NEW ORLEANS (LA)
St. Louis Post-Dispatch
May 10, 2024
By David G. Clohessy
Regarding the editorial “Courts must not let Gateway Pundit use bankruptcy to escape accountability” (April 26): The Editorial Board is right to blast a disinformation site that is a “monstrous purveyor of slander and lies” and is using bankruptcy as “a pre-emptive move” to “escape justice.”
But as much harm as this right-wing website has caused, I think we can all agree that even more monstrous than slandering adults is committing and concealing heinous, devastating sex crimes against kids.
That is exactly what thousands of Catholic clerics have done. Now, facing embarrassing litigation about widespread clergy child sexual abuses and cover ups and desperately clinging to their reputations and careers, dozens of top church officials are filing for bankruptcy.
More than 40 dioceses and religious orders — 12 in the last five years — have sought Chapter 11 protection. No, they’re not broke or going broke. Like The Gateway Pundit, these bishops are “escaping justice” and keeping their scandalous secrets secret by stopping all abuse lawsuits, depositions and discovery.
I’m grateful that the Post-Dispatch points out how this extreme website exploits out-of-date federal Chapter 11 laws. I just wish more in the news media would similarly point out how Catholic officials have done this for years.
David G. Clohessy
St. Louis Volunteer director, Missouri Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests