The Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts has settled the lawsuit of a former altar boy who claims he was raped by Bishop Christopher Weldon in the 1960s.Weldon, who retired from ministry in 1977 and died in 1982, allegedly abused the complainant — referred to only as “John Doe” — along with two other unnamed clergymen. The diocese denied the allegations in 2019.“Mr. Doe’s allegations were determined to be credible, so all public statements made on behalf of the Diocese in May or June 2019 are withdrawn,” Bishop William Byrne said of the settlement.
A lawsuit brought by a former altar boy who said a now-deceased Roman Catholic bishop raped him as a child in the 1960s has been settled, the sides announced Friday.
The plaintiff identified in court documents that John Doe alleged in a lawsuit filed in February 2021 that he was abused by former Bishop Christopher Weldon of the Diocese of Springfield and two other priests, as well as a years-long cover-up to protect the church. the reputation and legacy of the bishop.
The lawsuit also said that after the abuse allegations against Weldon were found to be credible, diocese officials denied them until 2019.
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The diocese’s current bishop apologized in a statement announcing the settlement.
“Mr. Doe’s allegations were determined to be credible, so all public statements made on behalf of the Diocese in May or June 2019 are retracted,” said Bishop William Byrne. “We apologize for the harm these statements caused to Mr. Doe. We regret that interactions with the Diocese and civil litigation, often the last stop in trying to resolve these cases, have left survivors feeling rehabilitated.”
Terms of the settlement were not disclosed.
The Diocese of Springfield has settled with a former altar boy whose sexual abuse allegations against Bishop Christopher Weldon (pictured), who died in 1982, were found to be credible. (AP Photo/Abe Fox, file)
The alleged abuse brought the plaintiff to St. Mary’s in Chicopee, Massachusetts. Anne happened to be an altar boy at the parish when she was 9 and 11 years old. Weldon was bishop from 1950 to 1977 and died in 1982.
Before the lawsuit was filed, a retired Supreme Court judge hired by the diocese found the abuse claims against Weldon to be “undoubtedly credible” and that “(Weldon) was reluctant to pursue an evaluation of the allegations because of his prominence and respected legacy in the religious community.”
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“Forcing Mr. Doe to stand trial in the face of a report prepared by retired Judge Peter A. Velis confirms the continuing failure of the Church, despite its claims to the contrary, to accept responsibility for its atrocities,” Nancy Frankel. Plaintiff’s attorney Pelletier said in a statement.
Bishop Byrne praised the plaintiff and said the church has learned to better respond to allegations of abuse. Hiding or dissuading anyone from reporting abuse will not be tolerated, he said.
“Mr. Doe’s hope is that Bishop Byrne’s statement will be heeded and that no other survivor will be resurrected for speaking his truth,” Pelletier said.
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The diocese fought to have the case dismissed based on First Amendment charitable immunity and the doctrine of church autonomy, even taking it to the state’s highest court. The Supreme Court, however, ruled in favor of the plaintiff last July.