Catholic Diocese in Vermont Responds to Former Altar Boy's Abuse Suit

The Republic
February 5, 2012

http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/50f7507c27ed462cb05a254b135ca2c5/VT--Priest-Abuse-Church/

BURLINGTON, Vt. — The Roman Catholic diocese of Vermont says it could be put out of business, and constitutional protections of religious freedom could be violated by a priest-abuse lawsuit.

The Burlington Free Press (http://bfpne.ws/yZACU1 ) cites papers filed by the diocese in U.S. District Court in Burlington. They say paying more big damage awards to victims of long-ago priest sexual abuse could bring those results.

The diocese asks Judge William Sessions III to throw out a lawsuit filed in 2010 by a man alleging that as an altar boy he was molested in Rutland by a priest in 1974.

The Vermont diocese reached what it thought was a final resolution of its priest sexual abuse cases in May 2010 when it agreed to a $17.6 million settlement covering 26 pending cases.