An attorney who targets accused pedophile priests says lawsuits filed under New York’s Child Victims Act could ravage the finances of some Catholic religious orders.
According to Michael Pfau, a Seattle-based lawyer who has represented scores of clergy abuse survivors, there are more than 170 religious orders operating in New York. Many have their national or regional headquarters in the state.
“I think religious orders, for whatever reason, have flown under the radar. Especially in New York State,” said Pfau.
According to data compiled at Georgetown University, almost a third of Catholic priests are non-diocesan, meaning they answer to their own superiors in religious orders.