Murphy Battista LLP has filed a proposed class action against the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Vancouver for sexual, physical and psychological abuse of parishioners by individuals who, at all material times, were employees, agents or servants of the Archdiocese – including cardinals, bishops, archbishops, priests, deacons and lay ministers. The claim alleges that the abuse was systemic and occurred over several decades.

The claim alleges that the Archdiocese, as a general matter, failed to respond adequately to complaints by parishioners of abuse by Clergy. The Archdiocese was aware of the abuse and allowed the abuse to continue. The Archdiocese was also complicit in silencing survivors, who were required to take oaths of secrecy when making complaints to the Archdiocese about assaults perpetrated on them by Clergy, especially in instances of sexual abuse. The Archdiocese also silenced Clergy, who faced strict penalties – including excommunication – for publicly revealing details of allegations of sexual abuse by priests.

The claim alleges that the Archdiocese failed to have in place management and operations procedures that would reasonably have prevented the abuse. The Archdiocese maintained a system that was inadequate to protect the Parishioners from abuse at the hands of Clergy and, in doing so, the Archdiocese was systemically negligent.

On November 25, 2019, Archbishop Miller recognized the systemic nature of the harms, and apologized for the Archdiocese’s role in a Pastoral Letter, stating:

I realize that no expression of regret can repair the horror of what happened. Although nothing can undo the wrong that was done to you, I nonetheless wish to offer each of you my heartfelt apology for the trauma, the violation in body and soul, and the sense of betrayal and abandonment by the Church that you feel. For those occasions when we failed to protect you or when we were more concerned with the Church’s reputation than with your suffering, I am truly sorry and ask for your forgiveness as I strive to make amends and bind your wounds.

The claim also alleges that, as a result of the authority and power vested in Clergy by the Archdiocese, the Archdiocese is vicariously liable for the acts and omissions of Clergy, including the sexual, physical and psychological abuse of the Parishioners by Clergy. Further, through the close and direct relationship between the Archdiocese and Clergy, and as a result of providing Clergy with the opportunity to abuse their power and take advantage of a relationship with remarkable power imbalance – and a relationship of psychological and spiritual intimacy – the plaintiff and the class allege that the Archdiocese breached its fiduciary duty to Parishioners and is liable for Clergy’s conduct.

We hope that this lawsuit bring survivors forward to get the compensation they deserve in a manner that prevents the need for survivors to publicly litigate their own individual case and to pursue compensation for their experience in a manner that avoids re-traumatization.

Personal information that you provide to us for the purpose of determining your possible involvement in the class action will be treated as private. Read our privacy policy for more information.

Please fill out the online form below.

You can use the “Save and Continue Later” option (at the bottom of the page) if you need to finish filling it out at another time.

Alternatively, you can download a fillable PDF form instead, and fill it out using a PDF reader software such as Adobe Acrobat Reader and email it to [email protected] with the subject line: Archdiocese Vancouver.

Please note you will need an internet connection to submit the form.