The Vatican ‘owes God an apology’ for mismanagement of abuse allegations, activist says in letter to Pope

The prominent founder of a Newfoundland organization for clergy abuse survivors has written a letter to Pope Francis, saying the Vatican “owes God an apology” for mismanagement of abuse allegations. “I realize you inherited this problem, but the way the Vatican mismanaged this crisis is disgraceful,” wrote Gemma Hickey, founder of Pathways Foundation in St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador was the site of two highly publicized abuse scandals in the late 1980s, when allegations of widespread abuse at Mount Cashel and Belvedere Catholic orphanages met with public shock and outrage.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-the-vatican-owes-god-an-apology-for-mismanagement-of-abuse/ 

Catholic Church under scrutiny after allegations

The Roman Catholic Church has had its fair share of scandals. In Aug 2018, the most damning report about the church came to light. The Catholic Church of Pennsylvania, as of a grand jury report, covered up child sexual abuse by more than 300 priests over 70 years. This is not the first instance of child sexual abuse in the church. In 2002, allegations of the same crime came out of Boston. The church spent billions of dollars in settlements and added programs to stop this after the 2002 incident. Apparently, those measures were not enough.

https://ulmhawkeyeonline.com/23751/news/catholic-church-under-scrutiny-after-allegations/ 

Catholic Priests in Chile Had to Be Told Not to Touch Children

ROME—At a time when systematic child sex abuse at the hands of Catholic priests has scandalized the global church, it may seem like warning priests not to get naked with children would go without saying. But that’s clearly not the case in Chile, where there are more than 120 active investigations into clerical sex abuse and where all of the country’s bishops offered their resignations en masse to Pope Francis.

https://www.thedailybeast.com/catholic-priests-in-chile-had-to-be-told-not-to-touch-children 

For real change, we must get at four roots deeper than church structures / National Catholic Reporter

There must be repentance. There must be accountability. There must be reform. Good. And that looks like what? (Joan Chittister in National Catholic Reporter) In the midst of the angst that has accompanied the revelation of unparalleled amounts of sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church, the cry for reform gets louder by the day. “For some, it’s a call for the elimination of celibacy as an unnatural and therefore impossible way of life. For others, it’s about barring homosexuals from the priesthood, as if homosexuality was in essence a model of immorality rather than simply another state of nature — just like heterosexuality with its own immoral aberrations. For many, it’s about a lack of psychosocial development in seminaries; for others, it’s about the liberalization of the church since the Second Vatican Council, no matter that the bulk of assaults happened, apparently, before the end of the council.

https://voicefaithful.wordpress.com/2018/09/20/for-real-change-we-must-get-at-four-roots-deeper-than-church-structures-national-catholic-reporter/ 

My 30 years as a priest have brought no little disappointment

Starting out, I never dreamed I would fall foul of Rome or become disgusted by its failings. When Archbishop Desmond Connell ordained me to the priesthood on October 2nd, 1988, it seemed a good time to be a priest in Ireland. Fresh-faced and enthusiastic, I had high hopes. I was delighted to become part of a team conducting parish missions, as Irish Redemptorists had done for more than a century.

https://www.irishtimes.com/opinion/my-30-years-as-a-priest-have-brought-no-little-disappointment-1.3647970 

Fr. James Martin Says Don’t Pray, Fast or Destroy Rainbow Flags.

I stand by this priest... it is NOT our crime... why should the victims / survivors do penance over and over again??... the catholic church should be doing more than praying and fasting... if it can... they are still putting their sins and crimes onto us... enough is enough... NO MORE... we were innocent... and that was why they used us for so man years... Ann

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

I was irritated when Pope Francis called for every member of the Church to “pray and fast in penance for the evil of clerical sex abuse, and to be involved in needed change within the Church” on Aug. 20.   I wanted a much bigger emphasis on the guilty. I still do. That is the part that irritated me.  I was already praying and fasting for the Church as the travesty of abuse and cover-ups has unfolded. It should have been our default position all along and now we see just how dire that need is.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/armstrong/fr.-james-martin-says-dont-pray-fast-or-destroy-rainbow-flags

Catholics Protest Sex Abuse, Homoheresy Outside Atlanta Cathedral

Faithful Catholics in the archdiocese of Atlanta protested the sex abuse crisis and homoheresy outside the cathedral on Sunday. About 20 to 30 protesters turned up Sunday morning outside Christ the King Cathedral in Atlanta, including members of Church Militant's Resistance. Among their grievances were the priest sex abuse scandal, the archdiocese's acceptance of the homosexual agenda and Abp. Wilton Gregory's recent decision to invite pro-gay celebrity Jesuit Fr. James Martin to speaking gigs in October.

https://www.churchmilitant.com/news/article/catholics-protest-outside-atlanta-cathedral 

Catholic Church Releases New Molestation-Proof Altar Boy Uniform

Claiming the vestments represent a vital step in ameliorating the church’s centuries-long history of addressing sexual abuse with subsequent cover-ups, the Catholic Church introduced a line of wrought iron molestation-proof altar boy uniforms Monday. “With these new impenetrable steel robes, Catholic altar boys can now serve the Lord and assist with Mass without the shame or fear of tempting otherwise pious clergymen,” a joint statement by senior Vatican officials read in part, explaining that the full-coverage metal loin-girdings are available to fit all sizes and ranges of youth’s suppleness and are guaranteed to spurn the fingers of any priest who attempts to violate its boundaries.

https://www.theonion.com/catholic-church-releases-new-molestation-proof-altar-bo-1829275247 

Pa. House advances bill allowing older victims of child sexual abuse to sue

After protesters flocked to the Capitol on Monday, the state House advanced a measure that would allow more victims of child sex abuse to sue their attackers decades after being assaulted. The House voted, 171-23, to amend a bill to lift for two years the state's civil statute of limitations that bars accusers older than 30 from suing over abuse that occurred when they were children. The change was a major recommendation in last month's state grand jury report that outlined decades of sex abuse and cover-ups by Catholic clergy across the state.

http://www2.philly.com/philly/news/politics/state/pennsylvania-grand-jury-catholic-clergy-child-sexual-abuse-legislation-20180924.html 

Ignatius Press founder to Pope Francis: ‘Be a man. Stand up and answer’ Viganò’s allegations

The founder of U.S. Catholic publishing house Ignatius Press has called for Pope Francis to answer Archbishop Viganò’s allegations that he knowingly promoted an American cardinal accused of abusing seminarians and priests. Father Joseph Fessio, SJ, told CNN that he finds the pontiff’s refusal to give an answer “deplorable”. In recent weeks, commentators have interpreted Pope Francis’ homilies about “the Great Accuser” and Christ’s “silence” as coded commentary on the Vatican whistleblower’s testimony and the pontiff’s own reluctance to answer it.

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/ignatius-press-founder-to-pope-francis-be-a-man.-stand-up-and-answer-vigano 

Pope praises Latvians for keeping faith during occupation

Pope Francis praised Latvians on Monday for persevering through the horrors of Soviet and Nazi occupation, persecution and exile, and urged them to keep their Christian faith alive as subsequent generations confront new oppressions today. On the third day of his Baltic pilgrimage, Francis traveled to Latvia and placed flowers at the monument to Latvian independence. He joined Lutheran and Orthodox leaders at a music-filled ecumenical prayer and acknowledged the many trials Latvians endured during two Soviet occupations and the World War II-era occupation by Nazi Germany: "the horror of war, then political repression, persecution and exile."

https://www.nzherald.co.nz/world/news/article.cfm?c_id=2&objectid=12130963 

Before abuse scandal, Bono dedicated song to his ‘old friend Cardinal McCarrick’

On the heels of rock star Bono’s out-of-the-blue meeting with Pope Francis last week, a clip from a 2017 concert surfaced on social media with the U2 front man dedicating a song onstage to now-former Cardinal Theodore McCarrick. “This goes out to an old friend – Cardinal McCarrick,” Bono says during an instrumental interlude of the band’s song “I still haven’t found what I’m looking for.”

https://www.lifesitenews.com/news/before-abuse-scandal-bono-dedicated-song-to-his-old-friend-cardinal-mccarri 

The Vatican ‘owes God an apology’ for mismanagement of abuse allegations, activist says in letter to Pope

The prominent founder of a Newfoundland organization for clergy abuse survivors has written a letter to Pope Francis, saying the Vatican “owes God an apology” for mismanagement of abuse allegations. “I realize you inherited this problem, but the way the Vatican mismanaged this crisis is disgraceful,” wrote Gemma Hickey, founder of Pathways Foundation in St. John’s. Newfoundland and Labrador was the site of two highly publicized abuse scandals in the late 1980s, when allegations of widespread abuse at Mount Cashel and Belvedere Catholic orphanages met with public shock and outrage.

https://www.theglobeandmail.com/canada/article-the-vatican-owes-god-an-apology-for-mismanagement-of-abuse/ 

Up to 1,000 plan to rally in Harrisburg today as lawmakers consider extending protections to sexual abuse victims

Pennsylvania lawmakers return to session today after a nearly three-month-long summer break from the Capitol. And they won’t be alone. Up to 1,000 people, including victims of child sex abuse, are expected to descend on the Capitol, too, for rallies, speeches and lobbying in support of legislation that would give them and future victims greater legal protections in civil and criminal courts. The event is planned to keep pressure on the Legislature to pass a bill that gives adults more time to sue their childhood abusers and enablers, and to allow prosecutors to charge future abusers at any time.

http://www.mcall.com/news/nationworld/pennsylvania/mc-nws-pennsylvania-priest-child-abuse-legislature-20180923-story.html 

Cheers erupt as Pennsylvania House approves measure extending protections for sex abuse victims

Since 2004, Mary McHale has been dutifully beating a path to Harrisburg to lobby for legislation that would give child sex abuse survivors more legal avenues to go after their predators. McHale, of Reading, said she’s finally feeling optimistic. That’s because current and former state representatives and senators, a former lieutenant governor, an attorney general and a few hundred survivors and their supporters gathered Monday in Harrisburg to begin the push one more time.

http://www.mcall.com/news/breaking/mc-nws-rally-harrisburg-grand-jury-reforms-20180921-story.html