By Gudrun Schultz
PORTLAND, Oregon, June 8, 2006 (LifeSiteNews.com) – A sex abuse lawsuit that accuses the Vatican of shifting a known child-abuser from place to place will move forward in the courts, a federal judge ruled Wednesday.
The Vatican wanted the case dismissed, but U.S. District Judge Michael Mosman said the priest in question could be considered a Vatican employee under Oregon law, and therefore let the case stand, the AP reported today. The Holy See normally has immunity from the jurisdiction of the U.S. courts, under the Foreign Sovereign Immunity Act.
A Seattle-area man filed the lawsuit in 2002, accusing the Vatican, the Archdiocese of Portland and the archbishop of Chicago of conspiring to protect a priest known to have a history of abuse by shifting him from city to city.
Rev. Andrew Ronan admitted to sexual abuse at the Archdiocese of Armagh, Ireland, Judge Mosman said in the ruling. Rev. Ronan was transferred to St. Philip’s High School in Chicago, where he admitted to abusing three boys. He was then sent to St. Albert’s Church in Portland. The plaintiff said Rev. Ronan abused him repeatedly at that parish during the late 1960’s.
Justice Mosman wrote that the Vatican did “not offer evidence to contradict this allegation of its involvement in transferring a known child-molester.”
Legal experts have dismissed lawsuits against the Vatican over abusive priests as publicity stunts. There have been multiple cases brought against the Vatican from US plaintiffs on the issue, but so far none have been permitted to stand.
See related LifeSiteNews coverage:
Sex-Abuse Case Used as Ploy to Downgrade Vatican Status at United Nations
https://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2005/aug/05081906.html