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	Diocese Hopes for Quick Payout By Aaron Beswick The Chronicle-Herald February 23, 2011 http://thechronicleherald.ca/NovaScotia/1229499.html ANTIGONISH — The Diocese of Antigonish plans on paying off the $15.5-million settlement it reached with members of a class action over sexual abuse by clergy in less than two years. According to an update recently posted on a diocesan website, the settlement will be paid in three instalments, the first on May 31, 2011, the next on Nov. 1, 2011, and the final payment on Nov. 1, 2012. The settlement, certified by the Nova Scotia Supreme Court last year, covers dozens of people who claimed to have been sexually assaulted by a priest of the Catholic Episcopal Corp. of Antigonish since Jan. 1, 1950. The update also states that a streamlined review process has been agreed to by church and claimant lawyers for determining individual payouts to members of the class action. Under that process, the church won't force claimants it considers valid to disclose all the documents related to their abuse, undergo examination by its lawyers or provide psychological, medical and economic reports about the consequence of the abuse. "If we acknowledge that these victims have suffered, why would we put them through another three to six months of verifying and getting documents?" Father Paul Abbass, diocesan spokesman, said Tuesday. "The whole principal of this agreement is that we, as a church, take responsibility for the crimes against these young people." Claimants taking part in the streamlined process will be paid an additional $10,000 on top of their settlement awards. The claims the church considers questionable will be processed separately. The diocese intends to have all claims negotiated, reviewed and approved by Justice Walter Goodfellow by May 8, 2011. The diocese's goal is to raise $18.5 million to cover the $12-million settlement reached in the class action as well as $3.5 million in legal fees associated with it. In addition, the diocese is setting aside another $3 million for private lawsuits not connected to the class action. Abbass said nearly $2 million has been raised since the diocese began selling properties last year to cover the settlement costs. "It's moving along the way we hoped it would and in some ways a little bit better," said Abbass. "Sales are a little slower now, but we've been advised that this would be a slower time of year. There are lots of properties you can't really see this time of year." He said the sale of properties has been difficult for parishioners because they had fundraised and donated properties to the diocese over the decades, only to have them sold due to the actions of a handful of clergy members. The properties for sale can be viewed at bit.ly/dGcUbQ. Not included are churches and parish halls, which Abbass said the diocese will only sell as a last resort. "We'll do everything we can to avoid selling churches, but it's too soon for me to say with any certainty that we won't sell the halls," said Abbass. "We will grow in the sense that people will be a lot more demanding of accountability and greater transparency and they'll look to us to do more than just talk." In October, the diocese released the Responsible Ministry and Safe Environment Protocol. It lays out the rules all clergy, employees and volunteers of the church must follow. Contact: abeswick@herald.ca
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