Does the settlement mean the Diocese is paying money to keep priests from being prosecuted?
Absolutely not. It would not have been right for the Diocese to have settled the lawsuits with that as a condition. Priests are subject to prosecution for acts of child abuse. For the priests who were accused in the lawsuits of having abused children, the statute of limitations had passed and they could not be prosecuted criminally. Immunity from prosecution was not a condition of the settlement. Didn t the Diocese have insurance to help pay off the settlement? Yes, the Diocese did have insurance. Because the harm was caused over a span of three decades, several insurance companies were involved and will be providing funds under the settlement agreement. (However, the Diocese was disappointed at the level of participation in the settlement by the insurance companies.) Even with the participation of insurance companies, the Diocese bears the greatest part of the financial burden. Where will the Diocese get the money to meet its obligations under the settlement? The Diocese is contemplat
