OAKLAND, California (AP) — Six women and one man who alleged they were sexually abused by a Roman Catholic priest decades ago filed two separate lawsuits on Wednesday alleging the Diocese of Oakland was negligent in hiring the priest and failed to warn parents of potential abuse.

The lawsuits, filed in Alameda County Superior Court, call into question how the diocese handled the case of the Rev. Stephen Kiesle, a priest who pleaded no contest to misdemeanor child molestation in 1978.

After his criminal case, Kiesle asked the Vatican to laicise him in a petition that was supported by diocese officials.

The Associated Press in April obtained much of Kiesle's laicization file, including a letter that bears the signature of then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, who is now Pope Benedict XVI. In the letter to diocese officials, Ratzinger said the arguments for removing Kiesle were of "grave significance", but added that such action required careful review and more time.

Jeff Anderson, an attorney representing the plaintiffs, said then-Oakland bishop John C. Cummins and other church officials knew there were multiple allegations of abuse against Kiesle, and did nothing to prevent the priest from continuing to access children.

"They chose to keep secret — to not warn the parents of children, not tell police, not tell parishioners," said Anderson. "They were more concerned with saving face and protecting their reputation than with the well-being of these children."

Mike Brown, spokesman for the diocese, said officials had not yet seen the lawsuits. He said after Kiesle pleaded no contest to the charges of abuse, the diocese did not allow him to function as a priest, offered him counselling, and eventually supported his laicisation.