Church defends two deceased bishops named in sex abuse suit

Hampden, Texas --

Two Roman Catholic bishops are among seven deceased priests named in a clergy sexual abuse lawsuit filed by a Texas man serving a 50-year prison sentence for murder.

Church officials said they have found nothing in their records to support the allegations, and defended the late bishops and priests.

William E. Burnett, 64, claimed in the suit, filed Tuesday in Hampden Superior Court, that he was abused in the 1950s by several priests, including former Springfield Bishop Christopher Weldon, former Worcester Bishop Timothy Harrington and former Monsignor Raymond J. Page.

Burnett, a Springfield native, who currently is serving a 50-year prison sentence for the 1990 murder of a Texas businessman, claimed in the suit that he was introduced to the other clergy by Page, who was his uncle.

His lawyer, Carmine Durso of Boston, said his client had passed two lie detector tests.

Read the article at Plainview Daily Herald dated March 31, 2005

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