Catholic priest in Los Angeles, under Archbishop Jose Gomez and Bishop Marc Trudeau, charged with possession of child porn
September 15, 2023
When Those In Authority Ignore Those On The Ground
October 20, 2023
The move blocks lawsuits allowed under a new state law that takes effect Sunday. Child sexual abuse survivors seeking damages will now have to file a claim through the bankruptcy case.
The Catholic Archdiocese of Baltimore filed for bankruptcy protection Friday, less than two days before a new state law takes effect allowing victims of child sexual abuse to sue institutions, no matter how long ago the abuse took place.
Federal bankruptcy law halts all lawsuits against an entity that files for bankruptcy. Instead, the legal action will shift to a bankruptcy court, where the process — if successful — will set a permanent end date when alleged victims of abuse related to the church can file claims, rather than opening a permanent window as the law intended.
Each diocesan bankruptcy is distinct, experts say, and outcomes depend on the court, insurance arrangements and the legal setup of the diocese. Some legal analysts said the move by the country’s oldest Catholic diocese could limit damages for some survivors, while other experts said it could more equitably distribute Baltimore’s assets and offer anonymity and streamlined financial awards, which some accusers may value.
But it also means there will be no subpoenas or public testimony before a jury, which for some survivors is a blow to transparency and a crucial loss.
“What victims lose is the opportunity to tell their stories in court, and many have been waiting their whole lives to do this,” said Robert Jenner, a Baltimore attorney who represents some of the survivors who planned to sue.
The bankruptcy filing was “extremely premature,” and “nothing more than an effort to protect itself while denying survivors justice,” said Philip C. Federico, another attorney who represents dozens of abuse survivors who had planned to file claims under the new law.
These abuse survivors thought they knew the details. Then came the clergy reports.
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/religion/2023/09/29/catholic-bankruptcy-baltimore/
2 Comments
Gee gosh golly…Baltimore diocese chose to ordain a boatload of predatory child molesters. This is the aftermath. Bergoglio needs to address the problem of the seminaries being flooded with horny homosexual seminarians, who are a bunch of predatory miscreants. This harrowing, systemic problem will not just go away, it needs to be addressed, and mandatory changes have to take place! Bergoglio wants to champion environmental issues, but seems to be apathetic of this ongoing nightmare, with no end in sight. And, he’s driving a Synod that champions the sodomites and LGBTQ agenda. What is going on in the mind of this man?
Another gravely scandalous Hospitaller brother was the notorious Brother Augustine Packard O.H. This man was a convicted felon, who did time in The California Department of Corrections for embezzlement and grand theft. After he was paroled, he was incapable of finding meaningful work, due to his criminal past and record in California. He enjoyed using drugs and smoking pot, just prior to entering this religious community as a postulant. In fact, he offered me drugs, at his apartment in Monterey Park, just before entering this religious community as a postulant. He attended a brother function at a swanky Beverly Hills hotel, and allegedly groped a nurse who was in attendance on the dance floor, leaving her in tears and shaking. His scandal and misconduct knew no bounds, and still he became a solemnly professed brother in just a few short years. While running one of these brothers homes for derelicts, drug and alcoholics, he really spun out of his center. He was found murdered and strangled to death in a seedy back alley in Santa Ana California. His perpetrator has never been apprehended. I guess the most fundamental question would be, is “ why was this cockroach” in a seedy back alley in the wee hours of the morning? Weeeell, it appears he never gave up his sinister, antisocial lifestyle, which was steeped in crime, devilry and corruption. He fit right in with the “faux” Hospitallers he was a member of. He would also have fit right in with the depraved miscreants from Australia, as he was a monastic fraud and conman, just like them. Shocking…positively shocking