(Mark Pratt, AP) A lawsuit
brought by a former altar boy who said he was raped as a child in the
1960s by a now-deceased Roman Catholic bishop in Massachusetts has been
settled, the sides announced Friday. The plaintiff identified in court papers as John Doe alleged in the suit filed in February 2021
that not only was he abused by former Diocese of Springfield Bishop
Christopher Weldon as well as two other clergy, but also that the church
engaged in a yearslong coverup to protect the bishop’s reputation and
legacy. (...)