I had to say something' Former MSP who prompted child abuse probe speaks out as shamed priest is convicted

A Former Labour politician Graeme Pearson said he was moved to act after receiving dozens of complaints from desperate victims. An ex-MSP who prompted a child abuse probe which led to a shamed priest being convicted said he was moved to act after receiving dozens of complaints from desperate victims. Former Labour politician Graeme Pearson raised concerns about how the Catholic Church handled complaints about Fr Francis Moore while addressing Holyrood.

https://www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/scottish-news/i-say-something-former-msp-12206728 

New Idea claims extraordinary memory led to scoop

It is a difficult thing to make comment on one of the biggest tabloid stories of the day when I know, and really like, all of the key players – who are pitted against each other. So, let me go carefully. I refer to the story that will apparently be appearing in New Idea tomorrow, where the magazine will publish what purports to be a conversation between Karl Stefanovic and his brother, Peter, talking about various Channel Nine identities, including Karl’s co-host Georgie Gardner, (a wonderful woman who I adore, seeing as you ask.)

https://www.smh.com.au/national/new-idea-claims-extraordinary-memory-led-to-scoop-20180316-p4z4re.html 

Friars seek to bar Baker evidence Attorneys say jury could improperly convict if settlement, payment info allowed

If a jury hears about settlements or payments to the victims of Brother Stephen Baker, the danger of an improper conviction will prevail, attorneys Robert Ridge and Charles Porter argue in pre-trial motions filed recently at the courthouse on behalf of friars Robert J. D’Aversa and Anthony J. Criscitelli. D’Aversa and Criscitelli were administrators for Franciscan Friars of the Third Order Regular, Hollidaysburg, between 1994 and 2010, when Baker was assigned to work at Bishop McCort High School as a religion teacher, athletic trainer and vocations director.

http://www.altoonamirror.com/news/local-news/2018/03/friars-seek-to-bar-baker-evidence/ 

Homo-Arianism

TRANSCRIPT There are huge numbers of homosexual men in the Catholic priesthood. This is the case for a number of historical reasons, which we won't get into in this Vortex because that's not the topic. But what we will address, which is the topic, is how the presence of many of these men is destroying the authentic faith.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/video/episode/vortex-homo-arianism 

Pell accused of sexual abuse at 'Close encounters' movie, pool

Some alleged historical sexual offences by Vatican treasurer George Pell took place at a movie theatre and at a swimming pool, a court heard on Monday during a hearing to determine whether to send the case against the Australian Cardinal to trial. According to the Sydney Morning Herald, the movie playing at the theatre at the time was Close Encounters of the Third Kind. Pell, 76, is the most senior Catholic official worldwide to face such charges, the details of which have not been made public.

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/world/2018-03-19-pell-accused-of-sexual-abuse-at-close-encounters-movie-pool/ 

Sunrise host calls for new Stolen Generation

Had you tuned into Channel Seven’s Sunrise at just the right moment on 13 March, for a second you might have thought that right wing commentator Prue MacSween cared about Aboriginal children and the abuse they face at the hands of racist politicians, mining magnates and police officers. “We can’t have another generation of young Indigenous children being abused in this way”, she said.

https://redflag.org.au/node/6254 

Lujan: 'It's a great verdict'

Attorney David Lujan reacted to the guilty verdict handed down Friday against suspended Archbishop Anthony Apuron by the Vatican's Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. "I think it's a great verdict," Lujan said. "It vindicates what everyone has been saying." The attorney represents five people who have publicly accused Apuron of sexual abuse. Walter Denton, Roy Quintanilla, Roland Sondia and the late Joseph "Sonny" Lujan, through his mother Edith Doris Concepcion, have accused Apuron of sexual abuse when he was a priest at Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in Agat more than 40 years ago.

https://www.postguam.com/news/local/lujan-it-s-a-great-verdict/article_9c85d896-2b4f-11e8-87de-df144c2720e1.html 

Hannibal Buress stand-up set is interrupted at Loyola after his sex-abuse joke

The weekend was not entirely sweet at Gentile Arena for Loyola University Chicago students. Hannibal Buress’ Saturday night show at Loyola, a Jesuit Catholic university, was almost cut short after the 35-year-old Chicago comedian made a joke referencing sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, attendees confirmed to the Tribune. Buress was to perform a standup set as part of Loyola’s annual Colossus show, put on by Loyola’s student-run Department of Programming in the Gentile Arena, home of the school’s basketball teams. He made it a few minutes before his microphone shut off.

http://www.chicagotribune.com/entertainment/theater/news/ct-ent-hannibal-buress-loyola-20180319-story.html 

A Nashville judge was caught in a sex scandal. Then he hatched a plot to cover up it up, prosecutors says

It's not the crime but the coverup, as the famous phrase goes. But nobody seems to pay the warning much heed. According to federal prosecutors, it didn't stop Nashville judge Casey Moreland either. He is now ex-Nashville judge Casey Moreland, in jail awaiting trial for obstruction of justice and embezzlement, all connected with his efforts to cover up a sex scandal that threatened to bring him down.

http://www.miamiherald.com/news/nation-world/national/article205822184.html 

Cardinal George Pell could face fresh charges after new witness statement emerges

Cardinal George Pell may face fresh charges after a sensational development during his committal hearing. The Melbourne Magistrates Court heard on Tuesday that a witness, who was due to face cross examination, had supplied a new statement to police on Monday evening. Cardinal Pell, 76, faces multiple historical sexual offence charges involving multiple complainants. Details of the charges are yet to be revealed. He has repeatedly denied the allegations.

https://www.smh.com.au/national/cardinal-george-pell-could-face-fresh-charges-after-new-witness-statement-emerges-20180320-p4z58q.html 

Church must listen to victims of abuse

t is just over a month since the Diocese of Dromore issued a statement regarding the abusive activities of Fr Malachy Finegan, former president of St Colman's College, Newry and parish priest of Clonduff parish. That statement, which disclosed the fact that 12 allegations of abuse had been made against the priest, who died in 2002, made the wider public aware of the appalling and inexcusable behaviour of this man and along with a statement from the school, came ahead of a BBC Spotlight investigation into this matter.

https://www.irishnews.com/opinion/leadingarticle/2018/03/13/news/church-must-listen-to-victims-of-abuse-1276786/ 

A courageous woman steps up again on behalf of child sexual abuse victims

A CONVERGENCE of events has got me thinking about a question I raised during the 2013/14 Special Commission of Inquiry into Hunter Catholic paedophile priests James Fletcher and Denis McAlinden. They were the preparations in New Zealand for a child abuse royal commission, a chat with a friend, and the debt of gratitude offered to courageous Newcastle woman Anthea Halpin by the Philippines ambassador to New Zealand for her role in having McAlinden removed from the Philippines in 1995.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/5275091/the-catholic-church-must-look-overseas-for-victims/ 

Michigan Senate passes legislation backed by Nassar victims

The Michigan Senate on Wednesday passed bills inspired by the Larry Nassar sexual abuse case, voting to retroactively give the imprisoned sports doctor's victims more time to sue, restrict governments' ability to claim immunity from such lawsuits and require more people to report suspected abuse to authorities. The fast-tracked legislation was sent to the House for further consideration more than two weeks after Nassar victims helped unveil it at the Capitol. Measures that would extend the statute of limitations and strip the immunity defense in certain cases had received pushback from universities, schools, local governments, businesses and the Catholic Church over the broader financial implications of facing an unknown number of suits for old claims.

http://www.heraldcourier.com/sports/michigan-senate-passes-legislation-backed-by-nassar-victims/article_a9624d75-7ca5-5d97-a314-d0168c5049ee.html 

Why was paedophile priest allowed to take part in church service in Banbridge?

The Diocese of Dromore and the Catholic Church have declined to comment on how paedophile priest Fr Malachy Finnegan was permitted to take part in a service in Banbridge after abuse allegations had been made against him. Fr Finnegan, who was employed at St Colman’s College in Newry from 1967 to 1987, including a period as school president, is accused of sexually and physically abusing at least 12 people.

https://www.newsletter.co.uk/news/why-was-paedophile-priest-allowed-to-take-part-in-church-service-in-banbridge-1-8412014

Teen accuses Saginaw priest of ‘grooming’ him

A teen is suing a Saginaw-area priest, accusing him of “grooming” the high school student with gifts and invitations to his condo, leading to inappropriate contact including back rubs, groping and suggestions to view gay porn. The Rev. Robert DeLand was charged last month with criminal sexual conduct following accusations from two males, ages 17 and 21. Police say they have received other complaints since his arrest.

https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/michigan/2018/03/12/teen-sues-saginaw-priest-robert-deland/32877955/ 

Zappone to raise ‘misogyny’ in Rome

Minister for Children Katherine Zappone says she shares former president Mary McAleese’s view that the Catholic Church is misogynistic, and she intends to raise these concerns in person when she visits the Irish College in Rome later this week. Ahead of her visit as part of St Patrick’s Day meetings, Ms Zappone said: “I definitely concur with Mary McAleese’s thoughts. I would have been of that view for many, many years. I think it is really important to continue the dialogue and I will be both visiting the Holy See in the context of the ambassador’s residence and also having lunch in the Irish College in Rome.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/ireland/zappone-to-raise-misogyny-in-rome-468235.html 

Will the Church’s secrets and lies never end?

After Mary McAleese’s revelations on radio, don’t expect any worthwhile reforms soon from the ‘empire of misogyny’ Her voice broke and even though we couldn’t see her in the radio studio, it was clear she was close to tears. It had been an innocent enough question which had broken through her trademark poise. “You knew Malachy Finnegan?” There was a sudden silence, as if all the oxygen had been sucked out of the room. Sean O’Rourke, thinking that his guest hadn’t heard him, began to explain exactly who Malachy Finnegan was. “He was the principal of Saint Colman’s . . . ” he began, before she cut across him. “

https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/will-the-church-s-secrets-and-lies-never-end-lsmwlr6fk 

Boise retired priest charged in 'sadistic' child porn case back in jail

A judge quadrupled Father W. Thomas Faucher's bond to $1 million Tuesday morning. A retired Boise priest was taken back into custody Tuesday morning after a judge quadrupled his bond, declaring that the brutally violent child pornography newly discovered on the suspect's computer had convinced him the community was not safe as long as Father W. Thomas Faucher remained free.

http://www.ktvb.com/article/news/crime/boise-retired-priest-charged-in-sadistic-child-porn-case-back-in-jail/277-528176252 

'We beg forgiveness'‚ says Archbishop Makgoba as SA author accuses priests of abuse

Archbishop Thabo Makgoba said on Tuesday that he took responsibility for cases of abuse within the Anglican Church‚ even when it happened under the watch of his predecessors. He was speaking after award-winning author Ishtiyaq Shukri issued a statement earlier this month that detaileShukri’s revelation came in the wake of Archbishop Emeritus Desmond Tutu’s resignation as an ambassador for Oxfam amid a sex scandal that has rocked the international aid organisation.d years of abuse at the hands of priests in Kimberley.

https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/south-africa/2018-03-13-we-beg-forgiveness-says-archbishop-makgoba-as-sa-author-accuses-priests-of-abuse/ 

Michigan colleges worry new Nassar-inspired bills might be too effective

This is a move right out of the Catholic Church's playbook. Literally. Two weeks ago, six survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Larry Nassar — a former USA Gymnastics and Michigan State University doctor who abused more than 250 people under the guise of medical treatment over the past few decades — spoke to legislators in Michigan and unveiled a package of ten bills specifically designed to overhaul Michigan’s weak and outdated laws on childhood sexual abuse.

https://thinkprogress.org/michigan-colleges-seek-delay-nassar-4fbe252a122f/ 

UK government & catholic church claim children can consent to sexual abuse

Catholic churches all around the world have been accused of sex scandals, including the Vatican, which has allegedly paid an astonishing $4 billion since 1950 to settle sexual abuse claims. Far too often these stories involve priests taking advantage of their positions of authority in order to sexually abuse people, often children. More recently, the UK government and the Catholic church have come under public scrutiny for claiming that victims of child sexual abuse “consented” to their rapes in order to avoid compensating the victims. The Criminal Injuries Compensation Authority (CICA) establishes which victims get compensated, and they do so by determining whether or not the victim gave consent, even if the victim is a child well under the legal age limit.

http://thecontrail.com/forum/topics/uk-government-catholic-church-claim-children-can-consent-to-sexua?xg_source=facebookshare 

Northland woman tells of abuse in orphanage

Beverley Lind arrived at the Orphans' Home Papatoetoe as a blonde, brown-eyed, 2-year-old. She left a broken and angry 15-year-old girl, after an abusive experience that has haunted her for decades. Now, aged 70, she finally feels free of the shame and guilt she has carried. She tells reporter Kristin Edge why. She called it the dungeon. It was a dangerous goods storage room under the stairs in the main hall. The huge metal door made a thud as it slammed shut and it was completely dark inside.

http://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=11711795 

Catholic aid agencies pledge “zero tolerance” as sex scandal grows

LEICESTER, United Kingdom - Catholic international aid charities have pledged zero-tolerance for sexual exploitation by their employees, as a sex abuse scandal affecting one of Britain’s largest charities is now latching onto U.N. aid agencies. Andrew MacLeod, the former Chief of Operations of the UN Emergency Coordination Center for the 2005 Kashmir earthquake, estimated in The Sun - a British tabloid - that tens of thousand of people have been raped by UN employees, and the international body employs at least 3,000 pedophiles.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-uk-and-ireland/2018/02/19/catholic-aid-agencies-pledge-zero-tolerance-sex-scandal-grows/ 

Former Port Pirie Catholic Church priest faces in court three boys he abused more than three decades ago

A JUDGE urged a former South Australian priest who used his power, influence and authority to sexually abuse teenage boys more than three decades ago to address his apology to his victims. Charles Alfred Barnett, 72, appeared in the District Court on Monday ahead of sentencing next month after admitting the persistent sexual exploitation of one boy, and indecent assault of two others.

http://www.adelaidenow.com.au/news/law-order/former-port-pirie-catholic-church-priest-faces-three-boys-he-abused-more-than-three-decades-ago-in-the-district-court/news-story/86cd47b77d6d4ccd0b4b1622ad12e5d4 

What happens when you confess your sins to a Catholic priest, Protestant pastor or Mormon bishop?

Very private conversations between clergy and congregants have suddenly become very public: • Mormon bishops interview young people behind closed doors about sex, stirring debate about such a practice and its propriety. • Women tell their LDS leaders about spousal abuse and walk away feeling unbelieved and unsupported, spurring cries for better training of these spiritual stewards.

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2018/02/16/what-happens-when-you-confess-your-sins-to-a-catholic-priest-protestant-pastor-or-mormon-bishop/ 

What is clergy sexual abuse and how does it happen?

The recent arrest of the Rev. Anthony Oelrich, a Catholic priest who has worked in the Diocese of St. Cloud since 1992, has the community asking a lot of questions. What happened? How did it happen? Who's at risk? Oelrich is facing a charge of third-degree criminal sexual conduct after he was accused of engaging in a sexual relationship with an adult to whom he was a spiritual counselor.

https://www.sctimes.com/story/news/local/2018/02/18/what-clergy-sexual-abuse-and-how-does-happen/343478002/ 

'We were innocent': How one survivor hopes to get justice for Duplessis Orphans

Now 62 years old, Marc Boudreau has come to accept that he will likely never find peace, or be able to live a normal life, after a childhood spent in institutions. Many days are a struggle for Boudreau, who still finds it difficult to talk about his past. "It was a stolen childhood, because we were children and we were innocent," he said. "We were defenceless."

http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/montreal/duplessis-orphans-class-action-1.4537218 

Churches want child sex abuse compensation extended to criminals

 I agree with this...  When you are raped and abused for many years as a child... you go one way or the other.. I went within myself and kept away from everyone... others go out all the way to rebel... and do anything in their power to forget what happened to them as a child... it is the only way we know to keep going each day and night... you keep to yourself and keep away from anyone whom you think will harm you... it is a very hard fight going on inside of you and you tell no one... you live from mintue  to mintue... no one can see your pain... you are hurting and bleeding inside... with no one you can trust...

Please do not judge us... Ann 

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

Church and religious organisations have told the federal government it should extend its compensation scheme for survivors of institutional child sexual abuse to include those who have been convicted of serious crimes. A joint submission by the Anglican Church, the Uniting Church and the Salvation Army to a federal government committee examining the scheme said extending it would mean "all survivors are eligible for redress".

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/federal/churches-want-child-sex-abuse-compensation-extended-to-criminals-20180218-p4z0r5.html 

Catholic church should open window to old sex abuse claims (Your letters)

To the Editor: "The last temptation is the greatest treason: to do the right deed for the wrong reason." This poignant phrase from T.S. Eliot's "Murder in the Cathedral" sets a high bar for the motivation for any worthy action. Yet, since the time of Sigmund Freud, most psychologists would recognize that nearly all actions have roots that are ambiguously intertwined.

http://www.syracuse.com/opinion/index.ssf/2018/02/catholic_church_should_open_window_to_old_sex_abuse_claims_your_letters.html 

St John of God order left a trail of destruction in it's wake.

ROYAL Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse data released in 2017 on offending rates against the Catholic Church in Australia shocked the nation.It shocked the church’s Truth Justice and Healing Council chief executive Francis Sullivan to the point of tears as he delivered a final address on the church’s behalf to the commission.

http://www.theherald.com.au/story/5233896/at-last-justice-for-boys-who-werent-believed/