Saturday, July 13

Why are so many victims speaking out now?

However, many of the priests' supporters question the motives of the accusers. Tom Shaughnessy, the spokesman for the Lexington diocese, said that, while most Catholics are seeking understanding through prayer, there are rumblings among some of the faithful that "there is a feeding frenzy and attorneys are luring people with the promise of money."But Mayer, others who work with survivors, and legal experts who've both sued and defended the church all agree that accusers rarely make their stories up. They say some may exaggerate either the event or the effect on their lives. But almost always, these experts assert, something did happen." False reports are extremely rare, and I represent churches," said Patrick Schiltz, associate dean of the University of St. Thomas Law School, a Catholic institution in Minneapolis. Out of 500 cases he's handled over the last 15 years, Schiltz said there were fewer than 10 he "even suspected were false."

We're off to do the Fort Wayne thing at the Three Rivers Festival opening parade and then a turn around the arts fair. Don't worry - we'll be back by afternoon. There's a Busch race and Todd Bodine is on the pole. Yes, we'll be back.
Third man accuses Capitol Hill priest of abuse
An interesting new place - a study group dedicated to the Catechism.