Following a ruling in Illinois’ Third District Appellate Court that could reinstate dismissed sexual abuse cases, Bishop of Peoria Daniel R. Jenky warned that the decision makes the diocese’s legal position even more difficult and voiced his concern that the Catholic Church “in effect, no longer enjoys equal justice under the law.”
The district court in January reversed a Peoria County court’s ruling that alleged victims of clerical sexual abuse had filed lawsuits against the diocese after each of them was older than thirty years of age.
Lawyers for the diocese and the accused priests argued that the deadline for filing the lawsuits had expired according to state law, Pantagraph.com reports.
In a weekend message to priests, deacons, religious and faithful of the Diocese of Peoria, Bishop Jenky discussed the legal cases.
He began by saying the saddest part of his ministry has been dealing with “our part of the immense societal issue of sexual misconduct with minors.”
In cases of “credible accusations” against individuals, the bishop said, he has not hesitated to remove them from ministry while trying “attentively” to follow the anti-sexual abuse charter set by the U.S. bishops.
“I have not discovered any evidence in this Diocese that priests guilty of misconduct were ever moved from assignment to assignment,” Bishop Jenky wrote.
Saying that his diocese normally offers counseling to victims instead of large cash settlements, he added “our Diocese resists supporting those claims that simply cannot be sustained by the facts.”
