Diocese, Insurers Argue Over Release Of Church Records

In Pittsfield, Massachusetts yesterday, a Berkshire Superior Court judge heard arguments by insurance companies that they should have access to 7,500 pages of records held by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Springfield. The insurers claim they need the documents to determine how the diocese has historically handled claims of sexual abuse by its priests in order to determine if claims against the diocese are "accidents" as defined in its insurance policies. Today's Springfield Republican reports on the case. John J. Egan, a lawyer for the diocese, said that the documents come under the state's statutory "spiritual counseling" privilege, as well as under the constitutional protection for the free exercise of religion. He said that some of the priests who faced possible expulsion from the priesthood were being counseled about the sacrament of Holy Orders. The insurers say the documents do not have anything to do with spiritual counseling.