Bishop says he feels 'media hatred,' court rulings hurting church

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PEORIA, Ill. (CNS) -- Bishop Daniel R. Jenky of Peoria said he was becoming "increasingly concerned" that the Catholic Church "in effect no longer enjoys equal justice under the law." He cited what he called the media's "intense hatred for the Catholic faith" amid the tensions of the country's "culture wars" as well as "recent decisions in the Illinois courts" that "may make our legal situation more difficult in the future." Bishop Jenky made the comments in a letter to priests, religious, deacons and parishioners that was distributed the weekend of Feb. 7-8. In January the 3rd District Appellate Court of Illinois reversed a Peoria court ruling that dismissed lawsuits by alleged abuse victims on the grounds they had waited too long to claim abuse. The ruling is expected to be appealed to the Illinois Supreme Court. "It should be noted that the sexual abuse of minors cuts across all socioeconomic lines, ethnicities, ministries and religions," Bishop Jenky said in his letter. "It is important to remember that the state basically exempts its own institutions from civil litigation."