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California Diocese Sues Boston Diocese 2002
It had never been done before, one diocese suing another. But back in 2002, that’s exactly what happened. In San Bernardino, the Roman Catholic Diocese sued their equivalent in Boston. The charge? Not letting them know about priest Paul Shanley's history of sexual molestation when he moved to the California Diocese. This rare move was a first, but brought even more light to the coverup by the Catholic Church in general.
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The lawsuit suggested that the Boston church officials knowingly misrepresented Shanley and purposely suppressed information on his history. The accusations against him went back to 1967 and included numerous young boys. Shanley would eventually be tried back in Boston for child rape, battery, and indecent assault. During his time in San Bernardino, prior to the lawsuit, he was also accused of assaulting a teenage boy.
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Both Dioceses were sued by Kevin English, who at the time was 30. He claimed to have been abused starting around age 17. Although the suit was against both dioceses, the San Bernardino Diocese claims that due to their lack of getting the proper information from the Boston Diocese, they shouldn’t be held liable. While the Catholic Church is seen as a whole, each Diocese maintains their own income and assets and operates independently.
A Change of Business
In the past, the Catholic Church was seen as one entity and leaders of the Church would come together from around the world to meet and discuss what was happening in the Church worldwide. Those closed door meetings has increasingly become more public with the many allegations flying around.
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Churches who used to support one another were then ready to point the finger when what another one did impacted them. And it seems as if what one is doing now impacts all of them and it has had a trickle down effect. When it comes to the legal side of the issue on the lawsuit, the California Diocese had the backing of the law. Prior lawsuits in the state had said that it was the duty of the previous employer to disclose vital information such as sexual abuse.
The auxiliary bishop of Boston who had sent Shanley to California originally stated Shanley was in good standing. While Shanley was eventually convicted of child rape, even after the trial, the auxiliary bishop was still employed by the Catholic Church as a bishop in Green Bay, Wisconsin.
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