The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops opened its Fall General Assembly on Nov. 11, emphasizing support for immigrants and refugees, as well as extending the Church’s campaign to eliminate Catholic sexual abuse by clergy members.

Assembly Shows Support for Sexual Abuse Victims

The assembly’s opening session also featured the final presidential address from the cardinal who has been the organization’s president for three years. Cardinal Daniel DiNardo was replaced by Archbishop Jose Gomez.

The Washington Times reported that DiNardo’s final speech included references to survivors of sexual abuse by Catholic priests that he spoke with during his tenure as the head of the organization.

“When too many within the church sought to keep them in the darkness, they refused to be relegated to the shadows,” he said, in reference to victims whose activism has lead to victim compensation and support programs being established by many Catholic dioceses.

“We have learned how we must strive for justice for the victims of sexual abuse.”

Although his speech supported victims of Catholic sexual abuse, the San Diego Union-Tribune noted that DiNardo has been criticized for his own role in mishandling abuse cases. During his time as head of the bishops’ organization, countless victims have come forward with stories of abuse by members of the Catholic clergy. Additionally, many high-level priests have been revealed as serial abusers, prompting victims and advocates to call for a higher level of accountability and transparency.

Background on Catholic Sexual Abuse

Although the names of scores of Catholic clergy members credibly accused of sexual abuse have been released this year, most of these accused priests have never faced consequences for their crimes. Due to the statutes of limitations associated with most states’ sexual abuse laws, victims have been unable to seek criminal or civil justice due to the length of time passed. However, several states have updated statutes of limitations for sex crimes in recent years. Under these new laws, victims may be able to pursue civil or criminal charges against their abusers for longer periods of time. Many of the new laws also include look-back windows or periods of time where any victim whose case has expired under previous laws may file a case against their abuser.

In addition to the updated laws, many Catholic dioceses have also established victim compensation funds for people who suffered Catholic sexual abuse. While these funds may offer settlement sums to victims who apply to them, the settlements often come at a cost. In addition to generally being much smaller amounts than what victims may collect from a lawsuit, accepting a settlement from a victims’ compensation fund usually requires the victim to sign away their rights to sue the Catholic Church, individual dioceses, or clergy members.

Victims of Catholic sexual abuse whose cases have expired under previous sex crimes laws may now be eligible to hire a qualified attorney and file a class action lawsuit against the Catholic Church, dioceses, or priests who perpetuated or covered up their abuse. Those who file lawsuits may be able to collect compensation for pain and suffering, mental anguish, and medical expenses for psychological treatment due to their experiences.

This article is not legal advice. It is presented
for informational purposes only.