MINNESOTA
CBS News
MINNEAPOLIS — A Minnesota judge signed off on a settlement Monday in a groundbreaking case that accused Catholic church leaders in Minnesota of creating a public nuisance by failing to warn parishioners about an abusive priest.
Ramsey County Judge James Van De North approved the settlement after meeting with both sides Monday, said Jeff Anderson, an attorney for the plaintiffs.
“This is a landmark case,” Anderson said on emerging from the settlement conference. “It’s monumental in a lot of ways.”
St. Paul-Minneapolis Archbishop John Nienstedt issued a statement calling it “a historic moment in our efforts to assure the safety of children and vulnerable adults.”
Full details of the settlement weren’t given, but the sides did release 17 “child protection protocols.”
Among them: Church leaders said they will not recommend a priest for active ministry or a position working with minors if they’ve been credibly accused of sexual abuse of a minor. They also said they would disclose any accusation of sexual abuse of a minor by a priest when asked by the priest’s potential employer – whether it’s by another diocese or outside the church – along with the resolution.
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