[NYer]

A new legal precedent has been set.

[I_Like_Spam]

It seems like a valid decision.

The dioceses/bishops are definitely in control of the parish properties in their sees. Here in Pittsburgh, several parish churches have been sold voluntarily, the diocese certainly acts like they own the parish properties, so it seems a bit ingenuous for a diocese now to say that the parishes own the property.

Also, earlier this year, in St. Louis, the Vatican ecclesiatic courts ruled that a parish (St. Stanislaus) didn't even have the right to own real property according to church law.

I ain't a lawyer, but the decision of this bankruptcy judge seems very consistant with the facts. Now, whether or not a diocese ought to be held civilly responsible for the torts of its priests is another question, but apparently one which has been settled.

[Dick Vomer]

the chickens have come home to roost.... good. The gay brigade in the Catholic Church and the enablers who allowed the pederasts to continue their predatory behavior are finally getting the shaft.

good.

this pathetic socialization and liberal political experiment by the Catholic since the 60's has finally done what all socialist experiments have done...failed because of the lack of discipline and general moral decay that it allows.

I was hoping that the Bishops and Cardinals in the Boston, New York, Texas, Florida and California areas that allowed this pederasts homosexual network to develop are placed in leg irons and sent to prison... but if it hurts them in the pocketbook, so be it.

[PAR35]

Previously posted here:

http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/religion/1471666/posts

[sitetest]

Dear NYer,

"Lawyers for victims said church leaders must be punished for allowing pedophile priests to prey on children for so long."

I fail to see how this punishes the bishops, to sell Catholic schools and force Catholic schooldhildren into government schools that teach sodomy and worship of the dollar.

Those who were victimized have, in many cases, become vultures and other animals of prey, killing and destroying the innocent to slake their own vampiristic appetites.


sitetest

[Prod Convert]

We're in the Archdiocese of Portland, here in Western Oregon. Recently there has been an agreement by the bankruptcy judge that every parishioner who has contributed money to his or her parish be grouped into a separate class of defendants, distinct from the diocese itself. The agreement, which was accomplished over the objections of plaintiffs' attorneys, separates the assets of the Archdiocese of Portland, consisting of a couple of Catholic high schools and the cathedral church, from the assets of the 290 western Oregon parishes.

We all received a letter about 10 days ago telling us that we were going to be put into this class of defendants (separate from the Archdiocese of Portland) unless we wanted to opt out individually. We were told that if we did exercise our right to opt out, we stood a good chance of being named and sued as individuals, by the plaintiffs attorneys, representing all these individuals who are suing the Archdiocese.

The Archdiocese of Portland has been in bankruptcy for a little less than a year now, so the judicial proceedings are going through bankruptcy court, not an ordinary civil court. Is that the case for the Archdiocese of Spokane?

We are in the position now of deciding whether we want to opt out of being class defendants (on behalf of our parishes, NOT the Archdiocese of Portland) and risk being individual defendants.

The circular sent to all of us specifically said that none of us will be at risk of losing any of our personal money should there be an adverse outcome - provided we stay in the "parish" class of defendants.

It seems to me that this ruling has de facto separated the Archdiocese of Portland's assets, as named, from the 290 parishes' assets. So the plaintiffs are going to have to prove that all the parishes, and individuals if they opt out, are culpable and responsible in the claims.

Sounds like a good deal to me. My wife and I, and our parish, didn't have a bit to do with it.

That is not to say we're not sorry for the plaintiffs, but we have no legal responsibility for any damages they may stress may have coming to them. One of these plaintiffs is asking for $135 million. Seems like a bit much.

To coin an old EastCoast phrase "So sue me"

The Catholic Church has to clean up its act on this homosexual stuff. It is doing so. It needs to make some equitable and just monetary settlements with innocent people who were abused. It is under no obligation to let greedy dishonest plaintiffs and their greedy dishonest lawyers loot the Catholic Church.