The Catholic Church has a formal diplomatic relationship with Australia, but there are calls for that to end

Australia allows the Catholic Church to protect sexual predators, and any information the church holds on its own illegal activity, from the law. We let it do this by granting protections afforded to no other religious group. It is time this ended.
In 1973 the Australian government granted the Vatican (called the Holy See in official channels) formal diplomatic recognition. This protected the Vatican, and gave its senior officials and head office in Australia the same protection we afford embassies and staff of foreign nations. Their documents cannot be subpoenaed and their senior officials cannot be forced to attend court or provide information.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/4478602/vatican-hiding-behind-the-protections-weve-given-it/ 

Colossal Pedophile Ring Busted, 900 Arrests, 300 Kids Saved

After a nearly two-year investigation, 870 suspected pedophiles have been arrested across the world, and least 259 sexually abused children have been identified in the wake of major underground online global pedophilia network being taken down, according to the FBI and European authorities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Europol announced the arrests on Friday, only days after a court sentenced Florida-based Steven Chase, founder of the so-called Playpen pedophilia network, to 30 years in prison.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/children-saved-pedophile-ring-busted-media-silent/

Kim Hill destroys Anne Tolley and are National protecting paedophile rings?

Kim Hill destroyed Anne Tolley on Radio NZ today over Anne’s despicable decision not to lead an inquest into the appalling child molestation, abuse and sexual assault committed by the State…RNZ host clashes with Anne Tolley for her response to state abuse inquiry 

Tension boiled over between a Government minister and RNZ host as she was forced to justify why no universal apology has been issued to victims of state abuse. The Minister for Social Development faced 16 minutes of radio flames for refusing to launch an independent inquiry or make an apology for her department’s historic acts of child sex abuse. The major clash saw RNZ journalist Kim Hill state that “we will never know the extent of the abuse” because of Minister Anne Tolley’s decision not to establish an independent inquiry to investigate abuse in state care.

http://thedailyblog.co.nz/2016/11/30/kim-hill-destroys-anne-tolley-and-are-national-protecting-paedophile-rings/ 

'The Keepers' Is A Plea For Justice, Says Teresa Lancaster

In 1994, under the pseudonyms of Jane Doe and Jane Roe, two women filed a civil lawsuit against a Catholic priest named Father Joseph Maskell. He'd been the chaplain of Baltimore's Archbishop Keough, an all-girls high school the women had attended in the late '60s. They alleged that their years there had been riddled with repeated sexual abuse at his hands, and that a beloved nun, Sister Cathy Cesnik, had been murdered to cover up his alleged crimes (Maskell denied the sexual assault accusations until his death in 2001. He was never charged in connection with Cesnik's case). His sexual abuse accusers identified themselves a decade after their lawsuit was dismissed (the statute of limitations had expired), and now, they've chronicled the saga once again for The Keepers, a gripping but gut-churning new docuseries from Netflix. One of these women, Teresa Lancaster, tells Bustle that The Keepers is a blaring plea for justice.

https://www.bustle.com/p/the-keepers-is-a-plea-for-justice-says-teresa-lancaster-58499 

Abuse survivor wants papal panel to push back on Vatican resistance

A survivor of clerical sexual abuse and a former member of a panel created by Pope Francis to lead the reform effort said Monday that while she’s grateful for positive things the pope said about her over the weekend, she also wants the commission to push back against perceived Vatican resistance to reform that she insists led her to resign.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/05/abuse-survivor-wants-papal-panel-push-back-vatican-resistance/?newsletter=1 

NSW abuse school 'not for faint-hearted'

The NSW boys school where a Catholic brother is alleged to have raped and beaten young boys in the 1970s and 80s was "not for the faint-hearted" his defence has told a Sydney court.

The man, who cannot be named for legal reasons, faces 125 charges including indecent assault and buggery at the school for intellectually disabled and "criminally inclined".

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/nsw-jury-told-catholic-church-not-on-trial/news-story/7d65a76553f7f1e35fb67d33277e615e 

Kentucky Catholic priest reaches plea deal on sex abuse

A Catholic priest has reached a plea agreement on sexual abuse charges that occurred at a summer camp that he ran for decades in Kentucky.
R. Joseph Hemmerle was facing allegations of abuse from a second person who said Hemmerle abused him at Camp Tall Trees in Meade County. Hemmerle was also convicted in November of abusing a boy who attended the camp in the 1970s and sentenced in February to seven years imprisonment.

http://www.seattletimes.com/nation-world/kentucky-catholic-priest-reaches-plea-deal-on-sex-abuse/ 

Euthanasia ‘creates toxic and deadly pathologies’ that hurt the weakest, says Cardinal Müller

The Vatican's chief of doctrine urged pro-life Canadians to continue the fight The Vatican’s doctrinal chief has told an audience in Canada “we shall prevail” in opposing legalised euthanasia.

Cardinal Gerhard Müller addressed an audience of bioethicists, theologians, doctors and nurses at Toronto’s St Michael’s Cathedral Basilica on Monday.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/euthanasia-creates-toxic-and-deadly-pathologies-that-hurt-the-weakest-says-cardinal-muller/ 

Archbishop of Sydney condemns treatment of Cardinal Pell: ‘Australians have a right to expect better’

Archbishop Fisher said parts of the media and legal systems were already treating the cardinal as guilty  Public prosecutors have submitted recommendations to Victoria Police on whether to try Australian Cardinal George Pell on decades-old abuse allegations, but their advice has not been made public.

Until police decide how to proceed, Archbishop Anthony Fisher has said he will not be commenting on the case.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/05/18/archbishop-of-sydney-condemns-treatment-of-cardinal-pell-australians-have-a-right-to-expect-better/ 

Who Is Brother Bob In 'The Keepers'? Jean Wehner Thinks He Could Be The Key To Sister Cathy's Murder

While Father Joseph Maskell is the priest who is discussed the most in The Keepers, there were many others accused of sexual abuse at Keough High School. (According to the Baltimore Sun, Maskell denied the accusations until his death in 2001.) Jean Hargadon Wehner, one of the most outspoken women against the priest, also discusses a Brother Bob in The Keepers. In the second episode of the Netflix documentary about the murder of nun Sister Cathy Cesnick and the string of sexual assaults that the show theorizes could have led to her death (Wehner claims Cesnik knew about the abuse and her murder was a cover up), Wehner claims a Brother Bob allegedly raped her in Father Maskell's office. Later in the series, she alleges that he said he was the one who murdered Sister Cathy. So who is Brother Bob and could he be the key to solving this 40-year-old murder? Unfortunately, as The Keepers shows, his true identity is still unknown because Wehner believes Brother Bob could have just been a pseudonym used by Maskell.

https://www.bustle.com/p/who-is-brother-bob-in-the-keepers-jean-wehner-thinks-he-could-be-the-key-to-sister-cathys-murder-58663 

11 Guam Catholic priests involved in sex abuse lawsuits

It's been a year since former altar boy Roy Quintanilla accused Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron of sexually abusing him in the 1970s. Over the past year, not only has the Vatican promptly stepped in but it has also placed a global spotlight on Guam’s clergy sex abuses.
“We’ve come a long way,” Quintanilla said. “We wouldn’t have come this far were it not for the Catholic community’s support. It’s amazing what we can do as a community

https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation-now/2017/05/20/66-sex-abuse-la/334287001/ 

New Orleans Wiccan priest sentenced to 20 years in child porn case

Kenneth "Kenny" Klein, the New Orleans Wiccan priest and folk singer convicted last month on 20 counts of child pornography charges, was sentenced Friday (May 12) to serve 20 years in prison.
Criminal District Judge Byron C. Williams imposed the sentence after first denying Klein's motion for a new trial. The judge said he had never before received so many letters both in support of and opposed to leniency for a defendant before a sentencing decision.

http://www.nola.com/crime/index.ssf/2017/05/new_orleans_wiccan_priest_sent.html 

Thrissur: Salvation Army Church Pastor Sanal K James sentenced to life imprisonment until death for raping minor

A Pastor who was once attached with the Salvation Army Church at Peechi, in Thrissur has been given life sentence until death by a POCSO court after he was found guilty of raping a 13-year-old girl. The judgement was given today by session court judge Nickson M Joseph, as the court found Pastor Sanal K James (35) guilty of sexually abusing a minor girl on several occasions at his official residence from 2013 to 2015. According to a report, the victim belonged to a poor Dalit family who lived near the Salvation Army Church.

http://www.india.com/news/india/thrissur-salvation-army-church-pastor-sanal-k-james-sentenced-to-life-imprisonment-until-death-for-raping-minor-2125333/ 

Convicted Child Molester Mendel Tevel Must be Held Accountable

It’s been almost six years since I found myself in tears, sitting on a floor as a victim of childhood sexual abuse described to me in detail how, at 14 years old, Mendel Tevel performed oral sex on him. Tevel was seen by many as a beloved, caring, and charming “mashpia” (spiritual guidance counselor) within the Chabad community of Crown heights Brooklyn and beyond. I remember this conversation as if it happened yesterday. It would be one of many sleepless nights to come which I experienced during my years of confronting childhood sexual abuse within the Orthodox Jewish community.

http://www.jewishcommunitywatch.org/convicted-child-molester-mendel-tevel-must-held-accountable/ 

Priest 'sexually abused boys at primary school and beach'

A retired priest is to stand trial accused of historical sex abuse. Francis Moore faced the allegations during a hearing at the High Court in Glasgow on Friday.
One boy is said to have been attacked at a primary school in North Ayrshire while a second was allegedly abused at a leisure centre. It is claimed a third boy was a victim at Irvine beach in North Ayrshire.

https://stv.tv/news/west-central/1388404-priest-sexually-abused-young-boy-at-primary-school/

Inquiry into sexual abuse of children calls for victims in South West to come forward.

A wide-ranging inquiry into the sexual abuse of children in the South West needs victims and survivors to come forward and tell of their experiences.
A number of organisations attended a workshop earlier this week where staff from the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) urged them to reach out to their clients and urge them to take park in the inquiry's Truth Project.

http://www.plymouthherald.co.uk/inquiry-into-sexual-abuse-of-children-wants-victims-in-south-west-to-come-forward/story-30327527-detail/story.html

Cardinal Pell 'hijacked' abuse compensation scheme

Senior figures in the Catholic Church have accused Cardinal George Pell of hijacking the national compensation scheme for clergy sex abuse victims by swooping in at the last minute to announce his own initiative.
Cardinal Pell, one of the most powerful men in the Vatican, launched the Melbourne Response in 1996 when he was Archbishop of Melbourne. The controversial scheme was set up as an alternative to civil litigation, with victims of paedophile priests given access to counselling and compensation. Cardinal Pell has long said he was the first bishop to develop a program responding to the scourge of child sex abuse in the church.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/4660021/cardinal-pell-hijacked-abuse-compensation-scheme/?cs=7 

Bishop Of Killaloe Uncomfortable With Religious Link To Maternity Hospital

The Bishop of Killaloe says he’s not comfortable with the idea of a maternity hospital being guided by Catholic ethos. It comes as talks on the ownership of the new national maternity hospital are expected to be substantially completed by the end of the month.
t the weekend, around 2,000 people took to the streets demanding that ownership and control is not given to the Sisters of Charity, thorugh the St. Vincent’s Hospital Group. Bishop Fintan Monahan has told Clare FM that he has issues with this too.

http://www.clare.fm/news/bishop-killaloe-uncomfortable-religious-link-maternity-hospital/

Caspino: Some abuse cases resolved

Claims from victims of decades-old sex abuse at the hands of former Guam priests have recently been resolved, but the outcome, including whether money was paid, and how much money was paid, won’t become publicly known.
Mike Caspino, director of the Hope and Healing program, which was recently established at the request of the Archdiocese of Agana, said victims in the recently resolved claims reached out to the nonprofit directly and are not represented by lawyers.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/caspino-some-abuse-cases-resolved/article_2b362d50-370b-11e7-b086-bf2dc2d2989d.html 

Christian Brothers €100m land transfer offer ‘similar’ to 2013 plan

The Department of Education is considering a proposal from the Christian Brothers concerning the transfer of lands worth approximately €100 million which, the department said, resembles a proposal first made by it in 2013.

Following contacts between the two sides over recent weeks, Minister for Education Richard Bruton received a letter from the Brothers in which they made an offer “very similar to the proposal originally made by former minister Ruairí Quinn”, a spokeswoman said.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/education/christian-brothers-100m-land-transfer-offer-similar-to-2013-plan-1.3081567 

St Patrick’s institution created criminals, says Mannix Flynn

Locked up in St Patrick’s from 1973 to 1976, the artist and politician Mannix Flynn describes it as part of the “gulag of Irish institutions” that processed generations of Irish children.

Convicted of a malicious damage charge he contests to this day, Flynn said the institution he was in played an important role in bolstering Irish crime. “Generations of individuals passed through and graduated into Mountjoy,” he said. “You can trace most of the adult criminals in Ireland at the moment into [these] institutions.

http://www.irishtimes.com/news/crime-and-law/st-patrick-s-institution-created-criminals-says-mannix-flynn-1.3039281 

How George Pell gazumped other bishops to claim credit for tackling child abuse in the church

Broadly speaking, my aim in introducing the Melbourne Response was to make it easier for victims to achieve justice, and to seek financial compensation and counselling, without needing to establish legal liability. I believe that it was the first scheme of its kind implemented anywhere in the world to respond to victims of child sexual abuse. I was, and remain, proud of its establishment and the assistance it has provided to victims since 1996. Statement of Cardinal George Pell, August 2014

http://www.smh.com.au/national/how-george-pell-gazumped-other-bishops-to-claim-credit-for-tackling-child-abuse-in-the-church-20170510-gw1jrh.html 

Child abuse victims head to court following Assembly collapse

Victims of historical child abuse are being forced to take their fight for justice to the courts after being "abandoned" by Stormont's warring politicians.
In January a landmark report into state and church abuse recommended compensation, a memorial and a public apology to abuse survivors. Dozens of victims had given evidence during a four-year public inquiry about the abuse they suffered as children in care.

http://www.irishnews.com/news/northernirelandnews/2017/05/08/news/child-abuse-victims-head-to-court-following-assembly-collapse-1019955/ 

The Latest: Diocese denies bishop coerced deacon candidate

A Catholic diocese in Minnesota says its bishop denies coercing a deacon candidate into remaining silent about a priest he alleges abused him decades earlier.
The Diocese of Crookston says in a statement that Bishop Michael Hoeppner (HEP’-ner) “categorically denies that he in any way forced, coerced or encouraged” Ronald Vasek not to report his allegations against Monsignor Roger Grundhaus.

http://www.dailyjournal.net/2017/05/09/us-church-abuse-minnesota-the-latest/ 

Whistleblowers group offers Cardinal Dolan support, criticism

Before embarking on a May 9 lobbying day in Albany in support of proposed New York state legislation that would extend the statute of limitations on child abuse claims, the watchdog group Catholic Whistleblowers offered both support and criticism of New York Cardinal Timothy Dolan.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/05/whistleblowers-group-offers-cardinal-dolan-support-criticism/?newsletter=1 

Crookston Bishop accused of sexual abuse cover up

For the first time in the United States, a Bishop of the Catholic Church is being sued for coercion. Bishop Michael Hoeppner is in charge of the Crookston Diocese and sees over most of Western Minnesota.
He's accused of forcing a Deacon candidate to stay quiet about alleged sexual abuse. That candidate is now calling the Bishop "evil' - he says he was abused 46 years ago, and again today.

http://www.wdaz.com/news/minnesota/4264305-crookston-bishop-accused-sexual-abuse-cover 

Commonwealth Redress Scheme for Survivors of Institutional Child Sexual Abuse

The Turnbull Government’s redress scheme for survivors of child sexual abuse in institutional settings is planned to commence in 2018.
The Turnbull Government has listened to survivors and accepts the recommendation of the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse that each jurisdiction and all individual institutions must make amends and take responsibility for wrongdoing.

http://christianporter.dss.gov.au/media-releases/commonwealth-redress-scheme-for-survivors-of-institutional-child-sexual-abuse-0 

Jesuits to return 525 acres of land to Native Americans

'It's now time to give back to the tribe all of those pieces of land that were given to the church for church purposes,' Fr John Hatcher said

The Jesuits are returning more than 500 acres in South Dakota to the Rosebud Sioux. The formal return of the property is expected to be complete sometime in May.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2017/05/09/jesuits-to-return-525-acres-of-land-to-native-americans/ 

Guam archbishop’s first sex abuse accuser testifies before Vatican tribunal

Cardinal Raymond Leo Burke and the Vatican tribunal is wrapping up the discovery phase and is entering another phase in the groundbreaking canonical trial of Archbishop Anthony S. Apuron.
John Toves, the first to publicly accuse Apuron in 2014 of sexual abuse of a minor, testified before the Vatican tribunal at the archbishop’s residence in San Francisco on Monday, about Apuron’s alleged sexual abuse of Toves’ cousin while the cousin was an altar boy at the Dulce Nombre de Maria Cathedral-Basilica in Hagåtña.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/05/guam-archbishops-first-sex-abuse-accuser-testifies-vatican-tribunal/?newsletter=1 

Catholic Church’s good deeds are being erased, says archbishop

What ever good that happened to us in the catholic church orphanages... was always followed be thrashing... and abuse of many kinds... never a kind word was said to us... never a THANK YOU from their lips... for all of the work [slave labour]  we did... from early morning till late at night... we lived in HELL on earth...  Ann

 ==================================

Decades of service by countless nuns and priests in education and healthcare are being “almost obliterated by a revised and narrow narrative that religious ethos cannot be good for democracy”, Catholic Primate Archbishop Eamon Martin has said.
He said there was a view that religious ethos stands “against the progress and flourishing of society and the rights of citizens” and that there was a tendency in some public discussion to give the impression that things related to faith were “unconnected with reason”.

http://www.cathnewsusa.com/2017/05/catholic-churchs-good-deeds-erased-says-archbishop/?newsletter=1 

Abuse accused monk eligible for extradition from Australia

A former Catholic monk accused of abusing boys at a Highlands boarding school is eligible for extradition, according to a magistrate in Australia.

The decision on whether to send Denis Chrysostom Alexander back to Scotland for trial now rests with Australia's attorney general. The former priest denies claims relating to Fort Augustus Abbey school.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-highlands-islands-39880645# 

Aust bishops retreat from Rome delegation

Australia's Catholic bishops have retreated from an archbishop's push to go to Rome seeking answers on whether the seal of confession can be broken to protect children from sexual abuse.

Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson had proposed sending a delegation of Australian bishops to Rome to seek the Pope's guidance on the confessional seal and other issues raised in the child abuse royal commission.

http://www.news.com.au/national/breaking-news/aust-bishops-retreat-from-rome-delegation/news-story/f6a8a7de3d80d016b6168d3357e78638 

The Keepers: EW Review

In The Keepers, the pain of the past morphs from curiosity to responsibility. For journalist Tom Nugent, the past is a paying puzzle that became an obligation to solve. For retirees Gemma Hoskins and Abbie Schaub, the past is a hobby that grew into a crusade. And for a woman known for decades only as “Jane Doe,” the past is a forgotten trauma that rocks her anew and reframes her life. In a culture of comic book escapism and stranger things, The Keepers gives us ordinary people as superheroes. They’re the real justice league of Baltimore.

http://ew.com/tv/2017/05/10/the-keepers-ew-review/ 

Childhood Sexual Abuse: The Last Taboo

Fred Marigliano remembers afternoons in the Times Square movie theater when his conscious mind would separate from his body, float to the ceiling, and look down on the shadowy row of seats where Father Contardo Omarini, his parish priest, was sexually assaulting two preteen boys. One of those boys was Marigliano himself. Later, long after the years of abuse had ended, he learned that this state of dissociation was a normal response to stress that otherwise might be unendurable. As a kid in Plainfield, though, he wondered if he might be going crazy.

https://njmonthly.com/articles/politics-public-affairs/childhood-sexual-abuse-the-last-taboo/ 

Rev. Bruce N. Ritter, O.F.M. conv. – Assignment History

Summary of Case: Born and raised in New Jersey, Bruce Ritter was ordained for the Order of Friars Minor Conventual (Conventual Franciscans) in 1956, in Rome, Italy. After doctoral studies in theology, he returned to the United States in 1959 where he was assigned to his Order's seminaries in Rensselaer, NY, Granby, MA and then Pittsburgh, PA. From 1963 to 1968 he was a Manhattan College faculty member.

http://www.bishop-accountability.org/assign/Ritter_Bruce_N_ofm.conv.htm 

Accused of Sexually Abusing Minors, Seattle Mayor Won’t Seek Re-election

Facing allegations that he sexually abused minors in the 1980s, Mayor Ed Murray of Seattle said this week that he would not seek re-election.

Flanked by about two-dozen colleagues and family members, Mr. Murray, the city’s first openly gay mayor, announced his decision at a news conference on Tuesday. He said he would step down after one term because he did not want a scandal to dominate this year’s mayoral campaign.

https://www.nytimes.com/2017/05/10/us/ed-murray-rape.html?emc=edit_tnt_20170510&nlid=63876270&tntemail0=y&_r=1 

Former Area Priest Added to List of Credibly Accused

CIBOLA COUNTY – “When I became the Bishop of the Diocese of Gallup, I committed to ensuring that the children in this Diocese and in the Parishes, Missions or Schools that operate within the Diocese were protected,” said Bishop James S. Wall in a letter to the affected parishes and survivors. “In the past the Diocese published names of those working within the Diocese against whom there were credible allegations of sexual abuse of a minor.”

http://www.cibolabeacon.com/news/former-area-priest-added-to-list-of-credibly-accused/article_325ba2a8-35a4-11e7-9168-c748bffcd1e2.html 

Trio face historic child sex offences

CHILD Abuse Squad detectives have charged three men as a result of ongoing investigations stemming from the Royal Commission into Institutional Child Sexual Offences.  All three men worked at the Wandering Mission during the 1960s, one as a Catholic priest and two as teachers.
It is alleged between 1965 and 1969 the priest sexually abused four girls who were aged between eight and 15 years at the time of the first offence.

http://www.avonadvocate.com.au/story/4652942/trio-face-historic-child-sex-offences/ 

Priest Faces Removal From Church Following Allegations of Sexual Misconduct

The Archdiocese of Los Angeles has begun formal proceedings with the Vatican to defrock a priest who served at six different churches within LA, following allegations of sexual misconduct. Father Ramon Palomera's accuser is a devout Catholic and a single mother.

"Rosa" had volunteered and worked for the Archdiocese of LA for nearly 30 years. The church was the center of her life. "I don't need the church right now," said Rosa. At her request, NBC4 is shielding her identity.

http://www.nbclosangeles.com/news/local/Archdioces-Moves-to-Remove-Priest-421943853.html 

More than 20 men have filed lawsuits in Idaho alleging they were sexually abused in the 1960s, 1970s and 1980s

For the second time in his life, Riley Gilroy is turning to the courts to right a wrong. The first time was when he was 9 years old and his mother, a single parent in Caldwell, thought he needed a male role model.

She asked around for recommended youth programs. Caldwell’s Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints 4th Ward recommended the Boy Scouts — Scouting has been a sanctioned LDS program for nearly 100 years, and the church is Idaho’s largest sponsor of it.

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article149736589.html 

Read more here: http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/article149736589.html#storylink=cpy

Survivors of child sexual abuse find support in SAMSN

Shane McNamara is a firm believer that even when the odds seem stacked against you, it’s still possible to win with the right team. A survivor of child sexual abuse, Mr McNamara knows the isolation many male victims feel, as well as the lack of support.
But he also knows that living a good life is possible. Everyone deserves a chance to enjoy life. It’s not all doom and gloom. There is a lot of good things in the world, there is a lot of good people,” Mr McNamara said.

http://www.parramattasun.com.au/story/4656133/survivors-find-support/ 

My Story; My childhood was not a childhood

My childhood was not a childhood.  In my family, men had sex with little girls.  It was our normal.  It was our culture and it was generational.  My parents grew up with it.  Their parents grew up with it.  Most of the victims in our family didn’t remember it because the trauma caused memory loss.  We were a family of traumatized individuals who were doing whatever it took to survive … usually at the expense of the others.

http://beatingtrauma.com/my-story/ 

Cardinal George Pell allegedly sexually abused cathedral choirboys, book claims

Explosive claims of child sex abuse have been levelled against Australia's highest-ranking Catholic official, Cardinal George Pell.
A soon-to-be-released book about Cardinal Pell contains detailed claims that he sexually abused two choirboys at St Patrick's Cathedral in Melbourne in the late 1990s.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/cardinal-george-pell-allegedly-sexually-abused-cathedral-choirboys-book-claims-20170512-gw3pe8.html 

'The Keepers,' Netflix's look at Baltimore nun's murder, is true-crime storytelling at its best

It is hard to imagine a true-crime docu-series that has more winning story elements than "The Keepers."
More elements than Netflix's "Making a Murderer," HBO's "The Jinx" or even the "Serial" podcast that dealt with young love, death and a Muslim man who is still in a Maryland prison for a crime he might not have committed.

http://www.baltimoresun.com/entertainment/tv/z-on-tv-blog/bs-ae-zontv-keepers-preview-20170512-61-story.html 

Waterville priest removed from duties over allegations of sexual abuse 15 years ago in Connecticut

The Rev. Larry Jensen of St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church on Appleton Street has been removed from the church amid a “substantiated” allegation of sexual abuse of a minor 15 years ago in Connecticut.
“He has been permanently relieved of priestly ministry and he can not present himself as a priest anymore,” Michael Thomas, vicar general of the Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York, said of Jensen Monday morning in a telephone interview.

http://www.centralmaine.com/2017/05/08/waterville-maronite-priest-removed-from-priestly-duties-amid-allegations-of-sexual-abuse-15-years-ago-in-connecticut/ 

Apuron church trial breaks new ground

Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron isn’t the first high-ranking church official to be accused of sexual abuse, but his ongoing canonical trial at the Vatican is ground-breaking, according to experts.
A new trial process for these types of allegations is in place under Pope Francis, and Apuron would be the first to be investigated and tried since its implementation.

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2017/05/07/apuron-church-trial-breaks-new-ground/101081830/ 

Abused by a Catholic priest, this man turned back to faith for forgiveness

When Miguel Prats revs the engine of his Harley Davidson, it might sound angry to some — but not to him. “When I’m on this bike, I literally feel surrounded by angels,” he says. “You can be frustrated, you can be anything. You get on this and go for a ride, and it just goes away.”
Today, Prats has a wide-eyed, happy-go-lucky demeanor. But he says 15 years ago, he was angry and tortured inside. In 2002, when the Boston Globe uncovered widespread sexual abuse within the Catholic Church, the story brought back a memory that Prats says he had repressed: shortly after he turned 18, he himself had been sexually abused by a priest.

http://kalw.org/post/abused-catholic-priest-man-turned-back-faith-forgiveness#stream/0 

Colossal Pedophile Ring Busted, 900 Arrests, 300 Kids Saved — Corporate Media Ignores It

After a nearly two-year investigation, 870 suspected pedophiles have been arrested across the world, and least 259 sexually abused children have been identified in the wake of major underground online global pedophilia network being taken down, according to the FBI and European authorities.
The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) and Europol announced the arrests on Friday, only days after a court sentenced Florida-based Steven Chase, founder of the so-called Playpen pedophilia network, to 30 years in prison.

http://thefreethoughtproject.com/children-saved-pedophile-ring-busted-media-silent/

Accuser: Priest told him 'big boys don't cry'

A third victim has come forward alleging he was sexually abused by former Guam priest, Andrew Mannetta, for two years while he served as an altar boy at the Mangilao parish in 1983.
An individual, using the initials "C.C." to protect his identity, filed a civil complaint in the District Court of Guam yesterday against Mannetta and the Archdiocese of Agana. C.C., who is now 43, alleges that the abuse began when he was 8 years old.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/accuser-priest-told-him-big-boys-don-t-cry/article_26e9133e-349a-11e7-b2d6-07617caf6b9e.html 

Church supports alternative to Child Victims Act

As lawmakers prepare for the closing weeks of session, victims of childhood sexual abuse are pushing once again for a controversial bill that would give them a chance to seek justice for decades-old cases.
The Child Victims Act (S.809) would allow victims to file legal action against their abusers, regardless of when the crime took place.

http://legislativegazette.com/archives/5400 

Maine Priest Removed After Sex Abuse Accusation

A Roman Catholic priest in Waterville, Maine, has been removed following allegations of sexual abuse against a minor more than a decade ago in Connecticut. The Eparchy of Saint Maron of Brooklyn, New York, said Monday the Rev. Larry Jensen was permanently removed from the ministry because of the claim. The vicar general, Michael Thomas, told the Morning Sentinel that the action followed after he became aware of the allegation last week.

http://mainepublic.org/post/maine-priest-removed-after-sex-abuse-accusation#stream/0 

Deacon candidate accuses Minnesota bishop of blackmail

A Minnesota man alleged Tuesday that his Catholic bishop blackmailed him, threatening to block his path to becoming a deacon and harm his son's priesthood career if he told anyone about being abused by a beloved priest decades earlier.

Ronald Vasek filed a lawsuit Monday against Bishop Michael Hoeppner and the Diocese of Crookston in northwestern Minnesota. His attorney, Jeff Anderson, said it's the first time a U.S. bishop has been sued individually for coercion.

http://www.startribune.com/lawsuit-accuses-minnesota-bishop-of-suppressing-abuse-report/421748743/ 

Parishioners mourn loss of priest removed from church amid sexual abuse allegations

Experts who deal with sexual abuse issues say it is understandable that parishioners of St. Joseph Maronite Catholic Church are in shock and disbelief that their former priest, the Rev. Larry Jensen, was removed swiftly from the church amid allegations that he sexually abused a teenage boy 15 years ago in Connecticut.
After all, a spiritual leader is someone they look up to, trust, admire, invite to family gatherings and holiday celebrations, and regard as part of their family. But it is for that precise reason that often people can not imagine any abuse could have taken place, experts say.

http://www.centralmaine.com/2017/05/09/parishioners-mourn-loss-of-priest-removed-from-church-amid-sexual-abuse-allegations/ 

The Latest: Diocese denies bishop coerced deacon candidate

A Catholic diocese in Minnesota says its bishop denies coercing a deacon candidate into remaining silent about a priest he alleges abused him decades earlier.
The Diocese of Crookston says in a statement that Bishop Michael Hoeppner (HEP’-ner) “categorically denies that he in any way forced, coerced or encouraged” Ronald Vasek not to report his allegations against Monsignor Roger Grundhaus.

http://www.dailyjournal.net/2017/05/09/us-church-abuse-minnesota-the-latest/ 

Crookston Bishop accused of sexual abuse cover up

For the first time in the United States, a Bishop of the Catholic Church is being sued for coercion. Bishop Michael Hoeppner is in charge of the Crookston Diocese and sees over most of Western Minnesota. He's accused of forcing a Deacon candidate to stay quiet about alleged sexual abuse.
That candidate is now calling the Bishop "evil' - he says he was abused 46 years ago, and again today. Crookston Diocese Bishop Michael Hoeppner is facing the first lawsuit of its kind after Ron Vasek accused him of coercing him in a sex abuse coverup.

http://www.wdaz.com/news/minnesota/4264305-crookston-bishop-accused-sexual-abuse-cover