Dayton, Prosecutors Meet Over Clergy Sex Abuse Investigation

Gov. Mark Dayton met Friday with seven county attorneys around the state to discuss how to potentially investigate clergy sex abuse in Minnesota. In a statement, Dayton’s office said the meeting regarded “the capabilities and challenges of conducting an investigation into possible sexual misconduct in the dioceses of Minnesota.” The statement went on to say the “Governor has consulted with his legal counsel about the state’s role and authority in this matter and discussions will remain ongoing.”

https://kstp.com/news/governor-mark-dayton-exploring-statewide-investigation-into-sexual-misconduct-in-minnesota-catholic-dioceses-abuse-/5088981/ 

Church sex abuse: 'I was forced to swim naked with our priest'

Chile is one of the countries embroiled in a worldwide scandal about child sexual abuse committed by members of the Catholic Church. The country's top cardinal, Ricardo Ezzati, has been summoned to a hearing for questioning over allegations he covered up the abuse, which he denies. In total, more than 150 members of the Roman Catholic Church in Chile are under investigation for allegedly committing or covering up sexual abuse from 1960 onwards.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-latin-america-44986920 

Growing Number of US States Initiate Clergy-Abuse Investigations

The dioceses involved have pledged to cooperate with the probes, but some observers have questioned if this is the most effective way to move forward. Mariana Barillas. In response to resurging revelations and allegations of clergy sex-abuse cover-ups in the Catholic Church after the release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report, law enforcement in a growing number of states are initiating their own investigations.

http://www.ncregister.com/daily-news/growing-number-of-us-states-initiate-clergy-abuse-investigations 

Former Cardinal McCarrick living at Kansas friary

Former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, who stepped down from active ministry this summer after credible allegations of sexual abuse of seminarians and children, has moved to a home for priests in Kansas to live out a "life of prayer and penance," as directed by the Vatican when he resigned from the College of Cardinals in July. McCarrick, 88, now resides at St. Fidelis Friary in Victoria, Kansas, home to five Franciscan Capuchin priests and a brother. The house is located in the Diocese of Salina, Kansas, next to the Basilica of St. Fidelis, called the "Cathedral of the Plains" for its architectural significance. It attracts more than 16,000 tourists a year, according to the parish website.

https://www.ncronline.org/news/accountability/former-cardinal-mccarrick-living-kansas-friary 

Catholic church needs more than just talk to get past sexual abuse crisis

The Catholic newspaper The Anchor, in its edition of Sept. 21, has an extensive article written by Kenneth Souza regarding a meeting that took place in Mansfield and organized by Bishop Edgar da Cunha with about 100 priests from the Diocese of Fall River to talk about the sexual abuse crisis and give clerics the opportunity to discuss and reflect on the situation.

http://www.heraldnews.com/opinion/20180928/letter-to-editor-catholic-church-needs-more-than-just-talk-to-get-past-sexual-abuse-crisis 

221 priests, 8 bishops face probes for abuse and cover-up in Chile

According to the latest count by the Chilean national prosecutor’s office, some 221 priests and 8 bishops are being investigated up and down the country on charges of sexual abuse and cover-up, all due to allegations made from the year 2000 to date. In the total is Fernando Karadima, the country’s most infamous predator priest, who was removed from the clerical state by Pope Francis on Thursday in an “exceptional” decision communicated by the Vatican on Friday, the same day the man who once led an impressive lay movement in Santiago was informed.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-americas/2018/09/29/221-priests-8-bishops-face-probes-for-abuse-and-cover-up-in-chile/ 

Accuser denounces pope's silence over abuse cover-up claims

The former Vatican ambassador who accused three popes and their advisers of covering up for a disgraced American ex-cardinal has challenged the Vatican to say what it knows about the scandal and accused Pope Francis of mounting a campaign of "subtle slander" against him. Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano penned a new missive a month after his initial 11-page document sent shockwaves through the Catholic Church. It was uploaded to a document-sharing site late Thursday.

https://www.kwqc.com/content/news/Accuser-denounces-popes-silence-over-abuse-cover-up-claims-494606991.html 

Former Des Moines priest, accused of sex abuse in past, faces another allegation

The Diocese of Des Moines is investigating an allegation of decades-old sexual abuse of a minor against one of its priests who retired in 2008. According to a news release, Bishop Richard Pates immediately referred the complaint made Sept. 6 against Father Leonard Kenkel to local law enforcement authorities where the alleged abuse happened. The allegation is beyond the statute of limitations. Pates apologized to the victim, who asked for anonymity.

https://www.kcci.com/article/former-des-moines-priest-accused-of-sex-abuse-in-past-faces-another-allegation/23517147 

Woman finds hope after abuse

Sacred Heart of Jesus Church will host sexual abuse survivor Heidi Bracken during its Oct. 6 sermon. Father Bill Weary, along with the local ministerium, thought a sermon focused on healing for sexual abuse survivors would be fitting during this time of priests being accused of abuse. During a conversation, Bracken shared her story with Weary, and he asked her to take charge of the sermon.

http://www.lewistownsentinel.com/news/local-news/2018/09/woman-finds-hope-after-abuse/ 

In Cardinal Bevilacqua’s words, a Catholic Church that cried wolf while howling at abuse victims

In a box of old reporting notes the other day, I found a manila file folder. It contains the words of a dead man. Words that should help Pennsylvania's state senators gauge any pity they may feel for the pocketbook of the Catholic Church in the admittedly tense days ahead. The folder is labeled, in all-caps Sharpie scrawl, BEVILACQ. INTVWS. Its contents should eliminate any doubt about senators changing state law so that abuse victims can sue the institution.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/columnists/maria-panaritis/pa-clergy-abuse-statute-of-limitations-us-conference-of-bishops-cardinal-bevilacqua-pa-senate-maria-panaritis-20180929.html

A senior priest covered up other priests' crimes — and he, too, abused children

In 2009, a senior clergyman in the Australian Catholic diocese of Maitland-Newcastle, Father Thomas Brennan, was convicted of making a false written statement, saying that he could not remember a series of child sex-abuse complaints (in the 1970s) about other clergy. Brennan was the Vicar-General of the diocese (that is, the second-highest ranking clergyman in the diocese) from 2005 until he was charged in August 2008. Bishop Michael Malone told the media in August 2008: "As the Vicar-General, he's my right-hand man and is very close to me. He's the bishop when I'm away." And now in 2018 the Maitland-Newcastle diocese has admitted that, as well as covering up other clergymen's crimes, Father Brennan himself committed child-sex offences.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/110 

A Catholic Brother facing court regarding Monivae College, western Victoria

Police detectives have charged an elderly Catholic religious Brother (John David Frith) with offences allegedly committed some years ago against boys at a Catholic secondary school — Monivae College, situated at Hamilton in western Victoria, 290 kilometres from Melbourne. The case had its first mention in the Melbourne Magistrates Court on 14 September 2018, and it is scheduled to have its next step in court early in 2019.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/439 

This priest became the deputy to a bishop, then was jailed and now is being charged again

By a Broken Rites researcher, article updated 24 September 2018 In the 1970s and 1980s, Father Richard Cattell was a Catholic priest in western Sydney. In the early 1990s, the Catholic Church promoted Cattell to become the Vicar-General of the Parramatta diocese, supervising 48 parishes in western Sydney on behalf of the bishop. In 2015, Cattell was jailed for sexual crimes committed against boys during his time in western Sydney. Since then, detectives have received additional information about Cattell's career. Therefore, in 2018, he is facing additional charges, which are currently being filed by police in the Penrith Local Court. The subsequent steps in this process would extend into 2019.

http://www.brokenrites.org.au/drupal/node/282 

Male Escort Exposes 36 Gay Priests in File Sent to Vatican Containing Explicit WhatsApp Chats and Erotic Photos

A 1,200-page dossier containing the names of 34 "actively gay" priests and six seminarians in Italy has been sent to the Vatican by the archdiocese of Naples. The allegations were compiled by Francesco Mangiacapra, a gay male escort who told local media he couldn’t put up with the priests’ "hypocrisy" any longer. "The aim is not to hurt the people mentioned, but to help them understand that their double life, however seemingly convenient, is not useful to them or to all the people for whom they should be a guide and an example to follow," Mangiacapra said, as reported by the Corriere della Sera.

https://www.newsweek.com/male-escort-exposes-36-gay-priests-file-sent-vatican-containing-explicit-829968 

Catholic priest defrocked after affair in the US now in charge of Auckland parish

What happens to a Catholic priest who breaks his celibacy vows? Father Lio Rotor found out the hard way. Los Angeles, 2006. Father Lio Rotor is working as a canon lawyer in the Catholic church's matrimonial tribunal, dealing with marriage annulment applications. The wife of his best friend, Gabriel Beltran, comes to LA from Texas for a weekend seminar - Rotor picks her up at the airport and takes her to her hotel.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/102066087/a-catholic-priest-defrocked-after-an-affair-in-the-us-is-in-charge-of-a-parish-in-auckland 

Police appeal for victims of historical child sex abuse within Penrith boys’ home

Detectives, investigating allegations of horrific, historical sex offences at a Penrith boys’ home, have made their first arrest. Strike Force Eckersley was established by the Nepean Police Area Command in late 2016 following a series of complaints made to the Royal Commission into Institutional Responses to Child Sexual Abuse. Nepean detectives are primarily focussing on the alleged abuse of children at the Daruk Training School at Berkshire Park between 1965 and 1985.

https://www.northerndailyleader.com.au/story/5278567/police-appeal-for-child-sex-abuse-victims-within-boys-home-photos/ 

Catholic Church fearful priests and nuns will have to register as Vatican spies under new laws in Australia

The Catholic Church in Australia says new laws aimed at curbing interference by foreign states could force bishops, priests and nuns to publicly declare that they are agents of the Vatican. The laws, which followed concerns about China’s efforts to meddle in Australian politics and universities, require anyone acting for a foreign power to reveal their status or face criminal charges. But Catholic leaders say the measures will “silence” members of the Church involved in advocacy and could require them to register as agents of the Pope or the Vatican.

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2018/01/30/catholic-church-fearful-priests-nuns-will-have-register-vatican/ 

Reformers urge Australian bishops to release report on child sexual abuse royal commission

AUSTRALIAN Catholic bishops face “make or break time”, say prominent Catholics urging the church to make public its first formal analysis of damning child sexual abuse royal commission findings. Reform group Catholics for Renewal and prominent Catholic author Paul Collins say public release of the Truth Justice and Healing Council’s royal commission assessment report, delivered to bishops last week, is a test of whether Australia’s bishops have learnt the lessons of the royal commission and are prepared to include lay Catholics in decision-making.

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5287379/catholic-church-faces-make-or-break-time/ 

Catholic publications are inviting the faithful to contribute to cardinal's defence of child sexual abuse allegations

CARDINAL George Pell supporters are being asked to contribute to his legal fund as he prepares to defend charges of historical child sexual offences. Advertisements in the Catholic Weekly and Annals Australasia, published by the Missionaries of the Sacred Heart as a “journal of Catholic culture”, have invited donations since at least March to “help pay Cardinal Pell’s legal fees”. Donations are held in a trust account by Victorian legal firm Ferdinand Zito & Associates. Cardinal Pell has pleaded not guilty to sexual offences against children in the late 1990s when he was Archbishop of Melbourne. He is also accused of sexual offences in Ballarat in the 1970s when he was a priest

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5590380/cardinal-pell-supporters-asked-to-donate-to-legal-fund/ 

Peter Dunne: Fine words, little action on abuse inquiry

The Government milked political kudos from setting up the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse of children in state care but, having launched it with a fanfare, has now left it dangling with the clock ticking on the reporting deadline, writes Peter Dunne. Every few days more shocking stories emerge around the world of sexual and physical abuse of young children in institutional care during the latter half of the 20th century.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2018/09/12/233682/dunne-fine-words-little-action-on-abuse-inquiry-1 

Catholic Church abuses under increasing scrutiny internationally and locally

Pope Francis and the Catholic Church are under increasing pressure for their woefully inadequate handling of sexual abuse by priests, and their many failures in trying to keep the abuses secret within the church. This is happening in many countries around the world, and has been highlighted as an insidious problem locally as well. It seems to be a systemic problem within the Catholic Church. A recent damning report in the US has prompted action there – Stirred by Sexual Abuse Report, States Take On Catholic Church

https://yournz.org/2018/09/08/catholic-church-abuses-under-increasing-scrutiny-internationally-and-locally/ 

Iowa priest on Pennsylvania sex abuse cover-up: 'Resign. Live on bread in water in penance.'

The Rev. P.J. McManus entered the Roman Catholic priesthood in 2001. Four months later, a Boston Globe investigation revealed widespread child sexual abuse perpetrated by clergy and an orchestrated cover-up by church leaders in the Archdiocese of Boston. The accusations stretched back decades and the victims number in the thousands. More revelations followed in cities across the United States and in Europe. Between 2003 and 2009, 17 dioceses nationwide paid out $1.3 billion in settlements to more than 1,800 victims. Some dioceses were driven into bankruptcy, including the Diocese of Davenport.

https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/local/columnists/daniel-finney/2018/09/05/pennsylvania-priests-child-sex-abuse-grand-jury-report-catholic-des-moines-diocese-cover-up/1158321002/ 

New York, New Jersey investigating priest abuse in all dioceses

Update: Shortly after the New York attorney general's office announced it would investigate clergy sexual abuse in all of the state's Catholic dioceses, New Jersey announced it would also be doing a similar investigation, according to northjersey.com. New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal said he's forming his own task force, which could use subpoenas and other investigative methods to uncover evidence that it would present to a state grand jury. The task force is to look into allegations of abuse as well as attempts to cover up incidents, Grewal's office said in a press release.

https://www.ydr.com/story/news/2018/09/06/new-york-investigating-priest-sex-abuse-all-its-dioceses-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-cases/1213677002/ 

Australian prosecutors seek tougher sentence for archbishop convicted of child sex abuse cover-up

Australian prosecutors have said they will appeal for a tougher sentence for the most senior Roman Catholic cleric convicted of covering up child sex abuse. A magistrate last month ordered former Adelaide Archbishop Philip Wilson to be detained at his sister's house in New South Wales state for at least six months of a one-year sentence before he is eligible for parole. The 67-year-old cleric was convicted in May of failing to report to police the repeated abuse of two altar boys by a paedophile priest in the Hunter Valley region north of Sydney during the 1970s.

https://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/world/australian-prosecutors-seek-tougher-sentence-for-archbishop-convicted-of-child-sex-abuse-cover-up-867168.html 

New Mexico wants to review church files for sex abuse

The New Mexico attorney general’s office wants Roman Catholic church officials around the state to allow it to review personnel records for any material that might be related to past or present allegations of sexual abuse. The Diocese of Las Cruces said Wednesday it had received a letter from the office requesting the review and will cooperate.

https://durangoherald.com/articles/239887-new-mexico-wants-to-review-church-files-for-sex-abuse 

Francis ignored, covered-up abuse in Argentina before becoming pope, documentary alleges

German national TV channel ZDF is rerunning a documentary produced last year that claims that Pope Francis, as Archbishop Bergoglio of Buenos Aires, ignored cries for justice from abuse victims in his diocese. The documentary is now gaining traction in the fallout of Archbishop Viganò’s testimony that the Pope covered-up the abuse of now ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/francis-ignored-covered-up-abuse-in-argentina-before-becoming-pope-german-d 

Priests accused of having oral sex in car in South Beach

Police officer found men in afternoon parked across from park, report says. wo men who identified themselves as Catholic priests were arrested Monday afternoon after police said they were caught having oral sex in a parked car in South Beach. Diego Berrio, 39, and Edwin Giraldo Cortez, 30, face a charge of lewd and lascivious behavior. Cortez faces an additional charge indecent exposure.

https://www.local10.com/news/florida/miami-beach/priests-caught-having-sex-inside-car-in-miami-beach-police-say 

Actualizing a zero-tolerance policy

Grappling with the recent grand jury report A grand jury report released on Aug. 14 revealed the extent of a decades-long sexual abuse cover-up in six of Pennsylvania’s eight Catholic dioceses. Approximately 1,000 children were abused by 300 priests over a period of 70 years dating back to the 1950s.

http://www.sjuhawknews.com/?p=8157 

Pope Francis faces worst crisis of his five-year papacy

Painful legacy of sexual abuse cover-up is engulfing church and its leader, as allegations divide Vatican. Ever since he was elected as the leader of the world’s Roman Catholics, Pope Francis has been the target of conservative adversaries deeply opposed to his focus on the poor and marginalised, and his efforts to reform the church. But in the past week, the war at the heart of the Vatican has exploded into the open, plunging Francis into the worst crisis of his five-year papacy. Cardinals and bishops have openly fired shots; accusations of lies, treachery, score-settling, character assassination and fake news have engulfed the global church.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2018/sep/03/pope-francis-faces-the-worst-crisis-of-his-five-year-papacy 

Priestly Celibacy and the Sex-Abuse Crisis

“As a survey researcher who has studied Catholic reactions to news of allegations of clergy sexual abuse of minors since 2002, I have noticed that there is a detail about the crisis that seems to get distorted at times,” Mark M. Gray wrote last week in a blog post for CARA, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University. “In 2012, the last time we asked Catholics about the crisis in a national poll,” only “21% of adult Catholics” in the United States “could correctly identify that the abuse cases were more common before 1985 than since.”

https://www.nationalreview.com/corner/priestly-celibacy-and-the-sex-abuse-crisis/ 

Man who claims to have 'nearly killed a priest' to stop a sexual assault calls for state abuse inquiry to be widened

A man who claims to have "nearly killed a priest" with his bare hands to stop an attempted ​sexual assault is calling on the Government to widen the scope of its historical state abuse inquiry. If faith-based institutions were to be incorporated into the inquiry, the Catholic Church said it would "co-operate whole-heartedly". Chris Travers, husband of former Green Party chief of staff Deborah Morris-Travers, has revealed in a Facebook post that he "choked" his alleged abuser, a Catholic priest.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/national/101825746/man-who-claims-to-have-nearly-killed-a-priest-to-stop-a-sexual-assault-calls-for-state-abuse-inquiry-to-be-widened?rm=m 

The Catholic Church’s unholy stain

Pope Francis has summoned senior bishops from around the world for the first global gathering of Roman Catholic leaders to address the crisis of clerical pedophilia. The action is long overdue, and the outcome cannot be yet more apologies and pledges of better behavior. The unending revelations of clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups demand radical, public, convincing systemic change.

https://voicefaithful.wordpress.com/2018/09/14/the-catholic-churchs-unholy-stain-the-new-york-times/ 

Abuse must stop

Most cases of sexual harassment are handled quietly and privately. If they occur in a workplace, the perpetrators are disciplined, sometimes fired. Only rarely, when someone files a lawsuit, are harassment situations made public. Last week, yet another alleged instance of abuse by someone in the Roman Catholic hierarchy, Bishop Michael J. Bransfield, came to light. For 13 years, Bransfield has presided over the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston in West Virginia. His work was appreciated enough that a hospital named its continuous care center for him. A high school also put his name on its gymnasium.

http://www.nashuatelegraph.com/opinion/editorials/2018/09/17/abuse-must-stop/ 

It’s time to hold the Catholic church accountable

“It’s our little secret.” Recently, the catholic church has been involved with the horrific issue of pedophilia. According to the New York Post, 300 priests sexually abused more than 1,000 children. This was covered up by the bishops, priests, church officials and even the Pope. In the report released by Pennsylvania Grand Jury, Horrific instances of abuse are catologeda priest who raped a young girl in the hospital after she had her tonsils out: a victim tied up and whipped with leather straps by a priest and another priest who was allowed to stay in ministry after impregnating a young girl and arranging for her to have an abortion.

https://ulmhawkeyeonline.com/23669/opinion/its-time-to-hold-the-catholic-church-accountable/ 

Open the records

Over the past month, I have written two letters to the editor, published in The News and Sentinel and elsewhere, calling on the Catholic church to be proactively transparent about the scope of the sexual abuse scandal in the wake of the revelations in the August Pennsylvania grand jury report. The first letter was a call for transparency from the Church in general, and the second letter called specifically on Bishop Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston–which covers the entire state of West Virginia–to release the names of all priests, bishops, and church officials credibly accused of sexual abuse or the cover-up of abuse.

http://www.newsandsentinel.com/opinion/letters-to-the-editor/2018/09/open-the-records/ 

Refusing To Protect Children

Perhaps the Roman Catholic Church finally is living up to its own teachings by protecting children from predator priests. Events last week may be evidence of that. Pope Francis met with a group of U.S. bishops to discuss the situation. And the church revealed it is investigating just-retired Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston — though he is accused of sexual harassment of adults, not sexual assault of children.

http://www.theintelligencer.net/opinion/local-columns/2018/09/refusing-to-protect-children/ 

Priest active in Bay Area faced previously undisclosed sex abuse charge

In what many consider a long-overdue confessional, Catholic church leaders from San Jose to San Diego have taken the extraordinary step of promising to bare some of their darkest secrets by revealing previously undisclosed names of priests credibly accused of sexual abuse. And names now being disclosed reveal a disturbing fact — at least one of those priests remains active. An itinerant Roman Catholic priest who holds Bay Area retreats is among eight clergymen the Diocese of San Diego just identified as having been the subject of previously undisclosed accusations of sexual abuse.

https://www.mercurynews.com/2018/09/16/priest-active-in-bay-area-faced-previously-undisclosed-sex-abuse-charge/ 

Leading German Jesuit says abuse crisis calls for major Church reform

A Jesuit priest who was one of the key people to reveal what Austrian Cardinal Christoph Schönborn once described as the "tsunami" of clerical sex abuse cases in the German-speaking world has now called for in-depth structural changes to the Catholic Church. Father Klaus Mertes SJ, a well-known writer and educator, said the latest wave of revelations concerning abuse and its cover-up in various parts of the world indicates that the phenomenon is not just a local matter, but a global problem that can be solved only through major Church reform.

https://international.la-croix.com/news/leading-german-jesuit-says-abuse-crisis-calls-for-major-church-reform/8444# 

Pope's Claim Sex Is 'Gift of God'... We are talking about RAPE of Children

The Pope praised human sexuality and decried pornography in a speech to young French Catholics. Last week, he stated that Satan attempts to attack Catholic bishops so as to "scandalize the people," responding to a raft of sexual scandals that have been rocking the Church. Sex is a gift of God and people express love both in spiritual and physical dimensions, Pope Francis told an audience in France, according to the Catholic news website Crux.

https://sputniknews.com/world/201809191068155148-pope-francis-says-sex-is-gift-of-god/ 

Time for a federal commission on sex abuse of children

Earlier this month, the New York attorney general initiated a criminal inquiry into clergy abuse of children in all the Catholic dioceses in New York state. This came fast on the heels of Pennsylvania's statewide grand jury investigation of Catholic clergy abuse, which was reported out by Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Aug. 14, exposing at least 1,000 cases of child abuse over a 70-year period. New Jersey, New Mexico, Nebraska, and Missouri have similar criminal investigations underway. This follows previous inquiries in other states.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/opinion/commentary/catholic-sex-abuse-grand-jury-report-pennsylvania-federal-inquiry-20180918.html 

Call for Catholic Church to release file it has on priest who sexually abused boys

A Christchurch man wants the Catholic Church to release information he says it has about a priest who sexually abused him as a 12-year-old. George Russell said he was an alter boy in Temuka when he was abused by Father Cornelius O'Brien in 1972. He has avoided churches ever since. Russell said he knows the Catholic Church has a dossier on O'Brien, who has since returned to the UK and died.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/107148939/call-for-catholic-church-to-release-file-it-has-on-priest-who-sexually-abused-boys 

How a local reporter got a priest to confess to sexual abuse

In February, a retired priest confessed to Buffalo News reporter Jay Tokasz that he had sexually abused dozens of teenage boys decades ago. The admission shook Buffalo, a deeply Catholic city, and several victims have come forward with stories of abuse by priests in the local diocese. New York Attorney General Barbara Underwood’s statewide clergy abuse probe will reportedly focus on Buffalo’s diocese.

https://www.cjr.org/united_states_project/buffalo-news-clergy-sex-abuse.php 

Cold Civil War Emerging In Catholic Church Amid Sex Scandals

Sexual misconduct in the Catholic church may be the spark needed to finally light a well oiled tension brewing within the faith. The church continues to splinters along ideological divides, sparked five years back with the emergence of the new progressive Pope Francis. While he has bolstered a bit of popularity among non-Catholics, Francis has been nothing short of polarizing for the 1.2 billion Catholics world wide. The polarization has reached a point to be adequately dubbed a “Cold Civil War”.

https://thehayride.com/2018/09/cold-civil-war-emerging-in-catholic-church-amid-sex-scandals/ 

Canadian cardinal: Women should help screen, train priest applicants

ncreasing the role of women in screening and training priests is among the steps that should be taken to prevent future sex abuse, said Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops. “We would need participation of more women in (training) of priests,” the Canadian cardinal told AFP reporters at a recent meeting of the Presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of Europe, a four-day assembly in Poznan, Poland.

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/canadian-cardinal-women-should-help-screen-train-priest-applicants-64273 

San Bernardino Diocese To Release Names Of Priests Accused Of Sexual Abuse

The San Bernardino Catholic Diocese plans to release the names of every priest who has been credibly accused of sexually abusing children over 40 years. Diocese spokesman John Andrews told KPCC on Tuesday that the list will be published on the diocese's website within two weeks. The disclosure will be among the latest made or planned by dioceses around the country, including in San Diego, which last week added eight names to its list of accused priest abusers.

http://www.laist.com/2018/09/18/san_bernardino_diocese_to_release_names_of_priests_accused_of_sexual_abuse.php 

Men still struggling to speak out about childhood sexual abuse, advocate says - 'We don't like to talk about it'

Thousands of Kiwi men are living with a trauma history of childhood sexual abuse. Last night, TVNZ's Sunday programme met three men who were abused as children but kept their silence for years before seeking help. Male Survivors Aotearoa advocate and sexual abuse survivor Ken Clearwater spoke to TVNZ’s Breakfast this morning about the barriers men face getting help and speaking out. Mr Clearwater says one of the barriers is New Zealand's lack of research into the issue.

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/one-news/new-zealand/men-still-struggling-speak-childhood-sexual-abuse-advocate-says-we-dont-like-talk 

Let us hate our own sins as we hate others’

“Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me,” Jesus says in this Sunday’s Gospel Reading. We may infer, then, that whoever abuses a child rejects Christ. The recent news has scandalized everyone, but especially the immediate victims. “Scandal is an act, omission of an act, attitude, or behaviour that leads someone else to do evil,” says the Catechism of the Catholic Church. “Scandal” comes from the Latin scandalum, which means “stumbling block.”

https://bccatholic.ca/content/let-us-hate-our-own-sins-as-we-hate-others 

In Summoning the Bishops to Address the Sexual-Abuse Crisis, Is Pope Francis Again Missing the Point?

With the sex-abuse scandal in the Catholic Church reaching a critical mass, Pope Francis has issued an unprecedented call to the world’s top bishops to meet with him in Rome, next February, to discuss “the protection of minors.” But the pressing question for leaders of the Catholic Church no longer concerns abusive priests or complicit bishops, because the Church has forfeited the credibility necessary for such investigations, and has been replaced by civil authorities, such as the state attorneys general—six, as of last week—who are following Pennsylvania’s lead into this morass.

https://www.newyorker.com/news/daily-comment/in-summoning-the-cardinals-to-address-the-sexual-abuse-crisis-is-pope-francis-again-missing-the-point 

Church and sexual abuse: Pope has never done much about these incidents, says ex-nun Mary Chandy

In 2012, Sister Mary Chandy, who was part of the congregation of the Daughters of Presentation of Mary in Chevayur, Calicut published her autobiography titled Nanma Niranjavale Swasthi. This book revealed details of the author’s experiences in the 45 years she spent in the Catholic convent, which included accounts of sexual abuse and misuse of power.

https://www.firstpost.com/india/church-and-sexual-abuse-pope-has-never-done-much-about-these-incidents-says-ex-nun-mary-chandy-5198551.html 

Half of Dutch cardinals, bishops linked to child abuse: report

THE HAGUE: A media report linking half of the cardinals and bishops who served in the Netherlands between 1945 and 2010 to abuse cases has drawn the country’s Catholic Church into the church’s global sex abuse and cover-up scandal. The leader of a group of Dutch victims of abuse by Catholic clergy called Monday for the church to make public all it knows about such cases if it wants to win back trust.

http://www.dailystar.com.lb/News/World/2018/Sep-18/463728-half-of-dutch-cardinals-bishops-linked-to-child-abuse-report.ashx 

The Catholic Church’s Unholy Stain

It’s long past time for penitence and promises on clerical pedophilia. Pope Francis must act. ope Francis has summoned senior bishops from around the world for the first global gathering of Roman Catholic leaders to address the crisis of clerical pedophilia. The action is long overdue, and the outcome cannot be yet more apologies and pledges of better behavior. The unending revelations of clerical sexual abuse and cover-ups demand radical, public, convincing systemic change.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/09/13/opinion/pope-catholics-sexual-abuse.html 

Report Reveals Widespread Sex Abuse of ‘Mostly Male Minors’ in German Catholic Church

A leaked sexual abuse commission report documents more than 3,500 cases of “mostly male minors” who were victims of clerical sex abuse in Germany between 1946 and 2014. The commission, which was funded by the German Bishops’ Conference, stated that “3,677 mostly male minors” had been victims of sexual abuse by 1,670 members of the clergy. The report also found systemic mishandling of allegations of sexual abuse by the German Catholic hierarchy.

https://www.breitbart.com/london/2018/09/13/report-reveals-widespread-sex-abuse-of-mostly-male-minors-in-german-catholic-church/ 

Taking the Church to church: a religious institution with a sinful record of past indiscretion

I grew up in the Roman Catholic Church. I grew up being told that church was a safe space where you could strengthen your relationship with God, and that priests looked to help you achieve that goal. The image that was created in my childhood has been shattered; I never thought that these revered figures would use their power to sexually assault teenagers. The stories I’ve read over the past couple of months have made me question whether the Church will be able to truly fix the problems it faces.

https://spec.hamilton.edu/taking-the-church-to-church-a-religious-institution-with-a-sinful-record-of-past-indiscretion-bf56e8dfa645 

Long Island LI diocese settles nearly 300 claims filed by clergy sexual abuse victims

Nearly 300 men and women will be compensated by the Diocese of Rockville Centre for the sexual abuse they suffered at the hands of priests, in some cases decades ago. The diocese has received 293 claims since it established a special compensation program last fall, said Camille Biros, the program's co-administrator. So far, she said, 221 victims have been offered financial settlements and the others will receive offers within a few months. Most of the claims, Biros said, were filed by men. She would not comment on the number of priests accused of sexual abuse.

https://www.newsday.com/long-island/catholic-church-sex-abuse-victims-1.20989707 

Some Scottish bishops call for investigation into Viganò’s claims Pope covered-up for abuser

A number of Scottish bishops agree that there should be an investigation following last month’s explosive testimony of Vatican whistleblower Archbishop Viganò. Bishop John Keenan of the Diocese of Paisley, echoing the thoughts of U.S. Bishop Robert Barron, released a message on August 31 saying that the abuse crisis is clearly diabolical. “It is clearly diabolical in origin – a masterpiece of the Devil to undermine every aspect of the Church’s evangelising mission,” he wrote.

http://angelqueen.org/2018/09/14/some-scottish-bishops-call-for-investigation-into-viganos-claims-pope-covered-up-for-abuser/ 

Media Leak Highlights Catholic Church Sex Abuse in Germany

A Catholic Church report detailing child abuse committed by clergy in Germany has been leaked to the media. Investigators documented more than 3,700 cases of abuse since World War II. And they warn the real figure could be much higher.

https://therealnews.com/third_party_content/media-leak-highlights-catholic-church-sex-abuse-in-germany 

The Sex-Abuse Scandal Is Growing Faster Than the Church Can Contain It

The Catholic world is struggling to absorb a week of new revelations and resignations. This has been a dramatic week for Catholics around the world. As Pope Francis faces mounting pressure to address the spiraling clergy sex-abuse crisis, almost every day has brought some new revelation or declaration. Since Tuesday alone, a group of American Catholic leaders went to Rome to ask Francis some tough questions, while a women’s open letter demanding answers from him crossed the 45,000-signature mark. The pontiff summoned bishops from around the world to a future meeting, while making one bishop the subject of a new investigation. One cardinal who had come under fire for allegedly enabling accused priests to keep working for the Church announced his plans to resign, while another, who has been pressing for meaningful action against abusers, came under scrutiny himself. Amidst all this, a bombshell report about sex abuse in Germany was leaked to the press.

https://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2018/09/catholic-sex-abuse-pope-francis/570208/ 

New Jersey's Priest Sex Abuse Hotline Has Been 'Ringing Off the Hook'

The Catholic Church's tumultuous summer, racked by one sex abuse scandal after another, shows no signs of slowing down. After a bombshell report in Pennsylvania revealed 300 priests had abused 1,000 kids over the span of decades, the attorneys general in New York and New Jersey launched state-level investigations of their own to look into the crisis, and how clergy higher-ups may have systemically covered it up. (Missouri, Nebraska, Illinois, and New Mexico are also looking into the matter.)

https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/7xjvzx/new-jerseys-priest-sex-abuse-hotline-has-been-ringing-off-the-hook-vgtrn 

Holland Landing's Southdown a 'dumping ground' for predator priests: victim

May 2, 1986 was the first time Father John S. Hoehl’s sexual abuse of children appears to have come to light. That was the day a 28-year-old man told the Diocese of Pittsburgh the priest, who was also a school headmaster, had abused him from 1972 when he was a 14-year-old high school freshman to 1979 when he was a university senior. Hoehl had fondled him, and the priest and the teenager had performed mutual masturbation and oral sex on each other on a regular basis, according to an explosive Pennsylvania grand jury report released in mid-August which includes links to a York Region treatment centre for Catholic clergy.

https://www.yorkregion.com/news-story/8901943-holland-landing-s-southdown-a-dumping-ground-for-predator-priests-victim/ 

Child abuse has brought 'brokenness in our Church', London bishop says

Rev. Fabbro says local Catholics 'must be courageous in carrying out the reforms needed in our Church.' Stating that widespread sex abuse against children by members of the clergy has brought to light a "brokenness in our church" Rev. Ronald P. Fabbro, bishop of the London diocese, has written a letter calling for bold reforms but offering few specifics of what that will look like.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/london/abuse-letter-london-diocese-1.4824380 

Resident Asks Freeholders: Why Wasn’t Priest Prosecuted in ’84?

A Seaville resident called on freeholders Aug. 28 to petition the state Attorney General to discover why, in 1984, the County Prosecutor's Office reached an agreement with the Diocese of Camden not to prosecute a priest for sexually assaulting a 14-year-old. Tom Henry cited the recent Pennsylvania grand jury's report that detailed sexual abuse of children by priests, and the actions of the Roman Catholic hierarchy "at the highest levels, to hide these abuses from the public." Henry said the "evil acts committed did not stop at the Delaware River."

https://www.capemaycountyherald.com/news/government/article_a3957fdc-ad5a-11e8-814a-7f89492dc801.html 

Could The Catholic Church Face Federal Investigation Over Sex Abuse Cover-Up?

According to a Pennyslvania attorney general, and if a national victims’ rights group gets their way, the federal government might soon be launching an investigation into the Catholic Church. In a New York Times interview published Monday, Attorney General Josh Shapiro answered questions about Pennsylvania’s recently released grand jury report. The bombshell report, years in the making, implicated over 300 Catholic priests in the sexual abuse of over 1,000 children, over the course of decades.

https://townhall.com/tipsheet/briannaheldt/2018/08/31/could-the-catholic-church-face-federal-investigation-over-sex-abuse-coverup-n2514929 

Child sex abuse: Clerical cowards and their cover-up

A letter written by the former Vatican ambassador to the U.S. is raising questions about whether the pope knew about sexual misconduct allegations against the former archbishop of Washington, Theodore McCarrick, but rehabilitated him anyway "Great occasions do not make heroes or cowards; they simply unveil them to the eyes of men. Silently and perceptibly, as we wake or sleep, we grow strong or weak; and last some crisis shows what we have become," said Brooke Foss Westcott, the British bishop of Durham in the late 1800s. What we are seeing with the Roman Catholic Church is that much of its hierarchy is filled with not just moral cowards but predators and their protectors.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/opinion/columnists/2018/08/31/child-sex-abuse-clerical-cowards-and-their-cover-up/1149060002/

Guest column by man abused by Allentown priest: 'Silence and cover-up only allow abusers to continue their evil acts'

In the wake of the recent release of the Pennsylvania grand jury report on clergy sex abuse, it has become increasingly clear that victim-survivors must be given the opportunity to speak about their experiences if we as a society will have any chance of preventing this horror from happening over and over. Abuse thrives in secrecy. It is time to end the secrecy and stop the abuse of children and the vulnerable.

http://www.mcall.com/opinion/yourview/mc-opi-priest-sex-abuse-victim-cerulli-20180830-story.html 

I’m a Catholic priest. I’m ashamed at this abuse crisis.

Structural changes alone won’t fix the church. Our culture must change as well. I should not be so shocked. As a Jesuit, a Roman Catholic priest — as somebody who lives and breathes the church — I should have understood already how broken the institution of the church can be. After all, the scandal of child sex abuse and its cover-up by the church hierarchy broke in Boston in 2002. Then it happened again in Minnesota in 2012. That list could go on. I read about those scandals years ago with both anger and sadness. But in reading the recent Pennsylvania reports detailing yet another cover-up of clergy sexual abuse, I found shock giving way to shame.

https://www.vox.com/first-person/2018/8/31/17801204/catholic-church-abuse-scandal-pennsylvania-priest 

Australia's bishops and religious orders to respond to child abuse royal commission

THE Australian Catholic Church will release its response to the child abuse royal commission on Friday as Pope Francis struggles to control internal and external challenges over his handling of the global child sexual abuse crisis. The Australian report could generate even more controversy for the Pope because of responses to royal commission recommendations on some of the Catholic Church’s most controversial, but core, beliefs and laws. They include mandatory celibacy, secrecy provisions applying to child sexual abuse allegations and disciplinary proceedings, and breaching the seal of confession for abuse allegations.

https://www.theherald.com.au/story/5617886/australian-catholic-church-to-release-child-abuse-report-as-pope-francis-struggles/ 

The unbearable ugliness of the Catholic Church

How will the Roman Catholic Church survive the scandals engulfing it on every side? It's a hyperbolic question, but one with a serious intent. Of course the church will continue to exist in some form. Two-thousand-year-old institutions with a billion adherents and solid growth rates in the developing world don't disappear overnight, no matter how thoroughly corrupt they are revealed to be. But in what form will it survive?

http://theweek.com/articles/792775/unbearable-ugliness-catholic-church 

As child sex-abuse scandal escalates, the Catholic Church is now at war with itself

“Sunlight is said to be the best of disinfectants.” Louis D. Brandeis wrote his often-quoted line about the power and necessity of transparency in 1913, three years before becoming a U.S. Supreme Court justice. A fearless proponent of social justice, he was writing about corruption and the concentration of power in the investment banking world at the time.

https://www.dallasnews.com/opinion/editorials/2018/08/30/as-child-sex-abuse-scandal-keeps-growing-the-catholic-church-is-now-at-war-with-itself 

Catholic Church may replace abuse schemes

The new Melbourne archbishop says the Catholic Church's existing child sexual abuse redress schemes may be replaced. The Catholic Church may replace its existing schemes for handling child sexual abuse complaints and providing redress to survivors. New Melbourne Archbishop Peter Comensoli says the archdiocese's Melbourne Response and the national Towards Healing may be wound up and a new alternative provided to the national redress scheme. "Both of those I think will come to a completion and a new third pathway I think will need to be worked through," he said on Thursday.

https://www.sbs.com.au/news/catholic-church-may-replace-abuse-schemes 

Grappling With The Latest Allegations Of Abuse In The Catholic Church

The Catholic Church has been rocked by another series of sexual abuse scandals. We hear three different perspectives on this, from a member of the Catholic Diocese of Charlotte, a New York Times reporter and a professor of Catholic Studies. Earlier this August a report revealed new allegations of child sexual abuse by bishops and other leaders of the Catholic Church in Pennsylvania. Over 300 priests are accused of assaulting more than a thousand victims over 70 years with bishops and other church leaders allegedly knowing about it and working to cover it up.

http://www.wfae.org/post/charlotte-talks-grappling-latest-allegations-abuse-catholic-church 

A Church in Crisis, Within and Without

As a clerical abuse survivor, I have waited a half-century to hear what Pope Francis just proclaimed in Ireland on behalf of the church: “How difficult it is always to forgive those who hurt us.” So true. From my darkness, this is what brings healing. Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s unsubstantiated criticism falls flat. He is a disgruntled man who represents anti-gay sentiment rather than compassion for victims. Now is the time, more than ever, to support the bishop of Rome for his courage to rid the church of predators, regardless of level. Mark Joseph Williams Far Hills, N.J.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/opinion/letters/catholic-church-francis-vatican.html 

Pope's cover-up crisis turns battle lines into first salvo

The author of the bombshell accusation of sex abuse cover-up against Pope Francis denied Wednesday he acted out of revenge or anger, breaking his silence as his claims continued to divide a Catholic Church already polarized under Francis' reformist agenda. While the Vatican is no stranger to scandal, leaks or plots, Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano's j'accuse has weakened a papacy already under fire for Francis' poor record on dealing with sex abuse cases, and has intensified a long-simmering ideological battle between right and left for the soul of the Catholic Church.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12115892 

Let There Be Light, in Church

The Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis blankets the globe in darkness. We are at a tipping point — or at least we ought to be. The unmasking and resignation of the former archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, placed alongside the recent release of an exhaustive grand jury report in Pennsylvania that describes in withering detail more than 1,000 grotesque abuses, has reinforced the growing public sentiment in favor of eliminating the statutes of limitations for child sex abuse. Under current law, a vast majority of victims will receive no justice because of an arbitrary procedural deadline.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/opinion/catholic-priest-abuse-reporting.html 

Woman speaks out, says priest sexually abused her and LA Archdiocese covered it up

A suspected victim of sexual abuse spoke out against a local priest and said the Archdiocese of Los Angeles covered it up. Catherine Bergin said it took her years to be able to come forward and speak again. In 2015, she filed a lawsuit against the Archdiocese, claiming Father Nicholas Assi sexually abused her. She said it happened at American Martyrs Catholic Church in Manhattan Beach. Assi is now at St. Luke's in Temple City.

https://abc7.com/woman-said-priest-sexually-abused-her-and-la-archdiocese-covered-it-up/4081887/ 

Diocese of Gary releases names of 10 priests it deems guilty of sexual molestation of minors

The Diocese of Gary has released a list of 10 former priests within the institution who have been found "guilty of credible actions of sexual molestation of minors." The document included the names of the priests, the number of allegations made against them and the actions taken by the church. Many of the priests were laicized, which means the church removed their clerical status. The information of the 10 priests is based on a review of diocesan records, the list indicates, and will be supplemented if necessary. The list can be accessed on the diocese's website, www.dcgary.org.

https://www.nwitimes.com/news/diocese-of-gary-releases-names-of-priests-it-deems-guilty/article_fe7c1f1d-1178-5e67-b203-90ae911554eb.html 

LCSO asking any victims of local Catholic priest to come forward

Leon County Sheriff’s Office investigators came up empty-handed when they asked Catholic Church officials in Tallahassee about potential victims of sexual abuse in the wake of the removal of Father Edward Jones earlier this month. Now, they are asking anyone who believes they may have been victimized or has information about any potential victims to come forward. In Mid-August, Jones was removed as pastor of St. Elizabeth Ann Seton Parish in Crawfordville and Sacred Heart Parish in Lanark by the Catholic Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee following a "credible" allegation of inappropriate contact with a minor.

https://www.tallahassee.com/story/news/2018/08/29/lcso-asking-any-victims-local-priest-come-forward/1137493002/ 

Let There Be Light, in Church

Priests and other clergy members should have to report cases of suspected child sexual abuse, however they hear about them. The Roman Catholic clergy sex abuse crisis blankets the globe in darkness. We are at a tipping point — or at least we ought to be. The unmasking and resignation of the former archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, placed alongside the recent release of an exhaustive grand jury report in Pennsylvania that describes in withering detail more than 1,000 grotesque abuses, has reinforced the growing public sentiment in favor of eliminating the statutes of limitations for child sex abuse. Under current law, a vast majority of victims will receive no justice because of an arbitrary procedural deadline.

https://www.nytimes.com/2018/08/29/opinion/catholic-priest-abuse-reporting.html 

The Daily Devil’s Dictionary: “Conspiracy of Silence” in the Vatican

From silent to knight in shining armor: A bitter archbishop seeks not so much to reform as to re-form the Vatican. Retired papal nuncio Carlo Maria Viganò, former Vatican ambassador to the US, has published a blockbuster “testament” that concludes with his demand for Pope Francis’ resignation, accusing the pontiff of a “conspiracy of silence not so dissimilar from the one that prevails in the mafia.” Here is today’s 3D definition: Conspiracy of silence: An accusation of criminal collusion to hide criminal collusion commonly put forward by people who conspire to ostracize those they disagree with on other matters

https://www.fairobserver.com/region/europe/pope-francis-catholic-church-sexual-abuse-scandals-vatican-latest-news-today-23499/ 

Sexual abuse allegations against priest leave parishioners, Cocoa Beach residents stunned

Parishioners at the Church of Our Saviour and residents of Cocoa Beach were stunned to learn the church's new pastor had been removed following allegations that he molested a minor in Pennsylvania sometime before 2005. The Diocese of Orlando, which includes Brevard County, announced Wednesday that it had "removed the priestly faculties" of the Rev. David Gillis after it had received notice from church officials in Pennsylvania that Gillis had been accused of sexual abuse of a minor there. A letter from the diocese said the allegations had "at least the semblance of truth."

https://www.floridatoday.com/story/news/local/2018/08/30/priest-abuse-allegations-stuns-parishioners/1146464002/ 

Pope Francis faces twin battle in Church split over sexual abuse

The crowds are quieter than they used to be. At the Pope's weekly audience in St Peter's Square, tourists and pilgrims barely filled half the piazza. It was easy to get to the front of the crowd to watch Francis go by in his Popemobile. In his address, he reflected on his recent trip to Ireland. "The meeting with eight survivors [of abuse by priests] left a deep impact," he said. The audience was a sombre reminder that the novelty of this papacy has given way to two main battles, which are now tangled into one.

https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-45340721 

Ex-MC priests on list of child abusers

Two former Michigan City priests are among 10 listed by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Gary who were “found guilty of credible actions of sexual molestation of minors.” The list was released Tuesday, part of Bishop Donald Hying’s response to allegations against a Pennsylvania-based priest who taught at Bishop Noll Institute in Hammond in the 1960s. Rev. Raymond Lukac was transferred to the Diocese of Gary after being accused of sexual misconduct in Pennsylvania. He was asked to leave the Diocese of Gary two years later for the same reason.

https://www.thenewsdispatch.com/news/article_60f03fe5-ef94-53f3-86c6-336bf75b977d.html 

Archdiocese of Indianapolis plans to release names of priests accused of abuse

A priest and religion expert says the scathing report released this week accusing hundreds of Roman Catholic priests in Pennsylvania of molesting more than 1,000 children since the 1940s is a "wake up call to other dioceses in the country. The Indianapolis archbishop says he plans to publicly release the names of all of the priests in his diocese who have faced substantiated allegations of child sexual abuse. The move also follows the suspension of a retired priest from all church ministry following an allegation that he abused a child.

https://www.indystar.com/story/news/crime/2018/08/30/priest-suspended-after-report-child-sex-abuse/1142127002/ 

Why not a federal investigation of clergy abuse?

There have been calls for more state-level inquiries, but abuse has occurred nationwide, and the church has failed to act as needed. The St. Paul Cathedral. Attorney Jeff Anderson is calling for a grand-jury investigation into clergy sex abuse in Minnesota. One conducted in Pennsylvania drew widespread attention. Following what may be the most comprehensive examination to date of clergy sex abuse across a single state, in Pennsylvania, attorney Jeff Anderson is now calling for a grand-jury investigation across Minnesota into clergy sex abuse. Such investigations have been announced in Missouri and Illinois. One is also being called for in New York.

http://www.startribune.com/why-not-a-federal-investigation-of-clergy-abuse/492034851/ 

New Catholic Archbishop is confronted by 93yo Eileen Piper over child abuse

A 93-year-old woman publicly confronted the new Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne on Thursday with the harrowing story of how the clergy sexually abused her late daughter. Eileen Piper, her face stricken with grief, presented Archbishop Peter Comensoli with a picture of her daughter Stephanie in her coffin after she took her own life in 1994. She was 32. Twenty-four years later, Ms Piper says she is still seeking an apology from the Catholic Church.

https://www.theage.com.au/national/victoria/new-catholic-archbishop-is-confronted-by-93yo-eileen-piper-over-child-abuse-20180830-p500tc.html 

Trying to understand the heavenly virtues and hellish sins of the Catholic Church

The Most Rev. Ronald Gainer, the Roman Catholic bishop of the diocese of Harrisburg, Pa., discusses child sexual abuse by clergy and a decision by the diocese to remove names of bishops going back to the 1940s after concluding they did not respond adequately to abuse allegations, during an Aug. 1 news conference in Harrisburg, Pa. Gainer served as bishop of the Lexington diocese from 2003-2014. In mid-August, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released the latest revelation of the worst scandal to mar any Christian denomination in our collective memories.
That scandal, of course, is the ongoing, seemingly never-ending story of the sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church and the systematic cover-ups of that abuse by bishops and other church leaders.

https://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article217568515.html

Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article217568515.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: https://www.kentucky.com/living/religion/paul-prather/article217568515.html#storylink=cpyIn mid-August, a grand jury in Pennsylvania released the latest revelation of the worst scandal to mar any Christian denomination in our collective memories. That scandal, of course, is the ongoing, seemingly never-ending story of the sexual abuse of children within the Roman Catholic Church and the systematic cover-ups of that abuse by bishops and other church leaders.