MINNESOTA
Pioneer Press
By Amy Forliti
Associated Press
A lawsuit filed Thursday by four men who say they were molested by a priest in the 1970s claims a Catholic order created a public nuisance when it failed to warn families that the priest could pose a risk.
It was one of two lawsuits filed Thursday in Minnesota against the Crosier Fathers and Brothers and the retired Rev. Gerald Funcheon, who worked in suburban Minneapolis, among other places, and has admitted to abusing minors. The lawsuit alleges the Crosiers are putting the public in danger by concealing the histories of accused priests, and it seeks the full disclosure of accused priests’ files.
A similar public-nuisance claim against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis has led to the unprecedented disclosure of tens of thousands of church documents and the names of dozens of accused priests. That lawsuit recently was settled in an agreement that outlines protocols to keep children safe.
Mike Finnegan, an attorney for the plaintiffs, said the Crosiers have shown some willingness to disclose information on their own and as part of a settlement in 2009. The hope, he said, is that they will decide to release the files voluntarily.
In a statement Thursday, the Crosiers said they take the claims seriously.
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