Inuit must speak out against sexual violence, woman tells MMIWG inquiry in Nunavut

Laura MacKenzie urges Inuit to speak up about what she calls "rampant" child sexual abuse and violence in remote Northern communities. In her testimony to the inquiry into missing and murdered Indigenous women and girls on Tuesday morning in Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, she suggested her cousin might still be alive today had this silence been broken. 20 family members and survivors expected to testify at MMIWG inquiry in Nunavut.

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/north/mmiwg-rankin-inlet-laura-mackenzie-1.4543999 

Pope Francis’s Defense of Child Rapists

Apostolic succession is the Catholic belief that, with consecration down the generations, priests today are in some way connected to the apostles. In a spiritual passing of the baton, priests become imbued with a historical holiness. Today, however, a poisonous practice is tracing its way back to the top of the Catholic Church in reverse. Modern cases of protecting and sheltering pederasts within the Church, initially believed to be on the peripheries of the institution, is continually being found closer to the top of the Church. Today it has reached the top in the figure of Pope Francis.

http://www.inquirelive.co.uk/opinion/pope-franciss-defense-of-child-rapists/ 

The cardinal who rebuked the Pope

Why did the Archbishop of Boston publicly confront the Pope over the case of a Chilean bishop? Pope Francis is famously stubborn in the face of disagreement, especially when it comes from his own bishops. For more than a year he has refused to answer the four “dubia bishops” (two of whom have since died) who requested that he confirm the orthodoxy of certain passages of Amoris Laetitia that some theologians said were out of synch with Church teaching.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/issues/february-23rd-2018/the-omalley-surprise/ 

German ex-priest jailed on 108 counts of child sex abuse

BERLIN: A German former Catholic priest was Thursday sentenced to eight and a half years in prison for more than 100 cases of child sexual abuse and other offences. The 53-year-old will undergo years of therapy in a closed psychiatric institution before starting his prison term, a court in the southeastern city of Deggendorf ruled.

https://www.geo.tv/latest/183260-german-ex-priest-jailed-on-108-counts-of-child-sex-abuse 

Media Watch Dog: Tony Abbott conspiracy theories, Anti-Trump hyperbole

What a stunning Friday Political Panel on Radio National Breakfast this morning. Hamish Macdonald was in the presenter’s chair in the absence of Fran (“I’m an activist”) Kelly who is in Melbourne for Insiders on Sunday. His guests were Alice Workman and Malcolm Farr. The discussion was going along satisfactorily when the panel took exception to former prime minister Tony Abbott’s article in today’s Australian. In particular, Mr Abbott’s suggestion that he was responsible for the Coalition winning government in August 2013. Let’s go to the transcript:

https://www.theaustralian.com.au/opinion/columnists/gerard-henderson/media-watch-dog-tony-abbott-conspiracy-theories-antitrump-hyperbole/news-story/84de3892ef94402224d7a014bd1e6b2e 

The uncertain future of Catholic Ireland

The College Chapel at St. Patrick’s College of Maynooth has 454 carved oak stalls for seminarians and priests. They run in serried ranks down the length of its nave, making it the largest choir chapel in the world. The church itself is a masterpiece of Gothic Revival, and the ceiling of the church offers a kind of visual catechism, taking worshippers through salvation history by means of painted images.

https://www.americamagazine.org/arts-culture/2018/02/23/uncertain-future-catholic-ireland 

Do-Gooders’ Have Record of Sexual Abuse Against Black Women, Children — Where’s the Outrage?

The Oxfam sex scandal has once again placed on the front burner the issue of abuse against vulnerable Black bodies by the international aid community, charities, United Nations peacekeepers and missionaries. Following the devastating 2010 earthquake in Haiti — which left 220,000 people dead, 300,000 injured and 1.5 million homeless — Roland van Hauwermeiren, Oxfam’s Haiti country director, used prostitutes at charity-paid premises, amid the misery of one of the world’s poorest nations. Oxfam male officials also allegedly used women and girls in Chad in 2006, in what many men working in developing nations view as a “perk of the job.” The dire poverty and misery following natural disasters attracts sex traffickers who hope to abuse vulnerable women and girls, as The Independent reported, in a practice rife with racism, colonialism and misogyny.

http://atlantablackstar.com/2018/02/23/international-gooders-record-sexual-abuse-black-women-children-wheres-outrage/ 

Controversial child sex abuse legal tactic to be struck out

The money the catholic church has now was blood money from their slaves... the little boys and girls of the catholic church ...  Ann

----------------------------------------- 

The controversial legal tactic that prevents survivors of child sexual abuse from suing the Catholic church would be invalidated by sweeping legislative changes planned by the Andrews government. The Age has obtained a confidential draft of a bill that addresses several outstanding recommendations from the state’s 2013 Betrayal of Trust inquiry. The bill is expected to be introduced into parliament this year. If passed, the law will expose billions of dollars in assets of the Catholic church and other religious organisations to potential legal action for the first time in more than a decade.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/controversial-child-sex-abuse-legal-tactic-to-be-struck-out-20180223-p4z1i4.html 

Animals don’t do to their offspring, what we as humans do to our children’

No crime exposes a darker side of humanity more than cyber-sex trafficking. The child in the drawing hides her face in her hands. “Help me!” she cries. As I study the picture, in the offices of the Catholic anti-trafficking organization Talitha Kum, Sister Gabriella Bottani tells me about the children who drew it for her at a shelter in the Philippines. They were sexually abused while online buyers from the United States and other western countries paid to watch. One girl was 2 years old.

https://www.indystar.com/story/opinion/columnists/tim-swarens/2018/02/22/exploited-cyber-sex-trafficking-darker-side-humanity/950251001/ 

Counseling for clergy sex abuse accusers continues

Professional counseling services continue for victims of clergy sex abuse, nearly a year since the Archdiocese of Agana created Hope and Healing Guam in April 2017 amid efforts to try to settle clergy abuse lawsuits. Hope and Healing's mission to provide counseling, treatment and spiritual healing doesn't overlap or duplicate the work of the attorneys representing the archdiocese in the clergy sex abuse cases, said Andrew Camacho,the organization's president.."

http://www.guampdn.com/story/news/2018/02/24/counseling-clergy-sex-abuse-accusers-continues/309636002/ 

Kottayam priest rapes Bangla woman, Church sacks him.

After the Kottiyoor case in which a Catholic priest was arrested for raping and impregnating a minor...and impregnating a minor girl, yet another similar incident from Kerala's Kottaym district has shock the Church.
Fr Thomas Thanninilk kumthadathil from Maniyathuruth near Kallara has been booked by the Kaduthuruthi police for allegedly raping a Bangladeshi woman with British citizenship following a complaint from her. Police told PTI that they were verifying the complaint....

http://english.manoramaonline.com/news/kerala/2018/02/15/bangladesh-woman-says-kottayam-priest-raped-he-church-sacks-him.html

Did an Australian Archbishop Call Pedophilia a 'Spiritual Encounter With God'?

The Archbishop of Melbourne, Australia, called child sexual abuse a "spiritual encounter with God, through the priest." n 2017, after a five-year investigation into child sexual abuse within the Catholic Church in Australia, a specially-appointed Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Abuse published their findings.
The report included a section on criminal justice reform, including a recommendation that clergy members become legally-mandated reporters of abuse, even if they obtain the information during the rite of confession.

https://www.snopes.com/archbishop-pedophilia-spiritual-encounter/ 

State Senate committee kills bill prompted by Aurora educators not reporting student sex assault

When you don’t report, that’s a crime,” Fields told the Aurora Sentinel. “That’s why this bill was important to me.” A bill in the Colorado Legislature — prompted by students assaulted by teachers in school — that would have extended the statute of limitations for failure to report child abuse to law enforcement was defeated in committee Tuesday. It sought to extend the timeline limits from 18 months to five years.

http://www.aurorasentinel.com/news/state-senate-committee-kills-bill-prompted-by-aurora-educators-not-reporting-student-sex-assault/ 

Abuse in care versus not in care: we need to tackle potential bias in a national redress scheme

The proposed Commonwealth redress scheme for victims of child sexual abuse is a first step toward creating a national redress scheme.
Should a national scheme result, it will be unlike any other in the world. There are (or have been) 36 major government schemes for institutional abuse of children in 13 countries (and one independent polity). But the proposed national scheme in Australia is more complex, bigger, and includes more sites of abuse than any other.

https://theconversation.com/abuse-in-care-versus-not-in-care-we-need-to-tackle-potential-bias-in-a-national-redress-scheme-90821 

Report revealing Catholic Church's national wealth sparks calls to review tax-free status

A six-month investigation by Fairfax has revealed that the Catholic Church in Victoria alone was worth over $9 billion and suggested that the church's national wealth could amount to $30 billion.
Journalists from The Age discovered there were 1,800 properties owned by the Church which consisted of houses of worship, schools, hospitals, mobile phone towers, and tennis courts among others, ABC Online detailed

http://www.christiandaily.com/article/report-revealing-catholic-churchs-national-wealth-sparks-calls-to-review-tax-free-status/62068.htm 

Retired Boise priest appears in court on child porn charges

BOISE, ID - Retired Boise priest Thomas Faucher appeared in an Ada County courtroom Thursday morning for his scheduled preliminary hearing on charges of possessing child pornography images.
Faucher, 72, was arrested February 2nd, after investigators say they discovered several hundred images of child pornography on his home computer. They say they also found marijuana, LSD, and ecstasy in the home Faucher rents from the Saint Mary’s Catholic Church in Boise.

https://www.kivitv.com/news/wheelchair-bound-boise-priest-appears-in-court 

Chile sex abuse victim’s credibility praised, challenged

Vatican City • When a Vatican court convicted a Chilean predator priest of sex crimes, it went out of its way to affirm the credibility of his victims. Their testimony had been consistent and corroborated, while their motives in coming forward had been only to “free themselves of a weight that had tormented their consciences,” the tribunal said.

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/02/15/chile-sex-abuse-victims-credibility-praised-challenged/ 

Facing criticism on handling of sex abuse, Pope Francis reveals he meets victims regularly

Pope Francis “normally” meets with victims of abuse on Fridays, and “sometimes this is known and sometimes it is not known,” he revealed in a Jan. 19 conversation with Peruvian Jesuits in Lima, Peru.
He said it is “terrible” if even one priest abuses a minor, “for God anointed him to sanctify children and adults, and instead of making them holy he has destroyed them. It is horrible!”

https://www.americamagazine.org/faith/2018/02/15/facing-criticism-handling-sex-abuse-pope-francis-reveals-he-meets-victims 

Our view: Persico’s openness helps restore trust

Nearly a year ago Bishop Lawrence Persico broke new ground when he endorsed a concept often championed as a cornerstone of American democracy, but not necessarily recognized as a hallmark of the Roman Catholic Church hierarchy. The faithful, Persico said, “have a right to know.”

http://www.goerie.com/opinion/20180215/our-view-persicos-openness-helps-restore-trust 

Chief: Cambridge Springs Police Department investigating Father Poulson

Cambridge Springs Police Department began its investigation into allegations of sexual abuse of a child by a priest at St. Anthony of Padua Catholic Church last week, according to police Chief Dorian Adamik.
The police department's investigation is ongoing in conjunction with the Crawford County District Attorney's Office, but it's unknown when the investigation may close, Adamik said. "It should wrap up fairly soon, but I hesitate to put a time on it," Adamik told the Tribune on Wednesday.

http://www.meadvilletribune.com/news/local_news/chief-cambridge-springs-police-department-investigating-father-poulson/article_287f6872-0ed8-5557-a934-671a643c5e6e.html 

3 concerning updates on Pope Francis

Pope Francis has been quite active in 2018 and its only the beginning of February. Many big stories regarding the Pope are receiving little attention. Pope Francis seeks to be different from his predecessors but it doesn’t appear he’s immune from the pedophilia scandals within the Catholic Church. As the Pope branches out to reach more people, is the Chinese government really a good partner for the Christian faith? Lastly the Pope Francis balances his call to fight antisemitism with encouraging a highly Islamic regime.

https://noqreport.com/2018/02/08/3-concerning-updates-pope-francis/ 

Police civilian worker denies 1980s child abuse claims

A former children's home volunteer accused of sexual abusing children in care more than 30 years ago claims the allegations are "nonsense." Joe Duffy, 60, denies raping two young sisters and and sexually abusing a young boy at a Glasgow home run by nuns in the 1980s. A jury heard a police interview in which he described the allegations as "mind-boggling and incredible."

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-glasgow-west-43046135 

Australian cardinal blames inquiry for sex allegations

Lawyers for Cardinal George Pell, the most senior Catholic cleric to face sex charges, told an Australian court on Wednesday that the allegations stemmed from publicity surrounding a national inquiry into child abuse three years ago.
Pope Francis' former finance minister was charged last year with offenses involving multiple complainants in his native Australia. The exact details and nature of the charges have not been disclosed to the public, though police have described them as "historical" sexual assaults, meaning they are alleged to have occurred decades ago.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=11994688 

Sacred Heart Mission's Father Ernie Smith stood down over sexual abuse claims

Shockwaves are reverberating across Melbourne’s charity sector after Sacred Heart Mission founder Ernie Smith was stood down from all priesthood duties over sexual abuse allegations. Volunteers were notified last week that the Archdiocese of Melbourne had investigated what is understood to be historical sexual abuse accusations relating to three women, one who was 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence, when Father Smith was a priest.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/national/victoria/sacred-heart-mission-s-father-ernie-smith-stood-down-over-sexual-abuse-claims-20180206-p4yzic.html 

The Atonement: Lina's Project in East Maitland

As part of its ongoing acknowledgement of and to seek atonement for the devastation caused to victims and survivors of abuse, the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle is facilitating a Lina’s Project regional event at St Joseph’s Church in East Maitland on 21 February.
This event follows on from the Lina’s Project launch, held last year on behalf of Lina, who conceived the event and is herself a victim of child sexual abuse at the hands of a member of the clergy.

http://mnnews.today/linas-project/2018/26705-the-atonement-linas-project-in-east-maitland/ 

Australian police charge seven with abusing boys

Seven people have been charged in Australia over the alleged sexual and physical abuse of three young boys. The four women, two men and a 17-year-old girl face a total of 127 charges over the alleged abuse in a town near Sydney between 2014 and 2016.
The suspects were reportedly involved in a circus school. All planned to contest the charges, local media said.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-42954474 

Investigation reveals secret life of pedophile priest James Brzyski

former Catholic priest suspected of sexually abusing as many as 100 boys in the late 70s and 80s, spent his last seven years in the Dallas-Fort Worth area where he used an alias on social media to meet young men. CBS DFW reports that James Brzyski, considered one of the worst abusers in the history of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, was found dead in September in a Fort Worth motel room. An autopsy revealed Brzyski suffered from heart disease and was full of vodka and anti-depressants at the time of his death.

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/james-brzyski-pedophile-priest-lived-secret-life-in-texas/ 

Seeking a Confession Part 5: Jim Graham goes public

Jim Graham had a story and he wanted the world to know it. On Your Side's Steve Brown has been sharing his "Seeking a Confession" series all week about how a man, born in Buffalo in 1945, wants the Catholic Church to admit a priest is his biological father. You can watch the entire series here. PART 5 GOING PUBLIC. Among the artifacts and documents Jim Graham has dug up, one item is most prized.

http://www.wgrz.com/article/news/investigations/seeking-a-confession-part-5-jim-graham-goes-public/71-516251429 

The Latest Assault Victim Since 'The Keepers' Comes Forward With New Sexual Abuse Story

Six survivors described being systematically molested, drugged, and raped within school walls by multiple members of the clergy in Netflix’s docu-series “The Keepers,” but additional victims have come forward since its release. Father A. Joseph Maskell, and possibly others, is accused of assaulting multiple students and teachers at Baltimore’s Archbishop Keough High School in the 1960s.

http://www.oxygen.com/crime-time/the-latest-assault-victim-since-the-keepers-comes-forward-with-new-sexual-abuse-story 

Fr Finnegan: Survivor speaks of sex abuse 'secret'

A County Down man who was sexually abused by a priest as a child said he did not speak out as he was told it would "ruin" the rest of his life. Sean Faloon from Hilltown was first abused as an altar boy from the age of 10 by Fr Malachy Finnegan.
Fr Finnegan, who died in 2002, also abused boys at St Colman's College in Newry, where he taught from 1967 to 1976. Twelve victims have come forward to the Catholic Diocese of Dromore.

http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-northern-ireland-42991175# 

Las Cruces Diocese sued in alleged Hobbs sexual abuse case

HOBBS, New Mexico - A man who alleges a former New Mexico priest sexually abused him is suing the Diocese of Las Cruces. The lawsuit, filed last week against the diocese and St. Helena Parish in Hobbs, says the diocese facilitated sexual battery and assisted Father Ricardo Bauza in evading authorities, the Hobbs News-Sun reports.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2018/02/11/las-cruces-diocese-sued-alleged-hobbs-sexual-abuse-case/ 

Vast wealth of Catholic church revealed

The Catholic Church has been revealed as Victoria’s largest non-government property owner, casting doubt over claims it would be forced to cut social work if forced to compensate victims of clergy sexual abuse.
An investigation by Fairfax Media published on Monday reports that the church appears to own more than $30 billion in property and other assets across Australia.

https://www.echo.net.au/2018/02/vast-wealth-catholic-church-revealed/ 

Survivors respond to Ballarat Diocese meeting abuse compensation

Clergy abuse survivors are pushing for a more comprehensive redress model as the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat reveals it is confident in being in a financial position to meet all compensation claims.
The Ballarat Diocese has paid more than $4.9 million in compensation to survivors of child sexual abuse and more than $1 million in pastoral support to abuse survivors so far.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5224111/survivors-respond-to-ballarat-diocese-meeting-abuse-compensation/ 

Oxfam’s Deputy Chief was right to resign after sexual abuse allegations — but at this point it seems the whole charity is corrupt

Penny Lawrence may claim she's 'ashamed' over the concealment of aid workers using prostitutes in Haiti, but there's wider concerns at hand.
The Oxfam revelations have broken a wall of silence. Their Deputy Chief is right to resign — and it’s inconceivable Dame Barbara Stocking, who masterminded the cover-up, can remain at the top of a Cambridge college.

https://www.thesun.co.uk/news/5563124/corrupt-oxfam-chief-resign-sun-says/ 

Australian bishops dedicate start of Lent to abuse victims

Sydney, Australia, Feb 13, 2018 / 12:16 am (CNA/EWTN News).- The bishops of Australia have called on the faithful of the country to begin the season of Lent with four days of fasting and reparation for victims of sexual abuse within the Church.
One suggested prayer for the penitential period asks God: “May all those who have been abused physically, emotionally and sexually by your ministers be respected and accompanied by tangible gestures of justice and reparation so that they may feel healed with the balm of your compassion.”

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/australian-bishops-dedicate-start-of-lent-to-abuse-victims-50665 

The crime of spiritual abuse: One of the most dangerous ideas in decades

There appears to be an epidemic of abuse in today's world. Whether its Jimmy Saville and the BBC, Harvey Weinstein and Hollywood, Oxfam and the charities industry, or the apparently endless stories of abuse within the Christian church, it seems as though hardly a day goes by without a new revelation of yet another scandal.
In a world of 'safe spaces' it appears that no space is safe. So it was with interest and a degree of concern that I heard of a new term about to be added to our legal vocabulary. As well as sex abuse, child abuse, racial abuse, hate crime abuse, emotional abuse, psychological abuse and domestic abuse, we now have 'spiritual abuse' (SA).

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/the.crime.of.spiritual.abuse.one.of.the.most.dangerous.ideas.in.decades/125742.htm 

Preaching vs. Practice

For Pope Francis, a long honeymoon has ended. For nearly five years since his election in March 2013, the pontiff had enjoyed almost uniformly favorable coverage in the secular media, in spite of heated controversies within the Catholic Church.
But in recent weeks reporters have begun to examine his pontificate with a critical eye, primarily because of mounting evidence that the pope has blundered in his handling of a sex-abuse scandal.

https://www.firstthings.com/web-exclusives/2018/02/preaching-vs-practice 

The archbishop, the mansion and the beach house

At the same time the Catholic Church was fighting a family who refused to accept $55,000 compensation for each of their abused daughters, it purchased a Kew mansion for Archbishop Denis Hart now valued at $2.25 million. Three years later, the church also spent $872,000 on a beach house with bay views in Dromana for Archbishop Hart, which he now personally owns after buying it off the Archdiocese for $1.12 million in 2017.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/the-archbishop-the-mansion-and-the-beach-house-20180212-p4z02e.html 

Survivors respond to Ballarat Diocese meeting abuse compensation

Clergy abuse survivors are pushing for a more comprehensive redress model as the Catholic Diocese of Ballarat reveals it is confident in being in a financial position to meet all compensation claims.
The Ballarat Diocese has paid more than $4.9 million in compensation to survivors of child sexual abuse and more than $1 million in pastoral support to abuse survivors so far.

http://www.thecourier.com.au/story/5224111/survivors-respond-to-ballarat-diocese-meeting-abuse-compensation/ 

The church as shape-shifter

The Catholic Church rarely divulges any facts about the extent of its wealth. Its concern for secrecy and privacy might have been understandable at other times, but not now – not in the aftermath of the child abuse royal commission, when its ability to compensate victims is a current issue.
The Herald's lengthy investigation has used Victorian data from the administration of that state's fire services levy, our reporters estimate, using conservative assumptions, that the church there holds assets of about $7 billion. On the same assumptions they arrive at a national total of about $30 billion.

http://www.smh.com.au/comment/smh-editorial/the-church-as-shapeshifter-20180213-h0w10o 

Catholic Church backs PM’s call for national redress scheme for child sex abuse survivors

The Catholic Church has backed Prime Minister Turnbull’s call for the states and territories to join a proposed national redress scheme for child sexual abuse survivors, saying that survivors of abuse have been waiting too long for the scheme to get up and running, and that many have died never receiving the apologies and the redress that should have been theirs.
The Catholic Church has already agreed to join a national redress scheme. The Anglicans have voted to set up a national company to make it easy for survivors to sue them. Each Anglican synod (region) is required to vote for it and it has has received a “yes” vote each time it has come up – including in Sydney, Melbourne and Adelaide. (Some smaller places only meet once every two years – and the Northern Territory is expected to be the last to vote).

https://www.eternitynews.com.au/australia/catholic-church-backs-pms-call-for-national-redress-scheme-for-child-sex-abuse-survivors/ 

Priest sex abuse settlement stirs old aches for local man

John Waddington felt the blood drain from his face when his girlfriend called him last month to say a former altar boy at Sacred Heart Church in Groton who was molested by a priest in the late 1970s and early 1980s received a $900,000 settlement from Catholic church officials.
Waddington's cubemates at Electric Boat saw his face go pale and thought somebody in his family had died, the 54-year-old electrical designer said during an interview Thursday.

https://www.theday.com/policefirecourts/20180210/video-priest-sex-abuse-settlement-stirs-old-aches-for-local-man 

Former Priest Charged With Sexual Abuse Pleads to Battery

A former Catholic priest in suburban Chicago who was charged with sexually abusing two girls is likely returning to his native Colombia soon after pleading guilty to misdemeanor battery.
The Kane County State's Attorney's office says it agreed to the plea deal Friday after prosecutors analyzed evidence, communicated with the victims' families and received assurances that Alfredo Pedraza-Arias will be "removed from the United States."

https://www.usnews.com/news/best-states/illinois/articles/2018-02-10/former-priest-charged-with-sexual-abuse-pleads-to-battery 

Faith no more: parishioners lose trust in the church

Half the active parishioners of the Catholic Church say their opinion of bishops and other senior religious leaders has been damaged by the scandalous revelations aired at the recent child abuse royal commission.
The figures, obtained exclusively by Fairfax Media, show the “bond of trust between the laity and their bishops has been severely impaired,” says Professor Neil Ormerod of the Australian Catholic University.

http://www.smh.com.au/national/faith-no-more-parishioners-lose-trust-in-church-20180209-p4yzuz.html 

Royal Commission has been a major crisis for the Catholic church leadership

In a recent interview Francis Sullivan, chief executive of the Catholic Church's Truth, Justice and Healing Council, claimed that the recent Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse was "two years too long and 20 years too late." Too long because in the end it suffered from both media and church fatigue; too late because many of the culprits were "either dead or demented".
With the tabling of the final report in December, the question remains just what impact the work of the commission in uncovering high levels of clergy sexual abuse and subsequent cover-up has had on Catholics, particularly those "in the pews". Has their trust in their bishops and priests been eroded and do they think the church is now responding adequately to the crisis the commission has identified?

http://www.theage.com.au/comment/royal-commission-has-been-a-major-crisis-for-the-catholic-church-leadership-20180208-h0vrz7 

The Naked Truth Of Guiding Principles.

The ‘SI Swimsuit edition’ is a perfect ‘illustration’ [pardon the pun] of why one needs bedrock principles. For a moment, imagine the editorial meeting on the upcoming Sports Illustrated “Swim Suit” issue.
Someone comes up with the brilliant idea of going after the premise of women as pure sex objects by making women pure sex objects – but with grease paint. After a brief, awkward silence a sycophant in true echo chamber style agrees with the concept with everyone else chimes in with approbation over the sheer genius of the idea.

https://noqreport.com/2018/02/09/naked-truth-guiding-principles/ 

‘Archangel’ charged with sex abuse freed from pre-trial detention

After six months in a Sicilian prison, the leader of a lay Catholic association charged with having sexually abused at least six underage girls has been released and allowed to await trial under house arrest.
In previous reporting, Crux has followed the story of Piero Alfio Capuana, a banker turner charismatic religious leader of the “Catholic Culture and Environment Association,” or ACCA, a lay association not officially recognized by the Church, that counted more than 5,000 members in the highly devout Sicilian inland near Catania.

https://cruxnow.com/global-church/2018/02/10/archangel-charged-sex-abuse-freed-pre-trial-detention/ 

Snowy Paris gets raves from tourists even with Eiffel closed

Snow and freezing rain pummeled parts of France on Friday, shutting down the Eiffel Tower but covering Paris in a gorgeous coat of white. The Eiffel Tower, France's most-visited monument, was closed all day Friday and was staying closed Saturday "to ensure the security of visitors," the company that manages the 19th-century landmark said.
Workers with hand shovels were carefully clearing snow from the monument's intricate ironwork and de-icing stairs and platforms. The company said they can't use salt because it could corrode the Eiffel Tower's metal and damage its heavily used elevators.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/world/eiffel-tower-shuts-down-as-snow-freezing-rain-pummel-france/697105356?utm_source=homestream&utm_medium=site_navigation&utm_campaign=homestream_click 

Australia PM to deliver apology to child sex abuse victims

Late last year, a Royal Commission released a report based on a four-year inquiry that collected evidence from 8000 abuse survivors. They ranged in age from seven, to a person in their nineties.
The apology by Malcolm Turnbull will increase pressure on both state authorities and religious institutions to sign up to a scheme to compensate the victims. Mr Turnbull has announced he will make the apology by the end of the year, but says he needs time to speak with survivors first.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/world/350046/australia-pm-to-deliver-apology-to-child-sex-abuse-victims 

Chile Sex-Abuse Victim: 'Vatican Investigation Must Be Fair'

Juan Carlos Cruz said Pope Francis had "set the clock back years and years" with his recent comments casting doubt on the credibility of victims of abuse.
A Chilean victim of clerical sexual abuse who is the key witness in the case of a bishop accused of covering it up says a Vatican investigation must be rigorous and fair if the church is to salvage its reputation on the issue.

https://www.telesurtv.net/english/news/Chile-Sex-Abuse-Victim-Vatican-Investigation-Must-Be-Fair--20180209-0028.html 

Prosecutors: Drugs, child porn found in Boise priest’s home

Prosecutors say hundreds of child pornography images as well as marijuana, LSD and ecstasy were discovered in the home of a retired priest from St. Mary’s Catholic Church in Boise.
Father W. Thomas Faucher, 72, was arrested Friday and charged with 10 counts of sexual exploitation of children and two counts of distributing sexually exploitative material involving minors. He was also charged with drug possession.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2018/02/06/prosecutors-drugs-child-porn-found-boise-priests-home/ 

Sacred Heart Mission's Father Ernie Smith stood down over sexual abuse claims

Shockwaves are reverberating across Melbourne’s charity sector after Sacred Heart Mission founder Ernie Smith was stood down from all priesthood duties over sexual abuse allegations.
Volunteers were notified last week that the Archdiocese of Melbourne had investigated what is understood to be historical sexual abuse accusations relating to three women, one who was 17 years old at the time of the alleged offence, when Father Smith was a priest.

http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/sacred-heart-mission-s-father-ernie-smith-stood-down-over-sexual-abuse-claims-20180206-p4yzic.html 

Lina’s Project continues in 2018

To build on the work of Lina’s Project – which aims to acknowledge the devastation caused to victims and survivors of abuse, their families, friends and the whole community and seek atonement – the Diocese of Maitland-Newcastle will be facilitating two regional events in February and March. Lina’s Project continues in 2018
The aim of these regional events is to ensure that people throughout the diocese can take part in Lina’s Project and find some measure of healing and hope for the future. Openly acknowledging the criminal history and cover-ups and seeking atonement is essential to being able to move forward in a positive way as a community.

http://mnnews.today/aurora-magazine/february-2018/26693-lina-s-project-continues-in-2018/ 

10 things to watch to educate yourself during Sexual Abuse and Violence Awareness Week

This week is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the endemic abuse, harassment and violence that women (and some men) suffer, and encourage victims to speak out.
This week is Sexual Abuse and Sexual Violence Awareness Week, which aims to raise awareness of the endemic abuse, harassment and violence that women (and some men) suffer, and encourage victims to speak out.

http://metro.co.uk/2018/02/06/10-things-to-watch-to-educate-yourself-during-sexual-abuse-and-violence-awareness-week-7288198/ 

Catholic Church: Priest accused of abuse in Ireland sent by church to Malawi

The Catholic Church’s St John of God order moved an Irish school principal accused of child abuse to Malawi, where he continued working with vulnerable children for almost 20 years, an investigation by the Centre for Investigative Journalism Malawi (CIJM) and Irish newspaper the Mail on Sunday has revealed. By MICHAEL O’FARRELL and COLLINS MTIKA.

https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2018-02-07-catholic-church-priest-accused-of-abuse-in-ireland-sent-by-church-to-malawi/#.WnvfWkxuKUk 

It’s Now the Pope’s Scandal

What are we to make of news that Pope Francis was confronted with — and did not address — evidence of sex abuse in the Chilean Church? Well, it’s now happened.
The great scandal of the modern Catholic Church — its tolerance for clergy who abuse children, and its laxity when dealing with bishops who themselves tolerated or enabled priest-abusers — now touches directly on the pope himself.

http://www.nationalreview.com/article/456162/pope-francis-letter-scandal-pope-informed-barros-allegations 

Church: ‘No excuses’ for behavior described in priest’s child porn charges.

Church: ‘No excuses’ for behavior described in priest’s child porn charges Catholic officials in Boise said Tuesday that they had never received complaints of sexual misconduct by the Rev. W. Thomas Faucher prior to his arrest Friday on child pornography and drug charges.
In a midafternoon news release from the Diocese of Boise, Bishop Peter F. Christensen said the allegations against Faucher, if true, “are a betrayal of the trust we place in all ministers.”

http://www.idahostatesman.com/news/local/crime/article198724534.html

Bishop Barros – the story so far

OSORNO: Pope Francis’s appointment of Bishop Juan Barros to head the small diocese of Osorno, Chile encountered opposition when it was announced three years ago and has contributed to a credibility crisis for the Chilean Catholic Church in the time since.
Bishop Barros was a protege of Fr Fernando Karadima, a charismatic priest who was sanctioned by the Vatican in 2011 for sexually abusing minors. Some of the victims allege that Barros witnessed the abuse, placing him at the scene when Fr Karadima kissed and fondled minors. Bishop Barros has denied knowing of the abuse or covering up for Fr Karadima.

http://www.heraldmalaysia.com/news/bishop-barros-the-story-so-far/40783/1 

Australia child sex abuse: Victims to receive national apology 47 minutes ago

Australian Prime Minister Malcolm Turnbull has said he will deliver a national apology to victims of child sexual abuse. Mr Turnbull's pledge follows the conclusion of a four-year inquiry that found tens of thousands of children had been abused in Australian institutions.
The crimes, over decades, took place in institutions including churches, schools and sports clubs. The apology would be given later this year, Mr Turnbull said. "As a nation, we must mark this occasion in a form that reflects the wishes of survivors and affords them the dignity to which they were entitled as children, but which was denied to them by the very people who were tasked with their care," he told parliament on Thursday.

http://www.bbc.com/news/world-australia-42984260

As the Chile crisis deepens, all eyes turn to Cardinal O’Malley

Did the Pope's senior adviser on child abuse hand the Pontiff the explosive letter? Being Archbishop of Boston is not an easy job at the best of times. When Cardinal Seán O’Malley took the post, it was the very worst of times. He succeeded the late Bernard Francis Law, one of the most scandal-ridden prelates of the modern era.
Law’s gross mishandling of paedophile priests in his archdiocese made the Church in Boston synonymous with old men in Roman collars molesting altar boys. The laity’s trust in their clergy collapsed, which in turn contributed to a vocations crisis that has forced the archdiocese to close or merge over 250 parishes in the last year.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/02/06/as-the-chile-crisis-deepens-all-eyes-turn-to-cardinal-omalley/ 

Sending Archbishop Scicluna is a smart move

Sending Archbishop Scicluna is a smart moveIn an online editorial Jan. 23, NCR took Pope Francis to task for the pain he caused survivors of sexual abuse by clergy.
Twice and very publicly, he dismissed the testimony of abuse victims and charging them with "calumny" against a bishop he had installed in a diocese in southern Chile over the advice of other Chilean prelates and over the loud, ardent protests of Chilean lay Catholics.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/editorial-sending-archbishop-scicluna-smart-move 

Lord Janner's family call £24m-a-year Westminster child abuse probe 'a stain on British justice' because they don't have special status - unlike woman accused of being rape fantasist

The son of the late Lord Janner has slammed an inquiry examining allegations of paedophilia in Westminster as a 'stain on British justice'. The Independent Inquiry in Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) has so far examined alleged abuse in the church, in children's homes and in private schools.

Today, it began examining claims that MPs and civil servants may have been involved in or turned a blind eye to sex attacks on children.

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-5335007/Inquiry-opens-Westminster-paedophilia-claims.html 

Why is the Catholic Church obsessed with women and abortion?

When I was 12 years old, I sang in the choir at Saint Anthony's Catholic Church every Sunday. And despite being the only one in my household who regularly attended Mass, I wanted to become a nun. But I grew older, and as other interests chipped away at my devotion to Jesus, a life of celibacy became less appealing.
Still, I remained devout, and even after I abandoned that plan in favor of a more conventional lifestyle — one I hoped would include motherhood — I've fed my spirituality attending Mass regularly.

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/commentary/2018/01/31/catholic-church-obsessed-women-abortion 

German police break up Kurds' protest of Turkish military op

German police broke up a protest rally of more than 20,000 Kurdish immigrants after participants refused to take down flags and symbols of the banned Kurdistan Workers' Party, German news agency dpa reported Saturday. The demonstrators had come to the western city of Cologne from all over Germany to protest Turkey's recent military operation in a Kurdish enclave in northern Syria.
"The protest march has been stopped in order to remove all forbidden banners," police of the state of North Rhine-Westphalia tweeted Saturday afternoon.

http://www.wpxi.com/news/world/german-police-break-up-kurds-protest-of-turkish-military-op/690177682 

Abuse survivors on what they want out of inquiry: 'He admitted it ... I thought there would be consequences'

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Children Tracey Martin today outlined an inquiry into the historical abuse of children in state care.
Some have asked for this to be extended to abuse in other institutions. Ahead of the announcement three survivors detail what they would like to happen and why. "Some people show it emotionally. Other people have it kept inside them."

https://www.radionz.co.nz/stories/2018630135/abuse-survivors-on-what-they-want-out-of-inquiry-he-admitted-it-i-thought-there-would-be-consequences

Child abuse survivor sues East Lothian Council over Tranent school ordeal

A CHILD abuse survivor is suing East Lothian Council and a Catholic Church sect after he was assaulted by a monk at a residential school in the county. Michael Murphy, known as Brother Benedict or Brother Ben, was jailed for seven years for abusing children in the 1970s and 1980s when he worked at St Joseph's School, by Meadowmill, near Tranent.

http://www.eastlothiancourier.com/news/15906703.Child_abuse_survivor_sues_East_Lothian_Council_over_Tranent_school_ordeal/ 

New hope for long-sidelined bill for sexual abuse survivors

For more than a decade, advocates have traveled to Albany to push for a bill that would make it easier for the survivors of childhood sexual abuse to file lawsuits, but supporters of the measure known as the Child Victims Act say this year is different as perceptions surrounding sexual abuse and misconduct have changed in the last several months.
For Bridie Farrell, the revelations of the past year including the abuse of Olympic gymnasts by former team physician Larry Nassar, were not a surprise. Farrell herself was abused by a 33-year-old teammate while training as an Olympic athlete.

http://spectrumlocalnews.com/nys/central-ny/politics/2018/01/30/child-victims-act-new-york-albany 

Opinion Zero tolerance? The facts don't support the pope's claims on child abuse

On his return flight from Lima to Rome in January, Pope Francis claimed, as he has so often before, that he has zero tolerance for clergy who sexually abuse children: “I continue with the policy of zero tolerance initiated by Benedict XVI, and in five years I have not signed a single request for leniency.
If the appeal court confirms the decision of the lower court, the only other avenue is to ask the pope for leniency. In my time as pope, I have received some 25 requests, and have signed none of them.”

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2018/jan/31/zero-tolerance-the-facts-dont-support-the-popes-claims-on-child-abuse 

Vatican bars former Irish president Mary McAleese

International Women’s Day event organizers move Rome confernce and book McAleese as keynote speaker, finding “barring” women’s voices “unacceptable”.
The former president of Ireland Mary McAleese has been barred by the Vatican from taking part in a conference to mark International Women’s Day due to her views on gay rights and the Catholic Church’s history of abuse.

https://www.irishcentral.com/news/vatican-tries-to-bar-former-irish-president-mary-mcaleese-from-conference 

Abuse survivors on what they want out of inquiry: 'He admitted it ... I thought there would be consequences'

prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Children Tracey Martin today outlined an inquiry into the historical abuse of children in state care. Some have asked for this to be extended to abuse in other institutions.
Ahead of the announcement three survivors detail what they would like to happen and why. "Some people show it emotionally. Other people have it kept inside them."

https://www.radionz.co.nz/stories/2018630135/abuse-survivors-on-what-they-want-out-of-inquiry-he-admitted-it-i-thought-there-would-be-consequences 

Part of child sexual abuse inquiry WILL be held in Nottingham

Part of child sexual abuse inquiry WILL be held in NottinghamA major inquiry into child sexual abuse in Nottinghamshire will be partly held locally, it has been confirmed today.
The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) is looking at whether Nottinghamshire County Council and Nottingham City Council could have done more to prevent child abuse in children's homes, foster care, and in adoption.It will establish the extent of any institutional failures to protect children in the care of the two councils from sexual abuse and exploitation.

http://www.nottinghampost.com/news/local-news/part-child-sexual-abuse-inquiry-1145285 

Victims need a voice. Lack of evidence shouldn't mean sexual predators automatically walk.

Gut-wrenching stories from 265 women detailing sexual abuse by former USA Gymnastics Dr. Larry Nassar shouldn’t have been the linchpin for taking down this serial predator. The system failed because the voices of individual victims weren’t enough to get the attention of the elite gymnastics organization, the U.S. Olympic Committee or Michigan State University, where he practiced.
As long as it was one victim’s word against Nassar’s, the legal benefit of the doubt always went to him because his accusers lacked evidence of the crimes he committed. That’s how he could continue abusing for decades.

http://www.stltoday.com/opinion/editorial/editorial-victims-need-a-voice-lack-of-evidence-shouldn-t/article_8f11d6b3-b51e-5f44-b76a-7b3a9c33e673.html 

Plea for criminals who were victims of child sexual abuse to access redress scheme

A man repeatedly abused as a child at the Turana Boys’ Home and at a Salvation Army institution in Victoria has implored the prime minister, Malcolm Turnbull, not to exclude criminals who were victims of childhood sexual abuse from accessing a national redress scheme.
In October the government introduced national redress scheme legislation for childhood sexual abuse survivors. The legislation was referred to a Senate inquiry by the shadow social services minister, Jenny Macklin, over concerns about the opt-in nature of the scheme for institutions, the amount of redress available being inadequate, and anger that child abuse survivors who went on to commit serious crimes as adults would be barred from accessing redress.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2018/jan/31/plea-for-criminals-who-were-victims-of-child-sexual-abuse-to-access-redress-scheme 

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern unveils inquiry into state care abuse

The Royal Commission of Inquiry into the historical abuse of children in state care will focus on the victims, including any systemic bias based on race, gender or sexual orientation, but it will not compensate individual victims.
Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern and Minister for Children Tracey Martin announced details of the inquiry this morning. It will be chaired by former Governor-General Sir Anand Satyanand and begin hearing victims' stories within six months, with the aim of reporting back by the end of the Parliamentary term.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11985999 

Inquiry opens into Westminster paedophilia claims

Lord Janner‘s family call £24m-a-year Westminster child abuse probe ‘a stain on British justice‘ because they don‘t have special status – unlike woman accused of being rape fantasist Lord Janner is alleged to have abused youngsters over a 30 year period – allegations strenuously denied by his family
The son of the late Lord Janner has slammed an inquiry examining allegations of paedophilia in Westminster as a ‘stain on British justice‘.

https://luxoraleader.com/inquiry-opens-into-westminster-paedophilia-claims/612926/ 

Catholic child protection watchdog appoints well-known Brisbane high school principal to important new role

A LEADING Queensland school principal has been appointed to a new Catholic child protection watchdog.
Dr Kerrie Tuite, principal of Brisbane’s Mount Alvernia College and president of the Association of Catholic Secondary Schools Queensland, will join the board of Catholic Professional Standards Limited – the Church’s new, independent, child protection standards setting, auditing and reporting organisation.

http://catholicleader.com.au/news/catholic-child-protection-watchdog-appoints-well-known-brisbane-high-school-principal-to-important-new-role 

Abuse inquiry a chance to confront NZ's history - Ardern

What about us babies who were stolen from our mother's arms at birth... by the catholic church nuns... and the government paid for our keep???...  Ann

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

Minister for Children Tracy Martin said the draft terms of reference approved by Cabinet task the Royal Commission with looking into what abuse happened in state care, why it happened and what the impacts were, particularly for Māori.
The establishment of the Royal Commission into Historical Abuse in State Care meets an election commitment from Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern, who took power in October. "If they experienced abuse and we as the caregiver of that child didn't know, didn't act, didn't make sure that we had checks in place to ensure the child was safe", said Ardern.

http://newburghgazette.com/2018/02/01/abuse-inquiry-a-chance-to-confront-nzs-history-ardern/ 

The decision to investigate Bishop Barros is too little too late

In every parish in the world priests will find gaining people’s trust that little bit more difficult thanks to the Barros case
The news that the Vatican has dispatched the Archbishop of Malta to Chile to deal with the case of Bishop Juan Barros of Osorno is astonishing. It represents a complete volte-face on the part of the authorities in Rome.

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/commentandblogs/2018/01/31/bishop-barros-archbishop-scicluna-chile-abuse-pope-francis/ 

Pope’s briefing system under scrutiny after Chile gaffe

ROME - Just how well informed is Pope Francis about the goings-on in his 1.2-billion strong Catholic Church? That question is making the rounds after the pope seemed completely unaware of the details of a Chilean sex abuse scandal, a failing that soured his recent trip there and forced him to do an about-face. It also came up after his abrupt, no-explanation dismissal of a respected Vatican bank manager

https://cruxnow.com/vatican/2018/02/01/popes-briefing-system-scrutiny-chile-gaffe/