Archive for June, 2016
Summarizing the Questions
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, church reform, Clergy, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on June 10, 2016
The editorial staff of National Catholic Reporter has questions, like many of us, about the details of the new universal law in the motu proprio recently issued by Pope Francis. Does it replace the tribunal announced last year? Who is committed to making the new policy work? Will the process devolve like diocesan review boards into window-dressing appendages controlled entirely by the bishops themselves? As the NCR editors state, let a priest or bishop stray the slightest from “the narrowest orthodoxy” and removal is swift, but let a bishop cover up clergy sex abuse, and nothing happens to the bishop–for more than 30 years, the Church still has not held such bishops accountable. We all are waiting to see whether this new approach will. If at all.
Here’s the full editorial.
HB 1947 Is Constitutional and Does Not Attack Church
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on June 9, 2016
FACT SHEET:
On the Constitutionality of HB 1947
Background: Currently in Pennsylvania, a survivor of child sex abuse has until age 50 to file criminal charges and age 30 to initiate a civil suit if the abuse occurred after 2002. Anyone abused before that year has much less time to report abuse.
HB 1947 seeks to eliminate time barriers to file criminal and civil cases for those abused after the bill becomes law. It would affect both private and public institutions, however much misinformation has been spread about this bill and its constitutionality.
Claim: HB 1947 is unconstitutional.
Fact: This charge has been leveled against attempts to reform the statute of limitations in numerous other states, including California, Delaware, Massachusetts and Connecticut. In all of these cases, the legislation was found to be constitutional.
Claim: HB 1947 does not apply to public institutions.
Fact: HB 1947 will apply equally to…
View original post 113 more words
Philly Clergy Resorts to Spiritual Shaming
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on June 9, 2016
Click here to read: “Priests, parishes target Pa. legislators who backed sex-abuse bill,” by Maria Panaritis, The Philadelphia Inquirer, June 8, 2016
Excerpt:
One lawmaker called it “electioneering.” Another grew emotional as she recounted being snubbed by a priest. A third penned a Facebook screed that became the buzz of the House of Representatives.
Legislators expressed outrage this week after they said they had been named by priests at Mass, in church bulletins or in some other way rebuked by the Catholic Church for supporting a bill that would let child sex-abuse victims sue individuals and private institutions decades after the abuse occurred.
Editor’s Note:
- Revolting;
- Church should be a sacred spiritual refuge not a bully pen;
- Does Pope Francis condone these shaming tactics?
- Is this how Jesus would approach this?
- Kathy and I applaud these state legislators who have stood up for children and victims. They are far more Christ-like…
View original post 8 more words
Peitition to Archbishop Sartain: disclose abuse claim files, empower lay review board / National Catholic Reporter
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on June 8, 2016
An open letter in the form of an online petition asks Seattle Archbishop J. Peter Sartain to address what it charges is the archdiocese’s ‘incomplete response’ to the ‘clergy abuse crisis.’
“Posted late Sunday, June 5, the petition acknowledges the archbishop’s ‘deep concern for abuse victims’ and ‘willingness to extend pastoral care to them,’ but claims ‘more is needed if we are to truly protect our youth, heal the wounds caused by this horrific evil, and address the continued alienation of Catholics from their Church.’
“The letter specifically asks:
- For the public release of ‘all files, memoranda, settlements and communications related to credible claims of abuse by all clergy and religious who have ministered in this archdiocese or will do so in the future’;
- For the empowerment of ‘a reconstituted Review Board’ that would have ‘broad, independent access to all Church files concerning clergy abuse of minors,’ and the ‘authority to investigate and make recommendations as to policy and discipline for all matters relating to such abuse in the Archdiocese — past, present and future’;
- That the majority of a new Review Board be ‘selected by the laity and all of its recommendations made public unless the Archbishop explains in writing to the Catholic community the reasons for not doing so.'”
By Dan Morris-Young, National Catholic Reporter — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Will the Vatican discipline offending bishops? / The New York Times
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on June 8, 2016
Victims and their advocates are understandably skeptical about Pope Francis’ latest plan for disciplining bishops who schemed for years to protect abusive priests in the church’s devastating pedophilia scandal.
“The pope dropped last year’s plan to create a special tribunal to investigate offending bishops. Instead, last week, he handed the task to existing Vatican agencies, accompanied by a personal order to investigate and remove diocesan leaders found guilty of engaging in cover-ups.”
By the editorial board at The New York Times — Click here to read the rest of this editorial.
Pope puts Guam archbishop accused of sex abuse on leave / Religion News Service
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Voice of the Faithful on June 7, 2016
Mounting accusations of sexual abuse against the archbishop of Guam have prompted Pope Francis to name a Vatican official to oversee the Catholic Church on the Pacific island territory while the charges are investigated.
“The decision announced Monday (June 6) to force Archbishop Anthony Sablan Apuron, who has led the Agana Archdiocese for 30 years, to yield his authority, at least temporarily, is the latest sign that Francis is taking tougher steps to tackle the sexual abuse crisis.”
By Rosie Scammell, Religion News Service — Click here to read the rest of this story.
Voice of the Faithful confident Pope Francis’ new rules will increase chances for bishop accountability
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on June 7, 2016
Pope Francis has issued new rules for bishop accountability that give the Voice of the Faithful Church reform movement hope that accountability for cover-ups may at last be applied.
With his motu proprio (apostolic letter) “Like a Loving Mother,” issued June 4, Pope Francis has refined the definition of harm that could be the basis for removing a bishop. In the letter’s preamble, he writes: “The Canon law already provides for the possibility of removal from office ecclesiastical ‘for serious reasons’ … In this letter I intend to point out that among those “grave reasons” includes the negligence of the bishops in the exercise of their office, in particular in relation to cases of sexual abuse of minors and vulnerable adults …”
Pope Francis issues apostolic letter on bishop accountability
Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on June 5, 2016
Pope Francis issued a moto proprio, apostolic letter, yesterday (Jun. 4) on removing negligent bishops from office, stating: “In the case that it relates to the abuse of minors or vulnerable adults, it is sufficient that the lack of diligence is grave.” The Pope’s action is meeting mixed reviews, as the following reports show:
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Voice of the Faithful
A lay movement for governance reform in the Roman Catholic Church, responding to the clergy sexual abuse scandal and supporting survivors.
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