spiritual direction

By Diogenes ( articles ) | Dec 13, 2006

The Diocese of Springfield, Massachusetts, whose former bishop owes his freedom to the statute of limitations, is now fighting against its own insurance companies' efforts to gain access to diocesan records regarding sex-abuse allegations. By now you know the drill: the insurers believe that those records might show negligence on the part of diocesan authorities; the diocese argues that the records are protected by the confidentiality of spiritual direction.

Just three quick questions:

1) When you have a session with your spiritual director, how many documents are produced?

2) If the court sides with the insurance companies, and the documents are unsealed, do you think they will show that diocesan authorities acted responsibly?

3) OK, that was too easy. How about this: If the documents did cast diocesan officials in a favorable light, do you suppose they'd still be covered by that spiritual-direction privilege?