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[Catholic Caucus] Lawsuit accusing retired bishop of drunken sexual assault settled CHARLESTON, West Virginia - A lawsuit accusing the former bishop of West Virginia’s Catholic diocese of molesting boys and men has been settled.The terms of the recent settlement are confidential, Wheeling-Charleston Diocese spokesman Tim Bishop said in a statement. The diocese declined further comment.A former personal altar server sued ex-Bishop Michael Bransfield and the diocese in March, saying he was sexually assaulted in 2014 and harassed for years prior. The filing asserted Bransfield would consume at least half a bottle of liqueur nightly and had drunkenly assaulted or harassed...

[Catholic Caucus] Viganò: Bp. Bransfield a ‘Perfect Example’ of Gay Mafia in the Church Latest comments touch on predator bishop's powerful connections WASHINGTON (ChurchMilitant.com) - Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò is offering further confirmation of the "gay mafia" in the Church. In comments to Italian journalist Marco Tosatti over the weekend, the papal nuncio-turned-whistleblower confirmed that Bp. Michael Bransfield, the subject of a Vatican investigation that revealed extensive sexual and financial malfeasance, is part of a wider network of corrupt gay clergy in positions of power, connected to Theodore McCarrick, Cdl. Donald Wuerl and others. "Bishop Bransfield is a perfect example of...

[Catholic Caucus] West Virginia AG Sues Disgraced Bishop, Diocese Over Sex Abuse Cover-Up Suit alleges Bp. Michael Bransfield knowingly employed 'credibly accused pedophiles' CHARLESTON, W.Va. (ChurchMilitant.com) - In an unprecedented legal move, the state of West Virginia has filed suit against Catholic authorities over sex abuse cover-up. On Tuesday, state Attorney General Patrick Morrisey announced a civil action against the diocese of Wheeling-Charleston and its disgraced former bishop, Michael J. Bransfield, for allegedly "deceiving consumers and claiming their schools were safe when they were employing credibly accused pedophiles." Diocesan officials are accused of violating West Virginia consumer protection laws by marketing...

WASHINGTON DC, USA, December 9 (CNA) - Pope John Paul II has named Msgr. Michael J. Bransfield, rector of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, as Bishop of Wheeling-Charleston. Bishop-elect Bransfield, 61, was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia May 15, 1971 by the late John Cardinal Krol. A Philadelphia native, the bishop-elect was educated in the Philadelphia archdiocesan school system and conducted his studies for the priesthood at St. Charles Borromeo Seminary in Overbrook, Pa., where he received a master’s degree in divinity. He later earned a master’s degree in philosophy from The...