I thought morality came from religion?

Another nod to PZ for bringing this to my attention.

The case was brought in 2005 by a man, now 40 and living in Colorado, who alleged that as an altar boy at Christ the King Church in Burlington he was fondled from 40 to 100 times by the Rev. Edward Paquette between 1976 and 1978.

The case, like 18 others alleging similar claims about Paquette, contends the diocese was to blame because it hired Paquette in 1972 despite knowing that he had molested altar boys at parishes in Indiana and Massachusetts, and then kept him on duty after he sexually abused youths in Rutland in 1974.

Like all of the Priest sexual abuse stories, this is sad and tragic. Justice has been served, inasmuch as money can compensate for something like this, but it's the reaction of the Bishop and the Diocesan lawyer that is the most illuminating and repellent.

“Clearly, in hindsight we should have, could have looked at things differently,” McCormick said. “We expected that a Vermont jury would not unleash a number of this sort for behavior that took place 35 years ago.”

“I do not want in any way to inflict any suffering or any pain upon the faithful in this diocese because of what happened in the past,” Matano said. “That is certainly not appropriate, and I am conscious of the universal needs of the diocese.”

So much for moral accountability.