N.B. diocese wants victims to get clergy funds

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Bathurst, N.B., wants to be able to use money set aside to train future clergy to help compensate people sexually assaulted by a priest in the past.

Rev. Wesley Wade, the bishop of the diocese, has asked the New Brunswick Court of Queen's Bench, which deals withsuch requests, to allowit to take money from a trust fund used to help educate people entering the priesthood.

The trust fund consists of money left to the church over the years.

The lawyer for the church said the amount of money in the trust far exceeds its intended use.

In legal papers, the lawyer said only seven people who wanted to enter the priesthood have asked for financial help in the last 15 years.

The church also asked that files pertaining to the case be sealed and that a hearing on the matter be closed to the public.

But Justice Frederick Ferguson denied both requests. He scheduled a hearing for Monday inBathurst to deal with the matter.

Former Supreme Court justice Michel Bastarache was hired by the diocese to conduct conciliation earlier this year after an 84-year-old former priest, Levi Noel, pleaded guilty to charges of sexual assault against 18 boys between 1958 and 1980.

The conciliation processidentified 35 people who deserve compensation and apologies as a result of being abused. Individualscan come forward to Bastarache until Dec. 1.

Nine who had already come forward during the processhave chosen to take the church to court instead.