St John of God Healthcare and Catholic Church respond to Royal Commission findings

THE findings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse have reached deep into the hearts of Catholics, revealing horrors that are difficult to face. The Gazette asks Hawkesbury’s Catholic institutions for their responses to the crisis.
Last week the commission hearings revealed that between 1980 and 2015, 4444 people alleged they were abused as children in more than 1000 Catholic institutions, with 1880 perpetrators identified.

http://www.hawkesburygazette.com.au/story/4463596/rebuilding-our-trust/ 

Royal commission: Abuse survivors push for police inquiry into Anglican Bishop Philip Newell

Tasmanian survivors of clergy abuse want police to investigate whether a former Anglican Bishop should face criminal charges for allowing a paedophile to remain in the church.

A day after the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse released damning findings, survivors said they planned to launch legal action.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-14/abuse-survivors-push-for-police-inquiry-into-anglican-bishop/8270358 

Brother erased from history

The Christian Brothers have taken the extraordinary step of moving the grave of a notoriously brutal brother from the grounds of a WA school as the Catholic Church reels from revelations of past abuse.The Catholic order has dismantled the grave of Brother Francis Paul Keaney at Bindoon Agricultural College, shifting his remains to a humble plot at Karrakatta, effectively erasing any trace of the Brother from the institution he once ruled over.

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/brother-erased-from-history-ng-b88396569z 

Abusive priests inadequately supervised

Sydney's Catholic archbishop says he can't pretend there is remotely enough supervision of abusive priests to be certain they won't sexually assault children again.
Archbishop Anthony Fisher on Friday said the church financially supports known abusers and tries to find out where they live when they want nothing more to do with the institution.

http://www.sbs.com.au/news/article/2017/02/24/abusive-priests-inadequately-supervised 

Catholic archbishops front abuse inquiry

Australia’s most senior Catholic leaders’ efforts to address the church’s ‘catastrophic failure’ to protect children will be tested when all five metropolitan archbishops answer to the child sex abuse royal commission.
The archbishops of Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane, Adelaide and Perth will jointly face the royal commission in Sydney on Thursday.

http://www.echo.net.au/2017/02/catholic-archbishops-front-abuse-inquiry/ 

Australian archbishops: Leadership on abuse was ‘catastrophic failure’

Five Australian archbishops testified before a government commission on child sexual abuse, reiterating apologies and taking responsibility for actions that occurred before they were church leaders.  They also said they believed the culture of church and society had changed enough that it would help such abuse from occurring in the future.
The abuse of children in the church was “a catastrophic failure in many respects, but primarily in leadership,” Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth told the Royal Commission of Inquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse Feb. 23, near the end of three weeks of public hearings.

http://catholicphilly.com/2017/02/news/world-news/australian-archbishops-leadership-on-abuse-was-catastrophic-failure/ 

Catholic response "criminally negligent"

Australia's major Catholic archbishops have accepted a "catastrophic failure" of leadership left children unprotected from sexual abuse.

The Archbishops of Perth, Sydney, Melbourne, Brisbane and Adelaide all agreed with counsel assisting Gail Furness SC's proposition that leadership's response to allegations was inadequate.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/catholic-archbishops-front-abuse-inquiry/news-story/e6b003f894c1d53a545ff4afa2b347fd 

New Guam priest lawsuits: Catholic Church operated 'harem of young boys'

Four more former altar boys filed separate federal lawsuits Wednesday, alleging that former island priest Louis Brouillard sexually molested them repeatedly when they were children in the 1970s, bringing to 22 the total number of clergy sexual abuse cases filed on Guam.
The Archdiocese of Agana now faces a minimum $110 million in damages in connection with the lawsuits.

http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/02/22/new-guam-priest-lawsuits-catholic-church-operated-harem-young-boys/98275560/ 

Two Dundee establishments investigated as part of Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry

A former school and defunct orphanage in Dundee are both being investigated as part of the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.

The inquiry is probing historic child abuse across Scotland. More than 60 residential and care establishments are being investigated.  The two Dundee institutions being investigated both closed down in the early 1980s: the Balgowan List D School and the Roseangle Orphanage (St Vincents).

https://www.thecourier.co.uk/fp/news/local/dundee/374766/two-dundee-establishments-investigated-as-part-of-scottish-child-abuse-inquiry/ 

Royal Commission into child sex abuse: Archbishop refused to apologise to mother of teen victim

A HEARTLESS archbishop has refused to apologise to a 92-year-old mother for the sexual abuse a priest inflicted on her then teenage daughter, who later committed suicide.

The Archbishop of Melbourne Denis Hart yesterday fronted the royal commission into child sex abuse to issue a series of apologies for the Catholic Church’s handling of a “tsunami” of cases but refused to even acknowledge that Eileen Piper’s daughter Stephanie had been sexually assaulted over several years by a disgraced former priest.

http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/news/nsw/royal-commission-into-child-sex-abuse-archbishop-refused-to-apologise-to-mother-of-teen-victim/news-story/23ba2addd552de7e7ebaea058d24c9bc 

Child abuse royal commission to see report suppressed by Catholic Church

A report suppressed by the Catholic Church for more than a year will be tabled at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses into Child Sexual Abuse this week.
The 2015 report by former Federal Court judge Donnell Ryan QC is into the Church's compensation scheme for victims known as the Melbourne Response. The scheme was set up in 1996 by then archbishop of Melbourne George Pell to assist people "who have been abused sexually, physically or emotionally by members of the Catholic Church".

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-22/report-suppressed-by-catholic-church-tabled-at-royal-commission/8294324?pfmredir=sm 

Former priest sentenced to 30 years for child pornography

A former U.S. Navy lieutenant commander and ordained Catholic priest was recently sentenced to 30 years in prison for charges involving the sexual exploitation of children, announced U.S. Attorney Charles M. Oberly III of the District of Delaware.
John Thomas Matthew Lee, 51, of Millsboro, was sentenced Feb. 8 by U.S. District Court Judge Leonard P. Stark of the District of Delaware, who also ordered Lee to serve a lifetime term of supervised release. On Nov. 16, 2015, Lee pleaded guilty to one count of production of child pornography and one count of distribution of child pornography. He became a registered sex offender following his 2007 conviction in a general court martial of sexually assaulting another Naval officer while serving as a chaplain at the U.S. Naval Academy. Lee has been in custody since his arrest Nov. 3, 2014.

http://www.sussexcountian.com/news/20170213/former-priest-sentenced-to-30-years-for-child-pornography 

Retired bishop could still face Vatican probe, trial

Former Guam priest Tomas A. Camacho, who now is a retired bishop on Saipan, still can be investigated by the Vatican and face a canonical trial over allegations he sexually abused an altar boy in the 1970s, a lawyer with expertise on Catholic Church law said.
“Yes, he can still be investigated and punished, even if he is retired,” said Minnesota-based canon lawyer Jennifer Haselberger, who established Canonical Consultation and Services LLC in 2013.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/02/14/retired-bishop-could-still-face-vatican-probe-trial/97882102/ 

Communications head quits child abuse inquiry over ‘personal life changes’

Britain's biggest child sex abuse inquiry has been hit by another high-level departure. Media chief Bron Madson has left the troubled Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) amid reports of tensions over a consultancy firm that has been paid nearly £300,000.

Ms Madson quit her role as head of communications as the IICSA revealed that it has paid the consultancy firm Crest Advisory £294,232 since 2015 for “strategic communications advice”.

http://www.policeprofessional.com/news.aspx?id=28457 

Tentative trial date set in Feit case

A judge set a tentative trial date for a former priest accused of killing a McAllen woman more than 50 years ago. After a brief hearing Monday morning, both sides in the capital murder case of John Bernard Feit agreed to a late April trial date.
District Judge Luis Singleterry set a pretrial date for April 20, and a subsequent trial date of April 24 after Hidalgo County Assistant District Attorney Michael Garza asked the court to set a date, as most evidence has been turned over to the defense.

http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/tentative-trial-date-set-in-feit-case/article_c0289698-f20d-11e6-8ea5-4370b27e5faf.html 

Trial Date Set for Suspect in Decades-Old Murder Case

A former McAllen priest accused in a decades-old murder made a court appearance Monday morning.
John Feit was arrested for the murder of Irene Garza last year in Phoenix, Arizona.
Feit walked into court Monday using his walker and shook hands with people on his way to his seat. When his counsel asked him how he was feeling, Feit replied that he felt great.

http://www.krgv.com/story/34491498/trial-date-set-for-suspect-in-decades-old-murder-case 

Fort Augustus Abbey monk appears at extradition hearing in Sydney

A former Catholic monk accused of child abuse at a Scottish school has appeared in court in Australia facing extradition.

Father Denis "Chrysostom" Alexander was one of several monks accused of abusing boys at the former Fort Augustus Abbey boarding school in the Highlands. He has always denied the allegations.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-38951512 

Pope Francis Goes to Confession Over Church’s Pervert Priests

Pope Francis has been criticized in the past for not taking a harder stance against pedophile priests. His Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has been slow to start, condemned for missteps surrounding the forced leave of absence for Peter Saunders, one of two commission members who is a victim of clerical abuse. And the group faced accusations last year that it was out of touch and irrelevant because it wasn’t even involved in training new bishops about how to handle clerical-abuse accusations. 

http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2017/02/13/pope-francis-goes-to-confession-over-church-s-pervert-priests.html

World cardinals back pope after anonymous attacks by conservatives

Senior Roman Catholic cardinals from the around the world defended Pope Francis on Monday against a spate of recent attacks from conservatives challenging his authority.

In an unusual move, nine cardinals in a group advising Francis on Vatican economic and structural reforms issued a statement expressing "full support for the pope's work" and guaranteeing "full backing for him and his teachings".

https://sg.news.yahoo.com/world-cardinals-back-pope-anonymous-attacks-conservatives-162625497.html 

Royal commission into sexual abuse: Catholic Church 'sacrificed the welfare of children'

An expert witness received loud applause as he savaged the Catholic Church for sacrificing the welfare of children at an emotional royal commission hearing today.

Dr Thomas Doyle, a United States canon lawyer and expert in areas of sexual abuse by clergy, has been giving evidence at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Sydney.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-07/royal-commission-into-sexual-abuse-/8246584 

Swiss Catholic Church commission to examine abuse victims’ cases

After creating a victims’ fund one year ago, the Swiss Catholic Church has set up a reparations commission to formally examine abuse victims’ complaints. The news coincides with the publication this week of a biography in which the author recounts years of abuse by a Swiss priest. 

The commission is ready to receive compensation requests from victims of paedophile priests, Joseph Bonnemain, from the Conference of Swiss Bishops, told the Swiss News Agency on Tuesday. 

http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/formal-process_swiss-catholic-church-commission-to-examine-abuse-victims--cases/42960410 

A Church So Poor It Has to Close Schools, Yet So Rich It Can Build a Palace

Mater Dei Academy sits shuttered, blue drapes pulled across its windows, atop a hill in this working-class city. From its steps, you can peer across the mist-shrouded expanse of the Meadowlands to the distant spires of Manhattan.

For generations, this blond brick Catholic elementary school tossed a lifeline to the immigrants who, wave upon wave, washed ashore here. The Archdiocese of Newark closed it two years ago. Church officials offered deep regrets; the church’s wallet is thin to the touch these days.

https://www.nytimes.com/2014/02/20/nyregion/a-church-so-poor-it-has-to-close-schools-yet-so-rich-it-can-build-a-palace.html?smid=fb-share 

Another Woman Was Raped by a Priest, Reminding us of How Rampant Abuse is Across Churches in India

A 37-year-old adivasi woman from Kanapur, a village in Madhya Pradesh, was raped by a priest (reports do not indicate which clergy or church he belonged to) named Hanop Alexander on the church premises. According to news reports, the incident took place around midnight, when she left her house (also on the church premises) and was abducted by the priest and taken to his room. The priest fled on his motorcycle after the incident and has been absconding since, but the police managed to book him for rape, and are on the look-out.

http://theladiesfinger.com/madhyapradeshpriestrape/ 

Lawmakers introduce bill for child sexual abuse task force

Two Jamestown legislators are sponsoring a bill that would create a task force on preventing sexual abuse of children and reporting recommendations for legislation.

Senate Bill 2342 was introduced by Sen. John Grabinger, D-Jamestown, and had a hearing in the Human Services Committee on Jan. 30. No vote or other action has been taken since. The other sponsor is Rep. Bernie Satrom, R-Jamestown.

http://bismarcktribune.com/news/state-and-regional/lawmakers-introduce-bill-for-child-sexual-abuse-task-force/article_dd6644a7-a809-5273-b28f-a7ca6410c417.html 

Former Hamilton Marist principal Brother Christopher Wade charged with offences linked to two Brothers

FORMER Hamilton Marist Brothers school principal, Brother Christopher Wade, has been charged with making false statements to police and perverting the course of justice.
Strike Force Georgiana detectives Sergeant Kristi Faber, and Senior Constable Simon Grob, charged Brother Wade with four offences on Tuesday relating to statements he made to police in 2014 during Georgiana investigations into Marist Brothers Francis Cable (Brother Romuald) and Darcy O’Sullivan (Brother Dominic).

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4468251/brother-charged-with-perverting-justice/ 

Man abused as child by Catholic teacher slams the Pope for 'protecting' Cardinal George Pell by letting him hide out at the Vatican

A man who suffered at the hands of a Catholic paedophile as a teenager in the 1970s is calling for Cardinal George Pell to face child abuse allegations and resign so victims of abuse by member's of the church can 'finally' have closure.

Robert Zammit left school aged 16 to escape the clutches of a paedophile teacher – he told Daily Mail Australia he couldn't speak out about his abuse at the time or for decades afterward because 'it wasn't talked about'.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4210618/Man-abused-child-Catholic-school-teacher-slams-pope.html 

Jehovah's Witness sexual-abuse-coverup lawsuit settled

A settlement agreement has been reached, but neither the victim nor the church she said failed to report her sexual abuse to the authorities can talk about it.
On the fifth day of trial Monday in Philadelphia County Court, Stephanie Fessler, of Lancaster, settled the suit she filed against the Jehovah's Witness Church in Spring Grove.

http://www.pennlive.com/news/2017/02/jehovahs_witness_sexual_abuse.html 

Pope lauds 'courageous' witness of abuse victim who forgave

In his preface for a book written by a survivor of clerical sex abuse, Pope Francis once again lamented the “monstrosity” of the act, calling the author, Daniel Pittet, courageous for his willingness to forgive his abuser and to share his story with the world.
“For those who have been victims of a pedophile it is difficult to talk about what they have been through and describe the trauma that still persist after many years,” the Pope said in the preface, published earlier this month.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/pope-lauds-courageous-witness-of-abuse-victim-who-chose-to-forgive-80070/ 

NSW Deputy Ombudsman criticises state's 'hodgepodge' child abuse monitoring system

One of Australia's most senior child protection bureaucrats has expressed concern with the way governments monitor incidents of child abuse within religious institutions.

NSW Deputy Ombudsman Steve Kinmond runs a watchdog scheme in his state that checks how schools, churches, childcare and foster care agencies handle complaints of child abuse.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-14/calls-for-national-child-protection-body-nsw-deputy-ombudsman/8269570 

Catholic Church child sexual abuse statistics are an indictment on the church, say survivors

THE opportunity afforded by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has been unprecedented.
Thousands of survivors of child sexual abuse, violated in many mainstream institutions, have spoken of the chilling crimes which, over decades, progressively devastated their lives.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4465950/the-world-is-watching-how-we-respond-to-abuse-findings/ 

Assessment for clergy candidates flawed, sex inquiry hears

A lack of understanding and compassion may have caused Catholic priests to hear the confessions of clergy committing child sex crimes and allow them to continue to abuse, an inquiry heard.
David Leary, an academic and Franciscan friar told the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse on Tuesday, the Catholic Church still failed to fully comprehend how its systems allowed a culture of child sexual abuse to flourish.

http://www.hepburnadvocate.com.au/story/4468610/assessment-for-clergy-candidates-flawed-sex-inquiry-hears/?cs=12

Sex abuse suit filed vs Bishop Camacho

A Guam resident filed a sexual abuse lawsuit against bishop emeritus Tomas A. Camacho yesterday regarding allegations that date back several decades ago, making Camacho the first clergy member from the CNMI to be embroiled in a controversy that has hounded the Roman Catholic Church.
Last year, Guam’s Catholic community was rocked by several allegations of similar sexual abuse by then archbishop Anthony S. Apuron. Guam and the CNMI are both predominantly Catholic and tight-knit communities.

http://www.saipantribune.com/index.php/sex-abuse-suit-filed-vs-bishop-camacho/ 

To limit clergy abuse, look at model of business accountability

“Peter Johnstone, president of the Australian group Catholics for Renewal, formed after revelations of abuse began to become public, called the church “dysfunctional, in that it is doing things that are totally contrary to its mission.”
In a wide-ranging discussion, members of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse and experts called to testify discussed how good business practices might or might not make children less vulnerable.

https://voicefaithful.wordpress.com/2017/02/10/to-limit-clergy-abuse-look-at-model-of-business-accountability/ 

Toowoomba man reveals sex abuse, slams commission

A TOOWOOMBA man who suffered harrowing sexual abuse as a child is calling for an overhaul of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. < The man, who is giving evidence for the criminal trial of his alleged abuser, gave evidence to the commission in Toowoomba last year.
He said he was raped as a primary school student in a Victorian school, which taught him to avoid notorious sexual predators at a Christian Brothers college. With the focus of the commission on the Catholic church, and senior figures being named and shamed, the Toowoomba man said not enough focus was being put on public school victims.

https://www.byronnews.com.au/news/toowoomba-man-reveals-sex-abuse-slams-commission/3143369/ 

Catholic Church says abuse compo not fair

The Catholic Church admits its system that has paid $276 million in compensation to thousands of people sexually abused as children is still not fair to victims and an independent scheme is needed.

Victims who have sought redress from the church in Australia have received an average of $91,000 in compensation. But there are huge differences in the average amount paid by different Catholic Church authorities - from as little as $22,000 to as much as $901,000.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/02/16/03/33/abuse-inquiry-focus-on-catholic-schools

Brisbane schools 'failed to act' on Kevin Lynch sexual abuse allegations

A prestigious Brisbane private school harboured a culture in which children making allegations of abuse were treated as liars, the royal commission into child sexual abuse has found.

The commission has handed down its report into what it calls Case Study 34, examining allegations of abuse at Brisbane Grammar School in Spring Hill and St Paul's School in the northern Brisbane suburb of Bald Hills.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-15/brisbane-private-schools-failed-to-act-on-sexual-abuse/8273646 

Child sex abuse royal commission: Lawyers reveal trauma of representing survivors

For Melbourne institutional abuse lawyer Angela Sdrinis, the "flashbacks" started when she was bathing her young children and putting them to bed. "Those times when a lot of clients had been abused — I had been doing those same things with my own kids and getting secondary trauma," she said.

Media player: "Space" to play, "M" to mute, "left" and "right" to seek.
In recent weeks the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has heard shocking figures about the extent of abuse in churches and religious orders. But it's a horror that survivors — and their lawyers — have had to endure for decades.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-15/lawyers-reveal-trauma-of-representing-child-sex-abuse-survivors/8270008 

Former Brisbane Grammar School counsellor hypnotised, sexually abused boys during sessions, inquiry hears

A former school counsellor often hypnotised then sexually abused boys during counselling sessions at Brisbane Grammar School, the royal commission into child sexual abuse has heard.

Two prestigious private schools in south-east Queensland, the Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) at Spring Hill and St Paul's School at Bald Hills, are the focus of public hearings of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse in Brisbane.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-03/royal-commission-into-institutional-child-sexual-abuse-hearing/6907532 

Catholic Church failing to honour royal commission compassion pledge, alleged sex abuse victim Gina Swannell says

A woman who alleges she suffered horrific child sexual abuse at the hands of a priest has accused the Catholic Church of failing to honour its pledge to treat victims with more compassion.

Gina Swannell is suing the church for damages in relation to sexual abuse she allegedly suffered when she was six years old at the St Francis Xavier boarding school in Urana, New South Wales.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-08-02/alleged-sex-abuse-victim-sues-catholic-church/6666504 

Does Catholic Church law lead to the cover up of abuse?

The current practices and procedures of the Catholic Church have been under intense scrutiny over the past two weeks of the Royal Commission’s Case Study 50. One of the interesting issues raised during evidence heard by the Commission has been the extent to which the Church’s own internal legal system, called canon law, impedes the proper reporting of child abuse. And in some instances actually leads to cover ups.

Does canon law conflict with state law? Canon law is the body of laws that has been established over time to govern the church and its members.

http://rct-law.com.au/legal-blog/2017/does-catholic-church-law-lead-to-the-cover-up-of-abuse 

Vatican mission hears Guam witnesses

Attorney David Lujan stated that he expects the number of clergy lawsuits to double while waiting for a Vatican tribunal to see his client Roland Sondia, Feb. 16, 2017. Sondia has accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron of sexual abuse. Haidee Eugenio/PDN
A Vatican tribunal sent to Guam as part of Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron’s canonical trial heard from some witnesses Thursday, but didn't directly hear from one of Apuron’s alleged sexual abuse victims.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/02/15/vatican-officials-arrive-chancery-hear-testimony/97969714/ 

18th sex abuse case against former priest filed

Allegations of decades-old sexual abuse at San Vicente Catholic School in Barrigada have surfaced as the 18th civil complaint filed against former Guam priests and the Archdiocese of Agana was filed in the District Court of Guam yesterday.
In the most recent lawsuit, Anthony Lujan, 50, claims he was sexually abused by former priest Louis Brouillard. The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Lujan was an altar boy at the San Vicente/San Roke Catholic Church in Barrigada and while he attended San Vicente Catholic School.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/th-case-alleges-sexual-abuse-at-san-vicente-catholic-school/article_3d84faee-f409-11e6-92d8-ff8f555627cc.html 

Philippine Catholic church abusers rarely prosecuted

Al Jazeera investigation reveals the growing problem of sexual misconduct in the Philippines' powerful Catholic church.  Sexual misconduct in the Catholic church is a growing problem in the Philippines, an Al Jazeera investigation has revealed, and priests suspected of abuse are seldom prosecuted.
Oscar Cruz, a retired archbishop overseeing the investigation, told Al Jazeera's 101 East programme that in recent years more cases had come to the church's attention.

http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2017/02/philippine-catholic-church-abusers-rarely-prosecuted-170216042916698.html 

Jody Springett’s Mum’s the Word

UNLESS you’ve been stationed on Mars, you couldn’t fail to be aware of the horrific stories of abuse that have been made public by the Royal Commission into the Institutional Response to Child Abuse.
The scale of the stories of abuse has been shocking, almost as shocking as the systemic failures to deal with these abuses.  There can be little doubt that these failures have been widespread, long-term and, frankly, dreadful.

http://www.dailyadvertiser.com.au/story/4468976/hodgepodge-system-failing-abuse-victims/ 

Alleged NSW pedophile snared in police sting

A man will face court in Sydney today accused of attempting to groom a teenage boy over the internet and then planning a rendezvous with him for sex in a hotel. Police say a sting caught the man, 33, from Moruya, in NSW, when child exploitation officers posed as a young boy on the internet.

Officers will allege the man made sexually explicit remarks to the child and planned to meet him. He was arrested in a car park in Penrith, western Sydney, yesterday and taken from the scene in handcuffs.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/02/16/12/53/alleged-pedophile-caught-in-police-sting

Is Evangelical Theology Really To Blame For Sadistic Abuse?

I have a confession to make. I was not abused. This may come as a shock to those who think that being brought up in a Christian home, attending Sunday school and being sent on Christian summer camps made me a prime target. Despite the fact that as a child, teenager and adult I have attended many Christian summer camp with Scripture Union, the Free Church, Highlands and Islands Postal Sunday School and the Boys Brigade, I never came across any such abuse, nor have I ever heard of any.

This may be surprising to those whose knowledge of such camps is limited to such as some that appeared this weekend. For once the sensationalist headlines did justice to the sickening story contained in the body of the report and in the investigative reports that have been broadcast by Channel 4 News.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/is.evangelical.theology.really.to.blame.for.sadistic.abuse/104456.htm 

Sexual abuse and the Catholic Church in the Philippines

Abuse allegations against Catholic priests are on the rise, but is enough being done to prosecute the accused?  Sexual abuse allegations against Catholic priests in the Philippines are on the rise, according to senior church investigators.
But this new 101 East documentary reveals that prosecutions of priests alleged to have committed sexual abuse are extremely rare in Asia's largest Catholic nation. Some alleged victims say they have been pressured not to file charges and were paid money in exchange for their silence.

http://www.aljazeera.com/indepth/features/2017/02/sexual-abuse-catholic-church-philippines-170216110007343.html 

Victim of sex abuse says district plaques containing Bishop Mulkearn​s' name should be taken down

A SOUTH-WEST victim ​of clergy sex abuse wants ​plaques featuring Bishop Ronald Mulkearns removed from Warrnambool schools.
The man, who recently made a statement to police and gave evidence at the Royal Commission, is still a practising Catholic. He said it was a disgrace the plaques, that recognise Bishop Mulkearns had opened buildings in the region, remained on display.

http://www.standard.net.au/story/4472925/victim-calls-for-the-removal-of-plaques-naming-catholic-bishop/

Former Boston priest pleads not guilty to Maine sex abuse charges

A former priest from Boston accused of molesting two boys repeatedly in Kennebunk three decades ago entered a plea of not guilty Friday.
Ronald Paquin, who was a key figure in the Boston Roman Catholic Church sex abuse scandal, is charged with 29 counts of sexual abuse in Maine for acts he allegedly committed between 1985 and 1988.

http://www.pressherald.com/2017/02/17/former-boston-priest-pleads-not-guilty-to-maine-sex-abuse-charges/

WA at the evil heart of child abuse

WA was at the shameful heart of the most rampant paedophilia within the Catholic Church, the royal commission on child sex abuse has revealed.

A commission analysis released yesterday of cases and payments covering 30 years showed the Church had paid $276.1 million to victims. The commission released a list of Australian church institutions where most-reported incidents of alleged child sexual abuse occurred from 1980 to 2015.

https://thewest.com.au/news/wa/evil-heart-of-child-abuse-ng-b88388026z 

18th sex abuse case against former priest filed

Allegations of decades-old sexual abuse at San Vicente Catholic School in Barrigada have surfaced as the 18th civil complaint filed against former Guam priests and the Archdiocese of Agana was filed in the District Court of Guam yesterday.
In the most recent lawsuit, Anthony Lujan, 50, claims he was sexually abused by former priest Louis Brouillard. The alleged sexual abuse occurred when Lujan was an altar boy at the San Vicente/San Roke Catholic Church in Barrigada and while he attended San Vicente Catholic School.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/th-sex-abuse-case-against-former-priest-filed/article_3d84faee-f409-11e6-92d8-ff8f555627cc.html 

Catholic Church schools and homes with the most child abuse claims revealed

The Catholic Church has released numbers on how many child sexual abuse claims have been made against staff from their religious schools and orphanages, showing one home for boys faced 219 accusations. The church identified 28 institutions that had 20 or more claims of child sexual abuse. You can search the data below.

https://www.msn.com/en-au/news/australia/catholic-church-schools-and-homes-with-the-most-child-abuse-claims-revealed/ar-AAn06zP 

Victims want more action against Sodalitium abusers, including founder

A Peru-based Catholic movement has acknowledged that its founder sexually, physically and psychologically abused minors, teen and young adult members.
An internal investigation of Sodalitium Christianae Vitae found that Luis Fernando Figari, who founded the organization in 1971 and headed it until 2010, and three other high-ranking former members abused 19 minors and 10 adults.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/02/victims-want-action-sodalitium-abusers-including-founder/?newsletter=1 

Archbishop to face Royal Commission

The Archbishop of the Canberra-Goulburn Catholic Diocese, which includes Tumut, will testify at the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse next week.
Archbishop Christopher Prowse will sit before Justice Peter McLennan on February 21, to discuss what safeguards the church has in place to protect children. Records have shown that the Canberra-Goulburn Diocese had a rate of paedophile priests higher than the national average, with 8.5 per cent of their priests in the 2000s being alleged perpetrators.

http://www.tatimes.com.au/archbishop-to-face-royal-commission/ 

Philippines: Govt accuses church of being ‘out of touch’ after attacks on war on drugs

THE Philippine government derided Catholic bishops on Sunday as “out of touch” after they used weekend sermons to attack a war on drugs they said had created a “reign of terror” for the poor.
Members of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of the Philippines (CBCP) had dramatised President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign and, instead of criticising, should focus on contributing to the “reign of peace” that innocent people now felt, presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said.

https://asiancorrespondent.com/2017/02/philippines-govt-accuses-church-touch-attacks-war-drugs/ 

Investigator tracked down Dowlan sex abuse victims

A private investigator paid for by the Christian Brothers to track down victims of paedophile Brother Edward Dowlan confronted victims in their homes and told lawyers they could “easily be torn down in the witness box".
Former Christian Brothers Provincial leader Brother Brian Brandon admitted to the Royal Commission into Child Sexual Abuse the province paid solicitors in 1995 who hired a private investigator, Glynis McNeight, to gather information about Dowlan’s victims.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/3749683/investigator-tracked-down-dowlan-sex-abuse-victims/ 

Catholic church claims 'seismic shift' after child sexual abuse scandals

The Catholic church says it has made a seismic shift in holding its leaders accountable for protecting Australian children after decades of abuse by hundreds of pedophiles. The church says its new national professional standards body will ensure consistency across its autonomous dioceses and orders.
Each bishop and religious leader will sign a contract agreeing to abide by the standards and be monitored, audited and subject to public reporting, the church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council chief executive, Francis Sullivan, said. “It is quite a seismic shift for the Catholic church in holdings leaders to account,” Sullivan said. “It is necessary in order to achieve consistency for survivors.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/19/catholic-church-claims-seismic-shift-after-child-sexual-abuse-scandals 

New Sodalit report details severe sexual, psychological abuse

A two-part report made public on Tuesday detail sexual, physical and psychological abuses committed by members of the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, both those who have left the community and those who remain in it.
In addition to the movement’s founder, Luis Fernando Figari, four other Sodalits were reported to have sexually abused minors. The report named the other offenders, none of whom are still part of the community.

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/new-sodalit-report-details-severe-sexual-psychological-abuse-44389/ 

Catholic Church paid $276 million in abuse compensation to 3000 victims

The Catholic Church in Australia has paid $276 million in compensation to thousands of people sexually abused as children by priests and religious brothers.
The victims who have come forward to the church have received on average $91,000, according to data released by the child sex abuse royal commission on Thursday. In total 4445 people have made abuse claims to the church but that number still does not reveal the true extent of abuse in Catholic institutions in Australia as many victims never come forward.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/02/16/03/33/abuse-inquiry-focus-on-catholic-schools

Brisbane Grammar School principal asked if alleged victim's father would go to police

The father of a former Brisbane Grammar School (BGS) student says he told the school's principal in 1981 that his son had been sexually abused by a BGS counsellor, and that the principal's first response had been to ask, "are you going to the police?"

During hearings in Brisbane yesterday, the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard how former counsellor Kevin John Lynch abused students at the school during counselling sessions in his office.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-11-04/royal-commission-child-sexual-abuse-brisbane-grammar-bgs/6910366 

Brisbane Grammar School ex-principal Max Howell's name removed from sports centre

The name of former Brisbane Grammar School principal Max Howell has been removed from the BGS sports centre as an apology to former students who were sexually abused. Dr Howell led the school from 1964 to 1989, during which time school counsellor Kevin Lynch molested scores of boys.
The Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse heard in November that parents had gone to Dr Howell for help and the former principal had even walked into Lynch's office during the abuse.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2015-12-11/max-howell-brisbane-grammar-school-principal-name-removed/7021380 

Swiss Catholics Will Compensate Child Sex Abuse Victims

A new commission has been launched by the Catholic Church in Switzerland that will award financial compensation to victims of sex abuse by Swiss priests.
The Swiss Bishops Conference (SBK) announced in December announced its new 500,000 franc reparations fund that would compensate sex abuse victims who could no longer seek it via the courts, according to The Local.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/swiss.catholics.will.compensate.child.sex.abuse.victims/104726.htm 

Catholic School Teacher Accused Of Sexually Assaulting 3-Year-Old Girl

A Catholic school teacher in Norristown is accused of sexually assaulting a young child.
The Norristown Borough Police Department arrested Michael Barbee, a teacher at the Early Learning Center Program of Saint Francis of Assisi Parish. Barbee has been charged with 16 counts of child sexual abuse, including involuntary deviate sexual intercourse with a child, indecent assault of a child, and endangering welfare of children.

http://philadelphia.cbslocal.com/2017/02/15/catholic-school-teacher-accused-of-sexually-assaulting-child/ 

One of archbishop's accusers will meet with Vatican investigators

While there's been speculation about the ongoing canonical trial in Rome for accused child molester Archbishop Anthony Apuron, officials confirm investigators from the Vatican are on island to gather evidence.
It was last summer Roland Sondia publicly accused Archbishop Anthony Apuron. At the time, he said, "He put his right arm around my shoulders and pulled me closer and asked, 'Do you want to try me?' Before I could do anything he started rubbing my privates. I loudly asked him 'What are you doing?' I told him to stop, but he didn't." That was a summer night in 1977, when Sondia was an altar boy at Mount Carmel Church in Agat. Come Thursday, he'll have the audience of representatives from the Vatican.

http://www.kuam.com/story/34507198/2017/02/Wednesday/one-of-archbishops-accusers-will-meet-with-vatican-investigators 

Syracuse woman admits using 10-year-old girl to produce child pornography

A Syracuse woman admitted today that she used a 10-year-old girl to produce child pornography.
Kerry Smith, 41, pleaded guilty in federal court to sexual exploitation of a child. She was arrested last year on charges of producing the images then texting them  to another child pornographer, Jason Kopp.

http://www.syracuse.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/02/syracuse_woman_admits_producing_child_porn_in_all_saints_case.html 

Elite Qld schools failed to act on abuse

Two prestigious Queensland schools failed to protect students from sexual abuse, doing nothing about complaints from victims who were not believed, a royal commission has found.

The culture at Brisbane Grammar School for 24 years under former headmaster Dr Maxwell Howell meant boys who alleged abuse were not believed, the commission said on Wednesday.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/abused-qld-students-not-believed/news-story/c13ed887ec55f544914f306dcb0e3670 

Man who ran Silverton ministry sentenced to 10 years for sex abuse

A former Silverton youth pastor was sentenced to 10 years in prison for sexually abusing a teen girl over the span of three years. Andrew Stutzman, 38, pleaded guilty to 10 counts of second-degree sex abuse and was sentenced Monday in Marion County Circuit Court.
Stutzman started a youth group with his wife and had frequent contact with teens, according to police. He also co-owned a local coffee shop before his arrest.

http://www.statesmanjournal.com/story/news/crime/2017/02/14/man-who-ran-silverton-ministry-sentenced-10-years-sex-abuse/97895632/ 

Ex-Brisban Grammar school head ignored abuse

A former headmaster of one of Queensland's most prestigious schools ignored a complaint of sexual abuse by a serial paedophile who went on to abuse many more boys, a royal commission has found.
In not investigating the complaint, former Brisbane Grammar School head Maxwell Howell failed to protect his students, a report released on Wednesday stated.

http://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/queensland/exbrisbane-grammar-school-head-ignored-abuse-claim-report-20170215-gudc3t.html 

Barrister forced teenage boy to take part in 'cult' beatings

A barrister accused of subjecting teenage boys to savage beatings is also said to have forced a victim to join in with an attack.
Police are investigating John Smyth QC after claims were made that he attacked 22 teenagers in his shed during the late 70s. The charity Iwerne Trust, who ran Christian camps where Smyth met his victims, compiled a report which documents how he persuaded a boy to contribute to a beating. The boy is known as "S."

http://talkradio.co.uk/news/barrister-forced-teenage-boy-take-part-cult-beatings-1702069894

'I Felt Blood Trickling Down My Legs': Victim Of Alleged Beatings By Man Who Ran Christian Summer Camps Testifies To The Horror

A victim of alleged physical abuse by a prominent Çhristian lawyer has given an extraordinary testimony of the effect that thousands of beatings had upon him.
He was speaking after a series of disclosures by Channel 4 News about allegations of physical abuse  inflicted on young male evangelical Christians by barrister John Smyth, who ran popular Christian summer camps attended also by the present Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby.

http://www.christiantoday.com/article/i.felt.blood.trickling.down.my.legs.victim.of.alleged.beatings.by.man.who.ran.christian.summer.camps.testifies.to.the.horror/104457.htm 

Sex abuse royal commission: Data can reduce child-sex crimes

Our nation is going through heartbreak. The data emerging from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse distils tragedy and crime that all but defies belief and can leave no rational person other than wrenched with grief and fury.
Before we ventilate some of that data, which was revealed on Monday as the royal commission resumed hearings that have been running for more than three years, we would like to pay profound respect to survivors who have shown such courage by speaking out. Their harrowing testimony will surely limit – and hopefully eradicate – the widespread sexual abuse of children by people within institutions.

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/the-age-editorial/sex-abuse-royal-commission-data-can-reduce-childsex-crimes-20170206-gu6ndj.html 

Sex Abuse Scandal Grows With New Allegations

New claims of sex abuse at a former Germantown Church. After watching a Local I-Team Report about abuse allegations against a volunteer associate youth pastor, former church member stepped forward claiming she was raped by a Sunday school teacher.
"It was about five to six months from around the time he started talking me to when he forcibly raped me," said Karen Trotter, claims abuse from church volunteer.

http://www.localmemphis.com/news/local-news/sex-abuse-scandal-grows-with-new-allegations/650095374 

One in nine Wollongong priests alleged child sex abusers: Royal Commission

More than one in every nine Catholic priests in Wollongong were alleged child molesters between 1950 and 2010, the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Abuse heard on Monday.
In the opening address of the Commission’s 50^th public hearing, where dozens of senior church members are scheduled to appear over the next three weeks, the Diocese of Wollongong was listed as one of the five areas with the highest proportion of priests who were alleged child sex abusers.

http://www.illawarramercury.com.au/story/4448926/one-in-nine-wollongong-priests-alleged-child-sex-abusers-new-data/ 

On sexual abuse, the Catholic Church can hide no more

Who knew? The Catholic Church knew, that's who. Now we know too, that sexual atrocities against children of a horrendous nature and on a horrendous scale have been committed within the Catholic Church in Australia over many decades.
In the past 35 years there were 1880 alleged perpetrators from more than 1000 Catholic entities. Thanks to research undertaken by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse, we know that about 7 per cent of priests sexually abused children. That is staggering enough, but in some religious orders, the proportion of these child rapists and paedophiles was much higher: from the St John of God, 40.4 per cent. From the Christian Brothers, 22 per cent. The Salesians of Don Bosco, 21.9 per cent, Marist Brothers, 20.4 per cent, De La Salle Brothers, 13.4 per cent.

http://www.watoday.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/on-sexual-abuse-the-catholic-church-can-hide-no-more-20170207-gu7aq3.html 

Watchdog Group That Fought Catholic Church Faces Upheaval

A victims' support group that helped force the Roman Catholic Church to confront the problem of child-molesting priests is going through upheaval of its own, including the resignations of two top leaders and a potentially reputation-damaging lawsuit.

Barbara Blaine, who founded the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, in 1988, stepped down as president Friday, about a month after the resignation of long-time executive director David Clohessy.

http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/watchdog-group-fought-catholic-church-faces-upheaval-45307395 

Steve Bannon Carries Battles to Another Influential Hub: The Vatican

When Stephen K. Bannon was still heading Breitbart News, he went to the Vatican to cover the canonization of John Paul II and make some friends. High on his list of people to meet was an archconservative American cardinal, Raymond Burke, who had openly clashed with Pope Francis.

In one of the cardinal’s antechambers, amid religious statues and book-lined walls, Cardinal Burke and Mr. Bannon — who is now President Trump’s anti-establishment eminence — bonded over their shared worldview. They saw Islam as threatening to overrun a prostrate West weakened by the erosion of traditional Christian values, and viewed themselves as unjustly ostracized by out-of-touch political elites.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/02/07/world/europe/vatican-steve-bannon-pope-francis.html?emc=edit_tnt_20170207&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

3 more sex-abuse suits move to federal court, seek to hold Vatican responsible

Attorney David Lujan moved three more sexual abuse civil complaints to the District Court.  The cases, filed on behalf of Edward Roberto Chan, Ramon Afaisen De Plata, and Paul Joseph Borja against the Roman Catholic Archbishop of Agana, brings the total number of lawsuits seeking to hold the Vatican responsible for the allegations against the archdiocese to 15.

Like the other dozen cases moved over the last two weeks, the three cases filed today each demand relief in the form of a minimum $5 million in damages.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/more-sex-abuse-suits-move-to-federal-court-seek-to/article_2d9146ec-eced-11e6-9c6e-c33971e41e93.html 

Priest arrested on child pornography, drug charges fired from Long Island church

A priest on Long Island who was arrested on child pornography and drug charges has lost his job. Christopher King, 51, served as pastor at St. James Episcopal on Penn Street in Long Beach.
He was taken into custody Friday after investigators searched the rectory and found disturbing materials. According to court documents, police allegedly found child pornography videos of at least five boys. Four of them were between ages 2 and 6.

http://abc7ny.com/news/priest-arrested-on-child-porn-drug-charges-fired-from-church/1742723/

Matthew Johns reveals own dark past with Catholic school system

NRL great Matthew Johns has been moved to share his own dark past as a student in the Catholic Church education system. The popular broadcaster was inspired to share stories from his upsetting past by the evidence reported by the royal commission into the Catholic Churches’ response to child sexual abuse.

The host of Triple M’s Grill Team said he saw regular cases of child abuse during his time at Maitland’s All Saints College - St Peter’s — a formerly Marist Brothers run school from 1898 to 1984.

http://www.news.com.au/sport/sports-life/matthew-johns-reveals-own-dark-past-with-catholic-school-system/news-story/b1ff17b5d2377275014cde076d71d4e6 

Campaigner shocked at number implicated locally in Royal Commission

Seventeen people associated with Catholic religious orders  have been accused of abusing children in the Catholic Archdiocese of Canberra-Goulburn over six decades, analysis of the church's own data has revealed.
The ACT and southern NSW diocese also had an above average concentration of religious accused of sexually abusing children, with two orders implicated in abuse cases in Canberra counted among the most notorious.

http://www.canberratimes.com.au/act-news/one-in-12-priests-accused-of-abuse-in-catholic-archdiocese-of-canberragoulburn-over-60-years-20170206-gu6al0.html 

Brief of evidence against Cardinal George Pell returned to prosecutors

A brief of evidence made against Cardinal George Pell regarding sexual assault allegations has been returned to prosecutors for review.
Victoria Police confirmed on Monday that a brief of evidence against Cardinal Pell had been returned to the Office of Public Prosecutions for consideration. The development in the case against the Cardinal comes after three detectives from the Sano Taskforce flew to Rome to interview him in October.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/brief-of-evidence-against-cardinal-george-pell-returned-to-prosecutors-20170206-gu6jy8.html 

Lujan moving all lawsuits against church to federal court

We can expect to see some movement in the lawsuits against the Archdiocese of Agana this week. We can also expect a 16th victim to file suit against the church for more allegations of child molestation.
Come Tuesday, attorney David Lujan says he'll be motioning to dismiss all 15 cases of child sex abuse he's filed to date against the Archdiocese of Agana.  "I am dismissing everything tomorrow in superior court," he promised. That's because by Tuesday, he would've completely filed the same 15 cases at the District Court of Guam.

http://www.kuam.com/story/34432051/2017/02/Monday/lujan-moving-all-lawsuits-against-church-to-federal-court 

Almost one in ten Ballarat priests accused of child sex abuse, inquiry told

Almost one in ten priests in the Diocese of Ballarat had allegations of child sexual abuse levelled against them between 1950 and 2010, an inquiry heard.
The magnitude of the Catholic Church’s child sexual abuse scandal has been brought to light with a royal commission hearing almost 4500 people have made claims of child sexual abuse over the past 35 years.

http://www.bordermail.com.au/story/4450467/almost-one-in-ten-ballarat-priests-accused-of-child-sex-abuse-inquiry-told/?cs=12 

New Norcia Benedictine community among worst child sex abuse perpetrators

Western Australia's Benedictine Community of New Norcia rated among the worst for historical child sex offenders according to figures released by the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse.

The commission found the number of alleged priests who were perpetrators in the Catholic church in WA was higher than the national average.

http://www.abc.net.au/news/2017-02-06/new-norcia-child-abuse-stats-revealed/8244106 

Australians urged to stand up to Vatican

Australian Catholics should stand up to Rome over its response to child sexual abuse and demand a fair go for victims, a royal commission has heard.
A psychiatrist who worked for the St John of God Brothers before leaving over concerns about systemic abuse and corruption, delivered a scathing assessment of the church's response to child sex offences during evidence on Tuesday.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/02/07/03/34/australian-inquiry-won-t-change-church

C of E bishop: I was given 'excruciating' beating by John Smyth

A serving Church of England bishop has alleged that he was subjected to a “violent, excruciating and shocking” beating by John Smyth, the man at the centre of abuse allegations connected to summer camps for Christian youth.
Andrew Watson, the bishop of Guildford, claims he was beaten on a single occasion. He said he had contacted Hampshire police, the force investigating allegations made against Smyth, at the weekend.

https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2017/feb/06/c-of-e-bishop-guildford-andrew-watson-excruciating-beating-john-smyth 

Church of England bishop: I was violently beaten by former youth camp worker John Smyth

A Church of England bishop has issued a statement alleging he was subjected to a “violent” beating by the head of a Christian charity accused of sadomasochistic attacks on young boys.
Andrew Watson, the Bishop of Guildford, said he was the victim of a “violent, excruciating and shocking” beating in a garden shed during the 1970s or 1980s.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/church-england-abuse-bishop-john-smyth-youth-camp-attack-claims-a7565586.html 

Bishop of Guildford reveals he was a victim of a QC accused of sadomasochistic beatings of boys in the 1980s

The Bishop of Guildford revealed today that he was a victim of a QC accused of sadomasochistic beatings of boys in the 1980s. Andrew Watson said he had endured a 'violent, excruciating and shocking' beating at the hands of John Smyth QC.

Mr Smyth is being investigated by Hampshire Constabulary over claims he forced a string of boys to strip naked before beating them while at church camps he ran, which were also attended by the Archbishop of Canterbury.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4196678/Bishop-Guildford-reveals-victim-John-Smyth.html 

Italy police hunt authors of anti-pope posters

Italian police were on the hunt Monday for the authors of anti-pope posters which have been slapped around Rome, amid suspicions the campaign may be linked to an arch-conservative wing of the Catholic Church.

Dozens of the illegal fliers appeared mysteriously around the Italian capital Saturday picturing a stern-looking Pope Francis, a list of accusations against him, and the words "Where's your mercy?" -- turning the pontiff's call for a more merciful church back on him.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/italy-police-hunt-authors-anti-pope-posters-155849159.html 

Assignment Record– Rev. Kenneth J. Schoettmer

Summary of Case: Kenneth Schoettmer was ordained for the Archdiocese of Cincinnati in 1968. He assisted in Walnut Hills, Madisonville, Wyoming and Clifton parishes until 1982, when he was named pastor of a parish in Hamilton. He held that role for twelve years, leaving in 1994 to serve briefly as temporary administrator in North Fairmount. There is an unexplained gap in Schoettmer's assignments in 1995. In 1996 he was assigned a pastorship in Millville.

http://www.bishopaccountability.org/assign/Schoettmer_Kenneth.html 

‘Unacceptable for a Christian’: Italian ‘orgy & pimping’ priest faces defrocking

An Italian Catholic priest – who is at the center of a scandal alleging he staged orgies, had up to 30 lovers and produced home porn videos – will most likely lose his job regardless of an investigation’s findings, the Bishop of Padua said.

The scandal involving Father Andrea Contin, a 48-year-old priest at the church of San Lazzaro in Padua, broke in December 2016. Since then media have released some very unholy details of his clerical life.

https://www.rt.com/news/376414-italian-orgy-priest-defrocking/ 

Police brief of evidence against Cardinal George Pell returned to Office of Public Prosecutions

A brief of evidence made against Cardinal George Pell regarding sexual assault allegations has been returned to prosecutors for review.
Victoria Police confirmed on Monday that a brief of evidence against Cardinal Pell had been returned to the Office of Public Prosecutions. The development in the case against the Cardinal comes after Sano Taskforce detectives flew to Rome to interview him in October.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/4450557/police-brief-of-evidence-against-cardinal-george-pell-returned-to-office-of-public-prosecutions/?cs=4170 

Watchdog group that fought Catholic Church faces upheaval

A victims' support group that helped force the Roman Catholic Church to confront the problem of child-molesting priests is going through upheaval of its own, including the resignations of two top leaders and a potentially reputation-damaging lawsuit.
Barbara Blaine, who founded the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests, or SNAP, in 1988, stepped down as president Friday, about a month after the resignation of long-time executive director David Clohessy.

http://www.wandtv.com/story/34437731/watchdog-group-that-fought-catholic-church-faces-upheaval# 

Church spokesman has reserved comment

MORE than 15% of Lismore's most experienced Catholic priests were accused of sexually abusing children by 2010 but the diocese's spokesman, the Most Reverend Geoffrey Jarrett, has reserved commen.
Between 52 and 64 priests have served in the Diocese of Lismore in each decade since 1950, with 129 priests having served in the area by 2010, detailed data presented to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse has shown.

https://www.northernstar.com.au/news/14-of-lismore-catholic-priests-accused-of-child-se/3140343/ 

Top Vatican official will be special delegate to Order of Malta

Pope Francis has appointed Archbishop Giovanni Angelo Becciu, the third highest ranking official in the Vatican and one of his closest advisors, as his “special delegate” to the Sovereign Order of Malta. Archbishop Becciu will assist in the preparation for the extraordinary chapter that will elect a new grand master and to promote “the spiritual and moral renewal” of the 900-year-old order.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/02/top-vatican-official-will-special-delegate-order-malta/?newsletter=1 

Italy police hunt authors of anti-pope posters

Italian police were on the hunt Monday for the authors of anti-pope posters which have been slapped around Rome, amid suspicions the campaign may be linked to an arch-conservative wing of the Catholic Church.

Dozens of the illegal fliers appeared mysteriously around the Italian capital Saturday picturing a stern-looking Pope Francis, a list of accusations against him, and the words "Where's your mercy?" -- turning the pontiff's call for a more merciful church back on him.

https://www.yahoo.com/news/italy-police-hunt-authors-anti-pope-posters-155849159.html 

Knights of Malta leader: Vatican stepped in to protect pope’s name

The Knights of Malta leader whose firing touched off a showdown between the order and Pope Francis says he believes the Vatican only became involved in his sacking because it learned the order’s officials were describing the move as something the pontiff desired.

Albrecht von Boeselager, who was reinstated as the order’s grand chancellor Jan. 28, said Thursday that the Vatican was not trying to step on the Knights’ historic status as a sovereign entity but to protect the pope’s name.

 

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/02/knights-malta-leader-vatican-stepped-protect-popes-name/?newsletter=1 

“We hang our heads in shame”

An investigation into decades of child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Australia revealed Monday that 7 percent of all priests working in the country between 1950 and 2010 had been accused of abusing children.
While the issue of abuse in the Catholic Church has been widely reported around the world in recent years, it is only now that the true extent of the problem in Australia has been set out. A royal commission set up to look at institutional responses to child sexual abuse published the shocking figures on Monday, detailing reports of child sex abuse during a 35-year period up to 2015. The commission also reported some alleged abuse dating back as far as 1950.

https://news.vice.com/story/7-percent-of-all-catholic-priests-in-australia-have-been-accused-of-child-abuse 

Sandhurst Diocese had second highest rate of priests accused of child sexual abuse, report finds

THE Sandhurst Diocese had the second highest rate of priests accused of child sexual abuse out of Australia’s 17 Catholic dioceses during a 60 year period.
Figures released from the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse showed almost 15 per cent of priests who ministered in the Sandhurst Diocese between 1950 and 2010 were accused of child sexual offences.

http://www.bendigoadvertiser.com.au/story/4449359/sandhurst-second-in-alleged-child-sex-offences/ 

What will Pope Francis do with Cardinal Burke?

Over the course of history quite a number of cardinals have been deposed or voluntarily surrendered their red hat. The 68-year-old American has become the most prominent figure in a small, but well-organized and well-funded campaign that has fomented opposition to the pope’s reforms.
And now Francis has recently, de facto, stripped the cardinal from duties as his personal representative to the Sovereign Military Order of Malta. This was after Burke misrepresented the pope while colluding with the Order’s former Grand Master in a power shake-up within the organization.

https://international.la-croix.com/news/what-will-pope-francis-do-with-cardinal-burke/4616 

NZ clergy members escape abuse charges

Four New Zealand clergy members were never charged with sex offences against children despite the Catholic Church proving they had committed the crimes.
The church has revealed the numbers of complaints coming forward - many historical - as it deals with decades of abuse by members.

http://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2015/09/nz-clergy-members-escape-abuse-charges.html#.VrMnIYEk6tE.facebook 

Irish Times struggles with non-Catholic abuse

n 2001 Irish Times reporter Carol Coulter wrote a short article outlining allegations of abuse affecting Smyly’s Church of Ireland Children’s Home. The report referred to preparation of a report by the health board. What the report said and indeed whether it was written were never reported.
The paper did not investigate further. On 16 January 2003 Coulter commented on: “…the stereotypical treatment of our longest-standing minority, the Protestant community, which has been presented as a homogenous group whose minority status somehow puts it beyond any criticism or analytical discussion”.

https://villagemagazine.ie/index.php/2017/02/irish-times-struggles-with-non-catholic-abuse/ 

Australian Cardinal Pell interviewed by police over child abuse allegations

The office of Cardinal George Pell released a statement on Wednesday repeating his July rejection of "all and every allegation of sexual abuse."
The Cardinal, who is the Vatican's Australian-born financial controller, was interviewed in Rome last week, by Victoria Police detectives over child abuse allegations, Victoria Police confirmed in a statement on Wednesday. "Three members of Victoria Police travelled to Rome last week where Cardinal George Pell voluntarily participated in an interview regarding allegations of sexual assault," the statement confirmed.

http://www.dw.com/en/australian-cardinal-pell-interviewed-by-police-over-child-abuse-allegations/a-36155518 

Australia reveals over 4,000 alleged incidents of abuse by Catholic priests

An inquiry in Sydney has found that one in 14 priests was accused of sexual misconduct between 1950 and 2010. The panel discovered a pattern of victim intimidation and cover-ups.
On Monday, an Australian commission reported that 4,444 alleged incidents of abuse by Catholic priests over a 60-year period had not been investigated. Roughly seven percent of all priests in Australia were accused at least once.

http://www.dw.com/en/australia-reveals-over-4000-alleged-incidents-of-abuse-by-catholic-priests/a-37424453 

Australia: 7 per cent of Catholic priests accused of abuse

Officials investigating the abuse of children at institutions across Australia have revealed that 7 per cent of priests in Australia’s Catholic Church were accused of sexually abusing children over the past several decades.
The statistics were released Monday during the opening address of a hearing of Australia’s Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. The royal commission is Australia’s highest form of inquiry and has been investigating since 2013 how the Catholic Church and other institutions responded to the sexual abuse of children over decades.

http://indianexpress.com/article/world/australia-7-per-cent-of-catholic-priests-accused-of-abuse-4509879/ 

Victims say Catholic church data on child abuse underestimates scale of offending

Victims’ groups have warned that data on reports of child sexual abuse within the Catholic church, while shocking, still underestimates the scale of offending.
On Monday the royal commission into institutional responses to child sexual abuse released damning statistics on the number of allegations of sexual predation the church was aware of.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2017/feb/06/victims-say-catholic-church-data-on-child-abuse-underestimates-scale-of-offending 

Jehovah's Witness tells how family shunned him under church orders after allegations

A Jehovah’s Witness accused of sexually abusing three young girls told a court he had been ostracised by the church ever since the allegations arose.
Paul Shields, 57, who was living in Guisborough at the time of the alleged abuse, said that no-one within the organisation would talk to him because of the accusations which he insists were untrue. York Crown Court heard that it was Jehovah’s Witness policy for church members to shun those who have wronged in such a way.

http://www.gazettelive.co.uk/news/teesside-news/jehovahs-witness-tells-how-family-12560536 

Abuse in Christian Brothers back to 1919

The Christian Brothers knew they may have pedophiles among them back in 1919. More than 20 per cent of all Christian Brothers in Australia have now been revealed to have sexually abused children.
Six hundred religious brothers from the Christian Brothers and other Catholic orders are alleged to have been pedophiles, according to world-first data released by the child abuse royal commission on Monday.

http://www.9news.com.au/national/2017/02/06/14/37/abuse-in-christian-brothers-back-to-1919

Christian lawyer who ‘beat boys’ was charged over Zimbabwe death

A Christian youth camp leader accused of brutally beating public schoolboys was later charged over the death of a boy in Africa, Channel 4 News has discovered.
John Smyth QC, an eminent lawyer known personally to the Archbishop of Canterbury, is accused of thrashing schoolboys until they bled while running evangelical summer camps in England between 1978 and 1982.

https://www.channel4.com/news/christian-lawyer-who-beat-boys-was-charged-over-zimbabwe-death 

Lawsuit against church youth leader, Charlotte Catholic Diocese alleges sexual assault, negligence

A civil lawsuit filed Thursday in Mecklenburg County claims that John Brian Kaup, who was in the seminary training to become a priest, used his position as a youth counselor at Sacred Heart Church in Salisbury to sexually abuse a teenage girl.
The Charlotte Catholic Diocese and Bishop Peter Jugis are also named in a lawsuit, saying they failed to protect the teenager.

http://www.wsoctv.com/news/local/lawsuit-against-church-youth-leader-charlotte-catholic-diocese-alleges-sexual-assault-negligence/490710975