willamowski, of Lima, described Bishop Campbell as "one of the most decent and honorable people who could come before us, but also one of the least knowledgeable."
Indeed, when another lawmaker asked pointed questions about what he said was the church's long-standing policy of "moving priests [accused of abuse] and flat-out lying to people," Bishop Campbell said he was "appalled" by such behavior but could not comment on the reaction of any of his fellow bishops.