Vatican Sued in Effort to Halt Dangerous Practices and Protocols

Vatican Allowed Bay Area Predator Priest to Work in Oakland Diocese as Youth Coordinator After Arrest

Former Minnesota Archbishop Transferred to Northern California after Papal White-Wash by Former Apostolic Nuncio Carlo Maria Vigano

(San Francisco, CA) – At a press conference Wednesday in San Francisco, two sexual abuse survivors and advocates from Jeff Anderson & Associates will:

  • Announce a lawsuit filed against the Vatican in United States District Court-Northern District of California in San Francisco on behalf of two sexual abuse survivors who will speak publicly about why they filed the lawsuit requesting the court stop the dangerous patterns and practices employed by the Vatican;
  • Release documents showing the:
    • Papal white-washing of the investigation into retired Archbishop John Nienstedt’s sexual misconduct;
    • Apostolic Nuncio Carlo Mario Vigano’s orders to Church officials and lawyers to immediately halt the investigation into Archbishop Nienstedt and
    • To destroy/suppress documents;
    • Investigation and documents pertaining to Archbishop Nienstedt’s predatory sexual history still remain under lock and key;
    • How the handling of Archbishop Nienstedt’s investigation mirrors the handling of the investigation into Cardinal Theodore McCarrick;
    • The Vatican allows retired Archbishop Nienstedt to remain in ministry, with full faculties, without restrictions, or disclosure to the public or warning to the unwary.
  • Disclose the documented history of predatory priest Fr. Stephen Kiesle and the Vatican’s concealment and conscious choice to let the peril remain unabated for 7 years;
  • Demand the Vatican release all names of priests accused of sexual misconduct held secret by the Vatican;
  • Demand the Vatican release all files on all priests accused of sexual misconduct worldwide held secret by papal decree.

Survivors seek court order forcing disclosure of papal secrets concealing allegations of sexual misconduct and documents demonstrating those complicit in hiding the hazard.

When
Wednesday, October 24, 2018, at 11:00 AM (PST)

Where
Hyatt Centric Fisherman’s Wharf (Banquet AB)
555 North Point Street
San Francisco, CA 94133

The news conference will be live-streamed on our website, Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube.

The lawsuit and documents will be available on our website tomorrow morning before the press event at andersonadvocates.com.

Jeff Anderson & Associates have helped thousands of child sexual abuse survivors across the country hold their abusers and the institutions and people who may have protected those abusers, accountable for the abuse that was permitted to occur.

“In 35 years of working with survivors and bringing actions against top officials in America, one thing is clear,” said Jeff Anderson. “The problem is at the top and until the problem is addressed at the top, it will continue. We applaud these courageous survivors and all the survivors who have shared their truth to help protect kids.”

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