Former diocesan leader alleges Muller thwarted investigation of choir boy abuse

A former chairman of the lay diocesan council in Regensburg, Germany, has alleged that Vatican Cardinal Gerhard Müller "systematically" prevented the investigation of abuse in Germany's famous "Regensburger Domspatzen" boys' choir during his time as Bishop of Regensburg.
The allegations against Müller, who is now the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, coincided with 60 further alleged abuse victims coming forward since Ulrich Weber, an independent lawyer, published an interim report in January which showed that three times as many boys had been abused between 1953 and 1992 than reported by the diocese.

http://ncronline.org/news/accountability/former-diocesan-leader-alleges-m-ller-thwarted-investigation-choir-boy-abuse 

‘Evil-doer’ or inspiration? The dilemma of Father John Gallagher

Father John Gallagher has spent much of the past week portraying himself to media outlets in Ireland and Florida as a whistleblower punished by the Catholic Diocese of Palm Beach for alerting authorities to a pedophile priest.
But with the blessing of Bishop Gerald Barbarito, another version of Gallagher is emerging from diocese employees and parishioners. They paint an unflattering portrait of an egotistical problem-priest who spread lies about the diocese because he was passed over for a promotion for at least the second time in six years.

http://www.mypalmbeachpost.com/news/news/evil-doer-or-inspiration-the-dilemma-of-father-joh/nqFzN/ 

Leona’s story: “I don’t want this happening to anyone else’

On her honeymoon, Leona pretended she was a virgin. After all, she was a devout Vancouver Catholic who was taught that sex outside marriage was sinful. But Leona had a great deal of early teenage sexual experience before she married -- all of it with her own Catholic priest, Father John Edward McCann.
A letter to the editor in today’s Vancouver Sun brought back memories about the years in which I wrote more than 120 articles about clergy sex abuse, including in residential schools. The surprising letter came from Coquitlam’s Leona Huggins, a survivor of teenage abuse at the hands of Catholic priest John Edward McCann.

http://blogs.vancouversun.com/2016/01/29/leonas-story-i-dont-want-this-happening-to-anyone-else/

Absent empathy; Pell is hiding behind Roman's Skirts

There is now every chance George Pell will not return to Australia to face the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.
Suppressed medical certificates allowed him to delay giving testimony in December, and it looks likely a similar appeal will be made on his behalf next week.

https://www.thesaturdaypaper.com.au/2016/01/30/absent-empathy/14540724002816 

Activists Demand Justice for Victims of Pedophile Priests

Activist accuse Catholic authorities for failing to conduct an investigation and said abuse against kids occurred in seven indigenous communities. Mexican activists, including priests, have launched a campaign accusing Mexico's Catholic Archdiocese of protecting Rev. Gerardo Silvestre Hernandez, who is believed to have sexually abused about 100 children

http://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Activists-Demand-Justice-for-Victims-of-Pedophile-Priests-20160129-0025.html

Convicted molester gets to be around kids

Holding signs and childhood photos at a sidewalk news conference, clergy sex abuse victims and their supporters will--hand out copies of a two page “sentencing modification” document,--blast Jackson County prosecutors for agreeing to let an convicted child molester be around kids,
--prod church officials, where the predator was a deacon, to aggressively seek out others who may have seen, suspected or suffered his crimes, and--urge those with information or suspicions about child sex crimes and cover ups to keep calling police and prosecutors, not church officials.

BISHOP FONDLES THREE GIRLS’ BOOBS

Holly Cross Church bishop and owner of Rekai Tangwena Children’s Home in Nyanga — Livingstone Tonderai Nerwande — is alleged to have indecently assaulted three vulnerable children at his orphanage.
Nerwande, who rose to fame in the 1990s when he was still a Anglican Church priest through his exorcism powers, is expected to appear in court today facing six counts of indecent charges.

http://www.thezimbabwedaily.com/news/49351-bishop-fondles-three-girls-boobs.html

Police investigate alleged child molestation at Hammond school

School officials promised parents transparency as police investigate an alleged case of child molestation at St. Casimir Catholic School in Hammond, Indiana. The incident allegedly occurred at St. Casimir during school hours. Investigators said the mother of the child reported the incident to police.
A spokesperson with the Catholic Diocese of Gary said police contacted the school's principal to make her aware of the complaint. A note was sent home to parents to let them know about the investigation.

http://abc7chicago.com/news/police-investigate-alleged-child-molestation-at-hammond-school/1178678/ 

Parents converge on St. Casimir over sexual abuse allegations

A teary St. Casimir principal spoke to parents asking for their understanding, prayer and patience as Hammond police investigate an alleged child molestation incident reported to police Monday.
“My daughter goes to this school, too. I know all of you want peace of mind as parents,” St. Casimir Principal Lorenza Pastrick said. “We have great parents and staff here. I can’t, and won’t, let any of our children be at risk.”

http://www.nwitimes.com/news/local/lake/parents-converge-on-st-casimir-over-sexual-abuse-allegations/article_13d1e490-436f-58a6-9a6f-8c2b80f8e6d1.html 

Mexico's Catholic Church is being accused of protecting a priest who allegedly sexually abused about 100 children.

During a press conference, a letter written by the mother of one victim was read aloud, according to EFE (via Fox News Latino). It was directed to Pope Francis, who is scheduled to visit Mexico in February.
In the letter, the mother asked the pontiff for justice for the victims in order to assure that "this doesn't happen again," the news outlet added. The accused is Rev. Gerardo Silvestre Hernández, whose first sexual abuse allegedly took place almost a decade ago.

http://www.godismysalvation.com/t23746-catholic-church-in-mexico-protecting-a-priest-accused-of-sexually-abusing-100-children 

Four ID themselves as survivors of sexual abuse

Two men and two women who have filed lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Santa Fe each took the podium at a public “rally for survivors” event Wednesday to drop their anonymity and identify themselves as survivors of sexual abuse by priests.
The four, identified in lawsuits as John or Jane Does, told about 100 people that they were abused as children by priests, and described their later battles with guilt, shame and substance abuse. The disclosures followed those in December of two men who are suing the archdiocese.

http://www.abqjournal.com/713515/news/four-id-selves-as-abuse-victims.html 

NSW child abuse compensation claims statute of limitations should be lifted, survivors better supported

The NSW Government is under pressure to act immediately to introduce legislation to lift the statute of limitations that bars victims of abuse in institutional care from pursuing civil compensation cases.

The call came as the NSW Government reached legal settlements with women who were abused as girls at the Parramatta Girls Training School.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-28/push-to-lift-statute-of-limitations-on-nsw-child-abuse-claims/7120522 

Youth club volunteer preyed on victim, 13

Richard Blackburn, a volunteer at the Congregational Church Youth Club in Raphoe, Co Donegal, attacked Rachel McAuley for up to two years and even put a bed in the vehicle.
Ms McAuley yesterday waived her anonymity so that Blackburn could be named in court. He groomed his victim at the youth club between 2000 and 2002. Ms McAuley was 13 when the abuse began and was just short of her 15th birthday when it ended.

http://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/youth-club-volunteer-preyed-on-victim-13-378573.html 

Commission names Tas sex offender

A convicted child sex offender and former priest who changed his name while in prison has failed in a bid to be preserve his "blameless" new identity.
Garth Hawkins, now 70, spent almost six years in jail for offences against seven boys while he worked as an Anglican priest at different townships across Tasmania in the 1970s and 1980s.

http://www.townsvillebulletin.com.au/news/breaking-news/child-sex-offenders-to-give-evidence/news-story/0f4d8d4bf69c6784a1fb78e1cfc16754 

Boys' club 'a sitting duck' for child sexual abuse, Anglican ex-priest and paedophile says

A disgraced former Anglican priest has told a child sexual abuse inquiry in Hobart that a poorly managed boys' club is a "sitting duck" for paedophiles, and that the church's culture encourages offending.

The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse is examining the Anglican Church and its youth group, the Church of England Boys Society (CEBS), at a public hearing in Hobart. 

 

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-28/anglican-priest-says-boys-club-cebs-sitting-duck-for-paedophiles/7119946 

Kiwi actor wins name suppression

A New Zealand actor facing charges of sex offences against four women has won his battle for interim name suppression.

The man, in his 40s, appeared in Auckland District court on Thursday before Judge John Bergseng. In November he pleaded not guilty to four charges of indecent assault and two of sexual violation.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/30674427/kiwi-actor-wins-name-suppression/ 

Diocese issues lengthy defense to whistleblower’s claims

For the second time this week, the Diocese of Palm Beach issued a powerful rejection of claims made by a priest that he had been “frozen out” of the church after informing authorities that a colleague showed pornographic material to a minor.
Widening its defense against the assertions of Father John Gallagher, the Palm Beach Gardens-based diocese on Thursday defended its record in reporting and combating sexual abuse by priests since 2002, when the second bishop in four years departed over a sex scandal.

http://www.palmbeachpost.com/news/news/crime-law/disapointed-diocese-issues-lengthy-defense-to-whis/nqFJC/

Victims group claims Catholic clergy abuser list is incomplete

Two weeks ago the Seattle Catholic Archdiocese posted a list of 77 clergy members who are deemed by the church to be abusers of children. A victims group claims that predator list is incomplete.
"I'm a Catholic through and through," said Steve Snider, "but I can't go to church. I tried." Snider still has his faith, but says he has lost his church. He was one of the handful of people standing outside of St James Thursday.

http://www.king5.com/story/news/local/seattle/2016/01/28/victims-group-claims-catholic-clergy-abuser-list-incomplete/79490488/ 

Turnbull government to start negotiations on national child abuse redress scheme

Abuse victims: it's not your fault Victims of child sexual abuse are made to feel "they are to blame for what happened" but in reality it's because they were "not being supported".

The Turnbull government has agreed to lead a national redress scheme for child sexual abuse survivors but has not committed to contributing any shortfall funding for institutions that cannot pay compensation.

http://www.smh.com.au/federal-politics/political-news/turnbull-government-to-start-negotiations-on-national-child-abuse-redress-scheme-20160129-gmgqyh.html 

Tennis Pro Says Priest Abused Him in New Jersey

Lake Bluff resident David Ohlmuller says he was abused several times more than 30 years ago at a Catholic Church.
David Ohlmuller, a Lake Bluff man who has become known around the North Shore for teaching platform tennis and is a hall of famer in the sport, recently came forward with allegations of sexual abuse against a Roman Catholic priest in New Jersey.

http://patch.com/illinois/lakeforest/tennis-pro-says-priest-abused-him-new-jersey

Survivor: Why Isn't My Abuser On Seattle Archdiocese's List?

Steve O’Connor was 63 when he told his full story – to a jury in King County. "When Dan Adamson came to my house and I’m 12 years old, he says, 'I’ve selected Steve as my special boy,'" he said.
Adamson was O’Connor’s seventh grade teacher at St. Benedict School in Seattle’s Wallingford neighborhood. And for two years, he raped O’Connor routinely at school, in motels and in a basement room O’Connor calls the "torture chamber."

http://kuow.org/post/survivor-why-isnt-my-abuser-seattle-archdioceses-list 

'I've been frozen out by the Church for warning police about paedophile

An Irish priest who called police in Florida after a colleague showed child porn images to a 14-year-old boy says he has been "frozen out" by the Catholic Church over his stance.
Fr John A Gallagher (48) is living in a friend's home after locks at his parochial house were changed and he was placed on medical leave by his bishop in the Diocese of Palm Beach.

http://www.independent.ie/world-news/americas/ive-been-frozen-out-by-the-church-for-warning-police-about-paedophile-34392990.html 

We were just lucky, you and me

“So I guess we just got lucky. You and me.” That line was from the Oscar-nominated movie “Spotlight,” recently shown at the Salina Art Center Cinema. It also recently won the best picture at the Critics’ Choice Awards.
In the movie, Robby Robinson, a Boston Globe editor who grew up a good Catholic in Boston, was told by a classmate that when the classmate was younger that Father James Talbot sexually abused him.

http://www.salina.com/opinion/we-were-just-lucky-you-and-me/article_a83bbb46-98a3-5a5e-91f1-1b3ea1e4fd27.html 

Bishop speaks out following controversy in Battle Creek

The Bishop of the Catholic Diocese of Kalamazoo spoke to Newschannel 3 Friday night, after an Archbishop abruptly resigned due to fallout from allegations of covering up sex abuse in a different diocese.
Bishop Paul Bradley tells Newschannel 3 that he didn't mean to hurt people when appointing Archbishop John Nienstedt in Battle Creek. He says he agrees with the Archbishop's decision to leave, and Bishop Bradley hopes he can regain trust in the community.

http://wwmt.com/news/local/bishop-speaks-out-following-controversy-in-battle-creek 

In the 'Spotlight' - required viewing

Looking back over 2015, probably the biggest thing that happened in our part of the world was the whirlwind visit of Pope Francis.
Parts of Lower Merion and Wynnefield, and Saint Joseph’s University, will forever carry the honor of having housed or seen Pope Francis at their addresses. His message of compassion and love touched all of us, Catholics and non-Catholics alike.

http://mainlinemedianews.com/articles/2016/01/23/main_line_times/opinion/doc569e700f8286c538596208.txt 

Cardinal Müller accused of “systemic” abuse cover-up in former diocese

A former official in the Diocese of Regensburg (Germany) has accused Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), of systematically covering up sexual abuse cases during his decade as bishop of the Bavarian diocese.
Fritz Wallner, who once worked as chairman of Regensburg’s lay diocesan council, claims that the then-Bishop Müller and his vicar-general, Mgr Michael Fuchs, introduced what Mr Wallner called, “The Regensburg System”, which prevented such abuse cases from coming to light.

http://ilsismografo.blogspot.de/2016/01/germania-cardinal-muller-accused-of.html

A Catholic schoolboy was assaulted in Sydney, police allege

In January 2016, police have charged two men (now elderly) regarding sexual offences (including buggery) which allegedly were committed forty years ago against an 11-year-old Catholic schoolboy in Liverpool, a suburb in south-western Sydney. These offences allegedly occurred at a church-owned address after school had finished for the day.
Details will become clearer during court proceedings later in 2016. Until the late 1980s, Catholic boys in Liverpool were taught by Patrician Brothers, who lived nearby in a Brothers' residence in George Street, Liverpool.

http://brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/390 

Church staff should “protect kids by publicizing new legal option”

As Catholics enter and leave mass, sex abuse victims will hand leaflets to them. The fliers ask parishioners to urge Savannah’s bishop:--permanently post on church websites the names of all predator priests who have worked or lived – or now work or live – in the diocese, and --spread the word about a new Georgia law that makes kids safer by enabling child sex abuse victims to file civil lawsuits against “those who commit or conceal sexual violence.”

They will also prod “anyone who saw, suspected or suffered child sex crimes or cover ups” in any institution to “speak up, expose wrongdoers and protect kids” by calling secular authorities “like police, prosecutors” or “independent sources of help like therapists and support groups,” not church officials.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ga_snap_church_staff_should_protect_kids_by_publicizing_new_legal_option 

Former SA Anglican archbishop Ian George to appear at sexual abuse royal commission

FORMER Anglican Archbishop Ian George will be publicly questioned for the first time over the diocese’s handling of allegations of sexual abuse committed by notorious paedophile Robert Brandenburg.
Dr George, who resigned as archbishop in 2004 as a result of a damning report into the Adelaide dioceses’ handling of the Brandenburg allegations, is a key witness at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse public hearing in Hobart this week.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/south-australia/former-sa-anglican-archbishop-ian-george-to-appear-at-sexual-abuse-royal-commission/news-story/1c467ef56a2fa6673e576024ad800669 

NCR Thread Filling Up with Homophobic Charges That Catholic Abuse Crisis Is Rooted in Homosexuality

A footnote about what I posted earlier today regarding the documents just made public by St. John's Benedictine Abbey in Minnesota, re: monks credibly accused of having abused minors: as happens so often in the toxic, homophobic context of American Catholicism when stories about sexual abuse by Catholic clergy are made public,
a string of people have already logged into the thread discussing Brian Roewe's story to sling around the usual accusations about homosexuals abusing boys. Check out the thread started by Marty Eble's comment setting that line of discussion rolling.

http://en.paperblog.com/footnote-to-discussion-of-st-john-s-abbey-story-ncr-thread-filling-up-with-homophobic-charges-that-catholic-abuse-crisis-is-rooted-in-homosexuality-1402341/

Archbishop controversy shows blind spots remain in Catholic hierarchy

Archbishop John Nienstedt, leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, rides in a vehicle in St. Paul, Minn., on his way to giving a deposition April 2, 2014. Attorneys for victims of alleged sexual abuse by priests are releasing the deposition of Nienstedt.

It was the first time since he became archbishop six years ago that he has had to answer these questions under oath. The deposition was taken as part of a lawsuit filed by a man who claims a priest abused him in the 1970s. 

http://www.mlive.com/opinion/index.ssf/2016/01/archbishop_controversy_shows_b.html

20 more ‘old boys’ speak to police investigating alleged historic sex abuse at St Ambrose College

Police investigating alleged sex abuse at a top Catholic school have uncovered 20 more possible victims and witnesses. The ‘old boys’ have come forward with more allegations of abuse at St Ambrose College in Hale Barns near Altrincham, we understand. Some have claimed they were the victims of sexual abuse by teachers at the school when they were pupils while others have come forward as potential witnesses.

Police investigating alleged sex abuse at a top Catholic school have uncovered 20 more possible victims and witnesses. The ‘old boys’ have come forward with more allegations of abuse at St Ambrose College in Hale Barns near Altrincham, we understand.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/20-more-old-boys-speak-698842

Salon Magazine Blames all Modern Sexual Hang-Ups on… Catholics, of Course!

In its latest hit-piece on the Catholic Church, Salon Magazine lays all the blame for 15 modern sexual disorders on the Church, as if somehow an organization founded to promote the teachings of Jesus Christ were responsible for society’s rampant obsession with sex.

Writer Valerie Tarico clearly has a bone to pick with Catholics and Christianity in general, as she lays out what she considers the worst of modern sexual hang-ups and their insidious connections with the Catholic Church. Never mind that statistically Catholics have no more sexual hang-ups than the rest of the population—the Church must be the problem, she insists.

http://www.breitbart.com/big-government/2016/01/26/salon-magazine-blames-all-modern-sexual-hang-ups-on-catholics-of-course/ 

Pervert priest was Blackley scoutmaster

COMMUNITY members are in shock after a former scout master was jailed for sexually abusing a string of boys 20 years ago. Father William Green - an ex-master of the St Clare's pack in Blackley - systematically molested 'vulnerable and impressionable' youngsters at a top Catholic school in Manchester. 

The 67-year-old priest admitted to sexually assaulting pupils aged 11 to 15 at St Bede's Boys' School, Alexandra Park, while he worked as a religious education teacher.  COMMUNITY members are in shock after a former scout master was jailed for sexually abusing a string of boys 20 years ago.

http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/local-news/pervert-priest-was-blackley-scoutmaster-969616 

From the collection basket to the bank: Lax practices mean lost money

Sin and the Trinity. These are two elementary points of Catholic theology in the work of Michael W. Ryan, a retired U.S. Postal security specialist, who has spent more than two decades alerting church authorities to fixing accounting lapses in parish collections.
First, sin. Ryan has focused since 1988 on what he calls the point "between the collection basket and the bank deposit." The resident of Milton, Mass., worked for the postal service in security, and knew from first-hand experience that, even with top-of-the-line procedures in place, there will be at least some postal employees tempted to embezzle.

http://ncronline.org/blogs/ncr-today/collection-basket-bank-lax-practices-mean-lost-money 

Catholic officials punish whistleblowers

Victims blast Palm Beach bishop Catholic officials punish whistleblowers And they wanted to help a predator flee Support group wants law enforcement to investigate SNAP: “Those who conceal abuse should also face charges
WHAT Holding signs and childhood photos at a news conference, clergy sex abuse victims will blast Palm Beach’s Catholic bishop for retaliating against a whistleblower priest who called law enforcement when a colleague admitted child sex crimes and a nun who helped the whistleblower. The victims will also urge the bishop to

 ^{http://www.snapnetwork.org/fl_catholic_officials_punish_whistleblowers}

Bronx Priest Accused of Abuse Resigns from Lehman PAC Board

A Bronx priest accused of abusing minors has resigned from the board of the Lehman Center for the Performing Arts.
Father Richard Gorman, director of prison chaplains for the archdiocese, has been accused of abusing minors 30 years ago, and he will not be allowed to function publicly as a priest until the accusations are resolved, according to the Archdiocese of New York.

https://www.dnainfo.com/new-york/20160125/williamsbridge/bronx-priest-accused-of-abuse-resigns-from-lehman-pac-board 

Catholic Church accused of "huge hypocrisy" over child sex abuse

A lawyer representing alleged victims of child sexual abuse by Catholic priests, has accused the church of denying in the courtroom any compassion they are showing in public.

It comes as a group of survivors prepare to take their former diocese to court after allegations of an institutional cover-up. The claims date back to the 1950s and relate to pupils at St Bede's in Manchester.

https://www.premierchristianradio.com/News/UK/Catholic-Church-accused-of-huge-hypocrisy-over-child-sex-abuse

Brisbane archbishop blamed for 1980s abuse

A royal commission has been told that an incumbent Anglican archbishop was partly to blame for putting a boy in the bed of an abusing priest.  A victim of child sexual abuse has blamed the now-Brisbane Anglican archbishop for putting him in bed with the perpetrating priest.
Giving evidence to a royal commission in Hobart on Wednesday, the 52-year-old who cannot be named for legal reasons recounted how he was raped in January 1981, then aged 17, at Triabunna on Tasmania's east coast.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2016/01/27/brisbane-archbishop-blamed-1980s-abuse 

14 years after the Globe: Minneapolis Star Tribune doggedly pursues local sex-abuse saga

I had been at the Washington Times for more than seven years editing the pop-culture page, when I was tapped to become the paper’s religion editor in 2003. I’d been doing a fair amount of religion reporting before that, but I hadn’t covered the beat full-time since my stint at the Houston Chronicle in the late 1980s.

One thing that had changed in the intervening years was how the sex abuse crisis in the Catholic Church was all over the news, and had been since early 2002. That was the year that religion reporters around the country had to grind out piece after piece on all the revelations first pouring out of Boston and then in dioceses around the country.

http://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2016/1/25/minneapolis-star-trib-doggedly-pursues-catholic-sex-abuse-saga 

Ex-preacher molested girl for 3 years at church

A former Stone County preacher has been found guilty in the sexual battery of a girl at the church he previously led, District Attorney Joel Smith said. Carlos Smith, 55, of Saucier, was pastor of Unity Baptist Church and the girl was 11 when the sexual abuse began in 2011 and continued for three years, said the DA, no relation to Carlos Smith.
A Stone County jury delivered a guilty verdict Friday after deliberating about two hours. Circuit Judge Roger Clark set Carlos Smith's sentencing for Feb. 15 and ordered him taken into custody.

http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article56144625.html

Read more here: http://www.sunherald.com/news/local/crime/article56144625.html#storylink=cpy

Local priest put on leave by Diocese

The Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown said that the Rev. Charles F. Bodziak has been placed on leave from the ministry.
Bodziak's leave is said to be a precautionary measure while the diocese re-examines an earlier allegation of sexual misconduct involving minors dating back over 30 years. The diocese said Bodziak, 74, was ordained in 1967 and has served as a pastor of St. Michael Parish in St. Michael since 2010.

http://wjactv.com/news/local/local-priest-put-on-leave-by-diocese 

Archbishop of Adelaide, Ian George, resigns

DAVID HARDAKER: The Anglican Church's mishandling of child sex abuse allegations in Australia has claimed another high profile resignation. After mounting pressure following a critical report last week, the Archbishop of Adelaide, Dr Ian George, has issued a statement this afternoon announcing his resignation effective as of tonight.
An independent inquiry had looked at complaints of sexual abuse by Church officials in South Australia going back 50 years. That inquiry found that the Church's priority was often to protect itself, to the extent of threatening some alleged victims with legal action should their claims prove false.

http://www.abc.net.au/pm/content/2004/s1130304.htm 

By The Numbers: The Catholic Church's Sex Abuse Scandals

On the last day of his trip to the U.S. Pope Francis finally met with victims of clergy sexual abuse.  It took visits across 15 countries and the last day of his trip to the U.S. before a traveling Pope Francis met with survivors of sexual abuse by the clergy, calling them “true heralds of mercy.”

“God weeps for the sexual abuse of children,” Francis said in Philadelphia, after meeting with hundreds of bishops and seminarians as well as privately with victims of clergy sexual abuse. “I am overwhelmed by the shame that people who were in charge of caring for those young ones raped them and caused them great damages.”

http://www.vocativ.com/news/235015/by-the-numbers-the-catholic-churchs-sex-abuse-scandals/ 

‘Spotlight’ portrayal of sex abuse scandal is making the Catholic Church uncomfortable all over again

“Spotlight,” a new film about the Catholic clergy abuse scandal’s explosion in 2002, begs the question: How are things different in 2015?
Dozens of U.S. church leaders have in the past few days been offering answers in the form of public statements, with some primarily focusing on the survivors and others casting the scandal as fully in the past and framing the church as the leader today in a society that hasn’t fully dealt with the problem.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/acts-of-faith/wp/2015/11/09/spotlight-portrayal-of-sex-abuse-scandal-is-making-the-catholic-church-uncomfortable-all-over-again/ 

Priest has a young and hidden lover called Mary

My name is Mary. My priest is Joe. I’m answering questions written by Rev Daniel. Where did you meet? l met him at my parish when he came to teach us music. We were preparing to record our album as a youth group, actually he was our producer. What made him so attractive? His voice attracted me because when he’s singing he’s so sweet!
How is he as a man? He’s very good. I can’t even compare him with my boyfriend..he’s too good. Who was the first to show any signs of affection?  He was the first to show signs of affection. He asked for my number indirectly, not knowingly. Looking back it seems that he had an agenda. In fact he started calling me many times and taking more than an hour for each call. He was telling me sweet things and how beautiful l was.

https://maltesemarriedcatholicpriest.wordpress.com/2016/01/25/priest-has-a-young-and-hidden-lover-called-mary/ 

Shedding Light – Child Abuse Whistleblower Takes a Stand

Why isn’t Child Abuse front and centre in all media publications and broadcasts? Our tellurian multitude is awakening and apropos good wakeful of a systemic, widespread and pestilence issues that approximate all matters relations to Child Abuse, paedophiles and predators and a issues that retard a law from being centre-stage on all mainstream and choice media.
The theme matter is outrageous and a impact of withdrawal a emanate unaddressed is zero brief of catastrophic. My name is Amanda Gabriel Prosser and we am a recognized Australian Child Abuse Whistleblower.

http://www.mylifeinqoutes.com/trending-news/shedding-light-child-abuse-whistleblower-takes-a-stand/ 

Lists of accused ND priests still under wraps

FARGO -- Over the years, nearly 30 Roman Catholic dioceses around the country have publicly disclosed a list naming priests accused of sexually abusing children.

Sometimes these lists held no surprises -- the priests named were already known as alleged predators. But often these lists revealed new names, shedding light on dark corners of the church.

http://www.thedickinsonpress.com/news/north-dakota/3931586-lists-accused-nd-priests-still-under-wraps 

Catholic clergy scandal: Possibly just 5 of 77 sexual abusers convicted

It’s possible that just five of the 77 Catholic priests and clergy members in Western Washington identified as likely sex abusers of children were ever convicted.
The Seattle Times reported Sunday that it came to that conclusion after analyzing a list published this month by the Seattle Archdiocese. The list includes names of priests and other clergy who served or lived in western Washington since the 1920s “for whom allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have been admitted, established or determined to be credible” following a two-year review by a consultant and an archdiocese-appointed board.

http://www.columbian.com/news/2016/jan/24/catholic-clergy-scandal-possibly-just-5-of-77-sexual-abusers-convicted/ 

A VERY SHORT HISTORY OF CLERGY SEXUAL ABUSE IN THE CATHOLIC CHURCH

Sexual abuse by Catholic clergy became the subject of widespread publicly in 1984 with the celebrated case of Father Gilbert Gauthe in Lafayette, Louisiana.  This led to numerous revelations of similar cases of abuse around the United States and in other countries as well.  At the outset of the present era the crisis was erroneously referred to as a “pedophilia problem.” 
Experience has shown that only 20% of clergy perpetrators are true pedophiles while the majority are classified as ephebophiles since their victims are younger adolescents.  The publicity generated from the abuse cases involving minor victims has also provoked revelations of widespread clergy sexual abuse of vulnerable adults, mostly women.  In any event, the age and gender of the victim are irrelevant since the sexual encounter constitutes abusive behavior by a trusted clergyman perpetrated on one with less emotional strength and spiritual power than the priest and one who is in a vulnerable position from which he or she cannot mount an adequate defense.

http://www.crusadeagainstclergyabuse.com/htm/AShortHistory.htm 

Are People Emotionally Manipulating You? Here’s How to Stop it:

If you are reading this right now, then chances are you have been manipulated by someone at some point in your life.  There is also a good chance you are being manipulated right now.  Teachers, co-workers, relationship partners, friends, and family are usually the ones who end up manipulating us because we feel as though we can trust them.  Because we feel like we can trust them, we open ourselves up to persuasion, manipulation, and being emotionally abused by them.
If we want to avoid being manipulated, the first thing you have to do is recognize that you are in fact being manipulated.  All this really requires is self-honesty and the willingness to admit to ourselves that we are being taken advantage of.  Once you recognize the problem, you can begin to fix it.  Here are 3 ways to avoid being manipulated and what you can do if you suspect someone is manipulating you:

http://thespiritscience.net/2015/07/26/are-people-emotionally-manipulating-you-heres-how-to-stop-it/ 

An ex-priest from Moree/Armidale NSW (name suppressed in an Armidale court) has been ordered to face a higher court on 76 sex-abuse charges

A former Catholic priest (from Moree and Armidale in northern New South Wales) faced 76 sex-abuse charges in the Armidale Local Court in 2012-2014. The charges involved offences which he allegedly committed against boys and  girls. For legal reasons, the Armidale magistrate imposed a media-suppression order, prohibiting publication of the ex-priest's name (at present) in relation to these Armidale Local Court charges.
The ex-priest pleaded "Guilty" to 45 of these charges, and he will eventually be sentenced on those. He pleaded "Not Guilty" to 31 other charges, and these contested charges are scheduled to go to trial in a higher court, the Sydney District Court in Sydney, beginning in early 2016. The Sydney judge will decide whether the Armidale magistrate's name-suppression order should be continued, or removed, during the Sydney District Court proceedings. Later, the ex-priest will be sentenced by the Sydney District Court regarding all the relevant charges that originated in the Armidale court, including the charges to which he has already pleaded "Guilty". Meanwhile, the ex-priest has been refused bail and he remains in custody, awaiting his court proceedings.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/223 

A problem priest from overseas was transferred to an Australian parish

In the early 1970s, there were complaints that Catholic priest Max Murray was sexually abusing children in New Zealand. Therefore, his superiors sent him to Australia, where he was allowed to minister to parishioners and school children in Sydney, a New Zealand court has been told. Murray later returned to New Zealand, where he was jailed in 2003 for some of his New Zealand crimes.
This raises the question: What did Murray get up to while he was in Australia? Father Murray was a danger to young males, although he could also experiment with a female.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/133 

Listed: 77 Washington clergy implicated in sexual abuse of minors

The Catholic Archdiocese of Seattle, on its website, has published the names of 77 clergy for whom allegations of sexual abuse of a minor have been “admitted, established or determined to be credible,” in the words of Archbishop J. Peter Sartain.
The list covers conduct from the late 1930s to the 21st century, involving priests who have served the length and breadth of the Western Washington diocese, from Assumption parish in Bellingham to St. Joseph Church in Vancouver to Our Lady of Good Help in Hoquiam. One priest served in nine different parishes. Forty-one of the priests, brothers, and religious order members listed are deceased.

http://blog.seattlepi.com/seattlepolitics/2016/01/15/archdiocese-publishes-list-of-77-catholic-clergy-whose-abuse-of-minors-was-deemed-credible/ 

Former Greenwich teacher named in RI sex abuse scandal

A former Brunswick School teacher, now in jail, has been linked to an unfolding scandal involving sexual abuse at a Rhode Island prep school.
A Boston lawyer who has been representing former students at St. George’s School in Middletown, R.I., named Timothy Tefft as one of the previously unidentified alleged perpetrators of abuse at the school. Tefft is serving five years in federal prison after his guilty plea in 2014 to a child pornography charge.

http://www.greenwichtime.com/news/article/Former-Greenwich-teacher-named-in-RI-sex-abuse-6777557.php 

Billy Doe Case Doesn’t Define Scandal

Whether or not Billy Doe was telling the truth, the Church DID cover up decades of clergy child sex abuse. The internal archdiocesan documents that emerged from the trial revealed the depravity of the institution.
We saw the memos that Msgr. Lynn received and sent. We were able to share the list Cardinal Bevilacqua kept of problem priests.

http://catholics4change.com/2016/01/22/billy-doe-case-doesnt-define-scandal/

ELI5 How is child sexual abuse so common in the Catholic church?

There are two separate but related issues here. The first is whether child rapists are unusually concentrated in the church. This has been debated and there are a variety of theories as to why it would be the case. Most commonly discussed are:
They may take jobs where they have exposure to young children for the opportunity. Sociopaths are more likely to pursue careers as clergy than other people, and are more likely to be sadistic or act on urges non-sociopaths would ignore. The stress of celibacy may lead them to take whatever opportunities they feel they can get away with. Paedophiles may seek careers as clergy hoping the culture of celibacy will help them suppress their urges, or simply explain why they have no normal sexual interests.

https://www.reddit.com/r/explainlikeimfive/comments/42c7o8/eli5_how_is_child_sexual_abuse_so_common_in_the/ 

Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse to resume Janner Investigation

Following the death of Lord Janner and the end of any prosecution against him, the Inquiry will resume its investigation into the allegations of sexual abuse made against him, as announced in April 2015.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse is a statutory inquiry set up to examine questions of institutional responsibility for failing to protect children from sexual abuse. It cannot reach findings of criminal liability against named individuals and it is not bound by the same criminal standard of proof as in a criminal trial.

https://www.iicsa.org.uk/news/independent-inquiry-into-child-sexual-abuse-to-resume-janner-investigation 

Abuse alleged in 2004 at St. George’s

Three boys came to administrators at the prestigious Rhode Island prep school St. George’s in 2004 with disturbing allegations: their dorm master had touched them inappropriately. Timothy Richards, then dean of students at the Episcopal school in Middletown, said he and the headmaster, Eric Peterson, interviewed the students.
The accused staffer left the school abruptly, and students were told he had taken a personal leave of absence. But a former school official says the school never reported the allegations to child welfare officials, as is required for credible accusations of abuse.

http://www.bostonglobe.com/metro/2016/01/22/new-sexual-abuse-allegations-george-surface-raising-questions-about-current-headmaster/UR49i0OjaJ1qS2c6SPrAPL/story.html?s_campaign=email_BG_TodaysHeadline&s_campaign= 

Spotlight: exposing a sex-abuse scandal, one story at a time

Marty Baron drove the Boston Globe’s relentless reporting of the Catholic Church’s cover-up in the US. The paper’s hard slog is now the subject of a Hollywood hit.  Shortly after the Boston Globe began to break stories about sexual abuse by priests and the decades-long cover-up by the Catholic Church, in 2002, the newspaper’s editor, Marty Baron, received a letter.

It was from a prominent Bostonian, complaining about the coverage by the newspaper and its Spotlight investigative team. He wrote that such a story would never have been pursued under previous editors of the Globe. The editors all had Irish Catholic names.

http://www.irishtimes.com/culture/film/spotlight-exposing-a-sex-abuse-scandal-one-story-at-a-time-1.2506813 

How a 53-Year-Old Murder Case Became an Issue in the Hidalgo County District Attorney Race

Irene Garza was murdered in 1960, and if a new DA is elected, the priest who has long been the prime suspect may finally be prosecuted. At a recent campaign event for Ricardo Rodriguez, a former district judge who is running to replace Rene Guerra as Hidalgo County’s district attorney, Edinburg mayor Richard Garcia took to the podium to warm up an already enthusiastic crowd.
Garcia offered boilerplate campaign rhetoric, trumpeting the 41-year-old candidate’s accomplishments and his desire to bring sweeping change to the DA’s office. But near the end of his statements, Garcia brought up Irene Garza, a young woman from McAllen who was murdered nearly 54 years ago. Garza’s killer has never been prosecuted, and the mere mention of her name moved the spectators. “How many of you want justice for Irene Garza and all the rest of us here?” he said to a deafening cheer. “Enough said,” Garcia added, smiling.

http://www.texasmonthly.com/politics/how-a-53-year-old-murder-case-became-an-issue-in-the-hidalgo-county-district-attorney-race/ 

Attorneys, author, bishop weigh in on how to prevent sex abuse by clergy

Some say preventing future sexual abuse of children by Roman Catholic clergy may depend on ending the requirement for celibacy and allowing women into the priesthood.
But if that’s not likely to happen, at least soon, then strict screening and psychological testing of those seeking ordination might be the best way to prevent future crimes by clergy against children. These differing perspectives come in the wake of confirmation by the bankruptcy court of Coeur d’Alene, Idaho, in March that settled a Chapter 11 bankruptcy and reorganization plan for the Diocese of Helena.

http://mtstandard.com/lifestyles/faith-and-values/religion/attorneys-author-bishop-weigh-in-on-how-to-prevent-sex/article_accb7f25-7034-52c0-a360-af242b7cb04c.html 

Child abuse royal commission: Art a lifeline for abuse survivor Bruce Templeton

For years, Bruce Templeton kept his windows boarded over. A hellish childhood with violent, vindictive foster parents left the 53-year-old deeply withdrawn, sometimes suicidal and distrustful of the world.
But these days, the neat rooms of his Preston unit are filled with light. And he has begun using colour, rather than just black-and-white, in the pencil and ink drawings he has produced since he was a child, a source of solace and quiet pride.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/child-abuse-royal-commission-art-a-lifeline-for-abuse-survivor-bruce-templeton-20160114-gm648x.html 

Pakistani child sex abuse victims struggle to rebuild lives

"I don't regret speaking out, but since then, people have looked at me with strange eyes," laments 16-year-old village boy Irfan. He was one of 20 children sexually abused by a gang who sold videos of the acts and used them for blackmail purposes, in a scandal that shocked Pakistan.
The police, who had conspicuously failed to act despite pleas from some parents, eventually arrested 37 men after clashes between relatives and authorities brought the issue into the media spotlight last summer, years after the abuse began.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/30610849/pakistani-child-sex-abuse-victims-struggle-to-rebuild-lives/ 

Church lawyer demands child sex abuse victim repay compensation after speaking to media

The Catholic Church is in damage control after one of its lawyers demanded that a child sex abuse survivor repay an out-of-court settlement because she spoke to the media about her case. Lawyers for the Diocese of Wagga Wagga also sought a public apology from the woman for "untruths" she told to the local newspaper.

But after being contacted by the ABC on Wednesday, the Bishop of Wagga Wagga said he did not instruct the lawyer to make the demands and he would not be pursuing abuse survivor Gina Swannell for the money.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-01-21/church-lawyer-demands-child-abuse-victim-repay-compensation/7105382 

Catholic Church moves dodgy Archbishop to fresh pastures

A Catholic Archbishop forced to resign after a major sex abuse scandal is now whining that people who object to his homophobia are out to wreck his reputation.
John Clayton Nienstedt, above, served as the Archbishop of St Paul and Minneapolis for seven years but resigned last June, shortly after a prosecutor announced criminal charges and a civil suit against the archdiocese for allegedly covering up child sex abuse.

http://freethinker.co.uk/2016/01/21/catholic-church-moves-dodgy-archbishop-to-fresh-pastures/ 

Bronx Priest Suspended in Abuse Case

A Roman Catholic priest also active in Bronx politics has been suspended from priestly duties because of allegations that he sexually abused minors three decades ago, church officials said on Thursday.

The priest, the Rev. Richard Gorman, is the director of prison chaplains for the Archdiocese of New York, with an office at the archdiocese’s headquarters in Manhattan. He lives in the northeast Bronx, where he has been chairman of Community Board 12, which weighs in on zoning and other matters, since the late 1980s.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/nyregion/bronx-priest-suspended-in-abuse-case.html 

Santa Fe art teacher confesses to inappropriately touching student

A Santa Fe art teacher was arrested and charged after confessing that he inappropriately touched a 6-year-old student. The Santa Fe County Sheriff’s Office says Aaron Dean Chavez was taken into custody Wednesday. Chavez is a teacher at Santo Nino Regional Catholic School.
It was Saturday morning when the Santa Fe Sheriff’s office says the little girl her parents had an alarming conversation. It started with a simple statement to the child’s mother about missing an old teacher.

http://krqe.com/2016/01/21/santa-fe-art-teacher-confesses-to-inappropriately-touching-student/ 

Former Fugitive Pastor in Vegas Child Sex Case Found Guilty

A former Las Vegas area pastor who fled the country after he was accused of sexually assaulting girls as young as 7 in his congregation has been found guilty.

A Clark County District Court jury on Thursday found Otis Holland, 59, guilty of 15 felony charges, including child sexual assault and lewdness. He faces life in prison, with sentencing scheduled for March 16.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/fugitive-pastor-vegas-child-sex-case-found-guilty-36429837 

Kalamazoo bishop makes more hurtful remarks

Lest anyone feel too positive about Archbishop John Nienstedt’s leaving Michigan, let us make a sad, simple point: It should not take outrage by parents, parishioners and the public to get a Catholic official who’s credibly accused of committing and concealing clergy sexual misdeeds and crimes out of ministry.
Catholic officials in Michigan and Minnesota continue to ignore the fact that six or eight or ten seminarians have accused Nienstedt of “unwanted sexual advances” against them. One reports that he faced retaliation for rejecting Nienstedt’s inappropriate and hurtful sexual moves. Several have apparently filed formal affidavits detailing their suffering.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/mi_snap_kalamazoo_bishop_makes_more_hurtful_remarks 

Hawaii Catholic Church Sues Insurer Over Sex Abuse Payouts

The church says it is about to settle dozens of claims that could total millions of dollars, but First Insurance Co. is refusing to pay.  Lawsuits against the Catholic Church alleging sexual abuse of parishioners are all too common.

But in a twist, the Roman Catholic Church in Hawaii is suing a local insurance company, alleging that the insurer won’t cover settlements arising from scores of past sexual abuses cases in the islands.

http://www.civilbeat.com/2016/01/hawaii-catholic-church-sues-insurer-over-sex-abuse-payouts/ 

Tevlin: Story of accusations vs. Jason McLean 'clawing to be told for decades'

It was 2002, and I was covering the controversy surrounding one of the city’s hippest hangouts, the Loring Bar. The landlord of the building and restaurant owner Jason McLean were feuding, and there was an attempt to evict the restaurant from the building, just across from Loring Park.

After one of my stories, a young woman called me and asked if I would have coffee with her. It’s about McLean, she said. I told her I knew why she was calling.

http://www.startribune.com/story-of-accusations-against-jason-mclean-has-been-clawing-to-be-told-for-decades/366002601/ 

Dublin Diocese 2030 – Quo vadis?

The report commissioned by the Dublin Council of Priests may be found at this link Dublin Archdiocese 2030 projection Short summary of some of the main points. A predicted 61% reduction in numbers of priests between 2014 and 2030 If Religious Orders relinquish parish responsibilities, the FTP population would fall to 111 which would represent a 70% reduction in numbers between 2014 and 2030.
(“FTP”  refers to the equivalent number of Priests working at 100% capacity.For example, if there are four Priests, two working at 100% capacity and two working at 75% capacity (due to the impact of ageing), the population for the purposes of the analysis would be 3.5 FTPs)

http://www.associationofcatholicpriests.ie/2016/01/dublin-diocese-2030-quo-vadis/ 

Sex Abuse Scandal Rocks Exclusive New England Prep School

For more than a century, St. George's School has been part of the pedigree of some of America's richest and most influential families. Astors, Vanderbilts and Bushes have attended the exclusive boarding school, where students can go sailing, play on world-class squash courts or simply enjoy a sweeping view of the sea from the hilltop campus.

But since at least the 1970s, leaders at St. George's kept a secret. Dozens of former students have come forward to say they were raped or molested by employees and schoolmates over the past four decades. St. George's acknowledged in a report it issued shortly before Christmas that it repeatedly failed to notify police and child welfare authorities as required by law.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/sex-abuse-scandal-rocks-exclusive-england-prep-school-36414483 

Church IDs past Pacific County priests as alleged child-sex abusers

At least three Roman Catholic priests stationed in Pacific County from 1958 to 1971 were identified Friday by the Archdiocese of Seattle as being among 77 Catholic clergy believed to have sexually abused Washington state children.
In one case, a Seaview priest identified by the archdiocese as a sex offender was immediately replaced by another also on the offender list. In another instance, the archdiocese has already paid a Pacific County man to settle a lawsuit over molestation by a priest in Raymond.

http://www.dailyastorian.com/Local_News/20160121/church-ids-past-pacific-county-priests-as-alleged-child-sex-abusers 

BBC staff are still afraid to speak out, four years after Jimmy Savile's death

In all major sex abuse scandals – from Rotherham to the Catholic church as well as Jimmy Savile – the perpetrators are aided by a culture of silence. And the most searing indictment in the report into the BBC’s handling of the Jimmy Savile abuse scandal is that this culture of silence continues.
Decades after children who spoke out about abuse by Savile were bustled out of the studio, BBC employees still feel too scared to speak out about their workplace in case they lose their job or fail to get promoted, according to Dame Janet Smith’s draft report. Extraordinarily, the draft report records that one teenager abused on camera was told it was “just Jimmy fooling about”.

http://www.theguardian.com/media/2016/jan/21/bbc-staff-jimmy-savile-dame-janet-smith#_=_ 

Nienstedt Leaves Michigan Diocese Amid Parish Turmoil

A priest is leaving a Battle Creek parish as some members of the southwestern Michigan diocese became angered to learn that he led a Minnesota archdiocese during a clergy sex abuse scandal.
Pastor John Fleckenstein wrote in a letter Thursday to members of St. Philip Catholic Church that Archbishop John Nienstedt decided to discontinue his work there “in light of the unintended discord that his presence was causing.”

http://minnesota.cbslocal.com/2016/01/21/nienstedt-leaves-michigan-diocese-amid-parish-turmoil/ 

Bronx reverend removed after sex abuse allegations surface

The Archdiocese of New York has announced the removal of Fr. Richard Gorman from ministry after an investigation was launched into allegations he sexually abused minors 30 years ago, according to the official newspaper of the Archdiocese of New York.
Gorman, director of prison chaplains for the archdiocese and also the longtime chairman of a Bronx community board, was accused of sexually abusing a 13-year-old male victim. The man's attorney, Mike Reck of Jeff Anderson & Associates, said his client came forward to church and law-enforcement officials around mid-2015, and that the allegations were deemed credible.

http://www.cbsnews.com/news/pastor-removed-after-decades-old-sex-abuse-allegations-surface/ 

Catholic Church’s Hold on Schools at Issue in Changing Ireland

The Roman Catholic Church has lost the battles over divorce, contraception and gay marriage in Ireland. But it still wields what some parents call the “baptism barrier”: influencing admission to public schools.

Almost all state-funded primary schools — nearly 97 percent — are under church control, and Irish law allows them to consider religion the main factor in admissions. As a practical matter, that means local schools, already oversubscribed, often choose to admit Catholics over non-Catholics.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/world/europe/ireland-catholic-baptism-school.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160121&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Draft of Inquiry Report on Jimmy Savile Cites Flaws in BBC Culture

A culture of deference to “untouchable stars,” an “above the law” attitude among members of management and a climate of fear at the BBC allowed Jimmy Savile, the disgraced British television personality, to carry out sexual assaults on children for decades, according to a leaked draft of an inquiry published on Thursday.

The 500-page draft, which was published by the news website Exaro, said the inquiry had heard from many BBC employees who knew of Mr. Savile’s predatory behavior, called the broadcaster’s investigations “wholly inadequate” and raised the possibility that other pedophiles could still be at the BBC.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/22/world/europe/inquiry-jimmy-savile-bbc.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160121&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y 

Decoding what it means to say the Vatican has a ‘gay lobby’

Since the Vatican is a global institution, understanding it often requires at least a passing familiarity with a few foreign languages. Italian is a no-brainer, Latin still helps, and in the Pope Francis era, Spanish gives you a leg up, too — especially Porteño, the brand of Spanish spoken in Francis’ native Buenos Aires.
Perhaps the most challenging language, however, is what one might call “Vaticanese,” referring to a frequently bewildering cluster of terms and phrases that have taken shape in and around the place, and often mean something only to insiders.

http://www.cruxnow.com/church/2016/01/15/decoding-what-it-means-to-say-the-vatican-has-a-gay-lobby/ 

The Night When The Church Confessed Her Sins

Leaves fall early in Montana. On the first day of October, the trees, in front of St Patrick Church in Butte, seemed to welcome Bishop George Thomas with bare, ascetic arms.
He was coming to our church to deliver a solemn message on the terribly dark subject of child abuse. On all of us gathered, the crisis had taken a heavy toll. None of us knew what to expect. As we waited, our souls felt as naked and cold as branches.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/patrick-beretta/the-night-when-the-church_b_8999464.html 

Long-lost brothers celebrate their first Christmas together after 80 years apart

Two brothers who spent 80 years unaware of each other's existence are celebrating their first Christmas together. Frederick O'Donnell (78) and his brother Jimmy (80) were born in separate mother and baby homes in Dublin in the 1930s.

They met each other for the first time this year. They were united thanks to a Herald story about how Frederick had discovered he had a brother and was now seeking help to track him down. The Finders International company responded, and located Jimmy, who was living in Cheltenham in England.

http://www.herald.ie/news/longlost-brothers-celebrate-their-first-christmas-together-after-80-years-apart-34302409.html

A Shady Church Sex-Abuse Shell Game?

An archbishop accused of covering up a major sex-abuse scandal is moving to a new church—and local residents are not pleased.

A battle is brewing in Battle Creek, Michigan, where residents are less than pleased that an archbishop accused of covering up a sex-abuse scandal has now embraced a second calling as a pastor in their town.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/01/20/a-shady-church-sex-abuse-shell-game.html 

Knowing, and not knowing, a Catholic pedophile

A day after my husband died in 1998, Sister Dolores Crosby showed up on my doorstep. She handed me a used paperback. It was “When Bad Things Happen to Good People” by the rabbi Harold Kushner.
I considered Crosby a friend, although not a close one. From 1992 to 1999, she was the respected and well-liked principal of Everett's Immaculate Conception & Our Lady of Perpetual Help School where my kids went to school.

http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20160120/BLOG60/160129959

Jury told of alleged sexual abuse findings in trial

A clinical psychologist has given evidence in a trial involving the alleged sexual abuse of 13 Northland girls to help a jury understand why children do not report abuse when it happens.
The trial in the Whangarei District Court has been set down for three weeks during which all 13 complainants, who at the time were aged between 6 and 15, are expected to give evidence. James Brian Sanders, 68, has denied 38 charges including rape and indecent assault committed against 13 complainants at Doubtless Bay and Bream Bay between 1998 and 2013.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/northern-advocate/news/article.cfm?c_id=1503450&objectid=11576647 

Spotlight review: Restrained, realistic view of investigative reporting provokes cold fury

At the end of Spotlight, in case you weren't already angry enough, there is a list of all the places around the world in which major cases of sexual abuse of children by Catholic clergy have been uncovered since the Spotlight investigative team did its work in Boston in 2002. There are 105 American cities and 102 from other parts of the world. These include a list of 22 places in Australia, from Adelaide to Wollongong.
That's hardly a surprise, given that our own Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has produced so much harrowing and damning testimony since 2013 – and it's not finished yet.

http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/movies/spotlight-review-restrained-realistic-view-of-investigative-reporting-provokes-cold-fury-20160120-gm8uqc.html 

Church’s list of sex abusers comes better late than never

The Archdiocese of Seattle last week published what it calls a comprehensive list of priests and clergy known to have sexually abused children. The 76 men and one woman on the list held positions of authority in the Catholic church around Western Washington – including Pierce County – as far back as 1923. Their egregious breaches of sacred trust had been known for years.
The list easily could be filed under the label “what took you so long?” It could be cross-referenced under the heading “better late than never.”

http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article55546960.html

Read more here: http://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article55546960.html#storylink=cpy

Similarities Between Boston, Seattle Priest Abuse Are ‘Striking’

When the Seattle Archdiocese released names of 77 abusive clergy last week, many Catholics heralded a new era of transparency.
But attorney Michael Pfau raised an eyebrow. He knew something that wasn’t noted in the press release – or the flurry of news stories that followed. A major trial for a notorious pedophile priest was scheduled for June, and Pfau was interviewing victims.

http://kuow.org/post/similarities-between-boston-seattle-priest-abuse-are-striking 

Altar Boy at Center of Catholic Church Rape Scandal Has as Much Credibility as UVA’s Jackie

Daniel Gallagher, now 27 years old, claimed he was raped by two Philadelphia priests and one of his teachers while serving as an altar boy at age 10. His lurid testimony—he described being passed from one monster to the next, forced to engage in oral and anal sodomy—put all three men behind bars some years ago.
What happened to Gallagher was unconscionable. If it happened at all, that is. Unfortunately, a thorough review of Gallagher's past statements about his mistreatment paint a shockingly clear portrait of a serial liar who went after the archdiocese to cover up his own criminal drug dealings. Not only did Gallagher repeatedly alter key details regarding his alleged abuse, his statements are actually contradicted—over and over again—by actual facts uncovered during the investigation.

http://reason.com/blog/2016/01/20/altar-boy-at-center-of-catholic-church-r 

Does Pope Francis cry for the victims of his Church?

When Pope Francis visited the Philippines last year, the most difficult questions he had to answer did not come from reporters. The questions came from a poor little girl.

“Marami na po ang mga batang pinabayaan ng kanilang mga magulang,” said Glyzelle Iris Palomar, 12. (Many children have been neglected by their parents.)

http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/551724/opinion/does-pope-francis-cry-for-the-victims-of-his-church 

Jesuit priest to highlight Pope Francis' reforms at FSC

The Rev. Thomas Reese, an internationally known expert on Catholic Church politics who has jousted with the Vatican over his progressive views, gives mixed grades to Pope Francis for his efforts to reform the Holy See.
As the pope has launched initiatives to rehabilitate the Vatican, he has opened doors to discussions that his predecessors, St. John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI, “would have come down on like a ton of bricks,” Reese said during a phone interview from his office in Washington, D.C.

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/article_fbac4507-d9bc-5dee-a472-54017b05029b.html#.Vpsc3umj-8Y.twitter 

The squalid truth behind the legacy of Mother Teresa

The nun adored by the Vatican ran a network of care homes where cruelty and neglect are routine. Donal MacIntyre gained secret access and witnessed at first hand the suffering of "rescued" orphans. The dormitory held about 30 beds rammed in so close that there was hardly a breath of air between the bare metal frames. Apart from shrines and salutations to "Our Great Mother", the white walls were bare.
The torch swept across the faces of children sleeping, screaming, laughing and sobbing, finally resting on the hunched figure of a boy in a white vest. Distressed, he rocked back and forth, his ankle tethered to his cot like a goat in a farmyard. This was the Daya Dan orphanage for children aged six months to 12 years, one of Mother Teresa's flagship homes in Kolkata. It was 7.30 in the evening, and outside the monsoon rains fell unremittingly.

http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/human-rights/2014/04/squalid-truth-behind-legacy-mother-teresa

Baton Rouge TV station faces defamation suit for coverage of child abuse case

One case has given rise to another, as the Rev. Jeff Bayhi filed a defamation and false light suit against Baton Rouge’s WBRZ-TV on Nov. 20, alleging the station misrepresented allegations in another case involving the Catholic priest as facts.
The case in question pertained to Rebecca Mayeux, who claims that at the age of 14 she was sexually abused by a now-deceased parishioner in Bayhi's church, Our Lady of the Assumption in Clinton. In that case, she alleges Bayhi neglected his duty to Louisiana law by failing to report the alleged abuse. At the heart of the case is the notion that she made these initial claims in confessional. The question is whether the confidentiality of confessional overrides the obligation to report abuse.

http://louisianarecord.com/stories/510658341-baton-rouge-tv-station-faces-defamation-suit-for-coverage-of-child-abuse-case

Kentucky Shelter Kicks All Women Out Because They Tempt Men With “Ungodly” Sex

A Christian-run Kentucky homeless shelter, Emergency Christian Ministries, just wished homeless women and children a Merry Christmas by booting them back onto the streets, claiming that it decided to ban all women (and their children) in an attempt to stop the “sex problem.”
The misguided effort has left dozens of women and children on the streets with nowhere to go, and the situation is bleak — as the closest shelter that is accepting women is a forty minute drive from the town where Emergency Christian Ministries is located.

http://www.occupydemocrats.com/kentucky-shelter-kicks-all-women-out-because-they-tempt-men-with-ungodly-sex-3/ 

VIP paedophile inquiry being killed off, claims Harvey Proctor

Former Conservative MP makes claim after Metropolitan police ends investigation of child abuse allegations against war hero Lord Bramall. A former Conservative MP who is under investigation for child murder has accused the Metropolitan police of attempting to kill off the Westminster paedophile inquiry to protect the careers of senior officers.
Harvey Proctor made the claim after the Met’s Operation Midland – which is investigating claims that establishment figures murdered and raped boys – dropped claims of child abuse against the war hero Lord Bramall.

http://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jan/18/vip-paedophile-inquiry-being-killed-off-claims-harvey-proctor#_=_ 

Catholics, community react to priest's arrival amid sex abuse backdrop

Archbishop John Nienstedt, leader of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, rides in a vehicle in St. Paul, Minn., on his way to giving a deposition April 2, 2014. Attorneys for victims of alleged  sexual abuse by priests are releasing the deposition of Nienstedt. It was
When Archbishop John Nienstedt celebrated three Masses at St. Philip Catholic Church this weekend, he was merely helping out his old friend Fr. John Fleckenstein, who is ill. He plans to continue to help as needed for about a six months.

http://www.mlive.com/news/kalamazoo/index.ssf/2016/01/post_441.html

Pope Francis' sex abuse comments draw ire from victims

Pope Francis on Wednesday appeared to praise the Roman Catholic Church’s handling of widespread sexual abuse by priests, drawing rebuke from victims who said his brief remarks were a setback for justice and healing. Speaking to hundreds of U.S. bishops at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle.

Pope Francis on Wednesday appeared to praise the Roman Catholic Church’s handling of widespread sexual abuse by priests, drawing rebuke from victims who said his brief remarks were a setback for justice and healing.

http://canmua.net/washington/pope-francis-and-apos;-sex-abuse-comments-draw-ire-from-311189.html 

Chesco pastor accused of rape arrested in New Jersey

A Chester County pastor accused of raping and impregnating a teenage girl has been arrested, CBSPhilly reports. Jacob Malone, 33, was arrested by U.S. Customs and Border Protection officers upon his arrival back in the United States at Newark Liberty International Airport.
West Whiteland, Pa. Detective Scott Pezick told People Thursday afternoon that Malone, of Exton, had been in Ecuador for approximately two weeks.

http://www.phillyvoice.com/chesco-pastor-accused-rape-arrested-new-jersey/ 

Church members burn 13 year old girl, claim they were exorcising demons from her

Police are interrogating three suspects who allegedly burnt a minor in Ponda Mali estate on the outskirts of Nakuru town, claiming they were exorcising demons from her.
The suspects were reportedly in a group of seven, all of whom are members of The Holy Spirit of Israel Church during the last Friday night incident.

http://www.standardmedia.co.ke/article/2000188652/church-members-burn-13-year-old-girl-claim-they-were-exorcising-demons-from-her/ 

Seattle Archdiocese Names Priests Who Abused Kids

The Archdiocese of Seattle on Friday named 77 Catholic clergy or religious order members accused of sexual abusing minors.
Those on the list served or lived in Western Washington between 1923 and 2008, the archdiocese said in a statement. The list includes names of priests that haven’t been disclosed publicly before. 

http://kuow.org/post/seattle-archdiocese-names-priests-who-abused-kids

On Paper, Italy Allows Abortions, but Few Doctors Will Perform Them

After Benedetta, 35, found out 11 weeks into her pregnancy that the baby she wanted “with all myself” had extremely serious genetic problems, she made a painful decision, and asked her longtime gynecologist for an abortion.

Her doctor’s refusal — she said she was a conscientious objector to Italy’s law that makes abortion legal up to 90 days — set off a desperate scramble to find a doctor who would help her.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/01/17/world/europe/on-paper-italy-allows-abortions-but-few-doctors-will-perform-them.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160116&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1