Catholic bishops on wrong side of NY State legislation
As reported in a recent Newsday article, Roman Catholic bishops and leaders of other faiths are lobbying furiously to defeat the pending NY state legislation amending the Statute of Limitations.
Their primary focus is on the provision that creates a one-year window during which victims, who are currently barred from bringing a civil action, would be permitted to bring suit seeking compensation for their injuries.
The bishops and their allies argue that the bill would bankrupt their dioceses and make defense of old claims difficult to mount. They also claim that the bill unfairly targets religious institutions because public institutions such as the school system are insulated from the “window” provision by other laws not affected by the legislation.
Their opposition should be rejected.
First, the bill does not exempt any institution; the fact that the public school system may presently escape accountability because of other laws is no reason to deny that accountability to others.
Second, the bankruptcy argument ignores the substantial contingent surpluses in some dioceses, not to mention the irony that it was some bishops who covered up the very crimes that they or fellow bishops now seek to keep repressed. (Two states have enacted window legislation. The California experience exposed 300 previously unknown predators).
Third, there are sound reasons for the Statute of Limitations but society has concluded that the statute should not be available to the perpetrators of particularly heinous crimes such as murder, kidnapping and rape. Surely this category fits the sexual abuse of an innocent child who has often suffered devastating and irreparable pain. Some have lived lives of torment; some have committed suicide. To deny justice to these victims of “soul murder” is indefensible.
And surely this ought to be in the forefront of our bishops who have been admonished by our Lord that “It were better for him that a millstone were hanged about his neck, he be cast into the sea, than that he should offend one of these little ones” [Luke 17:2].
Sadly, we see once again a hierarchy that favors institutional needs over those who have been victimized by the institution.
The New York Legislature has a long, proud history of enlightened leadership on critical social issues—especially involving children. It is time for the Legislature to take a comprehensive approach to exposing and preventing child sexual abuse. We encourage all Catholics to urge their legislators to vote for mercy, for justice and for the safety of our children, past, present and future.
Dan Bartley, President
Voice of the Faithful
