California dioceses await subpoena from state attorney general's office

adminonDecember 3, 2021January 5, 2022Leave a Comment

California dioceses await subpoena from state attorney general's office

Symbolic image Justice in the USA © Sergii Gnatiuk (shutterstock)

Six of the twelve dioceses in the U.S. state of California are preparing to be subpoenaed by prosecutors in connection with abuse cases in the near future. This was confirmed by the spokesman of the Sacramento diocese, Kevin Eckery.

Attorney General Xavier Becerra had asked all twelve dioceses in May to keep all documents related to abuse allegations against priests. Six of them were also asked to submit files. These include the archdioceses of Los Angeles and San Francisco, and the dioceses of Sacramento, Fresno, San Jose and Orange.

The expected subpoenas are about how dioceses have handled abuse allegations against priests, the diocese spokesman explained. He said the church is committed to "fully record the past sins of sexual abuse by clergy and to do everything possible to ensure that such things are never repeated".

New law on lawsuits

The attorney general had previously asked all victims of sexual abuse to contact his office. On 1. January, a new law goes into effect in California that extends the time window of lawsuit claims by abuse victims. Victim advocates expect against this background with a new flood of complaints. So far, the California dioceses alone have paid several hundred million dollars in compensation.

Suspended from ministry: Priest burns rainbow banner © Mark Lennihan

Chicago Cardinal Archbishop Blase Cupich suspended a priest from ministry for burning a rainbow banner. The flag is an international symbol of the LGBT community.

As reported by the Chicago Tribune, the cardinal acted "out of concern" for the 56-year-old priest and members of the Resurrection community. Clergyman needs "time away from parish to receive pastoral support". He did not take this step lightly, Cupich wrote.

"I have the responsibility to support our priests when they have difficulties, but I also have the duty to ensure that those who serve our faithful are fully able to serve them in the way expected by the Church," the cardinal said, explaining his decision.

Impeachment already "in the works"

The priest had previously spoken of his own abuse as a child by a neighbor – as well as a later incident by a priest when he was 19 years old. Abuse crisis in church is "definitely a gay thing," he added.

To the Chicago Tribune, the priest had stated that he was not against homosexuals. A spokeswoman for the archdiocese told the newspaper that the priest's ouster was not only related to the burning of the rainbow flag, but had already been "in the works" beforehand.

Editor-in-chief Dino Boffo, under prere from an Italian newspaper feud, has resigned as head of the Catholic daily Avvenire. Boffo has become the target of an "unspeakable media attack," according to a press release from the Italian bishops' conference. Its president, Cardinal Bagnasco, noted Boffo's resignation "with regret". Is this only a temporary climax of the feud between government and church?

Following critical reporting on Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi, Boffo was attacked by the daily newspaper Il Giornale for alleged homosexual relations. The paper, which is owned by the Berlusconi family, essentially based its story on an anonymous letter of libel. In addition, "Il Giornale" referred to a fine Boffo paid in 2004 for alleged telephone harassment of a woman from Terni. According to Boffo's account, the calls were made from an editorial cell phone, but by a different person. He had merely wanted to forestall criminal proceedings by paying the fine. Boffo denies both the phone calls and homosexual relations and rejects the accusations as "journalistic killerism". Pope Benedict XVI. and Cardinal Secretary of State Tarcisio Bertone had openly backed the now resigned editor-in-chief. The center-left opposition had previously repeatedly accused "Avvenire" of not condemning clearly enough contacts of the Italian prime minister with prostitutes and minors. The daily newspaper of the Bishops' Conference, meanwhile, had repeatedly stressed that the private lives of politicians like Berlusconi must meet moral standards.

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