Just three weeks after a church court ruled that he should be removed from office, Episcopal Bishop Charles E. Bennison Jr. faces the start of an unusual civil trial today that could cost the financially struggling Diocese of Pennsylvania millions of dollars.
Bennison, 63, is being sued for damages in Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas by the Rev. David Moyer, who alleges that Bennison used fraud and deception to defrock him as a priest of the diocese six years ago.
Moyer’s attorney, John Lewis, said that Moyer v. Bennison appears to be the first trial in American jurisprudence involving “the ecclesiastical discipline of a priest in a hierarchical church.”
Is this an indication of redress available against Mrs Schori and Goodwin Proctor for the raft of depositions and inhibitions they initiated or advised on? Given the failure to follow canons or any basic procedure would they have a leg to stand on?
what’s the statute of limitations in Pa?
O boy o boy, things are really starting to get interesting in Pennsylvania. We have the Bishop under threat for the cover up, and now something he thought long gone coming back to bite him.
We surely do live in interesting times.
Jon R
How do statute of limitation s apply, Roy? This thing has been awaiting trial for years.
I believe the trial will be very interesting because of this:
“………in a hierarchical church.”
Is it, or isn’t it? I thought there was some question during one of the many court hearings in VA, or somewhere….
Grandmother in SC
ok, filed a whileback and just now coming to trial. I mis-read the article.
It just goes to show the limits of a denomination’s power. If the Diocese or TEC does not not demonstrate how its Canons provided due process then it can be held accountable by secular courts. This rector has been deprived of his livelihood, if it can be proven that this has been done in an arbitrary and capricious manner by the diocese then they will be held in judgement.