Introduction to the Statement of Jeffrey S. Lena regarding release of documents
in Doe v. Holy See
As is well known, the tragic issue of sexual abuse has
brought criticism of the Holy See, often in the press, and sometimes in the form of
legal actions which attempt to show that the Holy See is responsible for abuses committed.
One
such case is Doe v. Holy See, which is presently in course in a United States court
of first instance in the State of Oregon. The case involves a Religious Order priest
named Andrew Ronan who committed abuse against a 17 year old in Portland, Oregon in
1965.
While most of the case has been dismissed, two accusations made by
plaintiff’s attorneys have persisted and have been repeatedly reported in the press:
that the Holy See knew that Ronan was an abuser; and that the Holy See transferred
Ronan from one place to another with that knowledge.
Those would of course
be very serious accusations -- if true.
But, as we are learning with the
development of the case, the accusations are decidedly not true.
To assist
those in the public who wish to study the matter carefully, and to assist the United
States court in resolving the remaining issues in the case, the Holy See is releasing
today documents relating to Ronan, principally with respect to Ronan’s dismissal from
the clerical state.
These documents are being posted on the Vatican website
for public consultation at:
In
addition to the documents, attorney Jeffrey S. Lena, who represents the Holy See in
this case, has issued a statement which underscores the falsity of the claims against
the Holy See. As Mr. Lena notes, the documents released show that the Holy See was
only first informed of Ronan’s misconduct after plaintiff was abused, and never was
involved in any “transfer” of Ronan.
Mr. Lena also described the accusations
against the Holy See as “calumnious” and noted that the Plaintiff’s lawyers who have
continued to persist in this case have “misled the public” and “misused the legal
system.”
In a separate comment to Vatican Radio, Mr. Lena said, “While the
judicial system sometimes works slowly, these documents can be expected to be of assistance
in bringing the case to a more rapid conclusion. He added, finally, that release
of the documents today should, “give pause to those persons, who all too willingly
engage in sensational and intemperate comment without bothering to acquire a sound
grasp of the facts.”