A Cleveland lawyer has filed a racketeering lawsuit against the Diocese of Cleveland. And as part of his suit he wants access to the secret files of every priest in the diocese.
Look, I think that bishops should turn over the files of priests who have been accused of abuse to law enforcement authorities. And perhaps those authorities should be able to look at generic files to makesure that nothing is being hidden. But the idea that any two-bit lawyer can file a lawsuit and demand to see the most intimate personal details in the files of hundreds or thousands of priests who have been accused of nothing is beyond the pale. I hope the diocese asks the court to reject the demand.
I mean, aren’t we supposed to support “priests of integrity?” That should include protecting their privacy when they have done nothing illegal.
