Pell Case Reminds the World Why Cardinals Wear Red

“This is what the red color of their habits means: the color of blood and love.” —Pope Benedict XVI Lent is a time in which we relive spiritually the events of Jesus’ sham trials for the crimes of blasphemy and sedition and his crucifixion. It’s also a time in which we ponder his words from the Last Supper, “No slave is greater than his master. If they persecuted me, they will also persecute you” (John 15:20).

https://catholiccitizens.org/views/85905/pell-case-reminds-the-world-why-cardinals-wear-red/ 

A Secret Database of Child Abuse

A former Jehovah's Witness is using stolen documents to expose allegations that the religion has kept hidden for decades. In March 1997, the Watchtower Bible and Tract Society, the nonprofit organization that oversees the Jehovah’s Witnesses, sent a letter to each of its 10,883 U.S. congregations, and to many more congregations worldwide.

https://www.theatlantic.com/family/archive/2019/03/the-secret-jehovahs-witness-database-of-child-molesters/584311/

Church on the rocks

THE Catholic Church is having problems, at times are scandalous and at other times horrible. We believe that Christ founded His Church, the Catholic Church on the Rock, so strong that Christ said the “gates of hell will not prevail against it.” But now the Church is, well, to use the metaphor, “on the rocks”, meaning facing serious problems. Two Cardinals had been sacked; one was sentenced to imprisonment and one is awaiting his fate. Several bishops had been summoned by US prosecutors to explain some “improprieties” and even criminal cover-up.

https://thedailyguardian.net/opinion/church-on-the-rocks/ 

Defrocked Catholic priest who was convicted of molesting two boys in New Jersey is found in Dominican Republic teaching children English

A defrocked Catholic priest from New Jersey who was convicted 15 years ago of molesting two boys is now teaching children English in Dominican Republic. NBC News first broke the story on Friday after tracking down the former clergyman, 47-year-old Hadmels DeFrias, to Colegio del Caribe, a private school in the popular resort city of Punta Cana.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6840237/Defrocked-Catholic-priest-convicted-molesting-boys-Dominican-Republic-teaching-children.html 

German theologian claims Catholic liturgy promotes ‘clericalism,’ fosters abuse crisis

Benedikt Kranemann, a German Catholic theologian from the University of Erfurt, says the role of the priest in the liturgy may have contributed to the sexual abuse crisis raging throughout the Church. The liturgy, he says, has a potentially negative influence upon the priest's own understanding of his office and his role, thus possibly fostering his “phantasies of power” and “clericalism.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/blogs/german-theologian-claims-catholic-liturgy-promotes-clericalism-fosters-sex-abuse

VALERIE SCHULTZ: I'm emerging from a spiritual dry spell

Mental flashbacks to 2002 have plagued my brain lately. That was the year, dramatized in the movie "Spotlight," when a series of Boston Globe articles exposed the scandal of the clergy’s sexual abuse of children in the local Catholic Church. In 2002 I worked for the church across the country in California, and just answering the phone in the parish office in the days and weeks and months of that explosive reporting was harrowing. Angry and betrayed people said terrible things, for which there was no defense.

https://www.bakersfield.com/columnists/valerie-schultz/valerie-schultz-i-m-emerging-from-a-spiritual-dry-spell/article_dd65f4bc-4c2e-11e9-be8f-af47fd5166f4.html 

Charleston Catholic Diocese releases names of 42 priests accused of child sex crimes

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Charleston released the names of 42 priests. These priests are accused of child sexual misconduct or abuse. All but seven of those priests had allegations brought against them within the Charleston Diocese. All but two are deceased. We've been waiting a while for this list. We were first told that it would be available no later than mid-February.

https://abcnews4.com/news/local/charleston-catholic-diocese-releases-names-of-42-priests-accused-of-child-sex-crimes 

Child sex abuse rally in Melbourne on Sunday to reform Redress Scheme

Church and State discount price for rape/sexual abuse of children. Contributing editor-at-large Tess Lawrence calls them out. CARDINAL PELL, how much would you pay for your “ plain vanilla ” rape of a child ? Oh, $150,000 max. That’s all? And Prime Minister Scott Morrison, what would you agree to pay out in the case of non-penetrative sexual assault of a minor, you know, just your double cream plain vanilla masturbation, fondling of genitals, that sort of thing. Government computer says, $50,000 max.

https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/child-sex-abuse-rally-in-melbourne-on-sunday-to-reform-redress-scheme,12526 

Decision about liability for decades-ago abuse at Mount Cashel in hands of Appeal Court

Geoff Budden (left), who represents men who were abused as boys in the Mount Cashel orphanage, chats with lawyer Mark Frederick, who represents the Archdiocese of St. John’s, in court Thursday.  A long-dead parish priest and the question of his responsibility to address sexual abuse of boys at the Mount Cashel orphanage several decades ago dominated the room at the Newfoundland and Labrador Supreme Court of Appeal as the case clewed up Friday.

https://www.thewesternstar.com/news/local/decision-about-liability-for-decades-ago-abuse-at-mount-cashel-in-hands-of-appeal-court-294474/ 

In Defense of Our Right to Raw and Uncomfortable Honesty: Why Abuse Survivors Speak Out

Most of my friends at this point in my life have trauma of some sort (or have been trained, as social workers or psychologists, in trauma theory). Most of them have suffered abuse: parental abuse, spousal abuse, abuse from a boyfriend or girlfriend, rape, stalking, sexual assault, spousal rape, emotional abuse, religious abuse, gaslighting, psychological abuse, physical abuse, domestic violence.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/theshoelessbanshee/2019/03/23/in-defense-of-our-right-to-raw-and-uncomfortable-honesty-why-abuse-survivors-speak-out/ 

Popular and charismatic' priest accused of sexually abusing a girl, 13, for years 'takes his own life'

A popular priest from Western Australia appears to have taken his own life last week amid claims of sexual abuse - leaving the Catholic community in shock. Worshippers were in disbelief on Saturday as they learned Father Joseph Tran had passed away following allegations he had abused a now 13-year-old girl over several years.

https://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-6843535/Popular-charismatic-priest-takes-life-amid-allegations-abused-girl.html

Lawsuits claim sex abuse by priest at Brebeuf High, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church

Addressing bishops from around the world gathered in Philadelphia, Pope Francis said the stories of children sexually abuse by clergy weigh heavy on his heart and mind. He said "God weeps" over them Three men have filed lawsuits alleging that the Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette covered up sexual abuse by a priest at Brebeuf high school in Indianapolis and Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church in the 1970s and 1980s, and clerical abuse watchdogs fear there could be many more victims.

 https://www.indystar.com/story/news/local/hamilton-county/2019/03/24/lawsuits-claim-sex-abuse-priest-brebeuf-our-lady-mt-carmel/3226994002/

County attorney joins parishioners for listening session on abuse crisis

SHOREVIEW, Minnesota - Four years ago, Ramsey County Attorney John Choi’s office filed criminal and civil charges against the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis for failing to protect children in the sexual abuse case of then-Father Curtis Wehmeyer.

https://cruxnow.com/church-in-the-usa/2019/03/24/county-attorney-joins-parishioners-for-listening-session-on-abuse-crisis/ 

Should Canada restrict the use of gag orders in sexual abuse cases?

Dr. Greg Passey, a psychiatrist who has worked with Mounties for more than two decades, talks about why non-disclosure agreements are preventing Canadians from understanding the extent of the RCMP's problem with sexual harassment. This week, New Jersey signed into law a bill banning the use of non-disclosure agreements (NDAs) to cover up claims of discrimination, retaliation or harassment.

https://globalnews.ca/news/5080002/sex-assault-nondisclosure-agreements/ 

News How Attorney Gregory Gianforcaro Grew into the Role of Victims' Advocate

Legislators are finally understanding that the playing field has to be leveled," said plaintiff attorney Gregory Gianforcaro of Phillipsburg, who by his own count has settled more than 200 cases of childhood sexual abuse by clerics within the Catholic Church. Monday’s scheduled vote in the Assembly on a bill to remove the civil statute of limitations on certain offenses of child sexual abuse caps a milestone.

https://www.law.com/njlawjournal/2019/03/24/how-attorney-gregory-gianforcaro-grew-into-the-role-of-victims-advocate/?slreturn=20190227044131 

Predator priests were protected

Severe, inexcusable lapses in judgment ­­- and a clear failure to prioritize the welfare of children — have occurred in the Roman Catholic Church over a period of generations. Pressure from parishioners and the public has forced the church to reveal the names of many predator priests responsible for molesting children and sometimes, adults.

http://www.reviewonline.com/opinion/editorial/2019/03/predator-priests-were-protected/ 

A blessing in disguise

Denying one’s sin one would continue to be immersed in it. Acknowledging it opens the road to repentance, conversion and purification.  No one denies that that the Catholic Church has hit rock-bottom. The issues that are contributing towards this state of affairs are more than one but lately two very serious ones have come into the open, molester priests and the Church’s cover-up.

https://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20190324/religion/a-blessing-in-disguise.705433 

Lawyer for victims in cases against George Pell and the Catholic Church shares how trauma impacts on her work

We know emergency service workers, doctors and journalists can suffer from work-related trauma, but what is it like to be a lawyer on a sometimes distressing, long-term and high profile case? Lisa Flynn is the head of the Abuse Law Department for Shine Lawyers in Australia, leading 15 lawyers who are acting for around 1,000 survivors of abuse.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-03-23/whats-it-like-to-work-on-the-case-against-george-pell/10926702 

Perth Catholics voice shock, disbelief at reports 'beloved' priest abused child

Perth's Catholic parishioners have reacted with shock and disbelief at media reports a priest who was found dead on Thursday was the subject of a police child abuse investigation. In hundreds of social media posts since news of Fr Joseph Tran's death was first reported on Friday, local Catholics described the Armadale-based priest as warm-hearted, kind and loving, with many expressing dismay at the allegation levelled against him.

https://www.brisbanetimes.com.au/politics/western-australia/perth-catholics-voice-shock-disbelief-at-reports-beloved-priest-abused-child-20190324-p5172y.html 

OPINIONS: Vatican summit must bring justice to sexually abused minors

The sexual abuse scandal in the Catholic Church is a metaphorical Russian doll, as each investigation reveals more victims and corruption. In the midst of the report from Pennsylvania’s investigation and the defrocking of former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, 190 bishops and clergy went to the Vatican for a summit.

https://www.tommiemedia.com/featured-news/opinions-vatican-summit-must-bring-justice-to-sexually-abused-minors/ 

Bishop in Mississippi: 'deeply sorry' for clergy sex abuse

A Catholic diocese in Mississippi is releasing names of clergy members it says have been credibly accused of sexual abuse. Bishop Joseph Kopacz said the Diocese of Jackson is publishing the list Tuesday on its website. It’s part of the international reckoning of clergy abuse allegations that have shaken the Catholic church. The Jackson bishop said in a letter released Monday that he is “truly, deeply sorry” for pain that be caused by the list.

https://www.citynews1130.com/2019/03/19/bishop-in-mississippi-deeply-sorry-for-clergy-sex-abuse/ 

The Catholic Church continues to fail on the issue of sexual misconduct

Why do we keep hearing this story? That is the question that so many of us have been trying to answer in light of more recent revelations about the Catholic Church’s widespread cover-up of child sexual abuse by the clergy. This far-reaching scandal has even reached LMU with recent reports of sexual harassment by a former LMU Jesuit, Bishop Gordon Bennett. Though we still do not know the precise nature of the allegations, they were deemed credible enough to bar Bennett from performing any priestly or episcopal ministry.

http://www.laloyolan.com/opinion/the-catholic-church-continues-to-fail-on-the-issue-of/article_fb0d5c40-123c-5c85-962b-cebfb54ca083.html 

Catholic diocese violated consumer laws, according to a new lawsuit

THE Wheeling-Charleston diocese in West Virginia and its former bishop Michael J Bransfield, above, have been hit with a lawsuit that alleges violations of the state’s consumer protection laws. Launched yesterday (Tuesday) by West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey the suit accuses the diocese of fraudulently advertising safe environments for children while at the same time choosing ‘to cover up and conceal arguably criminal behavior of child sexual abuse’.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thefreethinker/2019/03/catholic-diocese-violated-consumer-laws-according-to-a-new-lawsuit/ 

Mississippi bishop: 'Shattered lives' amid clergy sex abuse

A Catholic diocese in Mississippi on Tuesday released the names of 37 clergy members who it says have been credibly accused of sexually abusing children. Officials with the Diocese of Jackson said 30 of the clergy were accused of sexual abuse in Mississippi and the others worked in the Mississippi diocese but were accused of abuse in other states.

https://www.phillytrib.com/religion/mississippi-bishop-shattered-lives-amid-clergy-sex-abuse/article_21a349fa-3a90-5a26-9688-8eef4559f0a4.html 

Harrisburg diocese expands who can apply for compensation

The Roman Catholic Diocese of Harrisburg is expanding a program for victims of clergy abuse. The diocese set up a compensation fund following last year's grand jury report that documented decades of alleged abuse and cover-ups across Pennsylvania. It was initially open only to victims who had reported abuse to the diocese before February 11 of this year.

 https://www.witf.org/news/2019/03/harrisburg-diocese-expands-who-can-apply-for-compensation.php

Milwaukee archbishop removes disgraced previous bishops’ names from diocesan buildings

Milwaukee’s archbishop announced Tuesday he is removing the names of predecessors Archbishops William Cousins and Rembert Weakland from diocesan buildings “as a sign of repentance” for their cover-up of priests accused of sexual abuse.  “As the Church continues to restore trust in its response to clergy sexual abuse, the timing seemed right to do so now,” Listecki told WTMJ. 

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/milwaukee-archbishop-removes-disgraced-previous-bishops-names-from-diocesan-buildings 

Time for states to address priest abuse

eadlines of abuse dominated news cycles in August 2018 after the Pennsylvania Grand Jury Report released the names of hundreds of priests who had sexually abused children for more than seven decades. Since then, evidence of the global epidemic within the Catholic Church of sexual abuse of the innocent has continued to surface. The Associated Press publishes a new article nearly every week about new investigations, diocese reports, complaints by survivor advocacy groups and continued corruption.

https://xaviernewswire.com/2019/03/20/time-for-states-to-address-priest-abuse/ 

West Virginia Accuses Catholic Diocese Of Covering Up Clergy Abuse

Rachel Martin talks to West Virginia Attorney General Patrick Morrisey, who sued the Catholic diocese of Wheeling-Charleston Tuesday — saying it and its former bishop "knowingly employed pedophiles." It has become an all too familiar headline - allegations of a Catholic diocese that has systematically covered up sexual abuse. This time, though, authorities are taking a different approach to prosecute the crimes.

https://www.wbur.org/npr/705021448/west-virginia-accuses-catholic-diocese-of-covering-up-clergy-abuse 

Christian Brother who worked in Kendall County listed in sex abuse report

A Roman Catholic Brother who served at LaSalle Manor near Plano in the earl 1970s was among the nearly 400 clergy members and church staffers accused of sexual misconduct in a report published Wednesday, March 20, by a Minnesota-based law firm. "The data reveal the horrifying scale of priests sexually assaulting minors to the present day," attorneys for Jeff Anderson & Associates wrote in their report, accusing the church of an "institutional cover-up of enormous magnitude."

https://www.kendallcountynow.com/2019/03/21/christian-brother-who-worked-in-kendall-county-listed-in-sex-abuse-report/aczz5z4/ 

After mosque attacks, New Zealand quickly bans assault weapons

Prime Minister Jacinda Ardern announced an immediate ban Thursday on semi-automatic and automatic weapons like the ones used in the attacks on two mosques in Christchurch that killed 50 worshippers. The man charged in the attack had purchased his weapons legally using a standard firearms license and enhanced their capacity by using 30-round magazines "done easily through a simple online purchase," she said.

https://okcfox.com/news/nation-world/new-zealand-bans-all-assault-weapons-immediately-according-to-officials 

Our priests abused hundreds of children, admits Polish Catholic Church

As many as 382 children were sexually abused by clergy in Poland between 1990 and 2018, according to findings presented on Thursday by the Polish Catholic Church in one of the most devout countries in Europe. The report follows investigations into widespread abuse of minors by clergy in other countries – notably in Chile, the United States, Australia and Ireland – that have shaken the Roman Catholic Church to its foundations.

https://www.christiantoday.com/article/our-priests-abused-hundreds-of-children-admits-polish-catholic-church/132006.htm 

In Boston, victims of Church sex abuse face lifetime of healing

In 2002, the Boston Globe revealed that thousands of acts of paedophilia had been committed by priests in the Boston region, plunging the American Catholic church into crisis. The Globe investigation revealed that the Church had known about the abuse, which went on for decades, and covered it up. Instead of punishing the priests involved, bishops simply moved them from one parish to another. Over two years, the investigative journalists at the Boston Globe published some 600 articles and a book.

https://www.france24.com/en/20190315-revisited-boston-catholic-church-sex-abuse-scandal-victims-speak-out-paedophile-priests 

I-TEAM: It takes a village to abuse a child, Buffalo Diocese survivor says

Two men saw abuse happening and looked away. The story of David Harvey, who said he was abused by a Buffalo priest in the 1970s, is one of incredible courage. It’s also one of incredible cowardice. Courage on the part of Harvey, who spent dozens of tortured years dealing with the demons of abuse, to rebuild his life.

https://www.wkbw.com/news/i-team/i-team-it-takes-a-village-to-abuse-a-child-buffalo-diocese-survivor-says 

Sexual Abuse by Catholic Church Clergy is a Global Crisis

The Catholic Church sexual abuse allegations in the U.S. may be more conspicuous than in other nations – especially given the lack of action and response from the Catholic Church – and the “sophisticated criminal cover up” by the Church. However, more and more sexual abuse allegations from around the world are coming to light, and it is clear that the Catholic Church sexual abuse scandal is a global crisis.

https://lansing.legalexaminer.com/legal/2790/ 

German Catholics to speak about steps, reforms to address child sex abuse scandal

Germany's Catholic Church was Thursday due to speak about steps and reforms to address its child sex abuse scandal, which mirrors paedophilia revelations in congregations worldwide. Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the head of the German Bishops' Conference, was due to give a 1300 GMT press conference at the end of a four-day episcopal conference in the western city of Lingen.

https://www.devdiscourse.com/article/international/443602-german-catholics-meeting-to-address-child-sex-abuse-scandal 

Barry Soper: Cardinal George Pell has done monumental damage to the church

Over the years seeing the Catholic Church increasingly painted as the devil incarnate has been unsettling for many and it most certainly was not my experience growing up as a communicant of the religion, including a period as an altar boy and a youth debater on issues with the church, mainly celibacy which I could never understand.

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/nz/news/article.cfm?c_id=1&objectid=12212430 

Next Columbus Diocese Bishop issues statement on clergy sex abuse

The Rev. Robert Brennan, the next bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Columbus, said that he was aware of allegations of sexual abuse by clergy members in the New York diocese where he has worked for 30 years, but that he was not personally responsible for responding to them.

https://www.dispatch.com/news/20190316/next-columbus-diocese-bishop-issues-statement-on-clergy-sex-abuse

Greg Piper wept on Wednesday for the St Pius X, Adamstown schoolmates who did not survive

LAKE Macquarie MP and former Hunter Catholic school student Greg Piper wept tears of anger and grief on Wednesday after disgraced cardinal George Pell was jailed for child sex crimes. The anger was for Pell's crimes, his influence and what he represented, and the grief for students of Mr Piper's old school, St Pius X, Adamstown, who did not live to see this day.

https://www.lakesmail.com.au/story/5957836/mps-tears-of-anger-and-grief-after-pell-sentence/ 

Editorial: Ireland's rebuke of Catholicism

Today is St. Patrick’s Day. Most Americans are familiar with the myth of Ireland’s patron saint driving snakes out of Ireland. (The fact that the last ice age ridded Ireland of the reptiles is beside the point.) Irish Catholic Americans also know the story of St. Patrick using the three-leaf shamrock to explain the concept of the Trinity to Christian converts.

https://www.richmond.com/opinion/our-opinion/editorial-ireland-s-rebuke-of-catholicism/article_0b337ebc-dcff-5d18-a217-738cc471c314.html 

List of Mississippi Catholic priests accused of sex abuse to be released this week

Over the weekend, parishioners across Mississippi were given a letter from Bishop Joseph Kopacz. In the letter, Kopacz said "the time for trying to keep these cases quiet in the church has come to an end." "We know this list will cause pain to many individuals and communities and I am truly, deeply sorry for that pain," the letter stated. "The crime of abuse of any kind is a sin but the abuse of children and vulnerable adults is especially egregious.

https://www.clarionledger.com/story/news/2019/03/18/names-mississippi-catholic-priests-accused-sex-abuse-released-week/3201361002/

Southern Baptist executive, experts say churches should address abuse of adults

A Southern Baptist publishing executive recently revealed that she was a victim of alleged abuse for more than a decade from another Baptist leader. In an online statement posted Friday (March 8), Jennifer Lyell, director of the books ministry at LifeWay Christian Resources, alleged that she was the victim of a now-resigned professor at the flagship seminary of the nation’s largest Protestant denomination.

https://religionnews.com/2019/03/14/southern-baptist-executive-experts-say-churches-should-address-abuse-of-adults/ 

Shedding my Catholic guilt

Anna Rawhiti-Connell grapples to reconcile her history as part of a church which offered ritual and comfort, but is currently cloaked in guilt Catholic guilt is a funny thing. Even after 20 years of not being a practising Catholic, I am still prone to lugging guilt around with me like a handbag no one has cleaned out for years. I feel guilty about things I did in primary school. I feel guilty about procrastinating on writing this column. I feel guilty that my procrastination means my husband is having to make dinner while I write.

https://www.newsroom.co.nz/2019/03/15/488162/shedding-my-catholic-guilt 

More Catholics Are Considering Leaving Church Over Sex Abuse Scandal

A growing number of American Catholics are reconsidering their loyalty to the global church as it continues on a slow path toward reforming how it handles clerical sexual abuse. A Gallup poll published Wednesday found that 37 percent of U.S. Catholics have questioned whether they will remain part of the church this year amid recent news about sexual abuse of young people by priests. This is up from 22 percent who said the same in 2002, the last time Gallup conducted polling on this question.

https://www.huffpost.com/entry/gallup-catholics-sex-abuse_n_5c8a647ce4b038892f4b313d 

Germany's Catholic Church addresses child sex abuse scandal amid protests

Germany's under-fire Catholic Church admitted Thursday it must urgently confront its child sex abuse scandal, but victims accused it of continued "stonewalling", especially on compensation. As in Australia, Chile, France, Ireland and the United States, Germany's Catholic Church has had to admit to abuses by predator priests and clergy and their systematic cover-up over decades. SEE ALSO: German Catholic Church apologizes as scale of child abuse laid bare


https://www.thelocal.de/20190314/germanys-catholic-church-to-address-child-sex-abuse-scandal-as-protests-take-place

Covering child abuse in the Catholic Church under a court gag order

In February 2016, Lucie Morris-Marr broke news of a police probe into allegations that Australia’s Cardinal George Pell, the third most powerful clergyman in the Catholic Church, had sexually abused children. She had been investigating Pell for 10 months; it would be another three years before she would report the outcome of that investigation and the subsequent trial. In that time, Morris-Marr saw her reporting labeled part of a “witch hunt,” weathered calls for an investigation into her sourcing by the Church, and lost her job at the Melbourne newspaper that published her scoop.

https://www.cjr.org/analysis/covering-child-abuse-in-the-catholic-church-under-a-court-gag-order.php 

Hong Kong’s Cardinal John Tong announces measures against sex abuse of church minors, saying there is ‘no place for culture of silence’

Catholic priests and other adults who serve the church in Hong Kong have been told they should not be alone with children in a confined space, the head of the city’s 400,000-strong diocese has said as he announced new measures against sex abuse. In his latest pastoral letter printed in the diocese’s weekly publication Kung Kao Po, Cardinal John Tong Hon wrote: “There is no place for a culture of silence and covering up in church circles.

https://www.scmp.com/news/hong-kong/society/article/3001778/hong-kong-cardinal-john-tong-announces-measures-against-sex 

McGinley Taught Child Psychology at GU, Abused Children for 30 Years

Anthony McGinley, a Catholic priest from Pennsylvania, sexually abused young boys for 30 years, according to a 2018 report on clerical abuse published by a Pennsylvania grand jury. For five of those years, he taught courses in child psychology at Georgetown University. From 1977 to 1981, McGinley taught graduate classes in orthodontic statistics each fall and child psychology each spring, according to the archived schedules of classes from those years. He is also listed as a lecturer in orthodontics in telephone directories from 1977 to 1987, the year the Church prohibited him from celebrating Mass.

https://www.thehoya.com/mcginley-taught-child-psychology-gu-abused-children-30-years/ 

‘Sex mad’ Catholic priest jailed in UK for abuse of six youngsters

AFTER a jury at Aylesbury Crown Court delivered a guilty verdict against a 75-year-old priest who sexually abused children the 1970s & 80s he was handed a sentence of nine years and 11 months. Father Francis McDermott, above, a former Buckinghamshire priest, was found guilty of 18 counts of abuse. McDermott, of Bideford in Devon, abused the children in his parishes in High Wycombe and Norwich and earlier in London when he was training for the priesthood.

https://www.patheos.com/blogs/thefreethinker/2019/03/sex-mad-catholic-priest-jailed-in-uk-for-abuse-of-six-youngsters/ 

Poland's Catholic Church says 625 minors abused by priests since 1990

Poland's Catholic Church leaders released a study on Thursday that said 625 minors have been abused by 382 priests from 1990 through June of last year — a revelation marking the first time officials have ever presented statistics about the scope of the child sex abuse problem there, the AP reports. Details: Officials found that 345 victims were under age 15, 280 victims between 15 to 18 and 58% of the victims were male, per the AP.

https://www.axios.com/polands-catholic-church-625-minors-abused-priests-0dfa9d9f-03e1-4653-9c27-153b32a3ca6a.html

Memorial proposed for Ballarat survivors of child sexual abuse after Cardinal George Pell jailed

As the fallout from Cardinal George Pell’s six-year jail sentence continues, now is the time for action to support survivors of child sexual abuse in Ballarat. There have been repeated calls from the survivors themselves for more support, and now the son of a man who was abused as a child by priests and later committed suicide, is renewing a push for a memorial in the Ballarat Botanical Gardens. Peter Curran was an early crusader, with Stephen Woods, who fought to give survivors a voice.

https://www.theleader.com.au/story/5956019/calls-for-memorial-to-victims-of-child-sexual-abuse-in-ballarat-after-pell-sentenced/ 

Why defending Cardinal Pell is a problem

In late February, the church pledged to put the victims of abuse first, to listen to them with an open heart, to root out the culture of protecting priests accused of abuse. Now a number of lay Catholics are undercutting all these good and overdue intentions by challenging the guilty verdict of Australian Cardinal George Pell. Let’s be clear about it: Nobody can claim to know conclusively whether Cardinal Pell is guilty of the charges put against him except for the two people alive who were in that room on the day in question.

http://catholicphilly.com/2019/03/commentaries/why-defending-cardinal-pell-is-a-problem/ 

Santiago archdiocese comments on priest sentenced for sex abuse

The ArchdiocThe Archdiocese of Santiago commented Tuesday on the case of Father Tito Rigoberto Rivera Muñoz, who was found guilty in August 2018 of the sexual abuse of adults. Rivera's victim claims that he told the Archbishop of Santiago of the attack, but the prelate gave him money and asked him not to report it. The March 5 statement of the Santiago archdiocese's Truth and Peace Commission follows the appearance of the victim, Daniel Rojas Alvarez, on state television.ese of Santiago commented

https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/santiago-archdiocese-comments-on-priest-sentenced-for-sex-abuse-24416

MORE THAN 100 PRIESTS ACCUSED OF ABUSING CHILDREN AT SCHOOLS & CHURCHES

Sexual Assault Attorney Mick Grewal Discusses Widespread Sexual Assault Allegations Against Clergy – & the Fight to Hold Corporate Entities Responsible Over 100 priests who have been accused of sexually abusing children were named in a list provided by the Roman Catholic Diocese of Brooklyn. This list was made public because the diocese felt it would help the Survivors of abuse heal.

https://lansing.legalexaminer.com/legal/more-than-100-priests-accused-of-abusing-children-at-schools-churches/

Birds of a feather…

Due to sex abuse scandals, Francis has 'decapitated' one cardinal and if true to his word, two others -- and probably more -- may also lose their red hats. The credibility of the Roman Catholic Church's collective leadership (i.e. its bishops) has been all but completely destroyed, thanks to the hierarchy's general ineptitude in dealing openly, honestly and effectively with priests who have sexually abused minors.

https://international.la-croix.com/news/birds-of-a-feather/9626 

Catholic Archbishop, on His Hands and Knees, Begged for Forgiveness Over Abuse

When the Archdiocese of Hartford released a list this year identifying 48 priests accused of sexual abuse, five of them had served at the same church: St. George’s, in the small coastal town of Guilford. One had been a pastor there for more than a decade, baptizing children and hearing confessions. Some in the large congregation were deeply hurt.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/03/08/nyregion/reparation-masses.html

Catholic cardinals implicated in sex abuse, cover-ups

The conviction of French Cardinal Philippe Barbarin for failing to report a known pedophile priest to police deepens the crisis confronting an already discredited Catholic Church hierarchy. The verdict handed down by magistrates Thursday shows the church’s once-untouchable “princes” increasingly are judged accountable for priests who abuse children and the superiors who allowed the abuse to continue.

https://www.sltrib.com/religion/2019/03/09/catholic-cardinals/ 

Webster woman alleges sexual abuse by nun, settles with Rochester diocese

Christina Grana can’t forget the principal she and her classmates at St. Margaret Mary School in Irondequoit called “Hawk.” “She was the monster in my dreams,” Grana recalled the other day. “She was the monster in my closet. She was the monster under my bed.” She was Sister Janice Nadeau, a nun described by those who worked and lived with her as a “harsh,” “stern,” “aggressive,” and “heavy-handed” school administrator who was known to “pick on” children.

https://www.democratandchronicle.com/story/news/local/columnists/andreatta/2019/03/01/catholic-priest-abuse-scandal-ensnares-rochester-nun-sister-janice-nadeau-christina-grana/3020081002/ 

Disgraced Australian Cardinal Pell sued for another sex offense

More skeletons resurface related to 1970s child abuse claims against former Melbourne archbishop. The plaque celebrating Cardinal George Pell's tenure as Archbishop of Sydney at St Mary's Cathedral is seen splattered with green paint in Sydney, Australia, March 5. (Photo by EPA/Mick Tsikas Australia And New Zealand Out/MaxPPP) A civil claim was filed against convicted sex abuser Cardinal George Pell at the Supreme Court of Victoria in Australia on March 7.

https://international.la-croix.com/news/disgraced-australian-cardinal-pell-sued-for-another-sex-offense/9627# 

Seal of confession issues often misunderstood

A New Zealand canon lawyer has discussed, in a peer-reviewed book, the Church’s law on the seal of confession, with particular reference to sexual abuse of minors. Msgr Brendan Daly, judicial vicar for the Tribunal of the Catholic Church in New Zealand, had a paper published in Roman Replies and CLSA Advisory Opinions 2018 (Washington DC: Canon Law Society of America) last year. Msgr Daly stated in the paper that many issues concerning the seal of confession are misunderstood.

https://www.nzcatholic.org.nz/2019/03/08/seal-of-confession-issues-often-misunderstood/ 

Catholic Church aware of claims against George Pell since 1996

The claims were lurid and unverified so Helen Last, the counsellor hired by the Catholic Church in Melbourne, Australia to assist victims of clerical abuse, agonised before reporting them to her superiors. It was 1996 and the newly appointed archbishop, George Pell, had just set up the Melbourne Response to handle the rising numbers of sex abuse claims received by the archdiocese.

https://www.stuff.co.nz/world/australia/111118745/catholic-church-aware-of-claims-against-george-pell-since-1996 

Geoffrey Robertson QC: The clerical abuse of tens of thousands of children is a crime against humanity by any definition.

News of the conviction and remanding in custody of Cardinal George Pell, number three in the Vatican, for the rape of small boys in a sacristy came as a fitting end to a papal summit on child abuse which achieved nothing. It had begun with other cardinals attributing the problem to homosexuals in the priesthood. Of course, the reality is that priests abuse small boys, not because they are gay, but because they have the opportunity.

https://www.belfasttelegraph.co.uk/opinion/geoffrey-robertson-qc-the-clerical-abuse-of-tens-of-thousands-of-children-is-a-crime-against-humanity-by-any-definition-37870894.html 

Survivor Shares Tragedy of Abuse and What Must Be Done to Prevent It

Shaun Dougherty discusses with the Register the deep trauma of clerical sex abuse, and what he believes the Church must do to bring perpetrators to justice and ensure such crimes never happen again. In the 1980s, Shaun Dougherty was sexually abused from the age of 10 to 13 by a priest in the diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, Pennsylvania.  The priest, George Koharchik, who was a religion teacher and sports coach at the local school, abused many others before he was eventually laicized in 2012. 

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/edward-pentin/victim-survivor-shares-tragedy-of-abuse-and-what-must-be-done-to-prevent-it

When children cry out

He has consistently pleaded innocent and vehemently denied that such acts of sexual abuse against the two boys, 13-year old altar servers, ever happened. A jury, however, found the cardinal guilty beyond reasonable doubt. Pope Francis has ordered that the cardinal be removed from all public ministries and never to have any contact with children.

https://www.manilatimes.net/when-children-cry-out/520040/

No one is above the law — not even Catholic priests

Pope Francis has declared a Jubilee Year of Mercy.  From the Vatican’s website, “The Church is celebrating the Holy Year of Mercy, a time of grace, peace, conversion and joy.  It is meant for everyone: people of every age, from far and near.  There are no walls or distances which can prevent the Father’s mercy from reaching and embracing us.  The Holy Door is now open in Rome and in all the diocese of the world.

https://www.asianjournal.com/life-style/lifestyle-columnists/no-one-is-above-the-law-%e2%80%afnot-even-catholic-priests%e2%80%af/”

My anger with George Pell has been replaced by immense sadness

I have been angry with Cardinal George Pell for a long time. That anger was first stirred by his absolute disdain for extending compassion to people living with Aids, and also by his refusal to accept queer people into Catholic fellowship. I was also made furious by his perverting of the teachings of the Gospels, most clearly visible in his prioritising of political alliances with the rich and the powerful rather than offering ministry and care to those most in need.

https://www.theguardian.com/australia-news/2019/mar/03/my-anger-with-george-pell-has-been-replaced-by-immense-sadness 

Perth Catholic Archbishop Timothy Costelloe urges Church to stand by child sex abuse victims, survivors

Perth’s top Catholic Archbishop Timothy Costelloe says the conviction of Cardinal George Pell is a reminder of the need for the church to focus on the victims of child sexual abuse. In a pastoral letter published to worshippers today, Archbishop Costelloe says he will refrain from making any comments on Cardinal Pell’s “situation” until all legal appeals are complete, but says the Church must never minimise the gravity of even one instance of sexual abuse of a minor.

https://thewest.com.au/news/perth/perth-catholic-archbishop-timothy-costelloe-urges-church-to-stand-by-child-sex-abuse-victims-survivors-ng-b881122613z 

Pope talks tough on sex abuse, but zero-tolerance policy must follow

It has been one year since Michael Whalen went public with accusations of abuse by Rev. Norbert F. Orsolits, and Orsolits admitted to Buffalo News reporter Jay Tokasz that he had molested “probably dozens” of young boys. That began the uncovering of decades of abuse involving more than 100 priests in the Diocese of Buffalo, a harrowing story that is still unfolding.

https://buffalonews.com/2019/03/02/editorial-pope-talks-tough-on-sex-abuse-but-zero-tolerance-policy-must-follow/

Cardinal Sin: Spare a thought for the victims in the George Pell case

WHAT would I do if I went forward and said such a thing about an archbishop? “It’s something I’ve carried for the whole of my life and coming forward took ... courage, much later on for me, to be able to even think about coming forward.” These were the words of a man in his mid-30s recalling in distressing detail to a jury an encounter he had in his teens that he would rather forget, but can’t no matter how hard he tries.

https://thewest.com.au/news/court-justice/cardinal-sin-spare-a-thought-for-the-victims-in-the-george-pell-case-ng-b881123565z 

Calls for Vatican to protect NZ children from sexual abuse

An international group targeting church abuse is calling on the Vatican to protect children in New Zealand from sexual predators. Ending Clergy Abuse or ECA Global has issued a resolution after meeting on the fringes of the Pope's four-day abuse summit in Rome. It is calling on the Vatican to authorise this country's bishops to tackle abusers regardless of the church's internal rules.

https://www.radionz.co.nz/news/national/383508/calls-for-vatican-to-protect-nz-children-from-sexual-abuse

How the Catholic Church has handled cover-ups and sex abuse

Q: Are the police called in suspected sex abuse cases? A: Irish bishops who considered adopting a mandatory reporting policy in 1997 received a letter from the Vatican warning in-house Church investigations could be compromised. But nowadays, in countries where clergy are required to report child abuse, bishops and superiors of religious orders are supposed to notify police. However, the policy is non-binding and was only articulated publicly in 2010.

https://www.independent.ie/world-news/europe/how-the-catholic-church-has-handled-coverups-and-sex-abuse-37841556.html