Priest named in Pennsylvania church sex abuse probe jailed

A Roman Catholic priest from western Pennsylvania is headed to state prison, the first person sentenced to incarceration as a result of a grand jury investigation that reported hundreds of priests had abused children in the state over seven decades. The Rev. John Thomas Sweeney was sentenced Friday to 11½ months to five years in state prison and will have to register as a sex offender for 10 years.

http://www.weny.com/story/39689924/priest-named-in-pennsylvania-church-sex-abuse-probe-jailed 

Boy’s ‘extraordinary courage’ helps unmask man of cloth in sexual abuse case

After years of being sexually abused by an American Roman Catholic priest, a 12-year-old boy is leading the fight against pedophilia in a remote village here where his older brother and many of their friends are also victims. Police officials here said JVA (the boy’s alias in the criminal complaint) convinced his 22-year-old brother, known in the same complaint as CV, and several other former altar boys who are now of legal age to come out and charge the 77-year-old priest, Kenneth Bernard Pius Hendricks, of sexually abusing them for many years.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1067062/boys-extraordinary-courage-helps-unmask-man-of-cloth-in-sexual-abuse-case 

Trust in Clergy Members Has Dropped Dramatically According to a Survey on Honesty and Ethics

2018 Gallup survey shows Americans' trust in clergy members has dropped to its lowest in statistical history. The poll specialist discovered a meager 37 percent among a total of 1,025 respondents had a “high” or “very high” opinion of clergy members’ ethical and honesty standards. In its latest published report, about 43 percent rated clergy members as “average” when it came to ethics and honesty. Approximately 15 percent have extremely negative opinions. The Gallup company began analyzing the ethical standards of religious people in 1977. Read more at World Religion News: "Trust in Clergy Members Has Dropped Dramatically According to a Survey on Honesty and Ethics"

https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/trust-clergy-members-dropped-dramatically-according-survey-honesty-ethics

Pennsylvania priest sent to prison after guilty plea in abuse case

A priest who once served in the Diocese of Greensburg, Pennsylvania, was sentenced to prison for sexually molesting a boy in the 1990s. Father John T. Sweeney, 76, received a sentence of 11 months to five years in state prison and must register as a sex offender for 10 years, a judge in Westmoreland County, Pennsylvania, said Dec. 21. The priest pled guilty in July to misdemeanor indecent assault on a minor after he was accused of abusing a 10-year-old boy while counseling him about misbehaving on a school bus.

http://www.catholicsun.org/2018/12/27/pennsylvania-priest-sent-to-prison-after-guilty-plea-in-abuse-case/ 

Time is up to revoke honorary degrees given to McCarrick and Wuerl

As a prominent Catholic institution, Georgetown has the capability and responsibility to take public, tangible action to address the clerical sex abuse crisis; yet the university has failed to use its power to do so. On Sept. 10, we published an editorial that called for Georgetown to revoke the honorary degrees of Cardinals Donald Wuerl and Theodore McCarrick, two former archbishops of Washington, D.C., who are closely implicated in the Catholic Church’s sexual abuse crisis.

https://georgetownvoice.com/2018/12/28/time-is-up-to-revoke-honorary-degrees-given-to-mccarrick-and-wuerl/

Amid more revelations of Catholic Church abuse and cover-up, survivors galvanize

This year saw more appalling revelations about the Catholic Church and the behavior of many priests, exposing just how long some dioceses knew of and concealed sexual abuse. Judy Woodruff has the story, followed by a frank conversation with two abuse survivors and a professor and advocate for change in the church about how these developments affected them and their relationships with the faith.

http://www.snapnetwork.org/amid_more_revelations_of_catholic_church_abuse_and_cover_up_survivors_galvanize 

Illinois dioceses have no excuse for keeping priest sex abuse secret

I was born, raised and educated as a Catholic. I am appalled at the stance taken by church leaders with regard to the possible cases of sexual abuse by a large number of practicing priests in Illinois. No matter what Archbishop Cupich or any of his aides declare, there is simply no defense for the current state of affairs. The Catholic Church has failed to obey its own precepts. The alleged abuses go back as far as 1992, and what has the church done to combat them? Removed the priests from their parishes, put them in retreat homes and suspended their right to administer the sacraments?

https://chicago.suntimes.com/opinion/illinois-catholic-church-priest-sex-abuse-kept-secret/ 

McCarrick abused 11-year old boy during confession, lawyer charges; abuse continued for 18 years

McCarrick abused youth during confession, lawyer charges. A man who says he was serially sexually abused by Archbishop Theodore McCarrick testified Thursday as part of a Vatican investigation regarding the archbishop’s history of sexual abuse and misconduct. James Grein testified Dec. 27 in a canonical deposition conducted by officials of the Archdiocese of New York, the Associated Press has reported.

https://catholiccitizens.org/issues/cardinal-theodore-mccarrick/82727/mccarrick-abused-11-year-old-boy-during-confession-lawyer-charges-abuse-continued-for-18-years/ 

U.S. bishops move to address allegations of abuse, claims of cover-up

2018 will no doubt be remembered as a dark time for the U.S. Catholic Church. Catholics felt betrayed by Church leaders accused of sexual misconduct and cover-up revealed this summer and this cloud still hung over the Church at the year’s end. In June, allegations were made against then-Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, retired archbishop of Washington, accused of sexually abusing a minor almost 50 years ago and having sexual contact with seminarians while he was a bishop in New Jersey.

https://todayscatholic.org/u-s-bishops-move-to-address-allegations-of-abuse-claims-of-cover-up/ 

Church 'won't hide child sex abusers again.

From Rome, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports that the pope "spoke of the scandals that have undermined his papacy - it started with his own mishandling of the scandal in Chile and ended with USA prosecutors uncovering decades of cover-ups in the American Catholic Church". His remarks capped a hard year for the Catholic church, which began with the pontiff's botched handling of a sexual abuse scandal in Chile and ended with USA state prosecutors uncovering decades of cover-up.

http://alongtheboards.com/2018/12/25/church-wont-hide-child-sex-abusers-again.html

Allegations of Physical and Sexual Child Abuse Point to UK Charities

Three of Britain's largest childcare charities have been accused of child abuse, with detectives investigating allegations that children were abused while in the care of Barnardo's, Quarriers, and the Aberlour Child Care Trust. Police Scotland was reported to announce it was investigating claims of historic abuse relating to all of the organisations.

https://sputniknews.com/europe/201812181070789171-child-abuse-care-charities-britain/ 

An Open Letter to the Pope

Dear Pope Francis, Bishop of Rome, and Servant of the Servants of God, Forgive me for raising some concerns that I suspect reflect the hearts and minds of a broad cross section of Americans. I have admired your humility and compassion to the common folk. Your recent public policy positions, however, are causing a sharp philosophical divide, which I lament.

https://jewishjournal.com/columnist/290074/an-open-letter-to-the-pope/ 

In Cardinal George Pell's sexual abuse trial, Australian court fails to suppress the ‘nation's worst kept secret’

Australian Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican's third-highest ranking official, was convicted of sexual assault by a Victoria court on December 11, 2018. But Australian media aren't reporting on the trial or its outcome. Despite Pell's mammoth status in the Catholic church and as a public figure, his trial has been held in secret, following a Victorian County Court suppression order that applies Australia-wide. It was imposed after the court accepted that knowledge of the accused's identity in the first trial might prejudice a further trial being held in March.

https://globalvoices.org/2018/12/20/in-cardinal-george-pells-sexual-assault-trial-australian-court-fails-to-suppress-the-nations-worst-kept-secret/ 

US Bishop resigns over ‘inappropriate conduct’ with minor, Vatican says

A Los Angeles bishop has resigned earlier this week following allegations of “inappropriate conduct” with a minor during the 1990s. Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Monsignor Alexander Salazar on Wednesday, Vatican officials said The Holy See announced the resignation in a one-line statement. It is comes on the heels of a series of misconduct allegations brought against Catholic bishops this year.

https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-bishop-abuse-catholic-church-scandal-pope-resigns-child-vatican-los-angeles-a8691101.html 

Tennessee Lt. Gov. Randy McNally backs efforts to remove statute of limitations for child sex abuse

Lt. Gov. Randy McNally said this week he would support legislation to eliminate the statute of limitations on felony child sex abuse crimes in Tennessee. He also said he would back a temporary window for reviving expired civil claims related to child sex abuse cases.

https://www.tennessean.com/story/news/religion/2018/12/20/catholic-church-child-sex-abuse-statute-limitations-tennessee-randy-mcnally/2369482002/ 

The Church Settled Sexual Abuse Cases Against This Priest. Why Is He Still Saying Mass?

The Rev. Donald G. Timone, cloaked in the purple and gold robes of Advent, led the procession down the central aisle of St. Joseph’s Church here on the first Sunday of December. Celebrating the 11:30 a.m. Mass, he preached of the need to open one’s heart to Jesus in these days before Christmas. “He understands we are not perfect,” he said, “but he will not give up on us.”

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/12/20/nyregion/reverend-donald-timone-sexual-abuse.html 

The survivors of child sexual abuse deserve compensation before they die

Adult survivors of child sexual abuse are receiving rough justice from offending institutions such as churches. At the same time that many churches are celebrating the innocence of childhood this Christmas, they are denying justice to survivors who were innocent children when their lives were damaged and, in some cases destroyed, by institutional sexual abuse.

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/dec/20/the-survivors-of-child-sexual-abuse-deserve-compensation-before-they-die 

Wave of States Investigating Catholic Abuse, Utah Lists Names of Priests Accused

In light of the recent Pennsylvania Catholic Church abuse scandal, another wave of investigations has started. Now 45 states have sought information regarding child abuse and other forms of misconduct, with some going back decades to find answers. According to the Attorney General of Pennsylvania, Josh Shapiro, inquiries into the details of his investigation have skyrocketed in recent months. Since then, authorities in multiple states have joined forces in an effort to pursue the same legal actions as in Pennsylvania.

https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/wave-states-investigating-catholic-abuse-utah-lists-names-priests-accused

The Catholic Church Is a Worldwide Conspiracy to Obstruct Justice

Let us be plain. The institutional Roman Catholic Church as it currently exists is a prima facie international criminal conspiracy to obstruct justice. Absent the scent of incense, this would be the easiest RICO case any prosecutor ever brought. Consider what we've learned just in the last week.

https://www.esquire.com/news-politics/politics/a25643425/catholic-church-sex-abuse-scandals-michigan-oregon-alaska/ 

Sex abuse claims brought against 700 Catholic clergy in Illinois

Almost 700 clergymen in Illinois have been accused of child sexual assault, a far greater number than the Catholic Church had previously disclosed, the Midwestern US state's top prosecutor revealed Wednesday. Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan said the Church's revelations that 185 clergy members were credibly accused of sexual abuse fell short of the number her office has uncovered.

https://start.att.net/news/read/category/us%20news/article/afp-sex_abuse_claims_brought_against_700_catholic_cler-afp 

American priest facing 'horrifying' sex abuse charges during his time as a missionary in Philippines

An American priest has been arrested after being accused of sexually abusing multiple young boys while he was doing missionary work in the Philippines. Now U.S. authorities are calling for the public's help in determining whether or not he had any victims stateside. Rev. Kenneth Hendricks is in custody of police authorities in Manila now, and is facing federal charges in Ohio where he maintains a residence.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/american-priest-facing-horrifying-sex-abuse-charges-time/story?id=59650494 

Names Of 111 Accused Priests Released, 11 Served In Sacramento Area

Two Roman Catholic Jesuit provinces that cover nearly half the U.S. released the names Friday of more than 150 priests and other ministry leaders who were found to have “credible allegations” of sexual abuse made against them dating to the 1950s. Jesuits West, which covers 10 western states, said its internal investigation found credible allegations against 111 priests, brothers or priests in training who were connected to it dating back to 1950. No one on the list is involved in public ministry any longer, it said.

https://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2018/12/07/names-of-111-accused-priests-released-11-served-in-sacramento-area/ 

Parishioners furious after bishop transfers priest who helped expose fraudulent pastor

Updated December 11, 2018 at 3:46 p.m. EST to include statement from the Diocese of Jackson. Parishioners fooled by an HIV+ priest who fraudulently claimed he was raising funds to pay for cancer treatment are furious that they’re losing the priest who helped turn him in. Father Rusty Vincent, acting pastor of St. Joseph’s Church in Starkville, Mississippi, is being moved to Vicksburg by Bishop Joseph Kopacz.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/parishioners-furious-after-bishop-transfers-priest-who-helped-expose-fraudu

Ex-mayor calls bankruptcy filing ‘part of cover-up’

A former three-term Albuquerque mayor is blasting the Archdiocese of Santa Fe’s decision to file for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection, saying that it’s “simply a way of avoiding responsibility and is just one part of a continuing cover-up by the archdiocese.” “We now know that the archdiocese was substantially aware for years that its priests were raping children and that it did little or nothing to rectify it,” former mayor Martin Chávez wrote in an op-ed published in today’s Journal.

https://www.abqjournal.com/1255234 

Sioux City diocese leaders report progress on clergy sex abuse after meeting with Iowa AG

Leaders of the Diocese of Sioux City expressed optimism Friday that a meeting with Iowa Attorney General Tom Miller paved the way for further progress on the issue of child sexual abuse allegations levied against members of the clergy. "I thought the meeting was extremely helpful," Bishop R. Walker Nickless said in a statement. "We acquainted the attorney general with our efforts. We look forward to working with him on this difficult issue."

https://siouxcityjournal.com/news/local/sioux-city-diocese-leaders-report-progress-on-clergy-sex-abuse/article_42536af5-0c0e-56ca-95d1-d87e3ad014f9.html 

World Chilean prosecutors probe rural Catholic diocese for evidence in abuse case

The offices of the Roman Catholic diocese in Chillan, a small agricultural city in southern Chile, recently had some unusual and unexpected visitors: Chilean prosecutor Emiliano Arias and 10 armed police officers. Arias, wearing a loose gray suit and a brown backpack over one shoulder, walked briskly past the receptionist and climbed the stairs to the third floor, entering a green walled room dominated by a large framed photo of a smiling Pope John Paul II, who visited Chile in 1987.

https://www.latimes.com/world/la-fg-chile-priests-probe-20181208-story.html 

2 Jesuit provinces release 153 names of accused abusers

Two Roman Catholic Jesuit provinces that cover nearly half the U.S. released the names Friday of more than 150 priests and other ministry leaders who were found to have “credible allegations” of sexual abuse made against them dating to the 1950s. Jesuits West, which covers 10 western states, said its internal investigation found credible allegations against 111 priests, brothers or priests in training who were connected to it dating back to 1950. No one on the list is involved in public ministry any longer, it said.

https://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20181207/2-jesuit-provinces-release-153-names-of-accused-abusers 

Feds Looking Deeply at Buffalo

Federal investigators are probing claims of clerical sex abuse cover-ups in the diocese of Buffalo. In October, the Buffalo diocese confirmed it had been subpoenaed by the U.S. Attorney's Office in Buffalo for a probe into the trafficking of minors across state lines for sexual abuse. The probe was connected to August's Pennsylvania grand jury report, which detailed allegations of sexual abuse against 301 Catholic clergy and religious across six of Pennsylvania's eight dioceses.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/feds-looking-deeply-at-buffalo 

Prosecute Mobile abusers, for God’s sake

Forgive me Father, for I have sinned. Sometimes that’s just not enough. Sometimes it’s not complete. Sometimes it’s too little too late, too half-hearted, too forced and weak and watery. Like tears of a condemned man. Like the Catholic Archdiocese of Mobile, with its late and lame revelations that dozens of priests and other clergy abused and molested and scarred children for decades in churches and schools across south Alabama. It had the ring of a deathbed confessional.

https://www.al.com/news/2018/12/prosecute-mobile-abusers-for-gods-sake.html 

'He was a monster': Survivor shines light on dark past

WARNING DISTRESSING CONTENT Windows covered by a psychedelic paint job concealed a dark secret in Invercargill. Now one victim of a Marist Brother who raped children is letting the sunlight in. Simon still remembers the painted windows. He was a 12-year-old pupil at Invercargill's Marist Primary School when he first set eyes on them in 1975. A psychedelic swirl covered the glass panes on the outside, blocking any view into the classroom hidden behind the patterns.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/insight/he-was-monster-survivor-shines-light-dark-past 

Church wanted Burton paedophile priest to flee country, inquiry hears

The Catholic church wanted a priest who abused a boy in Burton to flee the country to avoid his imminent arrest, a child sex abuse inquiry has heard. A young clergyman said he was asked to give Father Samuel Penney "hundreds of pounds" and to ask him to leave the country for Ireland before travelling to America. Reverend Father Gerard Doyle was a young priest in his first parish when he said he was told by senior churchman, Vicar General, Monsignor Daniel Leonard, to help Penney.

https://www.derbytelegraph.co.uk/burton/burton-paedophile-priest-samuel-penney-2323893 

A.G. Madigan: ‘Prosecution May Be Warranted’ in Clergy Abuse Investigation

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan is continuing her investigation of the state’s six Roman Catholic dioceses, and now says criminal prosecution is a possibility. Madigan launched an investigation in August, after a Pennsylvania grand jury report contained “credible” accounts of child sexual abuse incidents committed by over 300 Catholic priests.

https://will.illinois.edu/news/story/a.g.-madigan-prosecution-may-be-warranted-in-clergy-abuse-investigation

Tacoma’s Bellarmine Prep right to shed light on secret sin

Bellarmine Preparatory School, a Tacoma institution since 1928, turned a harsh but necessary spotlight on itself last Friday when it shared information on 23 disgraced Catholic priests and non-ordained brothers previously assigned to the Bellarmine community. All were “credibly accused” of sexual abuse at some point in their Jesuit careers.

https://www.thenewstribune.com/opinion/editorials/article223060150.html

D.C. judge orders Catholic priest to remain in jail after new abuse allegations

A D.C. judge on Thursday ordered a Catholic priest accused of sexually assaulting three parishioners to remain in jail until trial and said it was troubling that church leaders did not take action when complaints against the defendant were raised several years ago, possibly allowing additional incidents of alleged abuse.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/local/public-safety/dc-judge-orders-catholic-priest-to-remain-in-jail-after-new-abuse-allegations/2018/12/13/a1f749e6-feed-11e8-862a-b6a6f3ce8199_story.html?noredirect=on&utm_term=.454e86970193 

Alleged rape victim of Catholic school janitor deposed on deathbed

Attorneys for Albany man obtained emergency court order to secure his testimony Attorneys for a terminally ill man who said he was repeatedly raped as a young boy by a Catholic school janitor obtained an emergency court order Wednesday allowing them to take his sworn testimony for a future lawsuit they hope to file against the Roman Catholic Diocese of Albany. Stephen J. Erickson, 55, is dying from skin cancer and not expected to survive beyond the end of the week, according to his attorney, Jeff Herman, whose law firm specializes in sexual abuse litigation and has offices in New York City and Boca Raton, Fla.

https://www.timesunion.com/news/article/Alleged-rape-victim-of-Catholic-school-janitor-13461509.php 

US Jesuits Publishing Lists of Members Credibly Accused of Abuse

I remember the priest's vestment which I embroidered around the bottom... and the different coloured Mass vestments for the Holy seasons of the year... The big golden I.H.S = (I HATE SIN)... which I embroidered on the back... stood out for all to see... I looked up at Jesus and Mary and told them: My hands embroidered these for you...

Well that is what I always thought it meant... here is the real meaning to those three letters.. The IHS (or JHS, occasionally YHS) monogram of the name of Jesus (i.e. the traditional Christogram symbol of western Christianity) is derived from the first three letters of the Greek name of Jesus (ΙΗΣΟΥΣ), IotaEtaSigma... Ann

===================================

 Two US provinces have published their lists so far; two more coming soon Amid the latest wave of Catholic clerical sex abuse scandals in the United States, the Jesuits are publishing lists of accused priests. On Dec. 7, two of the Jesuits' U.S. provinces put out official lists of members of the order who have been credibly accused of sexual abuse.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/us-jesuits-publishing-lists-of-accused-priests 

Price For ‘Cardinal’ Sin: Australian Court Convicts Pope’s Man Friday For Sexual Abuse Of Choir Boys

An Australian court has convicted Cardinal George Pell, the third highest ranking official in the Catholic Church, on charges of sexually abusing two choir boys, NPR has reported. Pell, who served as Vatican City’s de facto finance chief, was accused in hearings before the Royal Commission Into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse of covering up abuse committed by priests when he served as the Archbishop of Melbourne from 1996 to 2001.

https://swarajyamag.com/insta/price-for-cardinal-pleasure-australian-court-convicts-popes-man-friday-for-sexual-abuse-of-choir-boys 

Sisters of Mercy a dark misnomer

A Dunedin boy dumped at a Catholic orphanage by his father endured five days of violence at the hands of the Sisters of Mercy. Half a century later, he is still searching for answers. Chris Morris reports. Age is slowly catching up with the old Catholic orphanage overlooking Otago Harbour.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/insight/sisters-mercy-dark-misnomer 

English cardinal shocked to learn vicar sent two pedophile priests to U.S

An English cardinal has told an inquiry into child abuse of his shock at learning that a vicar general of his former archdiocese tried to help two pedophile priests escape to the United States. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sex Abuse revealed for the first time that Msgr. Daniel Leonard, a former vicar general of the Archdiocese of Birmingham, ordered a priest to tip off Father Samuel Penney that he was about to be arrested and to give him cash to flee to the United States.

https://www.catholicregister.org/home/international/item/28623-english-cardinal-shocked-to-learn-vicar-sent-two-pedophile-priests-to-u-s 

Teenager was raped in 1970s by high-ranking Salesian priest in Marrero, lawsuit says

Suit also contends there was attempted cover up of claim more recently; officials dispute aspects of suit. A Louisiana man claims in a new lawsuit that nearly 40 years ago, the regional leader of a Catholic religious order that founded Archbishop Shaw High School dosed him with what might have been chloroform and raped him.

https://www.theadvocate.com/new_orleans/news/courts/article_269eb9fa-fe34-11e8-a00b-a3894341389e.html 

The laity hold the key to reforming the church

While bishops scramble to find their way out of the woods, attempting to disprove the illusion that rulers are capable of reforming themselves, the laity hold the key to whether anything fundamentally will reform the church. So far lay people are either leaving the repair work to the clergy and hierarchy or taking that final step out the door, leaving the church behind. That's mainly the passive role they've been taught over the centuries by a theology that dispenses divine authority in the ordained ranks and expects lay people to obey.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/opinion/ncr-today/laity-hold-key-reforming-church 

'Prayer and penance:' More than 78 predator priests in Pa. still paid by Catholic church

heir crimes of child sexual abuse have been acknowledged, but the church has shielded them from the criminal justice system. Decades after their crimes were reported and largely ignored, more than 78 priests accused of child sex abuse are still collecting paychecks and pensions from Pennsylvania dioceses. Each of those priests has been removed from ministry by Pennsylvania bishops, but the pope himself needs to sign off on all clerics being removed from the priesthood and the payroll.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/12/04/pa-priest-abuse-predator-priests-still-paid-catholic-church-dioceses-child-sexual-abuse-grand-jury/2143934002/ 

'Catholic Church has a lot to answer for': Philip Wilson's conviction overturned

Former Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson’s conviction for failing to report child sex allegations about Hunter priest Jim Fletcher to police has been overturned after a judge rejected substantial elements of the case against the archbishop, and questioned the accuracy of a key witness’ evidence. Archbishop Wilson remained impassive as Newcastle District Court Judge Roy Ellis quashed the conviction on Thursday after finding the Catholic cleric gave “very honest and forthright” evidence and was an “intelligent and reasonably articulate witness”.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/catholic-church-has-a-lot-to-answer-for-philip-wilson-s-conviction-overturned-20181206-p50kqg.html 

Mobile Catholic Archdiocese releases names of 'credibly accused' clergy since 1950

he Archdiocese of Mobile has voluntarily released the names of priests, deacons and brothers who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct of a minor since 1950. List One - Priests and deacons of the Archdiocese of Mobile who have been credibly accused of sexual misconduct involving minors. Thomas J Cullen DECEASED Date of Misconduct: 1950s Pastoral Assignments: St. Mary Parish, Mobile St. Margaret Parish, Bayou La Batre Cathedral Parish, Mobile St. Monica Parish, Mobile Christ the King Parish, Andalusia St. Mary Parish, Texas City, Texas

https://mynbc15.com/news/local/mobile-archdiocese-releases-names-of-credibly-accused-clergy 

Amid Scandal After Scandal, One Catholic Mother Faces A Painful Choice

The joke about my younger son, Emmett, is that at age seven he’d still crawl back into my womb if he could. He’s more reserved than his gregarious older brother, and sticks to me in social situations that overwhelm him. He worries about things that wouldn’t even occur to another child. Recently I picked him up from a birthday party and also collected the sons of two close friends to spare them a trip. Walking across the parking lot in a foursome of first-grade boys, Emmett kept glancing at another classmate who was leaving with his mother. Later he told me he worried the boy had seen the group heading to our car and thought Emmett was having a “big fun playdate” and hadn’t invited him, and that his feelings might have been hurt.

https://www.vogue.com/article/catholic-church-abuse-scandal-mary-beth-keane-painful-choice 

Federal and state raids on diocesan offices

The unfolding clergy sex-abuse scandal in the US widened last week, with a joint raid by federal, state and local police on the office of Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the US bishops’ conference and Archbishop of Galveston-Houston, writes Michael Sean Winters. The Montgomery County prosecutor, Brett Ligon, said the raid was targeted specifically at recovering documents relating to allegations made against Fr Manuel La Rose-Lopez.

https://www.thetablet.co.uk/news/11102/federal-and-state-raids-on-diocesan-offices 

Calgary Catholic Diocese shouldn't encourage sexual abuse victims to report to them, critics say

The Calgary Catholic Diocese is under scrutiny after an official statement issued in October that encouraged adult victims of sexual abuse within the church to report their allegations to the church or police. Danielle Aubry, CEO of Calgary Communities Against Sexual Abuse, says she can't understand why the official statement from the diocese asked adult parishioners to report to one or the other. "I was absolutely shocked," she said.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/calgary/calgary-catholic-diocese-shouldn-t-encourage-sexual-abuse-victims-to-report-to-them-critics-say-1.4933861 

Priest sex abuse advocacy group wants probe into Mobile Archdiocese claims

A religious sexual abuse advocacy group has called on Mobile Archbishop Thomas Rodi to allow an independent investigation into the child sexual abuse claims within the Catholic church network in Mobile. The request from the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) comes hours after Archbishop Rodi released 29 names of priests and other clergy credibly accused of sexually abusing children in Mobile going back to the 1950s.

https://www.al.com/news/2018/12/priest-sex-abuse-advocacy-group-wants-probe-into-mobile-archdiocese-claims.html 

Police raid Jehovah’s witness buildings in sexual abuse inquiries

The police last month raided three locations used by the Jehovah’s Witnesses in connection with a major inquiry into sexual abuse, broadcaster RTL said on Thursday. The raids took place on November 19 and included the religious group’s headquarters in Emmen and two church buildings. In addition, four private homes were searched as part of the inquiry.

https://www.dutchnews.nl/news/2018/12/police-raid-jehovahs-witness-buildings-in-sexual-abuse-inquiries/

American priest facing 'horrifying' sex abuse charges during his time as a missionary in Philippines

An American priest has been arrested after being accused of sexually abusing multiple young boys while he was doing missionary work in the Philippines. Now U.S. authorities are calling for the public's help in determining whether or not he had any victims stateside. Rev. Kenneth Hendricks is in custody of police authorities in Manila now, and is facing federal charges in Ohio where he maintains a residence.

https://abcnews.go.com/US/american-priest-facing-horrifying-sex-abuse-charges-time/story?id=59650494 

Thirteen states now investigating alleged sexual abuse linked to Catholic church

Florida's attorney general said Thursday she is launching an investigation of potential sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic church, making Florida at least the 13th state with an ongoing statewide probe of the church. "Any priest that would exploit a position of power and trust to abuse a child is a disgrace to the church and a threat to society," said Attorney General Pam Bondi in a statement.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/religion/thirteen-states-now-investigating-alleged-sexual-abuse-linked-catholic-church-n916646 

Northern New Mexico man breaks silence on priest abuse he suffered as teen seminarian

Donald Naranjo had gone back to the old seminary campus in Santa Fe only once since he was a teenager, but he still knew where to turn: Make a right at the midcentury house with a double garage, go east about a mile, turn left. Naranjo, now 70, was a sophomore in high school when he convinced his parents to let him heed a calling. He started his studies to be a priest at the Immaculate Heart of Mary Seminary on the eastern edge of Santa Fe, a facility that now serves as a retreat. For a kid from the Española Valley, a heavily Catholic community, it was the kind of choice that makes a family proud.

http://www.santafenewmexican.com/news/local_news/northern-new-mexico-man-breaks-silence-on-priest-abuse-he/article_6b9d32e2-7d6a-5ea0-b380-0f36539c6391.html 

Egan: 'Sickened and discouraged' — being a Catholic priest in a scandalous age

It isn’t easy being the good shepherd in an era of sex scandals and shattered trust in the Roman Catholic church. Here is how a leading cleric began a piece in a quarterly magazine, Gaudium, produced by his Ottawa-based religious order: “I write this not only as a priest, member of the Companions of the Cross, or the General Superior of the Community, but also as a sickened and discouraged member of the Body of Christ, the Church.”

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/columnists/egan-sickened-and-discouraged-being-a-catholic-priest-in-a-scandalous-age 

Crisis in the pews: San Diego Catholics shaken by revelations of abuse, cover-ups

Mary Josweg is a 21st century Catholic, but she sounds an awful lot like the 16th century Protestant reformer Martin Luther. “The church needs to get cleansed,” said Josweg, 69, a parishioner at St. Patrick’s in Carlsbad. “I believe in Jesus as the son of God and Creator of the world — I happen to be Catholic. But the organization that I belong to is totally corrupt.”

https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/news/religion/sd-me-crisis-pew-20181118-story.html 

N.J. Catholic Church will name every priest 'credibly accused' of child sex abus

The names of every priest and deacon "credibly accused" of sexually abusing a child will be made public by New Jersey's five Catholic dioceses early next year, church officials announced Monday. The dioceses -- Newark, Camden, Paterson, Metuchen and Trenton -- are also establishing a victim compensation fund and counseling program for victims of sexual abuse by clergy and other church employees, said Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the head of the Archdiocese of Newark.

https://www.nj.com/news/index.ssf/2018/11/nj_catholic_church_will_name_all_priests_credibly.html 

Bishop 'could not keep silent'

Bishop W. Shawn McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City — one of the youngest and newest of those attending the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops — was among the first and loudest to respond when the Vatican asked the conference to delay action on the sexual abuse crisis facing the church. Many were surprised. Maybe none more so than McKnight.

http://www.newstribune.com/news/local/story/2018/nov/20/bishop-could-not-keep-silent/753307/ 

Church continues to blackball priest

I was baptized and confirmed at St.Michael's Church in Lakeside. The bishop is alienating several of us in the Catholic church by blackballing Fr. William Graham ("Split verdict in Duluth priest's suit against accuser," Aug. 25). Of late, I have been impressed by letters in the News Tribune in support of Fr. Graham, a real genuine man who has taught theology at the College of St. Scholastica. He earns his own money.

https://duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/letters/4532727-readers-view-church-continues-blackball-priest 

Evidence Shows Bishop Malone Covered Up Abuse in Maine

While the bishop of Buffalo, New York allows credibly accused priests to remain in active ministry, his history in another diocese reveals a pattern of cover-ups. Bishop Richard Malone of the Buffalo diocese has been under pressure from laity and the media due to his apparent tolerance of sexually abusive priests in active ministry. In a press conference last week, he invited reporters to look at his past experience in the diocese of Portland, Maine. The diocese covers the entire state of Maine.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/malone-covered-up-sex-abuse-in-maine 

Bishop urges other bishops to be honest about McCarrick cover-up: ‘Be men, not cowards’

Bishop Shawn McKnight was “very disappointed” at the Holy See’s intervention last week prohibiting the U.S. bishops from taking action on measures to address sexual abuse. “My frustration, shared with many other people, is this,” Bishop McKnight of the Diocese of Jefferson City explained. “We have known about the scandal of Archbishop McCarrick since the end of June, and our Church must take immediate, decisive and substantive action in light of the deep wound the scandal has caused.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/bishop-urges-other-bishops-to-be-honest-about-mccarrick-cover-up-be-men-not 

French priest and bishop convicted over sexual abuse of minors

The convictions are the latest in a series of sex abuse scandals that have rocked the Vatican. A French priest has been sentenced to two years in prison for sexually abusing multiple children, while his former bishop has been given a suspended sentence of eight months for failing to report the crimes.

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2018/11/french-priest-bishop-convicted-sexual-abuse-minors-181122164313619.html 

Facing the flock: South Dakota priest looks for answers after assistant's arrest

Brian Christensen is on his way to jail again. A clerical collar around his thin neck, rosary dangling from the rearview mirror, the priest sets out on the same trip he has taken almost every day that week. First was Monday afternoon, when he followed the detectives down this road, then up to the third floor of the police department, where he waited outside the interrogation room.

http://www.grandforksherald.com/news/4536965-facing-flock-south-dakota-priest-looks-answers-after-assistants-arrest

Police Storm Catholic Headquarters, Top Official Charged With Sexual Abuse Crimes

The police in Texas stormed the Catholic headquarters in Houston, seizing sensitive documents that implicated a Church official of sexual misconduct. Assistant District Attorney J. Tyler Dunman led federal law enforcement, together with the Texas Rangers and officers of the Conroe Police Department to the Catholic Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston.

https://citizentruth.org/police-storm-catholic-headquarters-top-official-charged-with-sexual-abuse-crimes/ 

Survivors network: Church, Hawley slow to oust sex abusers

Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests says the Jefferson City Diocese and Missouri Attorney General Josh Hawley are not doing enough to investigate and raise awareness of sex abuse by clergy. Bishop W. Shawn McKnight released in November a list of 33 names of Jefferson City Diocese clergy that had been “credibly accused” of illicit sexual acts involving minors. The list came during a listening tour regarding the abuse crisis in the Catholic Church and on the heels of an announced investigation by Hawley.

https://www.columbiatribune.com/news/20181201/survivors-network-church-hawley-slow-to-oust-sex-abusers 

Archdiocese of Omaha publishes list of clergy accused of sexually abusing children

On Friday, the Archdiocese of Omaha published a list of clergy against whom allegations of the sexual abuse of minors have been substantiated. The Diocese of Grand Island, which includes Kearney Catholic churches, is wrapping up the review of all files of active, retired and deceased clergy. When this review is completed, the Grand Island Diocese will determine whether to release a similar publication of any substantiated claims against clergy in the diocese regarding the abuse of minors.

https://www.theindependent.com/news/regional/kearney/archdiocese-of-omaha-publishes-list-of-clergy-accused-of-sexually/article_e234733b-7cf5-5037-8356-e30cb9ba072b.html 

Priest's View: Bishops, chancery officials who failed children can step aside

There continues to be much anger and outrage and shame and sadness in the Catholic Church over the abuse scandals and especially over the coverups by the bishops. Most agree now that the root cause of our troubles is the failure of the bishops' leadership. So far, we've seen mostly pious words and not much action from our bishops. It looks like the bishops simply want to take a mulligan.

https://www.duluthnewstribune.com/opinion/columns/4537109-priests-view-bishops-chancery-officials-who-failed-children-can-step-aside 

Faithful Urged To Remain Vigilant

Church-goers within the Roman Catholic Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston are still reeling from the revelation that 18 of their priests have had credible accusations of sexual abuse against them in the Northern Panhandle. It also was revealed that 13 additional diocesan priests had been accused in other states. Since the Diocese released the list of abusers last week, current clergy have struggled with the news and how to bring a new sense of faith to their congregations.

http://www.theintelligencer.net/news/top-headlines/2018/12/faithful-urged-to-remain-vigilant/

'No double life:' Pope tells actively gay priests, nuns to quit

Vatican City: Men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be admitted to the Catholic clergy, and it would be better for priests who are actively gay to leave rather than lead a double life, Pope Francis says. While he has previously spoken of the need for better screening of candidates for the religious life, his comments suggesting that priests who cannot keep their vows of celibacy should leave are some of his clearest to date.

https://www.smh.com.au/world/europe/no-double-life-pope-tells-actively-gay-priests-nuns-to-quit-20181203-p50jrx.html 

Pope tells gay clergy to be celibate or leave the priesthood

Pope Francis says homosexual priests or nuns should be celibate and responsible to avoid creating a scandal, and if they cannot they should leave their roles. Men with deep-rooted homosexual tendencies should not be admitted to the Catholic clergy, and it would be better for priests who are actively gay to leave, Pope Francis says in a new book.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/pope-tells-gay-clergy-to-be-celibate-or-leave-the-priesthood 

Syracuse bishop to release list of abusive priests before successor is named

Syracuse Bishop Robert Cunningham plans to release a list of priests with credible claims of child abuse against them as he awaits the naming of his successor. Consideration for the next bishop was one of the reasons Cunningham, 75, gave in a letter distributed this weekend to the people of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Syracuse.

https://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2018/12/syracuse_bishop_to_release_list_of_abusive_priests_before_successor_is_named.html 

What happens when the system fails you at birth?

An illegal adoption. A life of neglect and abuse. What happens when the system fails you at birth and you're robbed of the chances you might have otherwise had? CHRIS CHILTON talks to an Invercargill man who spent his whole life wondering. The boy was out of control. He stole. He lied. He vandalised. He set fires. He ran away from home and slept rough. When he got home he'd get a thrashing. Then he'd run away again.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/southland-times/news/108957898/what-happens-when-the-system-fails-you-at-birth 

Saturday Soapbox: Catholic church whistleblowers need protection to expose abuse.

Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, a gay man in a church that teaches homosexual behavior is sinful, has been exposed as a sexual predator who targeted males, mostly seminarians, and young boys. According to Kenneth Woodward (former religious editor for Newsweek, Commonweal -11/9/18), McCarrick, the former archbishop of Washington, D.C., was not only protected by his high office but by a network of gay clerics that had secrets to keep. Woodward writes, “By network, I mean groups of gay priests, diocesan and religious, who encourage the sexual grooming of seminarians and young priests for decades, and who themselves lead double lives – breaking their vows of chastity while ministering to the laity and staffing the various bureaucracies of the church.”

https://www.yakimaherald.com/opinion/saturday-soapbox-catholic-church-whistleblowers-need-protection-to-expose-abuse/article_7bd503d6-e929-11e8-b016-778929e01d80.html 

Paedophile priest was paid by church AFTER he was jailed for his sex abuse

The Catholic Church in Birmingham gave money for years to a priest AFTER he was released from prison for abusing children. Father Samuel Penney, who was based at St Mary and St Modwen Church, in Burton upon Trent in the 1970s, was given the cash so he could settle in another part of the country, an inquiry has heard. The shamed priest was jailed for seven-and-a-half years in 1993 for sex assaults on boys and girls.

https://www.birminghammail.co.uk/news/midlands-news/paedophile-priest-paid-church-after-15460496 

15 more victims of sexual abuse in Scouting Ireland come forward

An internal review has so far identified 108 alleged abuse victims and 71 alleged abusers in the youth organization, with most cases dating between the 1960s and 1980s, TheJournal.ie reports. Safeguarding expert Ian Elliott, the former chief executive of the National Board for Safeguarding Children in the Catholic Church in Ireland, told the Joint Committee on Children and Youth Affairs that the reports have come from a number of sources including “an increasing number of people coming forward.”

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/victims-sexual-abuse-scouting-ireland-come-forward 

'He was inside my sleeping bag... I was half asleep' - unlocked filing cabinet at Scouting HQ exposes history of child abuse

Mark was an excited six-year-old when he joined the Catholic Boy Scouts. His family was enthusiastic too. His mother joined in with other mothers baking for cake sales and jumble sales to fund scouting trips. The Scout Master became a good friend of his parents, dropping in on the family unannounced.

https://www.independent.ie/irish-news/he-was-inside-my-sleeping-bag-i-was-half-asleep-unlocked-filing-cabinet-at-scouting-hq-exposes-history-of-child-abuse-37562741.html 

Convicted Archbishop 'knew about' claims on paedophile priest. NZ

A survivor of clerical sex abuse says the Archbishop of Adelaide would have known about allegations of offending by a paedophile priest who abused at least one girl in New Zealand. Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson, the highest ranked Catholic in the world convicted for concealing clerical child abuse, was sentenced yesterday to a year in detention. He covered up for priest James Fletcher in New South Wales in the 1970s.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/361045/convicted-archbishop-knew-about-claims-on-paedophile-priest

Police investigating former Catholic priest. NZ

An ex-Catholic priest living in Asia who was nicknamed "the Phantom Feeler" by boys at a leading Wellington Catholic school is being investigated by police. A man who says he witnessed the priest groping boys in the 1970s said the Church and school must do more to uncover the extent of Father AM Donnelly's crimes. Police recently interviewed two men in their 50s who said they saw the dormitory master groping a boy under the sheets one night in a dorm at St Patrick's College, Silverstream, in 1974.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/368900/police-investigating-former-catholic-priest

Support group reveals more victims as Church stands silent. NZ

More survivors of clerical sex abuse are coming forward after Catholic school Old Boys formed an online support network as the Church continues stonewalling over the extent of sexual predation. As the new victims emerged, a Catholic religious order used the upcoming Royal Commission as a reason for not providing information to RNZ about known child abusers, even though a report on faith-based abuse is not due until 2023.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/376800/support-group-reveals-more-victims-as-church-stands-silent 

Understanding Sex Abuse: An Interview with Cyndie Randall, MA, LLPC

If we want to fight sex abuse in the church, the first step is educating ourselves. We have to understand what abuse is and how predators operate. I asked Cyndie Randall, MA, LLPC to answer some questions so we can be better equipped to fight this evil. As you read, look out for links to resources she’s provided for us so we can learn even more.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/waystationinthewilderness/2018/11/understanding-sex-abuse/ 

Monday Mix: Sex abuse probes, 'controlling' church, Mormon Jesus, sanctuary arrest, empty churches

Welcome to another edition of the Monday Mix, where we focus on headlines and insights you might have missed from the weekend and late in the week. The fine print: Just because we include a headline here doesn't mean we won't offer additional analysis in a different post, particularly if it's a major story. In fact, if you read a piece linked here and have questions or concerns that we might address, please don't hesitate to comment below or tweet us at @GetReligion. The goal here is to point at important news and say, "Hey, look at this."

https://www.getreligion.org/getreligion/2018/11/26/monday-mix-clergy-abuse-inquiries-controlling-church-lds-and-jesus-immigration-arrest-empty-churches 

‘The tongue kills like a knife’: Pope Francis equates gossiping with terrorism

In a strongly worded warning, Pope Francis decried gossip as a form of “terrorism” which ruins reputations, and said that fake news is a modern day scourge of the church faithful. During his Wednesday address to the general public in St. Peter’s Square, the Pope explored the eighth commandment, “Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.

https://www.rt.com/news/443981-pope-francis-gossip-terrorism/ 

Head of U.S. Catholic bishops kept 2 priests accused of abuse in active ministry

Cardinal Daniel DiNardo is president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, making him one of the most powerful Catholic officials in the country. He has also been one of the most vocal critics of the church’s handling of its sex abuse scandal. But this summer, Rev. Manuel La Rosa-Lopez, a priest whom DiNardo had promoted, was arrested for allegedly molesting two children. DiNardo, the archbishop of Galveston-Houston since 2006, has vowed to release by January a list of all the priests in Houston who have been, in the church’s judgment, “credibly accused” of sexually abusing a child.

https://kpax.com/news/national-news/2018/11/21/head-of-u-s-catholic-bishops-kept-2-priests-accused-of-abuse-in-active-ministry/ 

Spring mother of church abuse accuser not too hopeful son's priest will be on clergy list

Ahead of the Archdiocese of Galveston-Houston publishing a list of all clergy "credibly accused' of sexual abuse, a mother of one alleged victim isn't hopeful the priest her son says abused him will be on it. Carol LaBonte, of Spring, has been frustrated with the church she loves for years. "It has been covered up and covered up and covered up," she said. "I've had it."

https://abc13.com/mom-of-church-abuse-accuser-not-too-hopeful-in-clergy-list/4737024/ 

Catholic Cardinal: LGBTQ People Are to Blame for Sex Abuse Scandal

The former doctrine chief for the Catholic Church told a conservative website the child sex abuse scandal in the church is tied to growing influence of LGBTQ ideology, which he said was based on atheism and the denial of God. Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, spoke with the far-right website LifeSite regarding the recent resignation of Cardinal Theodore McCarrick amid allegations of sexual misconduct.

https://www.advocate.com/religion/2018/11/23/catholic-cardinal-lgbtq-people-are-blame-sex-abuse-scandal 

Why Catholic bishops are terrified of investigations

The Pennsylvania Grand Jury report into clerical sex abuse in the Catholic Church and the Australian Royal Commission on child sex-abuse have an English equivalent in the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse, which is currently taking evidence from witnesses, in public hearings.

https://catholiccitizens.org/views/82277/why-catholic-bishops-are-terrified-of-investigations/ 

Even as the Catholic Church claims to come clean, something is not right

The only thing that can save the Roman Catholic Church in America is the truth, and the truth is going to hurt. This is the choice facing the ecclesial establishment, which must decide either to release its vast records related to clergy sexual abuse, or wait for state and federal investigations to deprive them of those documents by force of law. If the church awaits the latter, then the Pennsylvania grand jury report that sparked this summer’s blistering revisitation of the sex abuse crisis will only be the beginning.

https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/the-catholic-churchs-future-depends-on-making-a-true-confession/2018/11/23/7b20c7ca-eb42-11e8-96d4-0d23f2aaad09_story.html?utm_term=.da8b56ef5095 

Glimmer of hope for Lake Alice state abuse survivors

Warning: This story contains distressing content. From January next year the Royal Commission will begin its inquiry into historical abuse in state care and faith-based institutions. One of the facilities under its microscope will be the notorious Lake Alice Child and Adolescent Unit. Despite 41 former Lake Alice patients making complaints of both physical and sexual abuse, police have never prosecuted anyone.

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/shows/2018/11/glimmer-of-hope-for-lake-alice-state-abuse-survivors.html 

French priest and bishop convicted over sexual abuse of minors

A French priest has been sentenced to two years in prison for sexual abuse of multiple children, while his former bishop has been given a suspended sentence of eight months for failing to report the crimes. A court in the city of Orleans in central France on Thursday handed down the verdict against the priest, Pierre de Castelet, and the retired bishop, Andre Fort. A court official said the ruling forbids de Castelet from working as a priest or meeting with minors, puts him on a national list of sex offenders, and orders him to receive psychiatric treatment.

https://www.today.ng/news/world/french-priest-bishop-convicted-abuse-minors-173073 

Memory of childhood rape by priest motivates Warwick man to fight for other victims

David Silipigni says his life was ruined by what happened to him as a child at the St. Aloysius Home, an orphanage run by the Diocese of Providence. Now he’s fighing to give other victims the legal remedy that he’ll never have. For nearly his entire life, David S. Silipigni has lived in a jail cell or a room the size of one. He paces a room the way memories pace his mind, turning to what he says happened nearly 50 years ago, when he was a little boy in the care of a Catholic orphanage in Smithfield.

http://www.providencejournal.com/news/20181123/memory-of-childhood-rape-by-priest-motivates-warwick-man-to-fight-for-other-victims 

Why we need to tax the ‘costly joke’ of religion

Royal Commissions have been in the news lately. And it’s been a sad and sorry time. Last month was the National Apology following the findings of the inquiry into Institutional Responses to Child Sex Abuse. That happened while the top end of town was reeling from revelations from the investigation into Misconduct in the Banking, Superannuation and Financial Services Industry. Now we’ve got another starting in Adelaide looking into Aged Care Quality and Safety.

https://www.adelaidenow.com.au/lifestyle/sa-weekend/why-we-need-to-tax-the-costly-joke-of-religion/news-story/454b9fde5a236486cfb870b5cd12f9b4 

After Catholic sex abuse cover-ups, we in the pews must no longer simply pray & pay

No Instead of giving the church money each week on their plate... leave them a note about covering up child abuse and child rape... that will soon hit their pockets... you have to be one stop ahead of the priest and nuns... because they two help themselves to church Charity Funds... I have seen that in the mediation in 2003... they open their own charities within the catholic church... they just cover them up with a name... which you do not need to question the church about... just leave them a note... Like the cover up of innocent children being raped every day... they will tell the people who left them a note instead of money... they will say that you were the only one... who left them a note... don't be fooled with their twisted words... I feel that giving the church a note for about a month should do the trick... but every one needs to do it... yes Mike the best thing to do is walk away... walk right out of the church and more people need to do that as well.. Put the word around... no money to the catholic church... until she comes clean about child rape... tell your friends and relations ... hit them where it hurts... their pockets... Ann 

============================================= 

 Longer term, we should work toward transforming the church leadership. Lay experts should be involved in clergy assignments when the safety of children is at stake. We should create an office of the lay provost to perform oversight and accountability. We should evaluate how to create a priesthood for the 21st century that attracts people to a revitalized Catholic Church. We need better screening procedures for new priests.

Holding the holy accountable

Imagine a multinational corporation, Apple, if you will. A global entity, one that can reach far and wide with a strong following. It has a language that only its followers can truly understand, a public face who is the gateway between the higher-ups and the public, and an image that has made it both highly adored and loathed.

https://www.thetriangle.org/opinion/holding-the-holy-accountable/ 

Communities respond to abuse: Dunedin opted for ‘prayer and penance’

There are no immediate plans for the Catholic Diocese of Dunedin to follow in Wellington’s footsteps by asking priests to fast to atone for historic sexual abuse by clergy. It was reported yesterday priests in the Wellington region were spending the day praying and fasting to atone for clerical sexual abuse.

https://www.odt.co.nz/news/dunedin/insight/communities-respond-abuse-dunedin-opted-%E2%80%98prayer-and-penance%E2%80%99 

This week a ‘best of times, worst of times’ montage on abuse crisis

ROME - Charles Dickens famously described the French Revolution as the “best of times, the worst of times.” Catholicism too seems to be experiencing a revolutionary moment fueled by the clerical sexual abuse scandals, and the opening week of this month’s Synod of Bishops in Rome has, in that sense, seemed a highly Dickensian experience.

https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2018/10/06/this-week-a-best-of-times-worst-of-times-montage-on-abuse-crisis/ 

Cardinal Nichols to Face Questions About British Abuse Case Involving Predecessor

Amid a British investigation into sexual abuse, Cardinal Vincent Nichols of Westminster is expected to face questions regarding the way his archdiocese handled allegations of misconduct made against his predecessor, Cardinal Cormac Murphy O’Connor. Cardinal Nichols is scheduled to testify in November before the Independent Inquiry in Child Sexual Abuse, a panel established by the British government in 2014 and charged with reviewing sexual abuse and institutional response in the country’s Catholic dioceses, the Anglican Church and other British institutions.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/cardinal-nichols-to-face-questions-about-british-abuse-case-involving-prede 

Wyoming Reopens Catholic Sex Abuse Case

The Catholic Church, already beaten by blasts of sexual abuse allegations from around the world, will get another one. The Diocese of Cheyenne and Diocese of Green Bay have contacted local law enforcement authorities to reopen an old sexual abuse case involving a former priest, Bishop Emeritus Joseph Hart. Among the many cases against him, the police have zeroed upon one particular instance of a 14-year-old male allegedly abused by the priest in 1977.

https://www.worldreligionnews.com/religion-news/wyoming-reopens-catholic-sex-abuse-case

The Case against Pope Francis

He has elevated immoral men in order to change the Catholic faith Just over five years ago, the Argentine cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio came out onto the loggia of St. Peter’s as Pope Francis. It is useful to recall the situation of the Church that he inherited. The sex-abuse scandals that had rocked the Church in America and some European countries at the turn of the millennium were subsiding, or so it seemed. But the dysfunction at the Vatican under Pope Benedict XVI had overwhelmed the scholarly pontiff.

https://www.nationalreview.com/magazine/2018/10/29/case-against-pope-francis-catholic-church/ 

Pa. Catholic churches offer fund for victims of priest sex abuse, but there's a catch

This could be a big help for people who can't wait for a lengthy court case or cannot emotionally endure that. But it restricts access to information that could help prevent more abuse. People who were sexually abused by priests as children have a new avenue for justice in settlement funds being set up by Roman Catholic Dioceses in Pennsylvania, but taking the money now means they can never sue the church in court.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/11/08/pa-priest-abuse-catholic-dioceses-start-fund-pay-victims/1932383002/ 

Spanish Church abuse victim: “He didn’t stop until he saw that we were on the verge of tears”

The Salesian religious order has stood by Father López Luna, who is under investigation for abusing a 13-year-old. The following testimony is one of several making up an EL PAÍS series exposing decades of offenses by the clergy. The Salesian religious order still has a priest within its ranks who is under investigation for abusing a 13-year-old child in 2013. As confirmed by EL PAÍS, Father Francisco Javier López Luna maintains an office at the National Center for Youth Pastoral Care on Calle Alcalá, in Madrid.

https://elpais.com/elpais/2018/11/02/inenglish/1541175258_782462.html 

How A Sex Abuser Rose To Become Cardinal

Newark, New Jersey, is the home of one of the largest dioceses in the country, an estimated one million Catholics. The archbishop of that diocese works from a basilica, the Cathedral Basilica of the Sacred Heart, that rivals the most beautiful in the world. It stands out as a beacon sandwiched between Branch Brook Park and neighborhoods still blighted by the Newark riots of the 60s. It’s the fifth biggest cathedral in North America, houses the largest pipe organ ever built by Schantz Organ Company, and has been a routine stop for popes visiting the United States.

https://abovethelaw.com/2018/11/how-a-sex-abuser-rose-to-become-cardinal/ 

All Revved Up: Can The Catholic Church Redeem Itself?

Despite repeated sex abuse scandals and promises from church elders that change would come, a Boston Globe and Philadelphia Inquirer investigation revealed that more than 130 U.S. Catholic bishops — roughly one third of those still living — have been accused of failing to adequately respond to sexual misconduct. Reverends Irene Monroe and Emmett G. Price III joined Jim Braude and Margery Eagan on Boston Public Radio for their weekly All Revved Up segment to look at the institution that continues despite decades-long mishandling of abuse.

https://www.wgbh.org/news/national-news/2018/11/05/all-revved-up-can-the-catholic-church-redeem-itself 

OKC Archdiocese Confirms Reopening Investigation Into Priest Abuse Allegations

The Catholic Church is reopening an investigation into an Oklahoma priest accused of sexually abusing a child. The Archdiocese of Oklahoma City says Father James Mickus has been removed from ministry and is not serving during this investigation. It all stems from an investigation years ago. Court documents show in 2002 an Oklahoma man accused Father James Mickus of abusing him in the 1980s.

http://www.news9.com/story/39421589/okc-archdiocese-confirms-reopening-investigation-into-priest-abuse-allegations 

Catholic priests react to clergy sex abuse meeting with Bishop Malone

Bishop Richard Malone gathered all the priests in the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo for a meeting to discuss the clergy sex abuse scandal Monday afternoon. This, is the wake of explosive reporting by the 7 Eyewitness News I-Team in recent months that has shed light on the extent of Bishop Malone's involvement in the crisis.

https://www.wkbw.com/news/catholic-priests-react-to-clergy-sex-abuse-meeting-with-bishop-malone 

Eight Catholic priests with Memphis assignments on list of abuse allegations

Three of eight former Roman Catholic priests connected to the Catholic Diocese of Nashville accused of child sexual abuse and dismissed from the priesthood had church assignments in Memphis. They are included in a longer list released Friday in Nashville of 13 priests accused of child sexual abuse. Until the establishment of the separate Diocese of Memphis in 1971, the Nashville Diocese covered the entire state of Tennessee.

https://www.dailymemphian.com/article/1077/Eight-Catholic-priests-with-Memphis-assignments-on-list-of-abuse-allegations 

Buffalo bishop revises priest abuse list, fends off critics

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York, has added 36 names to its public list of priests with substantiated claims of sexual abuse of a child, bringing the total to 78.Officials say they will not name. Bishop Malone opening remarks The Catholic Diocese of Buffalo has released a new list of 36 priests accused of sexual abuse of a minor. This is in addition to the original list of 42 priests that the Diocese released earlier this year.

https://www.onenewspage.com/video/20181106/11009238/Bishop-Malone-opening-remarks.htm 

Dark secret: Kiwi priest's victims tell of ruined lives

A paedophile priest who left a trail of victims in his wake was allowed to continue as a man of the cloth for nearly two decades after his offending was revealed to the Bishop of Dunedin. Survivors say it shows why the Catholic Church should be part of a Royal Commission into historic abuse. Chris Morris investigates. Forgiveness is a hard word to say, even now, for one of the innocent boys abused by a Catholic priest in Dunedin.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12099220 

Calls mount to defrock 91-year-old New Zealand priest

Magnus Murray has served jail time for sexually abusing young boys but scholars say church too lenient on exposed pedophiles. A theology lecturer at the Catholic theological college that educates New Zealand seminarians is calling to defrock 91-year-old priest Magnus Murray, reports the Otago Daily Times. Dr Rocio Figueroa (pictured) of Good Shepherd College, Te Hepara Pai, says the Church’s response needs to be “centred on the victims, not covering up the perpetrators or trying to protect the institution.”

https://cathnews.co.nz/2018/08/02/defrock-91-year-old-priest/ 

NZ Catholic Church withholds findings on sex abuse claims

The Catholic Church has withheld its findings about a child sex abuse accusation for months from the man who laid the complaint. The man said he was “re-traumatised” and it proved the church’s pledge to put victims first were empty. This comes at the same time as the church hired a Wellington public relations consultant in the run-up to the Royal Commission into state abuse.

https://malesurvivor.nz/nz-catholic-church-withholds-findings-on-sex-abuse-claims/ 

Victims’ advocate loses faith in an ‘incapable’ Church body

A sexual abuse survivors’ advocate says she can no longer refer people to the Catholic Church’s body for dealing with complaints, saying it is dangerously incapable of dealing with victims. Annie Hill said the National Office for Professional Standards (NOPS), which manages the Church’s complaints procedure, had been chronically slow responding to emails, was not transparent and had demonstrated a dangerous lack of empathy with very vulnerable people.

https://malesurvivor.nz/victims-advocate-loses-faith-in-an-incapable-church-body/ 

‘You try to forget’: Man remembers alleged abuse at St. Joseph’s Oratory

A week before the Supreme Court of Canada is set to hear arguments over whether Montreal’s St. Joseph’s Oratory should be included in a sexual assault class action suit, one alleged victim is speaking out for the first time about the abuse he remembers suffering at the iconic institution. Pierre-Yves Asselin, now 68, says he was repeatedly sexually abused — between the ages of 8 and 17 — at the hands of oratory staff and members of the Congregation of Holy Cross.

https://montrealgazette.com/news/it-always-comes-back-to-you-man-speaks-out-about-alleged-sexual-abuse-at-st-josephs-oratory 

Whistleblower says Buffalo bishop left names off list of allegedly abusive priests

That was just appalling to me that they were creating this list that was woefully inaccurate, but it was also, it was a lie. We were lying to the people," the former worker said. The crisis in the Roman Catholic Church over its handling of allegations of sexual abuse by its clergy is engulfing the diocese in Buffalo, New York, where a former executive assistant to the bishop says she has talked to the FBI and turned over documents about an alleged cover-up of sexual abuse by priests.

https://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/whistleblower-says-buffalo-bishop-left-names-list-allegedly-abusive-priests-n929576 

Abuse cover-up over, priest leaves home next to Iowa school

This Oct. 26, 2018 photo shows Marian Home and Village in Fort Dodge, Iowa. A bishop is vowing to relocate a priest who had been placed in the Iowa retirement home next to a Catholic school, despite a history of sexually abusing boys. The move comes in response to an Associated Press story exposing the church's three-decade cover-up of abuse committed by the Rev. Jerome Coyle. Coyle admitted in 1986 that he had sexually abused approximately 50 boys over the prior 20 years while serving at several parishes in Iowa.

https://www.foxnews.com/us/abuse-cover-up-over-priest-leaves-home-next-to-iowa-school 

Keep fighting clergy abuse, say Irish church leaders

Dublin Archbishop Diarmuid Martin warned there was "a danger of complacency or inertia or of slippage into false confidence" in the church's fight against clerical abuse. We need you! Support independent Catholic journalism. Addressing the annual National Child Safeguarding Conference in Kilkenny in late October, the Dublin archbishop told safeguarding delegates from dioceses, parishes and religious orders across Ireland that, with renewed focus on worldwide abuse this summer, people with whom the church had been in contact years ago got back in touch.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/keep-fighting-clergy-abuse-say-irish-church-leaders 

Ribbons tied to Wellington church by child sexual abuse survivors removed

Ribbons put on a Wellington church by child sexual abuse survivors and their supporters have been promptly taken down by the parish priest. The ribbons were tied to the fence of the St Mary of the Angels Catholic church in Boulcott St on Thursday, but by Friday morning, they had been removed. They were put up to acknowledge historic sexual abuse of children in the Wellington Diocese, particularly at St Patrick's College in Silverstream and Wellington City, and St Bernard's College in Lower Hutt.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/108302448/ribbons-tied-to-wellington-church-by-child-sexual-abuse-survivors-removed 

Sexual abuse allegation against bishop involving teen boy deemed ‘credible and substantiated’

An auxiliary bishop in the Archdiocese of New York City has been removed from public ministry after having been credibly accused of sexual abuse with a 13-year-old male. In a sober address to the archdiocese posted on Facebook, Cardinal Timothy Dolan said, “I’ve got some sad news to tell you, and I want you to hear it from me before it goes public, because I owe it to you.” Dolan then went on to explain why Auxiliary Bishop John Jenik is stepping aside.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/sexual-abuse-allegation-against-bishop-involving-teen-boy-deemed-credible-a 

Three dozen priests and clergy accused of sexual abuse in Northeast Ohio

The Youngstown Catholic Diocese has released more details about priests and clergy members accused of sexual abuse. Cleveland 19 looked at the list of parishes these priests and clergy members served at while here in Northeast Ohio. There are 31 accused abusers in churches from Massillon to Youngstown. We found eight churches and one high school in Canton, three parishes in Massillon, three in Ashtabula and two each in Alliance, Conneaut and Louisville.

https://www.cleveland19.com/2018/11/02/three-dozen-priests-clergy-accused-sexual-abuse-northeast-ohio/ 

'What did we do?': Anger, shock from parents who unwittingly housed sexually abusive Iowa priest

Reuben and Tania Ortiz were remorseful and wondering: Did we really invite a sexual predator to sleep under the same roof as our children? Reuben said he had to patrol his own house, installing locks on bedroom doors and sleeping in his living room to keep watch on his 13-, 15- and 17-year-olds. Now, he worries that his efforts weren't enough to protect his kids from admitted pedophile the Rev. Jerome Coyle.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2018/11/02/iowa-priest-sex-sexual-abuse-jerome-coyle-ortiz-family-diocese-sioux-city-reuben-ortiz-tania-ortiz/1849583002/ 

Law professors demand Germany investigate sex abuse in its 27 dioceses

Based on the German bishops’ recently published sex abuse report, six law experts have now brought charges against all 27 German dioceses to the responsible attorneys general throughout the country. Pointing to the U.S. and other countries, they think that a thorough investigation of sex abuse crimes in the Church is also needed in Germany. The law professors see enough evidence and legal grounds for a state investigation

https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/law-professors-demand-germany-investigate-sex-abuse-in-its-27-dioceses 

Prosecutors investigating if church covered up case of Catholic priest impregnating a teenage altar girl

Authorities are investigating whether a Roman Catholic diocese in Ohio responded appropriately last November when it learned that a priest for two of its parishes had taken a now-pregnant altar girl to a wedding reception last November, Athens County Prosecutor Keller Blackburn said.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6346979/Prosecutor-Altar-girl-relationship-priest-pregnant.html 

Blaming and smearing gay men as cause for pedophile priest problem

“Conservative Catholics are desperate to assign blame for abusive priests on evil homosexuals.” Dorothy Cummings McLean, a prolific Catholic writer from Scotland, is very upset. She is dismayed to note: Jesuit-run America mag runs article denying link between homosexuality and clergy sex abuse. I give her some credit for a proper explanation:

http://www.slowlyboiledfrog.com/2018/10/blaming-and-smearing-gay-men-as-cause.html 

Bishop's former assistant talks about decision to share confidential documents

The woman who formerly worked as the executive assistant to Roman Catholic Bishop Richard Malone stood on a sidewalk across the street from her former workplace Tuesday morning, explaining her decision to secretly share private diocesan documents regarding clergy linked to alleged sexual misconduct. It was Siobhan O'Connor's first local appearance since her story aired on national news programs including CBS's 60 Minutes.

http://news.wbfo.org/post/bishops-former-assistant-talks-about-decision-share-confidential-documents 

Understanding why the Synod of Bishops blinked on ‘zero tolerance’

ROME - If you’re an American Catholic, or an Australian, Irish, German, Chilean, or from pretty much anyplace else scarred by clerical sexual abuse scandals, news that a global summit of Catholic bishops in 2018 could walk up to the brink of endorsing a “zero tolerance” policy, only to pull back at the last minute, may seem almost incomprehensible.

https://cruxnow.com/news-analysis/2018/10/30/understanding-why-the-synod-of-bishops-blinked-on-zero-tolerance/ 

New names on diocese list include teachers with McKean, Elk ties

The latest modification to the Diocese of Erie public disclosure list has multiple people with local ties — including the first religious Sister to be named. Sister Mary Carmel Skeabeck, SSJ, has ties to McKean and Elk counties, while former lay teacher James E. Herzing has ties to Elk County. The list updated on Monday includes the names of people “credibly accused of actions that, in the diocese’ judgment, disqualify each person from working with children,” i.e., sexual abuse. The list was initially released in April.

http://www.oleantimesherald.com/news/new-names-on-diocese-list-include-teachers-with-mckean-elk/article_c43406d4-dc06-11e8-9123-831b5dc70a09.html 

Pay up for survivors, institutions told

Schools, churches and other institutions have been told to sign up to the national redress scheme for child sex abuse survivors as quickly as possible. The scheme has received more than 1700 applications, answered more than 9800 phone calls, and had more than 313,000 page views on its website in the past few months. "Survivors rightly expect that the institutions will now move as quickly as possible - so the words are backed up with action," Social Services Minister Paul Fletcher said on Tuesday.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/wires/aap/article-6331393/Pay-survivors-institutions-told.html 

Athens County priest accused of sexually abusing, impregnating minor

A Catholic priest in Athens County is facing allegations of sexual abuse of a minor. Rev. Christopher Foxhoven appeared in Athens Municipal Court Tuesday afternoon to face eight counts of sexual battery. According to court records, Foxhoven admitted to having a sexual relationship with a 17-year-old girl, who is now pregnant with his child. Foxhoven was serving two churches in Athens County, including Holy Cross in Glouster, where the relationship allegedly took place.

https://www.nbc4i.com/news/local-news/athens-county-priest-accused-of-sexually-abusing-impregnating-minor/1562550026 

Ray Hadley’s first ever interview with Julia Gillard: ‘You left a legacy that rivals any prime minister I’ve dealt with’

Ray Hadley has paid Julia Gillard the ultimate compliment in his first ever interview with the former prime minister. In an emotion-filled conversation, Ray tells the former Labor leader she may well have left the greatest legacy of any prime minister he’s ever dealt with. The two very rarely saw eye to eye over the course of Ms Gillard’s time as the nation’s leader, with Ray one of the loudest voices against her government’s asylum seeker policy.

https://www.2gb.com/ray-hadleys-first-ever-interview-with-julia-gillard-you-left-a-legacy-that-rivals-any-prime-minister-ive-dealt-with/ 

Clergy abuse victim pushes NY Archdiocese to stand for all survivors

Lex Filipowski wrote a letter to Cardinal Dolan asking for recognition for victims of clergy from religious orders. A church sex abuse survivor is asking New York's top Catholic official to help all victims of religious officials. Leonard "Lex" Filipowski and his attorney, Patrick Noaker, delivered a letter Tuesday to Cardinal Timothy Dolan, who launched the Independent Reconciliation and Compensation Program in 2016 to aid and compensate victims of sexual abuse. However, Filipowski says he and others like himself are barred from receiving compensation.

https://www.amny.com/news/catholic-church-abuse-1.22654398 

Royal commission: Monsignor John Usher denies protecting Cardinal George Pell

The former chancellor of the Catholic Archdiocese of Sydney denied he was trying to save Cardinal George Pell from embarrassment by sticking to his claim about a paedophile priest in the face of conflicting accounts, a royal commission has heard. In the final day of an inquiry into convicted paedophile John Joseph Farrell, Monsignor John Usher insisted the priest never admitted to crimes against children at a 1992 meeting.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/nsw/royal-commission-monsignor-john-usher-denies-protecting-cardinal-george-pell-20160922-grlrmk.html