Church That Ruined Lives Disses Vaccine That Saves Them
Sex abuse claims against the Archdiocese of New Orleans were piling up as it fretted about the provenance of COVID-19 shots.
Even as it condemned as “morally compromised” a COVID-19 vaccine that the Vatican itself has approved for emergency use, the Archdiocese of New Orleans was being hit with dozens of new clergy sex abuse claims.
The new claims were filed in advance of a March 1 deadline set by the judge in a federal bankruptcy proceeding instituted by the archdiocese in August, citing the double impact of pending sex abuse lawsuits and the pandemic.
The archdiocese was already facing more than 30 outstanding abuse claims and was seeking to curtail future ones. Federal Judge Meredith Grabill set March 1 as a “bar date” for any new claims. Each victim had to fill out and submit a “sexual abuse survivor proof of claim,” reliving the horror with such a stark question as: “Where were you at the time you were sexually abused? Please be specific and provide all relevant information that you recall including the City and State, name of the religious Parish or School or Orphanage (if applicable) and/or the name of any other locations.