Ann Free Spirit Survivor of Clergy Sex Abuse

28 February 2019

Chrissie Foster calls for George Pell's Melbourne Response to be 'torn down'

The mother of two girls abused by a Catholic priest says the conviction of George Pell on child sex abuse charges should lead to the tearing down of the controversial compensation scheme he set up for survivors of clerical sexual abuse. Pell was last year found guilty of sexually abusing two choirboys at St Patrick's Cathedral during his time as archbishop of Melbourne in December 1996, but the verdict had been suppressed until now

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-26/george-pell-child-sex-abuse-guilty-verdict-chrissie-foster/10845500

Pell abused two choirboys. One of them didn't live to see justice

In sentencing Cardinal George Pell, Chief Judge Peter Kidd has made clear that he is not passing sentence on the church — he is sentencing Cardinal Pell, and Cardinal Pell alone. But the conviction of Australia's most prominent Catholic for sexual offences against minors has been met with an outpouring of emotion and public comment.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/pell-guilty-verdict-what-will-it-mean-for-australian-catholics/10853218

More than 500 boys abused at top German Catholic school

Physical and sexual abuse took place up to 2015 at Regensburger Domspatzen choir school, referred to by some pupils as ‘hell’ At least 547 young members of the Regensburger Domspatzen boys choir in Germany were subjected to physical and in some instances sexual abuse over a period of 60 years, a new report says. The report accuses 49 members of the Catholic Church of carrying out the abuse between 1945 and the early 1990s.

http://churchandstate.org.uk/2017/07/more-than-500-boys-abused-at-top-german-catholic-school/?fbclid=IwAR2S3SR3shVIRYd48GhK6oWHS3LWbChk2QeghbiiXA90DhCFG6OvdJnBRR4

What George Pell's guilty verdict will mean for Australian Catholics

George Pell's reaction to the 'vile and disgusting' child abuse claims put to him by police

For months, journalists sat through one of the most high-profile trials held in any court in the world, without permission to report a moment of it — until now. But you may have already heard snippets about what would have arguably been the biggest news story in Australia last year: Cardinal George Pell being found guilty of multiple child sex offences.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-26/george-pell-trial-why-cardinal-court-case-held-in-secret/10233118

George Pell's trial for child sexual abuse was held in secret. This is why

George Pell's victim responds to the cardinal's conviction for child sex abuse

The survivor of child sexual abuse committed by Cardinal George Pell says he has experienced "shame, loneliness, depression and struggle" in the years since. Today, the lifting of a suppression order has allowed media to report that Pell has been found guilty of sexually abusing two choirboys when he was archbishop of Melbourne. Pell's victim released this statement via his lawyer, Vivian Waller:

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-26/george-pells-victim-responds-to-guilty-verdict/10849832

George Pell returns to court, prosecutors push for 'immediate' jail sentence for child sex abuse

George Pell's lawyer has described his crimes as "no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case", but a prosecutor says they were brazen, forceful and humiliating acts, at a court hearing to consider the cardinal's sentence. In submissions to Victorian County Court Chief Judge Peter Kidd during a plea hearing, Pell's barrister Robert Richter QC said the offences were "no more than a plain vanilla sexual penetration case where the child is not volunteering or actively participating".

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/george-pell-returns-to-court-for-presentencing-hearing/10851152

Jesus warned against men like Cardinal Pell. His message could save the Church

Go into any Australian church on a Sunday and you will find a seat. If you're lucky, the church will be half-full. An argument could be made that this is a reflection of a cynical and godless age. But an argument could also be made that the market just isn't buying what the church is selling because it's an unattractive message.

https://www.abc.net.au/news/2019-02-27/george-pells-conviction-opportunity-australian-catholic-church/10852688

26 February 2019

Catholic Church still abusing children in New Zealand - former victim

Dunedin man Darryl Smith is in Vatican City for the Pope's summit on the abuse of minors - and he wants a clean out of cardinals and bishops. "When I was six, I went to Marylands, and within two nights, I was raped," he says. Marylands was a Catholic School in Christchurch. It was 1971 and it ruined Mr Smith's life. "Every third day I was raped by someone. A staff member, a priest, a brother there. Or an older boy."

https://www.newshub.co.nz/home/new-zealand/2019/02/catholic-church-still-abusing-children-in-new-zealand-former-victim.html?fbclid=IwAR2YLu2Q43q-n1hAParXgt-hZ98HwF9YBDvWDFqY4SPtLJPfQshiuXXOoKI

22 February 2019

'It Is Not a Closet. It Is a Cage.' Gay Catholic Priests Speak Out

Gregory Greiten was 17 years old when the priests organized the game. It was 1982 and he was on a retreat with his classmates from St. Lawrence, a Roman Catholic seminary for teenage boys training to become priests. Leaders asked each boy to rank which he would rather be: burned over 90 percent of his body, paraplegic or gay. Each chose to be scorched or paralyzed. Not one uttered the word “gay.” They called the game the Game of Life.

https://www.nytimes.com/2019/02/17/us/it-is-not-a-closet-it-is-a-cage-gay-catholic-priests-speak-out.html

My Own Personal Experience with Abusive Clergy

My Own Personal Experience with Abusive Clergy Loving the Church at this time demands that we shine the bright light of truth on the experience of those intimately attacked by abusive clergy. Kevin Burke This week, the bishops of the world will gather in Rome for an international summit to address the clergy abuse scandals in the Catholic Church.

http://www.ncregister.com/blog/kburke/my-own-personal-experience-with-abusive-clergy

Nessel warns Catholic Church: Let state investigate clergy sexual abuse

As Pope Francis holds a summit on clergy sex abuse at the Vatican, survivors are demanding accountability and transparency from church leaders and assert that the time of sex abuse cover-ups is over. Michigan AG: "If an investigator comes to your door and asks to speak with you, please ask to see their badge and not their rosary"

https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/2019/02/21/catholic-church-abuse-michigan/2936561002/

Catholic sex-abuse scandal sweeps Saginaw Diocese, Michigan and beyond

The Catholic Diocese of Saginaw, as well as Michigan's six other Catholic dioceses, are under investigation by the state Attorney General's office which is looking into sex-abuse claims dating to the 1950s. One Saginaw-area priest currently faces criminal sexual misconduct charges and is headed to trial in March.

https://www.mlive.com/expo/news/g66l-2019/02/16ce1fa0eb1032/catholic-sexabuse-scandal-sweeps-saginaw-diocese-michigan-and-beyond.html

Leaders of Catholic nuns and priests admit to 'errors in judgment' over child sex abuse

Ahead of a Vatican summit on clerical sex abuse, the top leadership of Catholic nuns and priests worldwide admitted to making "errors in judgment" regarding cases of sexual abuse of children and say that more women should be involved in the process of evaluating cases. In a rare joint statement, the leaders of Major Superiors of Religious Orders and Congregations, who represent hundreds of thousands of Catholic nuns and priests around the world, said they "bow their heads in shame at the realization" the abuse of minors had taken place.

https://edition.cnn.com/2019/02/19/europe/catholic-nuns-vatican-abuse-intl/index.html