Church Officials in Indianapolis Archdiocese Lie About Clergy Abuse on Insurance Application
We are not surprised by the news that an insurance company is suing the Archdiocese of Indianapolis for failing to disclose to them allegations of abuse. Church officials rarely disclose information about cases of clergy abuse unless forced to by the public, the media, and the courts.
This situation is another example of church officials working quickly to protect their money while still trying to dodge responsibility for the sexual abuse of a child at the hands of one of the men they recklessly employed. If only the same effort had been put towards screening priests, it is likely that Fr. Marcotte would never have been ordained in the first place.
It is disturbing that the Archdiocese of Indianapolis attempted to minimize the allegations against Fr. Marcotte. Unfortunately, now the underwriters at Lloyd’s of London have a better understanding of how clergy abuse victims and their families have been treated by the church for decades.
Moreover, it is noteworthy that on April 11, 2020, the Archdiocese of Indianapolis was approved for a COVID-19 bailout of between $2,000,000 and $5,000,000. Such loans were intended to provide a financial lifeline for small-business owners and their employees and families. That bailout loan, undoubtedly, will be forgiven by the church’s creditor, Fifth Third Bank.
CONTACTS: Zach Hiner, Executive Director (517-974-9009, [email protected]), and Dan Powroznik, SNAP Indiana Leader ([email protected])
(SNAP, the Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests, has been providing support for victims of sexual abuse and their families in institutional settings for 30 years. We have more than 25,000 survivors and supporters in our network. Our website is www.snapnetwork.org.)