FLORIDA
Palm Beach Post
By Jane Musgrave – Palm Beach Post Staff Writer
Wednesday, January 11, 2017
WEST PALM BEACH —
A former priest at Holy Name of Jesus Catholic Church on Wednesday sued the Diocese of Palm Beach, claiming it punished him for exposing a pedophile priest rather than covering it up as they wanted.
The lawsuit, filed in Palm Beach County Circuit Court, accuses the diocese and Bishop Gerald Barbarito of defaming the 49-year-old priest by issuing a statement that Gallagher fabricated allegations that it urged him not to tell law enforcement that a visiting priest showed pornographic pictures to a 14-year-old at the church.
“Today is a sad day,” the Rev. John Gallagher said in a morning press conference. “Thirty years of my life has been destroyed by the Roman church.”
His treatment is especially heinous because the Catholic Church under the leadership of Pope Francis has pledged to vigorously root out priests accused of sex offenses, said attorney Ted Babbitt, who represents Gallagher.
Instead, he said, when Gallagher learned of transgressions by a visiting priest, the Rev. Jose Varkey Palimattom, he was told the best course of action was to put his new colleague on a plane back to his home in India. He also learned Palimattom had a history of inappropriate conduct with children in India, he said.
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