Archdiocese responds to Senator Joan Fitz-Gerald's misinformation

During an interview on KHOW’s Dan Caplis-Craig Silverman radio show of Thursday, February 2, State Sen. Joan Fitz-Gerald claimed that she had offered to work with archdiocesan attorneys in developing Senate Bill 143, her controversial proposed legislation regarding the statute of limitations and sexual abuse of minors.  This is inaccurate information.

The facts are the following.  On December 20, 2005 -- at the request of the archdiocese, not Sen. Fitz-Gerald -- Ms. Nancy Walla, special counsel to the archbishop, who is responsible for archdiocesan child and youth protection programs, and Mr. Charles Goldberg, attorney for the archdiocese, met for more than an hour with Sen. Fitz-Gerald to brief her on archdiocesan safety programs and our outreach efforts to abuse victims.  This is the same proactive, voluntary briefing we had previously provided to two other public officials.

At the time of her meeting with Ms. Walla and Mr. Goldberg, Sen. Fitz-Gerald assured them that she would not proceed with any legislation without consulting them, listening to the concerns of the archdiocese and providing them with a copy of any bill.  Instead, without advance notice and despite her previous commitments, on January 27 she introduced Senate Bill 143.

Colorado Catholics need to understand that Senate Bill 143 is a uniquely dangerous and prejudicial piece of legislation.  SB 143 seems heavily influenced by similar prejudicial legislation in California that may cost the Catholic community in California millions of dollars in lawsuits going back as long as 76 years.  Worse, the damaging California legislation which seems to inform SB 143 was drafted with the advice of some of the same plaintiffs' attorneys currently suing the Archdiocese of Denver.

At a minimum, we ask Sen. Fitz-Gerald to publicly correct the inaccurate information she communicated to the Caplis-Silverman radio audience.

Reverend Msgr. Thomas Fryar
Vicar General, Archdiocese of Denver