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	Lawyer: Priest Too Ill to Testify Lawyer Says Monsignor Has Acute Anxiety, Can't Comply with Judge's Demand for Testimony before Sex-Abuse Case By Rachanee Srisavasdi Orange County Register September 14, 2007 http://www.ocregister.com/news/priest-too-ill-1845563-to-testify A priest has acute anxiety because of his past role handling child sex-abuse complaints and cannot comply with a judge's demand to give pretrial testimony in an ongoing Catholic school sex-abuse lawsuit, his lawyer said today. Monsignor John Urell, pastor at St. Norbert's Church in Orange, broke down and left a deposition last month while being asked about earlier sex-abuse claims in the diocese. Urell, like other high-ranking church officials, was ordered to give testimony as part of lawsuit brought by a former Mater Dei High School student, who alleges she had a two-year sexual relationship with then-assistant coach Jeffrey Andrade when she was 15, starting in 1995. The jury trial is scheduled for next month. Andrade, who is also a defendant in the case, has admitted in depositions to having sex with the girl. He was never criminally charged. Last week, Catholic Diocese of Orange Bishop Tod Brown sent Urell to Southdown Institute in Canada – a facility that treats clergy for psychological issues. Urell is on medical leave from the diocese. Today, his lawyer, Patrick Hennessey disclosed Urell's medical condition as acute anxiety disorder "caused by the strain of his prior responsibility for responding to complaints of sexual abuse by others." Urell has never sexually abused anyone or had any such accusation made against him, Hennessey added. "His primary focus now is to heal and make himself well so he may continue to do what he loves: minister to his parishioners at St. Norbert Church," the statement by Hennessey said. John Manly, one of the woman's lawyers, said Urell needs to come back to Orange County and finish testifying. "It's undisputed he is the point person for all claims of abuse," Manly said. "He is under a court order to testify, and he is in violation of that." Victims' lawyers and advocates have criticized Urell's handling of such claims, alleging that he was one of the top Orange Diocese officials who reassigned clergy despite reports of abuse. Urell made headlines last fall when such criticism caused him to withdraw his name from reappointment to the Orange County Human Relations Commission. Contact the writer: (714) 834-3773 or rsrisavasdi@ocregister.com
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