The U.S. Supreme Court has denied a request by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Bridgeport to continue a stay on releasing sex abuse documents.
Justice Ruth Bader Ginsberg denied the diocese's application to continue the stay until the nation's high court decides whether it will review the case.
Ralph Johnson III, attorney for the diocese, said church officials are considering whether to ask all nine justices to rule on the stay request.
The Connecticut Supreme Court has ruled that more than 12,000 pages of documents from more than 20 lawsuits against priests should be unsealed.
The records could reveal details on how retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan handled the allegations when he was Bridgeport bishop from 1988 to 2000.