In state legislatures across the nation, a mania is spreading to introduce bills to lift or extend retroactively statutes of limitations related to sexual abuse. The bills will permit thousands of civil tort lawsuits to be brought not against offending priests, religious or bishops but the Catholic Church as an institution. These legal actions would be based on real or imaginary sexual abuse alleged to have occurred decades ago.

On January 3, the American Society for the Defense of Tradition, Family, and Property (TFP) called on the Catholic faithful to fight these extraordinary legislative efforts with utmost vigor. It has since published full page advertisements in The Washington Times and other newspapers denouncing these retroactive changes to statutes of limitations as supremely unfair since the burden of the punitive damages will be borne by the Catholic faithful in general, not the individual criminals or their accomplices. (To read the full statement, click here)

Secularist media, together with Survivors Network for those Abused by Priests and Other Clergy (SNAP), Voice of the Faithful, and other liberal Catholic advocacy groups, are pulling out all stops to lift or extend statutes of limitations nationwide.

While it is horrendous that clergy and religious infected by the moral rot of today’s hypersexualized culture did in fact sexually abuse many minors, the “solution” being proposed will only make more innocent Catholic suffer.

The social and financial consequences of this action will be the sacking of the Catholic Church’s assets bought by the hard-earned contributions of the innocent faithful. It will lead to bankruptcy proceedings and the selling of churches, schools and other social facilities. The faithful and all who benefit from the Church’s vast charitable works will suffer while the actual culprits are left unharmed.

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The American TFP is asking state legislative committees to reconsider such bills. It is an issue that extends beyond state borders. We asked our readers to protest in Ohio and we are now asking them to protest in New York where legislators are considering opening a one year “look-back” window for such lawsuits. Michigan lawmakers are debating a two year “look-back” window.

Please ask the state congressmen to consider the consequences of their action on the nation. Tell them there have been enough victims and not to add 67 million more Catholics who will be made to pay for the guilty. Click here to send your first message to the members of the Senate Codes Committee in New York. Bill A08705 has already passed the full Assembly so this Senate committee must decide whether to send it to the full Senate soon. Bill A06434 is another bill also being considered by the same committee. It too is detrimental in that it abolishes statues of limitations.

After sending this message, you will be given the option of sending a similar email to the Michigan Committee on Judiciary which s considering HB4467. Please ask the legislators not to pass this bill.