Will facilitate fair payouts of sex abuse cases, Bishop says
The Roman Catholic Diocese of Burlington has filed for bankruptcy under Chapter 11 of the U.S. Bankruptcy Code.
“Like many dioceses in the United States, the Diocese of Burlington has been dealing for many years with the moral, pastoral, financial and legal ramifications from the past abusive actions of priests and the response of diocesan leaders to these heinous acts,” said Burlington Bishop John McDermott in the statement.
McDermott also said that the Legislature’s removal of the statute of limitations has left the Diocese open to unending lawsuits.
The full statement as well as some bankruptcy documents can be found here.
Discover more from Vermont Daily Chronicle
Subscribe to get the latest posts sent to your email.
Categories: Religion
Morally bankrupt for some time, now financially bankrupt as well.
Vermont politicians won’t rest until all Catholic churches and schools are gone
And if they succeed a better world it will be.
We can only hope!
If you got diddled by a Priest, then sue the Priest. These cases are brought and adjudicated simply on hearsay. The Catholic Church has been known for harboring the concept of forgiveness since it’s inception, as part of the Christian doctrine. We have a criminal justice system in Vermont that spends taxpayer resources expunging the records of convicted criminals so no one who hires them in the future can find out about their past misdeeds. Is the state going to be held responsible if they re-offend with new victims? We have judges and prosecutors in Vermont who let vicious criminals off easily, and that sends a powerful message to the offender and to others that the behavior is to be tolerated. There were 2 cases in Vermont over the last 10 years where teachers who sexually abused minor-aged students were given clean resumes to go and further their abuse elsewhere and i dont recall any school districts being sued into bankruptcy over it. Just another liberal double standard to allow this judicial abuse of the Catholic Church…
What an ignorant and unfortunate view of this situation. THE CHUCH is complicit in all of these cases. Included the cover ups, relocations, and forgiveness of countless diddlers, as you called it.
The fact that the church hid claims of abuse presented to it and shifted offending priests to other parishes where they could continue makes them complicit and liable
This is one of the few subjects where “what-about-ism” is relevant.
When it comes to the Catholic Church, lawyers insist upon pinning the blame on everyone. Those “who did it, those who knew who did it and those who should have known”. They are all equally guilty.
But it has been decades now, and this is still the only institution that is held to that standard. We may never see the Epstein client list (so we won’t even get to know who did it). Who know Harvey Weinstein did it, but will we ever know who was aware of what he was up to? P Diddy’s accomplices will never be known either.
Internationally it is the same thing. Who knew or should have known about Jimmy Saville? The BBC allowed talk-show guests to joke about his activities openly for 20 years before he died. Yet nobody touched him. He was protected and not one of his protectors is held accountable.
Ireland recently opened yet another enquiry into historic sex abuse in religious run schools. But only religious run schools, not secular ones. Not the foster care system, not reform schools. No – just the Church.
Everyone let their guard down in the late sixties. And when they did, the paedophiles and perverts came out of the woodwork and had their day. The Catholic Church was not immune from this. But at least they are owning up to their mistakes, however late.
I agree with you Mr. Lachapelle except for one tiny thing. The priest owns absolutely nothing. All priests own nothing.
Suing him would net the complainant nothing. At this point in time, it’s not about doing the right thing to stop this heinous and disgusting behavior. Or get justice for the victims… it’s about money. Pure and simple.
And as you so clearly noted, others have similarly offended… and walked away basically scott-free. Double standard indeed. The hypocrisy never fails to astonish me.
Response to Mrs Baker :
Any priest who was ordained by a Bishop and works for a diocese is able to receive a salary or similar compensation.
Your statement claiming that “all priests own nothing” is simply false.
The “Priests own nothing” argument just demonstrates one of the fundamental elements of our tort law system: go after the deepest pocket that you can somehow draw some responsibility connection to, no matter how thin. It is leftists that look beyond personal responsibility of the actual abusers and seek “root causes” and deep pockets. They dont much care for organized Christian religion either.
To “Davis davis”,
Diocesan priests make between $20,000 and $45,000 per year, but like all salaries, varies upon geographic location. They make more on the coasts due to higher costs of living and less in the interior, just like regular folks. They do get COLA increases and seniority increases. For instance, many receive an extra $12.50 per month of the for their first years 0-4 once ordained, according to one source, up to $100 per month after 35 years of service. Priests usually have to pay for their own vehicles, car insurance, telephones, health insurance premiums, vestments (which are quite costly too), travel costs and an assortment of other costs. They do receive housing and associated costs, but those are also taxed as income.
So, if you believe that the aforementioned amount is worth shaking down, then your math skills are like many in this country, sadly lacking. No deep pockets there, “Davis davis”.
Again, this is not about anything but money. And, in light of some actions by the State, about destroying the Catholic church. Because if it really WERE about the actions, the abuse, the lying, the coverup, they would have demanded much more change and transparency than money. And just to be clear, these are civil proceedings, not criminal. So, it’s always about money. Nice try, shifting the attention.
The dishonesty with which this state handles the same situation in non-church/non priest circumstances just absolutely screams hypocrisy. Why don’t you discuss that part, “Davis davis”? Why aren’t you commenting about that?
The churches shall be shaken and what will fall out? The Truth. The veil is being lifted. All the deception, corruption, and all the shepards (cloaked wolves and vipors) leading their flocks down a path of destruction. God will not be mocked. His word will not be twisted or omitted to control or manipulate His people. His son, Jesus, will not to be mocked or crucified again. Jesus stood defiant in the faces of clerics, ministers, priests and scribes – what they did they do to Him for teaching the Word, healing, speaking of unconditional love and peace?
Make no mistake, the separating and sifting is taking place. The time to repent and rebuke the works of Satan is now. The warnings were made. For those who choose to ignore His warnings, now comes the harvest and the pain.
The GREATEST source of sexual abuse above all others according to the FBI/DOJ since the beginning of recorded history of such crimes? The FAMILY. RELATIVES. Fathers, brothers, uncles, cousins, (mostly males though of course not all) etc. comprise the greatest group of sex offenders preying upon under-aged family members – by far.
Thereafter? Schools. Yet another offender? The B.S.A.! The list is nearly endless.
STAMP OUT the family!!!! REMOVE the child from the nuclear family! Separate children from their extended families!!! Families might be sources of evil & crime & hedonism. Oh, WAIT! That TOO is exactly what you leftists STRIVE to do!!!! Control. the. Children.
Further, do NOT allow children to participate in extracurricular activities such as scouting!!!!
Evil exists (ready for it?) : EVERYWHERE!!!!!!!! It can permeate every person, every institution, every organization. And you leftists KNOW it as you clandestinely use your false identity as “social activists” to destroy God, disable religion & religious RIGHTS, advocate for the SLAUGHTER of the unborn (I thought you were advocating for CHILDREN here?????) and promote Communism which alone is responsible for the abject MURDER of hundreds of millions over the past Century.
Yeah, you guys know evil when you see it!!!!!!!! Kill that developing baby! It’s my “choice” and my “right”.
The Catholic church like every other institution worldwide have not been immune to those who are sick and evil from those who seek to infiltrate it. As the largest Christian sect in the world by far and GROWING in Asian & African Continents, OF COURSE from a statistical standpoint alone, the church has been plagued by more incidents of such abuse than the average Fourteenth Church of the Holy Rood on Main Street, Mathletes!!!!!!!!!
The Catholic Church will nonetheless not merely survive, bur prosper – in order to continue to FIGHT against abortion, spread the faith of Jesus the Christ to all the world, and assist millions of unfortunate & disadvantaged financially, spiritually, and emotionally!
And there is NOTHING you leftists and the unhinged anti-religion state of Vermont can ever do to alter that.
See ya at mass!!!!!! Or not. And THAT is your “choice”. Killing babies? NO. Not in the least.
Perhaps if they just changed their name to the MAPS society of Vermont, then the VSP would run cover for them. Interesting times, yes, it is.
When will we see some comments about the pope???????? The Vatican?????
Excellent post VtRocks.
But the leftists grab the bait & get reeled in so easily, don’t they? What is the intelligence quota of your average fish by the way?
David Davis: Catholic priests are paid a stipend for living expenses whilst the Diocese owns/provides housing, generally rectories that function as private quarters as well as Parish Offices & their average salaries are generally between $25,000 to $35,000 annually (being “on call” virtually 24/7 365 with the exception of vacation & religious retreats/training/etc.)
This salary is pretty much ever so slightly less than, say, Joe Biden amassing multi-millions as V.P. of the USA right after allegedly sexually abusing Congressional aides and an assemblymember as a senator.