Why Did the Stockton Diocese Pay $3.75 Million to Settle Clergy Abuse of Children?

By Tim Lennon
Bay Citizen
April 22, 2012

www.baycitizen.org/blogs/citizen/why-did-stockton-diocese-pay-375-million/

Why Does the Church Pay?

Why does the church pay to settle cases of sexual abuse of children by clergy? And why do they pay so much? These questions can be answered by asking another question: what does Bishop Blaire of Stockton Diocese accomplish by stopping the civil trial?

Stopping the trial halts the testimony of church officials who would no longer be able to hide behind their high positions to avoid testifying. It is no accident that Cardinal Mahony was next up to testify, they wanted to avoid that at all costs. Cardinal Mahony has a sordid history of coverup ups of clergy abuse both in Stockton diocese where he was bishop but also in Los Angeles where he was Archbishop. His sordid history would be exposed to the public for all to see.

Church officials would have been be forced to testify under oath. Stopping the trial allows these church officials to keep hidden their decades long practice of endangering the children of the area.

High church officials, Bishop Blaire and Cardinal Mahony before him, would rather pay a large sum rather than have the truth of their disregard for the welfare of children become public. They would rather pay than have their high power, privileges and prestige tarnished. They would rather pay than have the Stockton, Modesto, Lockeford, etc. communities understand the breadth of clergy abuse in their communities. They would rather pay that have the community know of the extent of their protection of child abusers.

These church officials would rather pay than apologize to a person cruelly abused by Kelly when they knew Kelly was a threat to children.

They pay huge sums to keep secrets hidden.

Contact: tlennon@snapnetwork.org