Pope has done almost nothing to halt sex abuse, author claims

The last time Italian journalist Emiliano Fittipaldi wrote an exposé about corruption at the heart of the Roman Catholic Church, it landed him in a Vatican court facing a possible jail sentence on charges that he had illegally obtained confidential church papers in the course of his reporting.
Now, six months after the 42-year-old reporter was cleared of all charges, Fittipaldi is taking on the church again. This time in a new book that accuses Pope Francis of doing “close to nothing” to stop clerical sexual abuse in Italy and around the world, despite the Argentinean pope’s frequent assertions that he has zero tolerance for the abuse of children or those who protect abusers.

https://www.theguardian.com/world/2017/jan/15/catholic-church-not-done-enough-to-tackle-abuse-claims-new-book 

Actor playing Jesus in Ben-Hur ‘received blessing from the Pope’

The Catholic couple behind the film say they hope it delivers a 'message of reconciliation'

It’s been 57 years since the last film version of Ben-Hur hit movie theatres. That alone is, for most Hollywood types, reason enough for a remake.
But when the husband-and-wife team of Roma Downey and Mark Burnett saw the screenplay of the new version from John Ridley, he of Oscar-winning 12 Years a Slave fame, “we loved the script,” said Downey, an executive producer of the new film, as is Ridley. “We loved the rephrasing of the story as one of forgiveness and reconciliation instead of the previous incarnations which were revenge-driven.”

http://www.catholicherald.co.uk/news/2016/08/18/actor-playing-jesus-in-ben-hur-received-blessing-from-the-pope/

Steve Golin to receive Zurich award

The Oscar-nominated producer is attending the festival with his latest film Spotlight. American producer Steve Golin will receive a career achievement award at this year’s Zurich Film Festival (Sept 24 - Oct 4).

Golin will attend the festival with his latest feature Spotlight, Tom McCarthy’s story of the titular Boston Globe investigative reporting team who uncovered the Catholic Church’s sex abuse scandal, and a new ‘cyberpunk’ TV series titled Mr. Robot, which stars Christian Slater, Rami Malek and Portia Doubleday.

http://www.screendaily.com/festivals/zurich/steve-golin-to-receive-zurich-award/5094392.article 

THE NUNS OF SANT’AMBROGIO The True Story of a Convent in Scandal

Sister Maria Luisa was the novice mistress at the Sant’Ambrogio convent in Rome. She was intelligent, charismatic and stunningly beautiful. She was also a sociopath, embezzler, false saint, sexual predator, pathological liar and murderer.

http://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/a-false-saint-and-sexual-predator-in-a-warped-rome-convent/2015/03/05/072069da-b14d-11e4-827f-93f454140e2b_story.html?wprss=rss_opinions 

Phyllis Hamilton (1950-2001)

Phyllis Hamilton was born on February 28, 1950 in Dublin. Her early years were marred by sexual abuse and incarceration in orphanages and psychiatric institutions. Her father sexually abused her when she was a child. From the age of nine, she lived in city orphanages like Goldenbridge in Inchicore and St Anne’s in Booterstown, as well as psychiatric institutions. Phyllis felt she was an “unwanted child” born to parents who were like “chalk and cheese”, she would later say. 

http://www.independent.ie/editorial/felicia/#phyllis-hamilton 

sexual abuse and incarceration in orphanages and psychiatric institutions

Phyllis Hamilton was born on February 28, 1950 in Dublin. Her early years were marred by sexual abuse and incarceration in orphanages and psychiatric institutions. Her father sexually abused her when she was a child. From the age of nine, she lived in city orphanages like Goldenbridge in Inchicore and St Anne’s in Booterstown, as well as psychiatric institutions. Phyllis felt she was an “unwanted child” born to parents who were like “chalk and cheese”, she would later say. 

http://www.independent.ie/editorial/felicia/#phyllis-hamilton 

Sins of the fathers: child sex abuse in the Catholic Church

Betrayed: The English Catholic Church and the Sex Abuse Crisis (Biteback) by Richard Scorer. The Devil’s Advocate: Child Abuse and the Men in Black (Devil’s Advocate Library) by Graham Wilmer

https://newhumanist.org.uk/articles/4819/sins-of-the-fathers-child-sex-abuse-in-the-catholic-church 

The Church has chosen to bury its head in the sand and hope victims go away

As someone who works in the grim and often harrowing world of child abuse and it consequences I am always reluctant to read books about it when I’m not at work. Why would I? Find out more about Richard Scorer’s book Betrayed: The English Catholic Church and the sex abuse crisis here and read his article for a forthcoming collection of essays (part of the JusticeGap series) here

http://thejusticegap.com/2015/01/church-chosen-bury-head-sand-hope-victims-go-away/