Catholic Church fights push to allow more abuse claims in NY

[trotsky]

Disgraceful.

http://poststar.com/catholic-church-fights-push-to-allow-more-abuse-claims-in/article_8105ad46-0387-5fdd-847d-7872eb4cb889.html

The Roman Catholic Church is opposing efforts in New York to allow sex abuse accusers to file lawsuits after the statute of limitations has expired, warning of dire financial consequences if the state allows plaintiffs to sue decades after the purported abuse occurred.

...

Such a law in New York would cause the church “catastrophic financial harm,” according to a statement of opposition from The New York State Catholic Conference, which argues a one-year window would do nothing to stop new cases of abuse while “enriching trial lawyers” by allowing them to file suits relating to “stale lawsuits regarding long-ago charges.”

...

“The victims aren’t dead. They’re alive, and suffering, and they want their day in court,” said Sally Butler, a Dominican sister from Brooklyn who says her foster son was abused by priests as a child. “The bishops say this is anti-Catholic. What it really is is a civil rights movement for children.”

The richest institution on the planet, which constantly touts its alleged moral superiority, and attempts to force others to live by its fucked-up rules despite failing over and over to follow them itself, can't afford to compensate the real people harmed by its power structure? Gotta love the dig at "trial lawyers," too.

[bvf]

1. “catastrophic financial harm"?

Money trumps justice. It's all about the money.

[trotsky]

2. They care more about money than the people they hurt.

That says all we need to know.

[skepticscott]

4. About them and about

The people here on DU who defend them at every turn.

Shameful.

[FiveGoodMen]

5. Their 'savior' would be so proud!

Too bad he doesn't speak up!

[skepticscott]

7. I'm sure his self-appointed representatives

in Religion will be chiming in any time..

[nil desperandum]

3. Sometimes

catastrophic financial failure is an appropriate punishment based on the egregious nature of the criminal enterprise involved in these transgressions.

Any organization that systemically enters into a felony conspiracy (hiding pedophiles and releasing them into different unsuspecting communities is indeed a conspiracy to cover up felony sex crimes) can be considered to have violated the RICO act. It would be especially appropriate for the catholic church to suffer that ignoble fate for the actions of the men who were charged with protecting the children they were teaching about their god.

Whenever any organization is engaged in widespread felonious activity it should expect to be destroyed legally at some point. Even the mob has learned that it can be harmed through long term prosecutions.

[Curmudgeoness]

6. This sounds like a hair-on-fire reaction.

I truly doubt that this would cause catastrophic financial harm to the church. I would suggest that if they have cleaned up their house, there should be few new cases come to light because of this extension of the statute of limitations. And if there have been children harmed by people acting in the name of the church, they should be willing to compensate those children instead of fighting them with all the power that they have.

Now ask me if I care if this would bring catastrophic financial harm to the church.

[Arugula Latte]

8. Ahh, Catholic Church,

Is there no end to your nefarious scheming?

[beam me up scottie]

9. Wait, wut???

"It is wrong to hold innocent people accountable today for the evil actions of long-dead individuals from a different generation," the statement reads.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church says:

By his sin Adam, as the first man, lost the original holiness and justice he had received from God, not only for himself but for all humans.

Adam and Eve transmitted to their descendants human nature wounded by their own first sin and hence deprived of original holiness and justice; this deprivation is called "original sin".

As a result of original sin, human nature is weakened in its powers, subject to ignorance, suffering and the domination of death, and inclined to sin (this inclination is called "concupiscence&quot .