The details on the Boston settlement agreement come out and fill in the picture. The two main insurers for the archdiocese balked at paying the settlements. Now, rather than delay everything by suing the insurance companies first, a tactic by which they could shift the blame for delays on the companies, the archdiocese instead finished the deal and now says it will sue the insurers.
I’m not sure Cardinal Law or his legal team at the Rogers Law Firm would have done it the way Archbishop O’Malley did.
The insurers are only offering $17 million toward the settlement, while the archdiocese says the amount of the policies for the years covered should be $90 - $100 million. The insurers are using the tactic that the archdiocese withheld the extent of the Scandal from the insurers when the policies were written. On the other hand, the insurers were paying out on secret settlements for years, meaning they knew what was going on when the policies were written.
Meanwhile, we find out that the settlement also covers cases brought against the archdiocese over the case of convicted molesting youth minister Chris Reardon. He was convicted of molesting kids in 2001 and it caused a real mess in the parish there with the pastor at the time accused of ignoring the problem while he “entertained” prisoners on work release. It was pretty bad when it all came out.
I’m glad to see these cases resolved too. But it doesn’t mean everything is in the clear. There are a few lawsuits still out there not covered by this settlement if I remember correctly. It would be nice to see those resolved too so that we can all move on.
