Suit Claims Church Hid Priest’s Child

HARRISONVILLE, MO (KCUR) - A lawsuit has been filed today alleging the Catholic Kansas City- St. Joseph Diocese hushed up purported sexual doings of a priest, but this time the allegations do not center on child abuse. Rather, the issue is fathering a child by a married woman in a parish where the priest served.Names are removed from the filings to protect identity of an underage child who, a man alleges, was fathered by the priest who had gotten the man’s wife pregnant.

The suit contends the Diocese fraudulently hid the scandal. The Diocese says, in a prepared statement, it learned of the priest’s conduct last year, apologized to the man, offered counseling, and told members of the parish, St. Joseph the Worker Parish in Independence what had happened.

The statement says Bishop Robert Finn talked with the Reverend Joseph Matt before returning him to duties at the same parish. The priest also continues serving on a diocesan court that handles questions about marriage, where he has worked since 2004.

Most civil lawsuits brought against and counter defenses mounted by the Diocese, have involved allegations of child abuse. They purportedly happened from current times or dating back decades.

The suit seeking non specified damages, was filed in Cass County Circuit Court at Harrisonville, Mo. © Copyright 2011, kcur