Criminal prosecutions of individual abuse cases have often been hampered by statutes of limitation, but the West Virginia lawsuit is a civil action, and is directed at the church’s handling of the problem. At least 16 attorneys general have started investigations into the Catholic Church since last summer. Pope Francis accepted Bishop Bransfield’s resignation in September, and local church officials opened their own investigation into allegations that he had sexually harassed adults. Earlier this month, Archbishop William Lori of Baltimore, who has been overseeing the church in West Virginia since Bishop Bransfield’s resignation, announced that the preliminary investigation had been completed. He said that Bishop Bransfield would be restricted from ministry in West Virginia and the archdiocese of Baltimore, pending a final judgment by the Vatican.

Source: New York Times March 19, 2019 16:48 UTC