Illinois Bishop Writes of Fears of Unfair Treatment in the Courts
A Catholic bishop has written a letter to Central Illinois parishes that questions the motives of lawyers representing priest abuse victims and expresses fear that the church is being treated unfairly in the courts.
The letter by Bishop Daniel Jenky of Peoria also takes aim at the news media, the Bloomington, Ill., Pantagraph reports. “Amid all the tensions of our nation’s culture wars and in the face of the media’s intense hatred for our Catholic faith, I am increasingly concerned that our Church in effect no longer enjoys equal justice under the law,” Jenky wrote in the letter (PDF posted by the Pantagraph).
Jenky wrote that he has not hesitated to remove priests when credible allegations are made, and that the diocese usually offers counseling for victims rather than large cash settlements. Claims that aren’t supported by the facts are resisted by the diocese, he said.
Some lawyers for abuse victims “obviously have a significant financial stake in trying to overturn our Diocesan policies,” he wrote. “Recent decisions in the Illinois courts may make our legal situation even more difficult in the future.”
The story notes that an Illinois appeals court ruling could reinstate cases that had been dismissed in June 2007 on statute of limitations grounds.
