bankruptcy was a means to bring the parties together to negotiate finite resources. Determined to address institutional wrongs and bring justice to victims, Portland Archbishop John Vlazny, to his credit, worked diligently to settle claims and free local churches, schools and charitable institutions from bankruptcy's paralysis.

So...bankruptcy was a good thing, and "brought parties together" or it brought on "paralysis?"

Trying to argue both sides in the same paragraph is a good metaphor for the corner the Church painted itself in by failing to do the right thing in the first place. Over and over.

Before I go in "depression", a bit of explanation of your banner would be nice.

Clowns?

Who is the shill for the Catholic Church writing for the Oregonian? I thought they shook up the reporter's assignments, not their brains. Whatever. Remember my previous posting? That Vlazny came to our church, Our Lady of Sorrows in spring of 2007 and promised our school would be kept open for 2007-2008? They closed it this summer. Vlazny is a LIAR. Goodbye Catholicism, hello, Unitarians. Do not give ANY money to the archdiocese WHATSOEVER. It will not be used for the purpose you intend.

Certainly abuse and denial are creepy, but it doesn't seem out of the realm of possiblity to me, that a where a criminal mind and a pile of money meet, that a false accusation or two could result.

Cynthia, people do not lie about being sexually abused to get money.

"people do not lie about being sexually abused to get money."

Most people don't. There are many who would. Greed can drive people to do dishonest things - like lie about sexual abuse. I wouldn't be at all surprised to find that is the case here.

The state doesn't pay out huge amounts in a settlement unless the plaintiff has a darn good case.

Much more likely is that this person is guilty, and his defenders are doing what the Catholic Church has always done with all its hundreds of pedophiles -- denying the truth.

Cynthia and Frank, have you ever been abused or known someone who was abused? If you did, you would realize that victims of sexual abuse would rather be dragged over hot coals and have their innards torn out rather than make it public.

While I have a hard time believing that people would lie about sexual abuse for money, I don't know if you all read the article and perhaps missed the bit about the alleged abuser not being at the institution where the abuse took place at the time it took place.

So it looks to me like this guy's accusers may indeed lying to get money.

So...If there were nine sworn witnesses who testified that he wasn't there, isn't that an "ironclad alibi"?

So...What's the deal? If he wasn't there, why was it even prosecuted? Why did the jury discount the nine witnesses? If the jury found the facts to support the claim of the victim(s), have the nine witnesses been booked for perjury?

Notice who wrote that piece -- aren't they people who were supposedly supervising this guy? Talk about "guilt by association"! Not sure I'd believe their version over anyone else's...

"The state doesn't pay out huge amounts in a settlement unless the plaintiff has a darn good case."

Usually not, thank God. But I know of a situation in an outlying county where a too-trusting fellow married a woman he had known only five weeks. She had a couple of less-than-scrupulous cop and judge friends who helped her get a restraining order to boot this guy out of his house (from which he also ran his business), while she forged his signature on deeds to several parcels of real property he had inherited and on the title to his new pickup truck. Although they were married all of 4 months and handwriting experts found the signatures to be forged, the state upheld this "property settlement."

"Cynthia, people do not lie about being sexually abused to get money."

Most of the time, probably not. But I do believe that we have such a culture of victims now (as opposed to the days a generation or two back when we dared not speak of such abuse) that it does happen more than we might want to admit.

Most people are law-abiding and compassionate, which makes it shocking when trust is abused.