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	Catholic Church Abuse Settlement, Appropriate or Unjustified? Editorial Insurance News Net July 23, 2007 http://insurancenewsnet.com/article.asp?n=1&neID=20070723375.4_a92a00ae96aa6805 Edmond, Okla. — Since before the Reformation, the Catholic Church has always been a target to society. Many can't deny the overall improved sentiment toward the Catholic Church as years surpass, but pragmatism will still keep the denomination in sight of media coverage. Every so often, history will repeat itself. In the 1990s, the Catholic Church was accused of sexual abuse occurring within its dioceses. The detection of priests committing these heinous acts generated a stereotype associated with Catholicism. Since word got out that priests are child-molesters first and religious figures second, the world once again formed a biased opinion on Catholics. Child abuse in any form is absolutely intolerable, but what most people don't realize is that child abuse is not limited to one religious sect. Organized religion has downgraded the potential means of upholding Christian values. Not only does it take place in the Catholic Church, but the Baptist, the Methodist, the Lutheran, and the Presbyterian. They all share the same human qualities that may erupt in immoral behavior against children. How does the Catholic Church reconcile with the 500 known victims of molestation? The Church authorities believe money will heal the psychological wounds that may haunt these people forever. What other option is there? At least the million plus dollars granted to each individual can buy many hours of therapy. Many people believe the issue isn't about the actual reported cases, but the fact the Catholic Church failed to take action with the perpetrators. Several cases went unreported to the police and justice seemed far off to take into account. The reason for it isn't entirely clear, but considering the already tainted reputation of the Catholic Church, it became a question of whether or not going public with the incidents would have a more profound impact on that status. The Catholic Church runs very much like a political system. Its checks and balances need to be examined before coming to a rash decision. Not everyone understands what it entails for authorities to acknowledge the presence of immoral activity occurring in their dioceses. It becomes a shocking revelation, one that ultimately affects the overall structure of the church. The reasons of the cover-up are probably insignificant due to the damage inflicted. By now, the Catholic Church should be used to this sort of thing. There will still be criticism after the $660 million settlement is long forgotten. So much money can only buy a little bit of quiet time. The money isn't going to change human nature. Child abuse will persist, the Catholic Church will still be viewed in the media spotlight at every moment and the victims will never reach total satisfaction. Memories involving this sort of behavior are not easy to get over, but there aren't any more options to consider. So far, the settlement is the largest the Church has ever agreed upon. Of course, there is always room for more money, but right now, therapy rates are the lowest they will ever be. After four years of failed negotiations, a settlement has finally been reached in the California court case concerning over 500 victims of sexual abuse and the accused Catholic priests of the Los Angeles archdiocese. Over 500 victims, and that's in Los Angeles alone. $660 million was settled on over the weekend. After court costs and outrageous attorney fees, it will allot $1.2 to $1.3 million to each victim that came forward. Now I'm sure that money will bring a little ease to the victim's lives, but I am outraged that this seems to be another one of those problems that the justice system is attempting to solve by allowing money to be thrown at it. And what outrages me even more is who's throwing the money: insurance companies! That's right. Various insurance companies are paying for $227 million of the total settlement. Why? Because each of the Catholic Churches involved have policies offered by their insurance companies that specifically cover sexual abuse. These types of policies started coming into existence after the court case Hanover Insurance Co. vs. Crocker in the 1980s. In the case, Mrs. Crocker's husband was accused of the sexual abuse of a child. She was aware of the abuse but neglected to report it to the authorities. She was charged with neglect, but her lawyer found a loophole in her homeowner's insurance policy that the court ruled to be an indication that the insurance company was responsible for covering her monetary settlement. So now we have sexual abuse insurance coverage? These types of insurance policies are like a slap in the face to the victims. I understand that they are a smart move for businesses to take advantage of in case an employee gets into that kind of unforgivable trouble, but the mere fact that they exist holds to the idea that these types of offenses can be settled by the stroke of an insurance executive's pen on a checkbook. Probably a rubber-stamp actually. After watching the documentary "SiCKO," I think this chalks up yet another ethical question on how these companies conduct their business. As for the common explanation by clergymen saying these priests will be brought to justice in the afterlife, I bet the victims don't buy it. After the trauma, confusion, and pure evil that were inflicted on them by the very people that were supposed to represent the opposite, I bet some of the victims find it hard to believe in anything anymore. As the Los Angeles Archdiocese reached its record-setting agreement with more than 400 petitioners, millions of devoted Catholics, most of whom have never even thought of molesting a child, are no doubt feeling the effects. Like loyal employees of a malfunctioning and corrupt corporation, Catholics across the nation must be holding their collective breath, hoping their archdiocese isn't next on the legal (and media) chopping block. Of the more than $660 million due to petitioners in the settlement, the Los Angeles Archdiocese will directly pay about $250 million, while insurance and "other sources" will pick up the rest of the amount. But what about the people who keep this Enron-like entity in power - the churchgoers? Are they going to be affected? Do they deserve to pay for a cover-up perpetrated by high-level officials, mainly Cardinal Roger Mahony, to save face and avoid legal (and civil) repercussions? Of course they don't, but some members of Los Angeles-area Catholic churches could definitely feel the wrath of the astronomical settlement. Churches could be closed and sold, like in Boston a few years ago, to help pay off some of the hush money the church offered up like communion this week. Catholic schools that used to supply financial aid to low-income students could cease doing so following the settlement. But Catholics, unlike some other religious sects, seem to be uniquely qualified to deal with such filthy scandals. Take 45-year-old Leticia Fernandez, a parishioner at a Los Angeles-area Catholic church, and her attitude about the scandal, which, just to remind everybody, involves the rape, molestation and mental abuse of children over the course of decades. "Our church preaches forgiveness and we have to abide by that, even for the men who did these bad things," Fernandez said. Is it any wonder the Catholic church is in the state it's in?
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