Helena, Mont. – The Diocese of Helena received information this morning that another complaint against the Diocese had been filed. The initial reading of the complaint reveals difficulty in clearly identifying some of the defendants, but it appears the majority were members of religious orders or congregations, rather than the Diocese of Helena.

Last Wednesday, a separate complaint was filed against the diocese, and many of the male defendents listed in today's filing were also named in last week's complaint. No Diocese of Helena priests were named in the Sept. 21 complaint.

Diocesan lawyers are looking at the complex legal issues involved in this complaint, and the diocese will issue further comment once today's complaint has been thoroughly reviewed.

The Diocese of Helena already has in place an extensive Safe Environment Program, which trains all people who will be working with children and all diocesan employees to recognize the signs of abuse and how to deal with suspected instances of it. A recent independent audit shows that the Diocese is in full compliance with all national expectations since the Dallas Charter of 2002.

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