Archbishop may not have “properly” reported paedophile priest

The most senior Anglican in Australia has backed church officers who revealed that the Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft may have failed to properly report details about a notorious paedophile priest in NSW.

Primate of the Anglican Church, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier, even offered a prayer of support and gratitude for those who last week said there was no record that Archbishop Herft had referred complaints about the paedophile to police.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32147540/archbishop-may-not-have-properly-reported-paedophile-priest/#page1 

Sex Scandals Break out in UK, Australia

The key to the New Testament. God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God' (2 Cor. 5:21). It is surely one of the most startling statements in the Bible, yet we must not on that account evade it. James Denney was not exaggerating when he wrote of it:
'Mysterious and awful as this thought is, it is the key to the whole of the New Testament.' For our sake God actually made the sinless Christ to be sin with our sins. The God who refused to reckon our sins to us reckoned them to Christ instead. Indeed, his personal sinlessness uniquely qualified him to bear our sins in our place. -- John R. W. Stott

http://www.virtueonline.org/sex-scandals-break-out-uk-australia-la-bishop-bruno-faces-ecclesiastical-trial-western-mass-diocese 

Royal commission 'should examine Nestor case'

A prominent lawyer says the case of a former Wollongong Catholic priest cleared of a child abuse charge but later defrocked by the Vatican should be referred to the upcoming royal commission into institutional child sexual abuse.
Prominent Sydney lawyer Chris Murphy said the case of Father John Gerard Nestor, who attended Sydney's St Patrick's Seminary with now Opposition Leader Tony Abbott in the 1980s, was an ideal subject for the royal commission which is yet to start taking its first evidence.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/1289070/royal-commission-should-examine-nestor-case/ 

How the Vatican Can Shed Light on the Holocaust

On Friday, Pope Francis is to become the third Roman Catholic pope to visit Auschwitz. John Paul II was the first Polish pope in the church’s 2,000-year history. Auschwitz is less than an hour from where he was born, and his 1979 visit was poignant. Every bit as dramatic was the 2006 visit by the German-born Benedict XVI who had at 14 been a member of the Hitler Youth.

But Francis’ visit could be the most significant ever if he uses the symbolic backdrop to break with the policies of six predecessors over 70 years and order the release of the Vatican’s sealed Holocaust-era archives.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/29/opinion/how-the-vatican-can-shed-light-on-the-holocaust.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160729&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

George Pell: Vatican unlikely to respond to child abuse allegations until police investigation complete, expert says

The Vatican is not likely to respond to child abuse allegations against Cardinal George Pell until the outcome of police investigations, according to a Vatican expert.

"The Vatican will want to wait and see how any investigation proceeds," Christopher Lamb, correspondent for Catholic journal The Tablet, told Lateline.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-28/vatican-unlikely-to-respond-to-pell-allegations-journalist-says/7670680 

Court Docs: Airman says he woke up to Mountain Home priest attempting oral sex

The victim in an alleged rape involving a Mountain Home priest says he woke up to Victor F. Jagerstatter attempting to give him oral sex, according to a probable cause affidavit.
Court documents state that on July 9, the victim, an Airman at the Mountain Home Air Force Base, was intoxicated and passed out in a room he rented from Jagerstatter's house on 13th Street North after a night of drinking. Sometime after he passed out from intoxication, the court documents state, the victim woke up and saw Jagerstatter kneeling beside his bed moving toward him attempting oral sex.

Plaintiffs amend suit against Apuron

The lawsuit filed against Archbishop Anthony Apuron and the Archdiocese of Agana was amended Tuesday, July 19, and now references a number of additional statements made by the archdiocese which the plaintiffs see as strengthening their case of slander and libel.
On July 1, a group of four accusers – Roland Sondia, Walter Denton, Edith Doris Concepcion and Roy Quintanilla – filed a suit for libel and slander against the archdiocese and Apuron.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/plaintiffs-amend-suit-against-apuron/article_faad0460-5231-11e6-a88f-fb322ec2591a.html 

Argentina: The Irish priest, ex-minister and $9m in a convent

Don't you worry about the nuns... they would have a hand in this money as well... nuns will do anything to get money the easy way... and she did so in her catholic orphanages worldwide... the nuns made their money out of us children... they have our blood on their hands... Ann

 =======================

An Irish priest has been given a key role in an investigation into an astonishing corruption scandal that has convulsed Argentina for the past month.

The case, which involves a former government minister attempting to stash about US$9 million (€8.2 million) mostly in cash at a small convent near Buenos Aires, has rocked the country’s political system.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/social-affairs/religion-and-beliefs/argentina-the-irish-priest-ex-minister-and-9m-in-a-convent-1.2733136 

Cover-up culture' serves church poorly

REQUIREMENTS for celibacy and the exclusion of women from the priesthood were areas the Catholic Church could consider as it grapples with issues of child sexual abuse.

Former Dean of the North Coast Parish of the Catholic Church, John Dobson, speaking in the wake of the latest allegations levelled again Cardinal George Pell, said psychologists dealing with offending priests have raised issue with the benefits of enforced celibacy.

http://www.sunshinecoastdaily.com.au/news/cover-up-culture-serves-church-poorly/3069254/ 

Stan Grant delivers fiery speech on Indigenous rights in wake of abuse scandal

Indigenous broadcaster Stan Grant has delivered an impassioned speech on Aboriginal rights and recognition following the mistreatment of Indigenous boys in detention in the Northern Territory.
Accepting an honorary doctorate of letters at the University of New South Wales on Friday night, Grant was due to present the Wallace Wurth Public Lecture.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/stan-grant-delivers-fiery-honorary-doctorate-of-letters-acceptance-speech-at-unsw-20160729-gqh0dh.html 

George Pell investigated over multiple allegations of sexual abuse

SABRA LANE, PRESENTER: Tonight, a special report. Rightly or wrongly, over the course of the child abuse royal commission, one figure has emerged as a lightning rod for the anger of Catholics. Cardinal George Pell has been grilled over what he knew about clergy abuse of children in the Church's care.
Tonight, 7.30 changes the focus of that discussion to reveal a series of allegations levelled against the Cardinal himself. Victoria's Police Commissioner recently confirmed his Taskforce Sano is investigating George Pell over multiple allegations. We can reveal that investigation has been going for more than a year and involves a number of complainants spanning decades. 7.30 understands that file has been sent to the Office of Public Prosecutions for advice.

http://www.abc.net.au/7.30/content/2016/s4508646.htm

Australia--Abuse case vs. Vatican’s #2 moves forward; SNAP responds

Police have sent to prosecutors their investigation into the second most powerful Catholic official on earth. Eight brave individuals – most of them alleged child sex abuse victims - have given sworn statements. Three are courageously disclosing their names and giving credible interviews to a credible, mainstream news source in a new 30 minute program.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/abuse_case_vs_vatican_s_2_moves_forward_snap_responds 

Discovery of former priest and accused pedophile conjures memories of 'the talk'

A new assistant pastor, Rev. Arthur J. Perrault, arrived at St. Francis Parish in Naugatuck in September 1965.  Two weeks ago, Perrault, an accused pedophile, was found living in Morocco. He had fled his New Mexico parish in 1992 after lawsuits alleging sexual abuse were filed against him and the Archdiocese of Santa Fe.
The news rattled memories among those who knew the priest in Naugatuck. Perrault's brief stint there, and his abrupt departure within two months, went almost unnoticed, except by a group of eighth-grade boys who feared him.

http://rep-am.com/articles/2016/05/22/news/local/958564.txt 

Cardinal George Pell under pressure to face child sex abuse claims

CALLS have been made for Cardinal George Pell to stand down from his senior role at the Vatican and return to Australia to face allegations of child sex abuse made against him.

Speaking about the allegations on Melbourne’s 3AW radio, commentator Neil Mitchell said Pell needed to return to Australia. “George Pell needs to step down from his role at the Vatican and come back to Australia,” Mitchell said this morning.

http://www.news.com.au/national/cardinal-george-pell-under-pressure-to-face-child-sex-abuse-claims/news-story/1f1ebdb34ab793cf4e5d89c63e1b19ac 

Pell accuser first aired concerns four years ago.

A Torquay man who made explosive allegations about Cardinal George Pell exposing himself to children first contacted police about the incident almost four years ago, before the child abuse royal commission started.
And the Ballarat swimming pool at the centre of separate historic child abuse allegations levelled against Cardinal Pell by two other men has been the subject of a police appeal for information about alleged sex crimes in the late 1970s.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/pell-accuser-first-aired-concerns-four-years-ago-20160728-gqfnru.html 

Archbishop may not have “properly” reported paedophile priest

The most senior Anglican in Australia has backed church officers who revealed that the Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft may have failed to properly report details about a notorious paedophile priest in NSW.

Primate of the Anglican Church, Melbourne Archbishop Philip Freier, even offered a prayer of support and gratitude for those who last week said there was no record that Archbishop Herft had referred complaints about the paedophile to police.

https://au.news.yahoo.com/thewest/wa/a/32147540/archbishop-may-not-have-properly-reported-paedophile-priest/#page1 

Statement from the Attorney-General - Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse

The Palaszczuk Government is working through a number of recommendations to respond to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse, including the removal of the statute of limitation for child sexual abuse claims.
We welcome the indication from the LNP that it would support any progress of this issue.
The recommendation as proposed applies to both government and non-government entities and so consultation would be important. As such, the government would welcome bipartisan support from the LNP on the Royal Commission recommendation.

http://mysunshinecoast.com.au/news/news-display/statement-from-the-attorney-general--royal-commission-into-institutional-responses-to-child-abuse,44850

8 Steps to Take to Protect Children From Sexual Abuse at the Hands of Rabbis

Many Orthodox rabbis and institutions are affiliated with one or more major Orthodox umbrella groups. These groups include the Orthodox Union, Agudath Israel of America, Torah Umesorah, the Rabbinical Council of America and the National Council of Young Israel.
Over the last several years, I have tried to convince several of these groups, numerous prominent rabbis and the Jewish Federations of North America to take even minimal steps to protect Orthodox children from the rampant sexual abuse found in our communities. My efforts went nowhere.

https://www.algemeiner.com/2016/07/25/8-steps-to-take-to-protect-children-from-sexual-abuse-at-the-hands-of-rabbis/

Church Volunteer Accused Of Abuse

NORTH RICHLAND HILLS (CBS11) – A search for answers—and perhaps a child predator—is underway in North Richland Hills. Police are investigating allegations of child sexual abuse at St. John the Apostle Catholic Church.
The accusations became public over the weekend after a statement from the Fort Worth Diocese was read at each mass.

http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2016/07/25/church-volunteer-accused-of-abuse/ 

Hon: Revised policy to address accusations against archbishop

Nearly two months after the Vatican sent him to temporarily oversee the Catholic Church in Guam, Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai confirmed on Sunday that a revision of the local church’s policy for responding to sexual abuse accusations would include language on how to respond to allegations against the archbishop himself.
At least four individuals publicly accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually molesting altar boys in the 1970s when Apuron was parish priest at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Agat.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/07/25/hon-revised-policy-address-accusations-against-archbishop/87518022/ 

No tears for a dead monster: Pedophile Paul Ronald Goldsmith’s victims face lifetime of trauma

PEOPLE are told not to speak ill of the dead. So the joy that victims of Paul Ronald Goldsmith experienced on learning of his death was admittedly a “bizarre feeling”.

But their lives have not been normal since the man dubbed Tasmania’s worst paedophile unleashed his reign of terror in the 1970s.

http://www.themercury.com.au/news/tasmania/no-tears-for-a-dead-monster-pedophile-paul-ronald-goldsmiths-victims-face-lifetime-of-trauma/news-story/546452a3397bbec9bb9274b75fd8e7c9 

Top pope aide investigated over Australia child sex abuse: report

Sydney (AFP) - Vatican finance chief George Pell is being investigated by Australian police over child sexual abuse allegations, a report by the national broadcaster said Wednesday, as the leading Catholic cleric denounced the claims as "totally untrue".

The new allegations against Pell being probed by police in Victoria state span two decades, the Australian Broadcasting Corporation reported. They came just months after the cardinal admitted he "mucked up" in dealing with paedophile priests in the state.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/world/a/32168197/tope-pope-aide-investigated-for-australia-child-sex-abuse/#page1 

Former teacher at Trent Vale school abused troubled boys at previous school in Scotland

STAFF at a Stoke-on-Trent school said today they were 'horrified' to discover a former teacher had abused pupils at a previous school where he worked more than three decades ago.
Paul Kelly had preyed on boys at a St Ninian's School in Falkland, Fife, which educated youngsters from troubled backgrounds.  But the offences may never have come to light had it not been for the tenacity of one victim, who made a complaint to diocesan officials in 2013.

http://www.stokesentinel.co.uk/former-teacher-at-trent-vale-school-abused-troubled-boys-at-previous-school-in-scotland/story-29549418-detail/story.html 

Come Home (Cardinal Pell)

Cardinal George Pell 'facing sex abuse charges after two men claim he groped them at a pool in 1970s'

Cardinal George Pell is facing multiple child abuse allegations after two men came forward claiming they were groped by the Catholic cleric at a pool in the 1970s.  

The men, who were in a Victorian primary school at the time, say Cardinal Pell, 74, abused them while they were swimming at Ballarat's Eureka Pool during the summer of 1978-79, an allegation the cardinal strongly denies. 

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3710445/Cardinal-George-Pell-accused-child-abuse-1970s.html

9-Year-Old Boy Starved and Chained in Church for Stealing Soup from His Step Mother

The Nigeria Security Forces have rescued a nine-year-old boy who was chained at a church. Korede Taiwo, was chained for weeks at the Key of Joy Parish of the Celestial Church of Christ in Ajiwo, Ogun state, Nigeria.
A statement released by the security forces said that the boy was rescued at about 10:30AM on Friday. The case has since been transferred to the appropriate authorities for further investigation, the statement said.

https://www.ghanastar.com/africa-news/9-year-old-boy-starved-and-chained-in-church-for-stealing-soup-from-his-step-mother/ 

UN convention against torture

Sir, – With respect to Ireland’s second review before the Human Rights Council in Geneva at the UN on May 11th, several countries called on Ireland to ratify the Optional Protocol to the UN Convention against Torture.

While it sounds like a rather off-putting and technical phenomenon, it is, in fact, a vital mechanism for protecting people who are in some form of detention, who are not “free to go”. 

http://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/letters/un-convention-against-torture-1.2656615 

SPECIAL REPORT: “Spotlight” Victim in Savannah

It was a crowning moment for the director, producers and actors. February 2016, “Spotlight” wins the Academy Award for Best Picture.
Behind the movie is the story of the victims, abused by men they trusted, their priests. One of those victims now lives in Savannah. Michael Corbett was a teenager, just 17, and thinking about becoming a priest himself.

http://wsav.com/2016/07/25/special-report-spotlight-victim-in-savannah/ 

Goddard inquiry truth project to hear first testimony on child sexual abuse

The first of hundreds of people are to begin giving testimony to a public inquiry into child sexual abuse, in an unprecedented national “truth-telling” project designed to catalogue decades of suffering.
More than 2,000 people have contacted the Goddard inquiry to say they have suffered abuse, and 600 have consented to take part in the truth project.

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2016/jul/25/goddard-inquiry-truth-project-to-hear-first-testimony-on-child-sexual-abuse 

Church in the dock at abuse inquiry

A meeting on Wednesday will hear how an investigation into institutional failures within the Anglican Church in England and Wales to protect children from sexual abuse, is progressing.

The one-hour preliminary hearing, which is being held at the Royal Courts of Justice in central London from 10:30am, will also discuss a timetable setting out its next steps.

http://www.premier.org.uk/News/UK/Church-in-the-dock-at-abuse-inquiry 

Former Catholic high school employee charged with sexual assault of students

A former employee of a high school in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese has been criminally charged with sexually assaulting a student.
The Attorney General's Office on Tuesday released the criminal complaint against John Bowman Thornberry, 28, a former employee of Bishop Carroll Catholic High School in Ebensburg, Cambria County.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/07/sexual_assault_charges_altoona.html 

Pedophile sex ring scandal rocks Anglican Church of Australia

On Epiphany Sunday, 2002, the Boston Globe shone its "Spotlight" on the Catholic Archdiocese of Boston and revealed that there was a protected system in place which allowed pedophile priests to remain within the Archdiocese as they were shuffled from one unsuspecting parish to another, and all the while the number of their sexually-abused victims mounted.
Initially, 87 Catholic priests were identified as The Globe's "Spotlight" pointed its laser beam on them; eventually 249 members of the clergy were exposed, showing they failed in living out their vow of celibacy with more than one thousand vulnerable children.

http://www.virtueonline.org/pedophile-sex-ring-scandal-rocks-anglican-church-australia 

Hearing today on child sex abuse bill

Walter Denton, Roy Quintanilla and Roland Sondia, alleged child sex abuse victims of Archbishop Anthony Apuron, are expected to testify today on a measure that proposes to lift the statute of limitations in cases involving sex crimes against children.
Though a public hearing was initially held on the proposal contained in Bill 326 in late June, the committee on public safety, of which Sen. Frank Aguon Jr. is chairman, marked up the bill with a substitute version. According to Aguon’s office, the substitute version strengthens the original proposal introduced by Sen. Frank Blas Jr.

http://www.postguam.com/news/local/hearing-today-on-child-sex-abuse-bill/article_4b533fc4-53d1-11e6-ba56-fb63b05da576.html 

PA Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Convicted Catholic Church Official

Monsignor William Lynn could be released from prison later this week, after the PA Supreme Court upheld a lower court’s ruling to reverse his 2012 conviction on child endangerment charges.
The state Supreme Court rejected an appeal from Philadelphia DA Seth Williams’ office to overturn a December 2015 Superior Court ruling ordering a new trial for Lynn, the first Catholic Church official to be convicted for supervising and relocating priests accused of child sexual abuse, Joseph A. Slobodzian of the Inquirer reports.

http://www.politicspa.com/pa-supreme-court-rules-in-favor-of-convicted-catholic-church-official/77303/ 

Cardinal George Pell rejects claims he sexually abused two men

VICTORIA Police has denied some of its officers leaked information to the media about an ongoing investigation into to complaints made against Australia’s highest ranking Catholic Cardinal George Pell.

Cardinal Pell has called for a fresh review after ABC television last night aired a story saying the cleric was being investigated over multiple allegations related to inappropriate behaviour involving children going back almost years.

http://www.heraldsun.com.au/news/victoria/cardinal-george-pell-rejects-claims-he-sexually-abused-two-men/news-story/ca72e45d07e2eddba2671cf893089fb0 

Five new sex offences each week

Reports of abuse in UK churches, mosques and Sikh temples have risen by 20 per cent in the past year – and half of them involve children.  At least five new church sex offences are reported to police each week – and half of them involve children, according to shocking new figures.

Statistics from forces across the UK reveal that the number of sex offences reported to have taken place in religious buildings has risen by 20 per cent in the past year.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3705042/Five-new-sex-offences-week-Reports-abuse-UK-churches-mosques-Sikh-temples-risen-20-cent-past-year-half-involve-children.html 

Twin Cities Archbishop Had Social Relationship with Convicted Priest

Evidence suggests homosexual relations between Abp. John Nienstedt and Fr. Curtis Wehmeyer MINNEAPOLIS-ST. PAUL (ChurchMilitant.com) - Evidence is surfacing that Minneapolis-St. Paul archbishop John Nienstedt was a practicing homosexual who had an ongoing relationship with convicted ex-priest Curtis Wehmeyer, and Vatican officials tried to keep it a secret.

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/archbishop-had-social-relationship-with-ex-priest 

CHURCH OF ENGLAND: Senior Anglican clergy accused of failing to act on rape allegations

Church of England priest who says he was raped by vicar when he was 16 files misconduct complaints against archbishop of York and four bishops  John Sentamu said he would pray for 'Michael' during his 'testing time'
The Archbishop of York and four serving bishops have been accused of misconduct by a Church of England priest who claims they failed to act on allegations he was repeatedly raped by another vicar when he was 16.

http://www.virtueonline.org/church-england-senior-anglican-clergy-accused-failing-act-rape-allegations 

NT juvenile detention: PM should attach new inquiry to existing Royal Commission into child abuse

As Federal Cabinet prepares to consider what form its new Royal Commission will take, here’s a suggestion: attach it to the existing Royal Commission into child abuse.

If seeking justice for the boys the nation saw being abused on Monday night, then justice needs to be done sooner rather than delayed, possibly for a year, by an entirely-new Royal Commission.

http://www.theaustralian.com.au/national-affairs/nt-juvenile-detention-pm-should-attach-new-inquiry-to-existing-royal-commission-into-child-abuse/news-story/72438f8862451cab33fca92a83e3bd78 

Pa. justices won't reinstate Catholic Church monsignor's conviction

PHILADELPHIA — The first American church official convicted for his handling of priest abuse complaints could soon leave prison because the Pennsylvania Supreme Court agreed Tuesday that his conviction was flawed.

Monsignor William Lynn, who served two cardinals at the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Philadelphia, has been imprisoned for nearly three years for child endangerment. 

http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/10857563-74/abuse-church-conviction 

Valley of the damned: The cruel spot where two different churches made the ‘epicentre of organised paedophilia’

IT was a cruel game played out by vile abusers in an idyllic valley which will be revealed as the nation’s “epicentre for organised paedophilia”.

The game of “spotlighting”, ostensibly a weekend camping pursuit by young Anglican boys and their religious leaders was actually a guise for child sexual abuse.

http://www.news.com.au/lifestyle/real-life/news-life/valley-of-the-damned-the-cruel-spot-where-two-different-churches-made-the-epicentre-of-organised-paedophilia/news-story/dfd986bbaa21754b4f6538fa7cea846c 

Kendall House Victim Speaks To Heart News

Teresa Cooper, who has waived her right to anonymity, says she was regularly drugged and sexually abused during the time she was at Kendall House and has been campaigning for years for the truth about what happened there to come to light.
Last week an independent review said the Church of England girls home was a "toxic and destructive'' environment, and revealed the scale of sexual abuse, ill-treatment and physical abuse at the site between 1967 and 1986.

http://www.heart.co.uk/kent/news/local/kendall-house-victim-speaks-to-heart-news/#y0ZQd6Fm3GzeS656.97 

Hon: Decisions ‘may be far from perfect’ but geared toward unity

The archbishop named by the Vatican to temporarily oversee the administration of the Catholic Church in Guam said Sunday that his actions and decisions “may be far from perfect” but are geared toward promoting unity in the church, among other things.
Archbishop Savio Hon Tai Fai has been in Guam for more than five weeks since Pope Francis appointed him on June 6 to temporarily replace Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron, while sex abuse allegations involving Apuron are investigated.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2016/07/18/hon-decisions-may-far-perfect-but-geared-towards-unity/87238456/ 

Full parole for former priest, 4 years into 11-year sentence

A former Roman Catholic priest on Newfoundland's west coast who pleaded guilty to abusing more than a dozen boys between the ages of eight and 13 has been granted full parole after serving just over one-third of his sentence.
George Ansel Smith was sentenced in March 2013 to 11 years in jail, with credit for a year spent in custody, after pleading guilty to 23 counts of indecent assault, seven counts of sexual assault and eight counts of assault with intent. 

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/newfoundland-labrador/priest-george-smith-paroled-1.3684205

One Nation's likely NSW Senator Brian Burston slams the Catholic priest who 'destroyed my marriage'

BRIAN Burston was distraught and desperate in July, 1992 when he wrote a letter about his wife and a priest to one of the Hunter region’s most senior Catholic clergymen.
Pauline Hanson’s future One Nation Senate colleague had three young children in 1992, his marriage was on the rocks and the man he blamed – the now convicted Catholic child sex offender priest David O’Hearn – was unmoved by appeals or anger.

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4039084/priests-deliberate-deception-cost-marriage/?cs=2452 

Denial, More Than Anything, Is Hindering Progress For Victims Of Child Sexual Abuse

If money is one hell of a drug, then denial is one of the biggest drug dealers in the world. And no group understands that truth better than survivors of child sexual abuse. While survivors, advocates and some lawmakers have fought hard to bring justice, there’s been little progress made; if anything, we’ve been forced to take giant steps backwards. And by forced, I’m referring to the tremendous power of, more than anything, denial.

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nikki-dubose/denial-more-than-anything_b_11077340.html 

One Strike Is Too Many in Medicine

Doctors convicted of sexual abuse should not be allowed to continue practicing. Who is it that, despite all the attention paid to sexual abuse, is still getting away with taking advantage of vulnerable women and men?
According to a recently published year-long investigation by the Atlanta Journal Constitution, it is doctors. The investigation found that more than 2,400 doctors from every state have been sanctioned for sexually abusing their patients. State medical boards, which oversee physician licenses, allowed more than half the sanctioned doctors to keep theirs even after accusations of sexual abuse were determined to be true.

http://www.usnews.com/opinion/articles/2016-07-20/doctors-convicted-of-sexual-abuse-should-be-banned-from-practicing 

Former Hudson priest facing criminal probe in sex abuse case, victims group says

GUTTENBERG — A Catholic priest is under criminal investigation by the Hudson County Prosecutor's Office following allegations he sexually abused a young parishioner at a Guttenberg church where the priest worked in the 1990's, a victims rights group said.
In addition, officials at the Newark Archdiocece said they had taken accusations about the priest directly to authorities and would be ready to cooperate.

http://www.nj.com/hudson/index.ssf/2016/07/hudson_priest_investigated_for_sex_abuse_in_1990s.html 

Documents Reveal Alleged Archdiocese Cover-Up

The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis publicly admitted wrongdoing Wednesday for the way it handled sexual abuse allegations against a former priest, while prosecutors dropped criminal charges that alleged the archdiocese turned a blind eye to repeated misconduct by the defrocked cleric.
"I stand before you to say we have failed," Archbishop Bernard Hebda said. "We pledge to move forward openly, collaboratively and humbly... always mindful of our past.  We will never forget," he said.

http://kstp.com/news/curtis-wehmeyer-bernard-hebda-abuse-allegations-archidocese/4206058/ 

Nienstedt says he's 'relieved' that fate of investigation is now public

"I am a heterosexual man who has been celibate my entire life," the former Twin Cities archbishop said in an e-mail, asserting that he did nothing improper.   Former Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt said Thursday he is “relieved” that the public now is aware of the fate of an investigation into alleged sexual improprieties by him.

A day after a 2014 memo from the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis was made public stating that a Vatican emissary quashed the investigation, Nienstedt repeated that he has done nothing improper, despite allegations of misconduct revealed in documents released Wednesday by the Ramsey County attorney’s office.

http://www.startribune.com/nienstedt-says-he-s-relieved-that-fate-of-investigation-is-now-public/387881322/ 

Former Twin Cities archbishop denies misconduct, says he was targeted for opposing gay marriage

John Nienstedt, the former archbishop of the Archdiocese of Minneapolis and St. Paul, said accusations of sexual misconduct against him were part of a false smear campaign in response to his opposition to gay marriage.

Nienstedt’s denial came in a statement Wednesday night, first issued to KSTP and Minnesota Public Radio. That followed the release of internal church documents alleging the Vatican had sought to derail an independent investigation that turned up credible evidence against him.

http://www.duluthnewstribune.com/news/crime/4078841-former-twin-cities-archbishop-denies-misconduct-says-he-was-targeted-opposing-gay 

'Not reporting sexual abuse violates the Torah'

Head of the Rabbinical services organization 'Tzohar,' Rabbi David Stav, criticized on Wednesday rabbis who hush up sexual abuse cases in their communities rather than reporting them to the authorities.
"Sexual abuse is physical and psychological damage of the highest order. Rabbis that attempt to silence these matters without dealing with them through the appropriate channels are transgressing the Torah," he said.

http://www.israelnationalnews.com/News/News.aspx/215297 

School abuse trial jury to resume deliberations on Thursday

A jury in the trial of two men accused of abusing pupils at a former school for boys will resume its deliberations on Thursday.

John Farrell, 73, and Paul Kelly, 63, face charges of sexual and physical abuse against more than 20 ex pupils of St Ninian's School in Falkland, Fife.

http://www.glasgowsouthandeastwoodextra.co.uk/news/school-abuse-trial-jury-to-resume-deliberations-on-thursday-1-4181711 

Police say Bellingham pastor and father of 7 groomed young girl for sex

BELLINGHAM, Wash. —
A North Sound pastor is suspected of preying on a 12-year-old girl in abuse that continued for years, eventually having sex with her and promising to marry her.
The house next door to Bellingham Baptist Church where police believe 37-year-old Christopher Trent lived with his wife and seven children appeared vacant Wednesday.

http://www.kiro7.com/news/local/report-former-bellingham-youth-pastor-arrested-on-suspicion-of-sexually-assaulting-teen/407939064 

Anglican Archbishop of Perth Roger Herft allegedly failed to report paedophile Peter Rushton to police

One of the nation's most senior Anglicans, the Archbishop of Perth, Roger Herft, received complaints about a priest involved in a paedophile ring but allegedly failed to formally report him to police, according to an Anglican Church insider.

7.30 has obtained a confidential note showing Archbishop Herft received a complaint about Father Peter Rushton's abuse when they both worked in the Hunter region of New South Wales in 2002.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2016-07-21/archbishop-allegedly-failed-to-report-paedophile-ring-'kingpin'/7649154 

Bishop who was sexually abused as a teenager still has the portrait of the minister who molested him hanging in his church

The portrait of a prolific sexual predator still hangs in the church where one of his victims now preaches.

Bishop of Newcastle Greg Thompson was sexually abused as a teenager by Ian Shevill, a celebrated priest who led the church in the 1970s. Shevill was just one of the sexual predators inside the church who abused children in an infamous Anglican paedophile ring that was covered up for decades,The ABC reported.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-3700602/Ian-Shevill-s-portrait-hangs-Greg-Thompson-Newcastle-Anglican-Church.html 

Did the Vatican halt an investigation into former Twin Cities Archbishop Nienstedt?

Documents released by the Ramsey County Attorney's Office Wednesday showed the extraordinary measures Catholic officials took to quash a private investigation into former Twin Cities Archbishop John Nienstedt.
Nienstedt himself had ordered the investigation, citing unspecified allegations against himself. He said at the time that the allegations did not "involve minors or lay members of the faithful, and they do not implicate any kind of illegal or criminal behavior" and "involve events alleged to have occurred at least a decade ago, before I began serving in the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis."

https://www.mprnews.org/story/2016/07/21/nienstedt-investigation-documents 

Criminal charges dropped against Twin Cities archdiocese after it admits wrongdoing in abuse case

Criminal charges against the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese were dropped Wednesday after it agreed to a revision of its civil settlement that added "direct and public admission of wrongdoing" for its role in the sexual abuse of three minors by a former priest.
The charges, brought last summer by Ramsey County Attorney John Choi, alleged a "failure to protect children" on the part of the archdiocese in relation to three minors sexually abused in 2010 by former priest Curtis Wehmeyer. In court Wednesday, Ramsey County District Judge Teresa Warner accepted an amendment to the civil agreement, originally reached in December, that added several new requirements and also inserted an admission of wrongdoing.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/criminal-charges-dropped-against-twin-cities-archdiocese-after-it-admits-wrongdoing 

Diocese of Truro launches independent listening service for those who have suffered abuse within the church

The Church of England in Cornwall has teamed up with a charity to provide free and independent help for anybody who feels they may have been subject to any form of abuse from within a church context.
The Diocese of Truro has commissioned Skoodhya to provide its Authorised Listeners, who are there to provide a first point of contact for people who feel they may have experienced abuse.

http://www.falmouthpacket.co.uk/news/14633735.Diocese_of_Truro_launches_independent_listening_service_for_those_who_have_suffered_abuse_within_the_church/ 

Archbishop Philip Freier expresses solidarity with Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson

THE Anglican Primate of Australia Archbishop Philip Freier has expressed solidarity with Newcastle Anglican Bishop Greg Thompson and his officers before a Royal Commission public hearing in Newcastle on August 2.
Archbishop Freier said evidence of clergy sexual abuse and predatory behaviour in Newcastle that included a former bishop was “shocking and distressing”.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4046167/anglican-primate-offers-support/ 

6 charges dropped against Twin Cities Catholic Church as archbishop admits: 'We failed' in sex abuse cases

ST. PAUL -- The Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis publicly confessed wrongdoing for the way it handled the sexual-abuse allegations of three boys.

“Today, I, as the leader of this archdiocese, stand before you to say we failed — in what we have done and what we have failed to do,” Archbishop Bernard Hebda said after a court hearing Wednesday, mirroring a prayer traditionally said in each Mass.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/crime-and-courts/4078632-6-charges-dropped-against-twin-cities-catholic-church-archbishop 

Holy See: Trafficking of children is "abominable"

(Vatican Radio) The Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, has told the United Nations the trafficking of children is “abominable.”
“While human trafficking always exploits the vulnerable, the trafficking of children and youth exploits those most vulnerable of all, something that not only exposes the evil of trafficking in all its repulsive ugliness but something that likewise makes abundantly clear the urgent call for everyone to rise up to protect children, youth and everyone from those who would enslave and dehumanize them in these ways,” he said.

http://en.radiovaticana.va/news/2016/07/19/holy_see_trafficking_of_children_is_abominable/1245196 

Prep School Faces Accusations Of Chronic Mishandling Of Sexual Assault Cases

Administrators at Phillips Exeter Academy acknowledge that the prep school failed to respond adequately when a student was accused of sexual assault, and was assigned an "act of penance" that included baking and delivering bread to the girl he allegedly assaulted.
The Boston Globe's Spotlight investigative team, which wrote extensively this spring on sexual assault at New England boarding schools including Phillips Exeter Academy, reports that school administrators wrote in a letter to alumni, "Without question, the situation could and should have been handled in a better way."

http://wmra.org/post/prep-school-faces-accusations-chronic-mishandling-sexual-assault-cases 

Americans think statute of limitations laws should be applied equally

Poughkeepsie, N.Y., Jul 18, 2016 / 03:54 pm (CNA).- By a 2-to-1 margin, Americans believe it is unfair to extend the statute of limitations regarding sex abuse cases for private institutions but not public ones.
A new national survey, which polled 1,009 adults in the U.S., was conducted by the Marist Institute for Public Opinion July 5-12, 2016. It was sponsored by Catholic News Agency.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/americans-thinks-statute-of-limitations-laws-should-be-applied-equally-33771/ 

Scottish priest who embezzled £100,000 wants Pope to release him from priesthood

A Scottish Catholic priest serving a ten month jail sentence for embezzling £100,000 of church money to fund an alleged gambling problem has apparently asked that Pope Francis allow him to quit the clergy.
Fr Graeme Bell was parish priest of Our Lady Star of the Sea church, known locally as St Mary's, in Saltcoats before being convicted of stealing from the Ayrshire parish between March and May 2015 after admitting to an online gambling problem.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/scottish.priest.who.embezzled.100000.wants.pope.to.release.him.from.priesthood/90901.htm 

Liberal German Church in Freefall, Study Shows

A new report issued by the German bishops’ conference paints a dismal picture of a Church in steady decline according to every relevant indicator.

During the year 2015, a total of 181,925 people left the Catholic Church in Germany, while only 2,685 people became Catholic and 6,474 came back to Catholicism. This follows on the worst year in the German Catholicism’s modern history, when in 2014 the Church lost a total of 218,000 people.

http://www.breitbart.com/national-security/2016/07/19/liberal-german-church-freefall-study-shows/ 

Fugitive rabbi suspected of sex offenses arrested upon arrival to Israel

Fugitive Breslov Rabbi Eliezer Berland, 79, was successfully extradited from South Africa to Israel on Tuesday morning, with the Israel police arresting him upon arrival at Ben Gurion Airport on suspicion of various sex offenses.
Berland has been wanted by the authorities since he fled the country in February 2013, and was arrested in South Africa in April this year, leading finally to his extradition back to Israel after a lengthy legal process.

http://www.jpost.com/Israel-News/Fugitive-rabbi-wanted-for-sex-offenses-arrested-upon-arrival-to-Israel-460799 

Singing priest’ who raped boy with crucifix jailed

Former “singing” priest Tony Walsh has been jailed for seven and half years for raping a boy three times, once with a crucifix.

Anthony Walsh (62) committed the offence at a time when the maximum penalty for this offence, then legally termed indecent assault, was two years. But Judge Elma Sheahan used her discretion to impose consecutive sentences.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/courts/circuit-court/singing-priest-who-raped-boy-with-crucifix-jailed-1.2727151 

The Latest: Attorney accuses Vatican of interference

The Latest on the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis' handling of child abuse allegations (all times local):  4:15 p.m.  An attorney for victims of clergy abuse is accusing the Vatican of interfering in the investigation of a Minnesota archbishop.
Jeffrey Anderson made the claim in a case involving former archbishop John Nienstedt (NINE'-stedt), whose personal conduct was being examined in 2014 as the archdiocese was criticized for its handling of abuse allegations.

http://www.chron.com/news/crime/article/The-Latest-Attorney-accuses-Vatican-of-8399286.php 

Criminal charges dropped against Twin Cities archdiocese after it admits wrongdoing in abuse case

Criminal charges against the St. Paul-Minneapolis archdiocese were dropped Wednesday after it agreed to a revision of its civil settlement that added "direct and public admission of wrongdoing" for its role in the sexual abuse of three minors by a former priest.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/criminal-charges-dropped-against-twin-cities-archdiocese-after-it-admits-wrongdoing 

Minnesota Priest’s Memo Says Vatican Ambassador Tried to Stifle Sex Abuse Inquiry

The Vatican’s former ambassador to the United States quashed an independent investigation in 2014 into sexual and possible criminal misconduct by Archbishop John C. Nienstedt of St. Paul and Minneapolis and ordered church officials to destroy a letter they wrote to him protesting the decision, according to a memo made public on Wednesday.

http://www.nytimes.com/2016/07/21/us/minnesota-priests-memo-says-vatican-envoy-tried-to-stifle-sex-abuse-inquiry.html?emc=edit_tnt_20160720&eml_thmb=1&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

Catholic Diocese of Savannah to pay record settlement in priest abuse case

The Catholic Diocese of Savannah is paying big time for the sins of a former priest once again. WTOC has learned this settlement, the largest Catholic Church sex abuse settlement in Georgia history and the third largest in the country, was reached last week.
The Catholic Diocese of Savannah is no stranger to lawsuits filed by victims claiming they were victims of sexual abuse by a priest. This latest case was reported more than a year ago and last week a settlement, the largest ever in the state of Georgia, was reached.

http://www.wtoc.com/story/32374974/catholic-diocese-of-savannah-to-pay-record-settlement-in-priest-abuse-case 

AR--Arkansas chaplain convicted of abuse; Victims respond

We are grateful that a predatory prison chaplain was caught, pled guilty and has been sentenced. We hope others with information or suspicions about the crimes of Kenneth Dewitt will come forward and start healing. http://www.areawidenews.com/story/2319355.html
All too often predators seek positions like chaplain where they’ll have authority over and access to vulnerable individuals who are less likely to report crimes or be believed if they do.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/ar_arkansas_chaplain_convicted_of_abuse_victims_respond 

Survivors want judge to lead crisis-hit child abuse inquiry

Survivors have called for a judge to be appointed to lead Scotland’s national child abuse inquiry following the resignation of its chair.
QC Susan O’Brien stood down on Monday after the Scottish Government began moves to have her removed for comments described as “totally unacceptable” by a clinical psychologist who was working with the inquiry team.

http://www.scotsman.com/news/politics/survivors-want-judge-to-lead-crisis-hit-child-abuse-inquiry-1-4170213 

Alleged victim gives evidence in John Patrick Casey trial

THE first alleged victim in the historical sexual assault trial against Catholic priest John Patrick Casey has given evidence in a closed session of the Lismore District Court.
Casey has been charged with 27 counts of sexual assault, indecent assault and rape of three boys under the age of 16 said to have occurred in the 1980s.

http://www.coffscoastadvocate.com.au/news/alleged-victim-gives-evidence-in-patrick-casey-tri/3062743/ 

Catholic Faithful ‘Happy’ Miami Archbishop Removed Parish Priest

Published report shows parish priest had improper relationship with parish maintenance worker. 

MIAMI, Fla. (ChurchMilitant.com) - Faithful Catholics in the archdiocese of Miami are satisfied a parish priest is being removed after evidence showed he was having an improper relationship with a parish maintenance worker.

http://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/catholic-faithful-happy-abp.-wenski-removed-parish-priest 

Attorney for former Passaic priest convicted of sex charges seeks new trial

The attorney for a former Passaic priest convicted of sex charges two weeks ago asked a judge on Friday for a new trial, arguing that the jury convicted his client without sufficient evidence.

Passaic County prosecutors, however, argued that the trial of Jose Lopez in state Superior Court in Paterson involved no irregularity that warrants a new trial. Judge Sohail Mohammed said he will make a decision next week.

http://www.northjersey.com/news/attorney-for-former-passaic-priest-convicted-of-sex-charges-seeks-new-trial-1.1631191 

Assembly of First Nations Seeks Investigation of Furlong Abuse Allegations

The Assembly of First Nations wants a “thorough and impartial investigation” into allegations former Vancouver Olympics CEO John Furlong abused aboriginal students more than 45 years ago.

Delegates to the assembly’s annual general meeting this week supported a resolution calling for an investigation by the RCMP and the federal government.

http://thetyee.ca/News/2016/07/15/First-Nations-Furlong-Investigation/ 

Believe Me, Arch-Bish, the Church Largely Covers Up Pedophile Priests

Archbishop Emeritus Peter Akwasi Sarpong must know by now that the very notion of a celibate Roman-Catholic priesthood is decidedly a jaded phenomenon that is nowadays accepted or believed to be practicable or normal by only the most naïve of parishioners or congregants. Indeed, so ridiculed has this institutional practice been subjected that it has become a veritable joke among even the global Catholic prelate itself.
Which may well explain why the retired Oxbridge-educated Bishop of Kumasi would seek to relatively downplay this most immoral of moral misdeeds (See “Sexual Acts Involving Catholic Priests Not Worst of Sins – Archbishop” Ultimatefmonline.com / Ghanaweb.com 7/1/16).

http://www.ghanaweb.com/GhanaHomePage/religion/Believe-Me-Arch-Bish-the-Church-Largely-Covers-Up-Pedophile-Priests-455714 

Aussie bishop asks, ‘Are we missing the opportunity of Francis?’

SYDNEY, AUSTRALIA - This past Christmas, Archbishop Anthony Fisher - barely a year into his new post as Archbishop of Sydney in Australia - contracted Guillain-Barré Syndrome, a rare autoimmune disease, resulting in temporary paralysis.
After four months of rehabilitation, he’s back at work-both catching up on past projects, but also plowing ahead to new ones.

https://cruxnow.com/interviews/2016/07/16/aussie-bishop-asks-missing-opportunity-francis/ 

Being brought up in those schools, when older you feel rejected. You've no family, no nothing....' (Gerry Moran)

What happens after a person leaves an Industrial School orphanage? What happens years later when they still know little or nothing about their family? How do they begin trying to find blood brothers and sisters? And what happens if they do?
Forty years ago, two Irish men from mixed race backgrounds left the Irish State's institutional care. In the decades that followed they've tried tracking pieces of their past. Too often they've met hurdles or dead ends. Now in their late 50's, both men have renewed their detective work.

http://www.rte.ie/tv/programmes/thesearch.html 

Infighting leaves child abuse probe in mire as survivors lose confidence

SURVIVORS of childhood abuse say they have lost confidence in the Scottish Government’s child abuse inquiry and have called for claims of Government interference to investigated.
The call comes after Monday’s resignation of Susan O’Brien, the chairwoman of the panel, who stepped down just a week after Professor Michael Lamb, another of the three panel members, resigned, claiming government interference was making the job untenable.

http://www.thenational.scot/news/infighting-leaves-child-abuse-probe-in-mire-as-survivors-lose-confidence.19654 

Diocese of Duluth sues insurers, seeking coverage of abuse claims

The Diocese of Duluth has filed a federal lawsuit against five insurance companies, seeking to force their participation in settlement discussions.

The diocese, which filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in December in the wake of a $4.9 million verdict in a child sexual abuse case, filed the suit on June 24.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/crime-and-courts/4067881-diocese-duluth-sues-insurers-seeking-coverage-abuse-claims 

Pope accepts resignation of Brazilian archbishop after abuse scandal

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis accepted the resignation Wednesday of Italian-Brazilian archbishop Aldo Di Cillo Pagotto following a Vatican investigation into his part in a sex abuse scandal.
Pagotto, 66, archbishop of Paraiba in Brazil, allegedly welcomed into his diocese priests and seminarians accused of pedophilia after they had been expelled by other bishops.

http://www.japantimes.co.jp/news/2016/07/06/world/politics-diplomacy-world/pope-accepts-resignation-of-brazilian-archbishop-after-abuse-scandal/#.V4ry2zU1eUk 

Why Is Mendy Tevel Still Not On The Sex Offender Registry?

On June 8, 2015 ~33-year-old (born 1983) Menachem Tewel (aka Mendy Tevel) was sentenced to one year of imprisonment for repeatedly performing oral sex on a 14-year-old camper over a period of a year.
He was released after serving almost eight months on January 24, 2016 without any prior sex offender hearing. This is unusual. Yet more unusual, is that by now, almost six months have passed since his release, nine “risk level assessment hearings” were scheduled, and there has still not been any court ruling. Perhaps this is justifiable, but the DA’s office has not offered up any explanations when asked.

https://frumfollies.wordpress.com/2016/07/06/why-is-mendy-tevel-still-not-on-the-sex-offender-registry/ 

Man accused of raping child he met through Salem church

Deputies say they've arrested a Salem man for raping and sodomizing a juvenile he met through his work at a local church.
Mauricio Aguilera-Garcia, 55, was arrested this week on rape, sodomy and unlawful sexual penetration.

http://katu.com/news/local/man-accused-of-raping-child-he-met-through-salem-church-mauricio-aguilera-garcia-solid-rock-community-church 

Black Catholic leaders want stronger church response to police killings

In the world of African-American Catholic life, San Antonio was the place to be July 5-9. The annual Archbishop Lyke Conference, named for the late former Atlanta archbishop James P. Lyke, was to explore and celebrate liturgy and worship in the black American tradition. The expectation was that there would be joyous song, praise, and dance at the meeting, held at the Oblate School of Theology.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/justice/black-catholic-leaders-want-stronger-church-response-police-killings 

Victim of Peter Ball sex abuse calls on police to investigate Lord Carey over alleged 'cover up'

A victim of sexual abuse in 1980s by the former Bishop of Lewes Peter Ball has raised the prospect of police investigating the former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey after new documents suggested that Lambeth Palace knew about abuse allegations.
The documents, unearthed by the Mail on Sunday, show that Lambeth Palace received six letters after Ball was cautioned in 1992 revealing that he encouraged victims to pray naked, perform sex acts in front of him and share his bed.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/victim.of.peter.ball.sex.abuse.calls.on.police.to.investigate.lord.carey.over.alleged.cover.up/90566.htm 

Why Do “All Lives Matter” Armchair Commentators Disgust Me More after the Murder of Philando Castile?

Perhaps because I know where Falcon Heights is. Perhaps because he was my age, graduating high school the same year I did. Perhaps because by the grace of God I awoke from my cynical news slumber last night, when I heard and read and saw the report on the shooting of Philando Castile — after reading about the previous shootings and the ones previous to that. I immediately thought of a story I used to laugh at with my friend Eddie Bayard from Columbus, OH. He told the story of going into Wal-Mart to exchange a defective CD player.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/cosmostheinlost/2016/07/13/why-do-all-lives-matter-armchair-commentators-disgust-me-more-after-the-murder-of-philando-castile/ 

The Powerful Catholic Case for a Preferential Option for Black Lives Matter

I stayed out of the fray of commenting on Black Lives Matter until yesterday, because we’ve been moving, not out of indifference.
Yesterday, I had the pleasure instead of giving the acting editor of Patheos Catholic comment on this important issue.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/cosmostheinlost/2016/07/14/the-powerful-catholic-case-for-a-preferential-option-for-black-lives-matter/ 

Sen. Leyva’s bill would protect child victims of sex abuse:

The Justice for Victims Act, which has gained traction by passing the state Senate before the summer recess and is ready to be voted on by the Assembly, gives California the chance to take a strong stance against the Catholic Church’s ongoing cover-up of child sexual abuse.
Minnesota has passed a similar bill, but California’s enactment would not only protect children here but send shock waves across the country

http://www.dailybulletin.com/opinion/20160714/sen-leyvas-bill-would-protect-child-victims-of-sex-abuse-guest-commentary 

Man accused of raping child he met through Salem church

MARION COUNTY, Ore. — Deputies say they've arrested a Salem man for raping and sodomizing a juvenile he met through his work at a local church.
Mauricio Aguilera-Garcia, 55, was arrested this week on rape, sodomy and unlawful sexual penetration.  Marion County Sheriff's deputies say he met his victim at his church, Our Father's House. That church rents space from the Solid Rock Community Church on Ward Drive NE in Salem.

http://katu.com/news/local/man-accused-of-raping-child-he-met-through-salem-church-mauricio-aguilera-garcia-solid-rock-community-church 

Judge to rule whether St. Paul Archdiocese parishes can be tapped for abuse claims

A bankruptcy court judge was asked Thursday to include Catholic parishes and schools with the assets of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis to compensate clergy abuse victims.

The archdiocese’s Chapter 11 bankruptcy organization plan, filed in May, would create a $65 million trust fund to compensate the some 440 abuse victims who have filed claims.

http://www.startribune.com/judge-to-rule-if-clergy-abuse-victims-can-tap-parishes/385858841/ 

Vatileaks Verdict: Mama Won’t Do Time, Monsignor Will

ROME — In what must surely be a relief to Pope Francis, a Vatican tribunal ruled on Thursday that the press is free, that secretaries aren’t to blame, that new mothers shouldn’t go to jail, and that one of their own is the only one who truly deserves to pay the price for the Vatican crime of leaking documents to the press.

The so-called Vatileaks II trial began eight months ago over allegations that Spanish Monsignor Lucio Vallejo Balda and a Calabrian public relations consultant named Francesca Chaouqui, aided by Balda’s assistant Nicola Maio, knowingly leaked secret documents to journalists Gianluigi Nuzzi and Emiliano Fittipladi.

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2016/07/07/vatileaks-verdict-mama-won-t-do-time-monsignor-will.html 

Explosive Investigation Finds At Least 2,400 Doctors Have Been Disciplined For Sexual Misconduct With Their Patients

It’s a devastating report that’s sure to infuriate you and make you think twice about how much you trust the world of medicine.
Earlier this Wednesday, The Atlanta Journal-Constitution debuted their Doctors & Sex Abuse project, an exhaustive multimedia look at the thousands of medical professionals discreetly and oftentimes only lightly disciplined for some form of sexual misconduct involving their patients since 1999.

http://www.medicaldaily.com/doctors-sexual-abuse-scandal-investigation-391400 

NJ--Delbarton whistleblower trial approaches; Victims respond

We strongly suspect that the former Delbarton coach is telling the truth when he says that school officials retaliated against him for reporting suspected sex crimes and sexual misconduct by Fr. Luke Travers. Time and time again, Catholic priests and bishops have tried to punish those who speak up about abuse reports and rumors.
http://www.nj.com/morris/index.ssf/2016/07/ex-coach_suing_delbarton_and_ex-headmaster.html
If kids are to be safe and cover ups are to be deterred, it’s crucial that anyone with information or suspicions about wrongdoing at Delbarton steps forward now. Do so not to help Marc MacNaughton, but to help ensure that the truth about sex crimes and misdeeds and cover ups at Delbarton is exposed. Silence only helps wrongdoers and encourages wrongdoing.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/nj_delbarton_whistleblower_trial_approaches_victims_respond 

Ferguson guilty on 5 charges

The defense and prosecution could agree on one thing: that Sarah Ferguson whipped her brothers in a counseling session at Word of Life Christian Church that would claim the life of one and severely injure another. 

In his Tuesday verdict, delivered following an eight-day bench trial, Judge Michael Dwyer found Ferguson guilty on five counts connected to the October incident in which 19-year-old Lucas Leonard and 17-year-old Christopher Leonard were whipped inside the Chadwicks church. It was on the most serious charge of second-degree murder, however, one that required him to find Ferguson was aware of Lucas' risk of death and disregarded it, that Dwyer disagreed and found her not guilty.

http://www.timestelegram.com/news/20160705/ferguson-guilty-on-5-charges 

Pope Francis accepts resignation of Brazilian archbishop Aldo Di Cillo Pagotto involved in sex abuse scandal

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Italian-Brazilian archbishop Aldo Di Cillo Pagotto on Wednesday, following a Vatican investigation into his part in a sex abuse scandal.
Pagotto, 66, archbishop of Paraiba in Brazil, allegedly welcomed into his diocese priests and seminarians accused of paedophilia after they had been expelled by other bishops. He was also accused of refusing to discuss the thorny issue of sex abuse, which has plagued the Catholic Church for decades.

http://www.dnaindia.com/world/report-pope-francis-accepts-resignation-of-brazilian-archbishop-aldo-di-cillo-pagotto-involved-in-sex-abuse-scandal-2231824

Child abductor had offended in Australia

A 47-year-old man who abducted and indecently assaulted a five-year-old girl in Palmerston North had previous convictions in Australia for attacking a girl of the same age 24 years earlier.

Brendan Paul Henson was jailed for eight years, with a minimum period of five years, in the High Court in Palmerston North on Friday.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/top-stories/a/32015432/child-abductor-had-offended-in-australia/#page1 

More sex abuse scandals: "We found a culture of secrecy..."

Catholics are understandably weary of hearing about sex abuse scandals. But we mustn't deny what has happened and, sadly, what continues to happen:
“We found a culture of secrecy,” said Carrie Teegardin, a reporter on the paper’s investigative team for the project.  “It’s treated with a sort of secrecy that we don’t see in other arenas when we’re talking about allegations this serious,” she told ABC News. “It’s still swept under the rug in so many cases.”

http://www.catholicworldreport.com/Blog/4911/more_sex_abuse_scandals_we_found_a_culture_of_secrecy.aspx 

Local diocese closes painful chapter in sex abuse case

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Savannah last week closed a painful and shameful chapter from its past when it announced it would pay $4.5 million to resolve a suit alleging child sexual abuse by a since-defrocked priest, Wayland Y. Brown. This was the second time the diocese agreed to settle a case involving Brown. The earlier one, resolved in 2009, settled for $4.24 million.

http://savannahnow.com/opinion-editorial/2016-07-10/editorial-local-diocese-closes-painful-chapter-sex-abuse-case 

Hergott: Putting lawyers in awkward position

Watch the Academy Award winning movie Spotlight for the gripping portrayal of investigative journalists working passionately and tenaciously to shine their spotlight on the widespread and systemic abuse of children by Roman Catholic priests in the Boston area.
The investigation started small, with one abusive priest.  It soon became apparent that the abuse was widespread and systemic, the journalists eventually uncovering close to 90 abusive priests in the Boston area alone.

http://www.kelownacapnews.com/opinion/385914221.html 

Priest sex abuse victim angered by lack of recourse: 'None of them are registered sex offenders'

Shaun Dougherty's story begins on page 66 of the grand jury report into widespread child sexual abuse in the Altoona-Johnstown Diocese.
That page - one of 147 pages in the report detailing accusations against more than 50 religious leaders, priests and teachers - begins the account into the investigation of George Koharchik, a longtime priest, who among other diocesan assignments, was pastor at St. Clement Church in Johnstown for a decade.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2016/07/altoona_sex_abuse_victim_shaun.html 

Why Is the Catholic Church Lobbying against Statute of Limitations Reform?

I converted to Catholicism in college. I had grown up in an evangelical home, and Catholicism offered me a new way to view the Bible and gave me a sense of history and richness. In a turbulent time for me, it allowed me to retain my faith.
Today, I am no longer religious, but this is not the fault of the Church. Rather, a series of unrelated events shook my fundamental belief in the supernatural. Still, I’ve always retained some affinity for the Catholic tradition. This affinity serves as the backdrop for my increasing disappointment with how the church is handling child sexual abuse and reforms designed to protect children.

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/lovejoyfeminism/2016/07/why-is-the-catholic-church-lobbying-against-statute-of-limitations-reform.html 

Fr Jerry Daly's memoir raises urgent truths about the Church

HE can’t prove it, but Fr Jerry Daly thinks he was one of the first priests in the world to turn his altar around when word emerged from Vatican II that priests could now face the congregation. It was the 1960s and Fr Jerry was a missionary in Indonesia, catering to several villages in the Kai Islands.
“I never liked having my back to the people. It was bonkers. You can’t communicate with people when you’ve got your back to them.”

http://www.irishexaminer.com/lifestyle/features/fr-jerry-dalys-memoir-raises-urgent-truths-about-the-church-408859.html 

Bill Cosby in court to renew bid to force accuser to testify

Bill Cosby has returned to a Pennsylvania criminal court as the comedian's lawyers mounted their latest attempt to have the sexual assault case against him thrown out.

Cosby’s lawyers insist a trial should not be held until his accuser, Andrea Constand, gets on the stand and they get a chance to cross-examine her.

https://nz.news.yahoo.com/a/32009548/bill-cosby-in-court-to-renew-bid-to-force-accuser-to-testify/#page1 

St. Boniface archdiocese sued over alleged abuse coverup

A 22-year-old Winnipeg man is suing the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of St. Boniface, the priest who sexually abused him and the religious order Clercs de Saint-Viateur du Canada for $2.1 million in damages.
Rev. Ronald Leger, former pastor of Holy Family Parish on Archibald Street, was convicted of sexually assaulting the young man when he was a boy as well as two other boys and sentenced in February to two years in jail.

http://www.theinquiry.ca/wordpress/accused/charged/leger-father-ronald-leger-csv/st-boniface-archdiocese-sued-over-alleged-abuse-coverup/ 

Every Time the Pope Moves the Church Forward, Chaput Drags It Backward.

Last week, Archbishop Charles J. Chaput released “Pastoral Guidelines for Implementing Amoris Laetitia,” regarding Pope Francis’s apostolic exhortation issued in April. That profound and complex 263-page document affirmed “a renewed awareness of the importance of marriage and the family” at the same time that it interrogated definitions of family, pastoral obligations and current practices. It chastised the Catholic Church for being too cold, too bureaucratic in its dealings with parishioners whose family structures or situations were not the accepted norm, and extolled sexuality rooted in pleasure, and unburdened by guilt.

http://www.phillymag.com/news/2016/07/08/charles-chaput-gay-couples-communion/

Manitoba Catholic archdiocese sued over alleged sexual abuse of boys

WINNIPEG – A former Winnipeg priest, the Archdiocese of Saint Boniface and Clercs de Saint-Viateur du Canada have been named in two separate sexual assault lawsuits.
The lawsuits are connected to Ronald Leger, a former pastor at Holy Family Parish in Winnipeg. He pleaded guilty to sexually abusing three boys ranging in age from nine to 18 between 1980 and 2004.

http://www.canadianunderwriter.ca/legal/manitoba-catholic-archdiocese-sued-alleged-sexual-abuse-boys-1004096116/ 

Hundreds of Doctors Keep Practicing After Sexually Abusing Patients

More than half of the 2,400 US doctors disciplined for sexually abusing patients since 1999 were allowed to continue seeing—and abusing—patients, the Atlanta Journal-Constitution reports following a yearlong investigation. That includes a Missouri doctor who got aroused while asking a patient if she liked being tied up and peed on, a Kentucky doctor who put his mouth on a patient's vagina when he was supposed to be examining her abdomen, and a California psychiatrist who grabbed a patient's breast and ejaculated on her hand. There were examples in all 50 states of doctors of all stripes sexually abusing patients, from babies to women in their 80s. “They’re concerned only about one thing, and that’s their personal gratification," a lawyer for one group of victims tells ABC News.

http://www.newser.com/story/227776/hundreds-of-doctors-keep-practicing-after-sexually-abusing-patients.html 

Vince Hatt: Abuse lawsuits hit the wrong target

For years I have postponed writing this commentary. I just have too many feelings to sort out. There are just too many ways to frame this. Limited to about 750 words, I must leave out important information.

But here goes: My thoughts and feelings about the sexual abuse of children by priests.  When I first heard about it, I was sad and embarrassed. Sad because some priests had hurt and taken advantage of the most vulnerable of those whom they were called to love and protect. Embarrassed because as a Catholic I would be challenged by those who like to tear down the church. As I learned more about the profound damage that sexual abuse does to children, I became horrified.

http://lacrossetribune.com/news/opinion/vince-hatt-abuse-lawsuits-hit-the-wrong-target/article_017b9446-016f-5465-93f8-b632cd3773ed.html 

A priest stands accused. What's next?

The statistics on sexual misconduct allegations in the Catholic church are daunting. According to the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, over 16,000 people in the U.S. alone have claimed that they were abused by priests as children between 1950 and 2012. That year, the USCCB said it had spent $2.6 billion in settlements, attorneys, therapy and other costs.

http://liherald.com/stories/A-priest-stands-accused-Whats-next,81354