They did the same thing to Cardinal Bernardin years ago. The accuser later recanted - but the damage had been done.
A civil trial ended last month in Orange County, California in which two brothers, who were allowed to remain anonymous John Does, accused a retired Franciscan pastor of sexual abuse. The pastor was innocent and demanded a trial. The jury found in favor of the pastor.
Why plaintiffs in a case like this were allowed to keep their identity a secret is an injustice in itself. Then, the Franciscan Order and the Diocese of Orange showed their cowardice in not backing the priest. Both agreed to bracket their losses before the case went to trial. So, the plaintiffs were guaranteed around $400,000 if they lost the case and around $1.5 million if they won. Shame on the order and shame on the diocese. Hooray for the pastor for standing up in defense of his innocence.