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Legislation that would end the statute of limitations for lawsuits against entities that are accused of negligence involving incidents of child sexual abuse overwhelmingly passed the Maryland Senate last week. The Maryland Catholic Conference criticized the bill for its unequal treatment of private groups. The legislation creates a different set of rules for public entities than it does for private entities. The legislation would fully eliminate the statute of limitations for a victim to file a lawsuit related to child sexual abuse against private and public entities. The proposed bill would cap the amount of money that victims could receive but at different levels, depending on whether the lawsuit is filed against a private or a public entity. A victim who sues a public entity, such as a public school, could be awarded up to $890,000, according to the proposed legislation. However, a victim who sues a private entity, such as a Catholic Church, could be awarded up to $1.5 million, which is nearly 70% more than public entities. The legislation would also be retroactive, which means victims could file lawsuits against entities even if the current statute of limitations has already passed.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253900/maryland-senate-passes-bill-to-end-statute-of-limitations-for-child-sex-abuse-lawsuits
The Vatican reported on Saturday that their diplomatic headquarters in Nicaragua was forced to close on March 17. On March 12, the Nicaraguan Ministry of Foreign Affairs reported that it was considering suspending diplomatic relations with the Vatican. This occurred two days after an interview with Pope Francis was published in which he harshly criticized the regime of Daniel Ortega — where the Catholic Church is persecuted — and compared it to “the communist dictatorship of 1917 or the Hitler dictatorship of 1935.”
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/253899/the-last-diplomat-from-the-vatican-leaves-nicaragua
Today, the Church celebrates the feast of Saint Nicholas of Flue. During his lifetime, the Swiss saint had 10 children, became a hermit and later prevented a civil war.
https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/saint/st-nicholas-of-flue-184