5.13.12 Assistance for Priests with Legal Costs

The archdiocese provides priests with a legal defense in the same manner as employees of the archdiocese as required by California law. If the conduct is not within the scope of the priest’s assignment, like other employees of the archdiocese, the priest is responsible for his own legal costs. Occasionally, particular arrangements for an incardinated priest may be made with the moderator of the curia. Parishes may not fund legal costs without specific authority of the moderator of the curia and parish funds may never be used to provide bail payments. The responsibility of assisting priests who belong to religious institutes or those incardinated in other dioceses, whose legal costs do not arise out of the scope of their assignment in the archdiocese, remains with their own superiors or bishops.​

7-26-21