Article Title
Catholic cardinal says any new NY law for abuse victims should avoid ‘breaking’ the church
With the New York state Senate now controlled by Democrats, it is expected to take up a bill that would lower the statute of limitations for abuse victims.
Link to Article: https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/catholic-cardinal-says-any-new-ny-law-abuse-victims-should-n953966
Source: NBC News
Author(s): Corky Siemaszko
Date: January 2, 2019
Synopsis of Article
The New York State Legislature is considering a bill that would allow more victims of childhood sexual abuse by Catholic clergy to sue the Church. Timothy Dolan (a.k.a. Archbishop of New York and “Cardinal”) calls for a measure that will not “break” the Roman Catholic Church, among others, including government, educational, health, welfare, or religious organizations and institutions.
Dolan has only partially endorsed a proposed “Child Victims Act.” He wants any compensation regime to be modeled on a program, established by five New York Catholic dioceses in 2016, which he claims ensures fair and reasonable compensation but avoids bankrupting public and private organizations, including churches.
According to the article:
Dolan’s words came as the church is faced with the likelihood that the state Senate, now in Democratic hands, could join with the state Assembly and governor to pass a Child Victims Actthat would do away with statutes of limitations that have prevented some alleged abuse victims from suing the church.
The bill also includes a one-year “look-back window” that would allow alleged victims who weren’t able to sue in the past to file claims.
Dolan has objected to the window in the past, decrying its potentially devastating impact, not just on churches, but on public and private organizations as well.
More, according to the article:
“No one should be fooled by Cardinal Dolan’s sudden recognition that passing the Child Victims Act (CVA), the vehicle for delivering that justice, is a ‘moral necessity,’” Rosenthal said in an email to NBC News. “Cardinal Dolan knows well that the true path to justice for adult survivors lies in the lookback window, in addition to extending the criminal and civil statute of limitations.”
Advocates also said that Dolan’s emphasis of the bill’s broad coverage of a range of organizations that serve minors is a way of ensuring the proposal doesn’t pass. “He knows that’s a poison pill,” said David Clohessy of the Survivor’s Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP). “This is not a change of heart. This is typical Dolan,” Clohessy added. “He doesn’t support a window, he would rather the church handle this internally by paying money and not revealing secrets. That is what they are most afraid of.”