CANADA
The Telegram
Pope Francis has certainly found the right words for the problem of sex-offending priests among the ranks of the Catholic Church.
He’s said there is “absolutely no place in ministry for those who abuse minors,” adding “families need to know that the church is making every effort to protect their children. They should also know that they have every right to turn to the church with full confidence, for it is a safe and secure home.”
But while those words from the head of the church are heartening, actions a little lower down may be speaking a little louder.
You cannot help but be discouraged by stories like the ones this week about a bankruptcy proceeding by the Archdiocese of Milwaukee.
The archdiocese went into bankruptcy arguing that it couldn’t pay the potential costs of settlements and court verdicts for abuse by Catholic priests in the jurisdiction.
The archdiocese had argued in the proceedings that, while it had moved US$55 million into a trust fund and away from funds available to pay victims, that money couldn’t be recovered because it was protected from federal action as a matter of religious freedom. (Money from the trust fund, the archdiocese argued, was needed to pay for upkeep at cemeteries, because that was what the money had been donated for. It could, apparently, also be used to pay for lawyers to defend the sex abuse actions.)
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