Lawyer responds to lawsuit against Holy See

St Peter's

After a lawsuit was filed against the Holy See, in the name of a victim of sexual abuse by a priest, at a federal court in Milwaukee, the Holy See Press Office issued the following declaration by Jeffrey Lena, the Holy See's attorney in the USA.

"First and foremost, sympathy is due to the victims of the criminal acts committed by Fr Lawrence Murphy. By sexually abusing children, Murphy violated both the law and the trust that his victims had placed in him.

"While legitimate lawsuits have been filed by abuse victims, this is not one of them. Instead, the lawsuit represents an attempt to use tragic events as a platform for a broader attack - this one dependent on re-characterising the Catholic Church as a worldwide 'business enterprise'.

"The case against the Holy See and its officials is completely without merit. Most of the complaint rehashes old theories already rejected by US courts. With regard to Murphy himself, the Holy See and its officials knew nothing of his crimes until decades after the abuse occurred, and had no role whatsoever in causing plaintiff's injuries.

"Given its lack of merit, the lawsuit - together with its de rigueur press conference and news releases - is simply the latest attempt by certain US lawyers to use the judicial process as a tool of media relations.

"If necessary, we will respond more fully to this lawsuit in court and at the appropriate time".

Source: VIS