BOB ABERNETHY: As the U.S. Roman Catholic Church continues to crack down on priestly sex abuse, growing concerns about the civil rights of accused priests. Since early this year, nearly 300 priests have resigned or been dismissed because of abuse allegations, and some of them say they've been falsely accused.

This week, in Boston, a former altar boy dropped his lawsuit against a priest after questions arose about the credibility of the allegations. And a priest in Illinois filed a defamation suit against the Peoria diocese for publishing what he says are false allegations against him. Priests in at least five other dioceses have sued their accusers.

We want to talk about the civil rights of accused priests with the President of the National Federation of Priests' Councils, which represent the big majority of American Catholic priests. He is Father Robert Silva, and he joins us from Chicago. Father, welcome. If a priest thinks he has been wrongly accused, does he have the right to sue his accuser?

Reverend ROBERT J. SILVA (National Federation of Priests' Councils): Well, let me put it this way: the first thing that is in the mind of a priest and in the mind of those of us in pastoral work today is the healing and the return to the fullness of life of those who have been sexually abused by priests -- that's our principal concern. But when you have a false accusation, priests, who are usually gentle and compassionate people, do have a right to self-defense, even the use of entering into a civil suit.

ABERNETHY: So what's the process then, Father? Somebody comes up and makes an accusation against a priest and then what -- it's up to the bishop to decide whether it's credible?

Rev. SILVA: Well, most of the dioceses do have committees that try to discern whether the allegation is credible. The problem is, what's the criteria that's involved? What kinds of criteria are used to make that judgment? And sometimes it becomes a judgment call, and that's where the priests feel there is some problem.