Archive for May, 2018

Voice of the Faithful “Focus” News Roundup

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on May 25, 2018

You can also read “Focus” on Voice of the Faithful’s website …

TOP STORIES

Australian prelate convicted of covering up sexual abuse
“An Australian archbishop who was the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the world charged with covering up child sex abuse was convicted Tuesday (May 22) and faces a potential two years in prison(link is external). Magistrate Robert Stone handed down the verdict against Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson in Newcastle Local Court, north of Sydney, following a magistrate-only trial.” By Associated Press on Cruxnow.com

All of Chile’s bishops offer resignations after meeting pope on abuse
“Every bishop in Chile offered his resignation to Pope Francis(link is external) after a three-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the clerical sexual abuse scandal. “We want to announce that all bishops present in Rome, in writing, have placed our positions in the Holy Father’s hands so that he may freely decide regarding each one of us,” Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo said May 18 in a statement on behalf of the country’s bishops. The unprecedented decision was made on the final day of their meeting May 15-17 with Francis.” By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

Pennsylvania dioceses say they won’t block report on clerical sexual abuse
“Several dioceses in Pennsylvania have said they will not try to block a report from a grand jury investigation into clerical sexual abuse(link is external) in the state. The Pennsylvania Attorney General’s Office is overseeing the grand jury investigation into six of the eight Catholic dioceses in the state: Allentown, Harrisburg, Scranton, Erie, Greensburg and Pittsburgh. ‘We will not challenge the release of the grand jury report.’” By Cruxnow.com Staff

The Pope opens his eyes to abuse
“The abuse of minors by pedophile priests has been among the most painful sagas of our time, the horror compounded by the knowledge that hierarchs could have stopped the predators if only they had not chosen, for so long, to cover up their actions. Now, at long last, Pope Francis seems to have glimpsed the depth of the global crisis(link is external).” By The New York Times Editorial Board

ACCOUNTABILITY

Francis should seize momentum of Chile resignations
“As dramatic as the resignations of the Chilean bishops are, the actual process for obtaining them differed little from the process that forced Finn, Nienstedt and Piché to resign. The church still has no system and no independent authority to investigate and hold accountable bishops(link is external) and religious superiors who enable abuse. The shock of these mass resignations creates an opportunity and momentum that Francis should seize upon to implement the tribunal he proposed three years ago. No more delays. He should act now.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff

Vatican needs new means to adjudicate bishops’ roles in sex abuse
“Only twice in history has a pope asked for the resignation of an entire episcopate(link is external): Last week, when the entire episcopate of Chile offered their resignations to the pope, and in 1802, when Pope Pius VII removed both the orthodox, validly installed bishops of France and the rival slate of schismatic bishops never recognized by Rome and installed by the revolutionary regime. In 1945, seven bishops who had collaborated with the fascist Vichy regime were sacked. Covering up the sexual abuse of children, therefore, has now joined collaborating with Robespierre or Hitler as one of the things that forces a pope to take the extraordinary step of removing a bishop from office.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

The Pope’s turnaround on sex abuse may have a ‘tsunami effect’
“The quickly unfolding events suggest an aggressive redirection for Pope Francis(link is external), who elevated the Chilean scandal into a full-on crisis in January, whenche vigorously defended Barros during a papal visit to Chile and Peru. As the Church continues to wrestle with the aftershocks caused by clergy sex abuse around the world, its efforts to make amends in Chile may be a sign of a new approach ahead—or the extreme difficulty of recovering from years of misconduct and mishandled allegations.” By Emma Green, The Atlantic

Shapiro says grand jury report on sex abuse in Catholic dioceses coming in June
“The agreements clear the way for the release of the report next month(link is external). ‘I expect to speak publicly on this comprehensive investigation by the end of June,’ Shapiro said. ‘The only thing that could stop these findings from becoming public at that time is if one of the bishops or dioceses would seek to delay or prevent this public accounting.’” By Tim Darragh, The Morning Call

Survivors, advocates see lessons for wider church in Chile resignations
“Survivors of clergy abuse and their advocates praised Pope Francis(link is external) for his confrontation with Chile’s bishops over their handling of abuse cases, which led to a mass resignation today, and the survivors and advocates urged the pope not to allow the momentum for reform to slow. ‘We didn’t expect it and it is a powerful gesture,’ said Juan Carlos Claret, spokesperson for Lay Catholic group in Osorno, Chile, who opposed the 2015 appointment of Bishop Juan Barros to Osorno because of his alleged complicity in covering up the sexual abuse of minors.” Editorial by National Catholic Reporter Staff

Chilean bishops open to resignations, reparations for clergy abuse
“Chile’s Catholic bishops said Monday (May 14) they were open to whatever Pope Francis proposes(link is external) to overhaul the Chilean church, including the removal of bishops, reforms of seminaries, and paying financial reparation to victims of a clergy sex abuse and coverup scandal. Representatives of the Chilean bishops conference told reporters they were heading into three days of meetings with Francis humbled, pained, and shamed for their own errors in handling abuse cases. They said they wanted to listen to Francis and would follow his lead in asking forgiveness of the victims they had discredited.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Boston Globe

Two Franciscan friars plead guilty to endangering children in Pennsylvania
“Two Franciscan friars who served as superiors of their community in Pennsylvania have pleaded guilty to charges of endangering children(link is external), for allowing a friar suspected of sexual abuse to continue to work with children. Father Robert D’Aversa, 70, and Father Anthony Criscitelli, 63, were each charged with first-degree misdemeanors for their role in assigning Brother Stephen Baker to positions in which he had access to children, even after several credible accusations of abuse were brought against him.” By Catholic News Service/EWTN News in National Catholic Register

POPE FRANCIS

Pope to meet more survivors of Chile’s most infamous abuser priest
“Continuing efforts to clean up the Catholic Church in Chile(link is external), whose leadership is charged with covering up cases of clerical sexual abuse, abuses of power and conscience, Pope Francis will welcome more victims of the country’s most infamous abusive priest to Rome as papal guests. On June 1-3, a group of nine people, including seven priests and two lay people, will stay at the Vatican’s Santa Marta residence where Francis has been living since the beginning of his pontificate. The Vatican confirmed the meeting in a statement released late Tuesday (May 22) Rome time.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

‘Pope cannot claim he was misinformed’: Chilean abuse survivor after Vatican meeting
“In January, Pope Francis traveled to South America to spread peace and hope. Many cheered him on, but he also wound up causing emotional pain when he dismissed accusations that Chilean clergy had covered up sexual abuse(link is external). In the weeks that followed, the Vatican’s leading sex crimes investigator looked into the allegations, and the pope did an about-face: He acknowledged making mistakes.” By Alex Leff, Morning Edition, National Public Radio
— Chilean bishops say pope’s meetings with survivors show them path to follow(link is external), By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

Canadian House passes motion calling on Pope Francis to issue an apology
“In a rare show of unanimity, the House of Commons overwhelmingly supported a motion to call on Pope Francis to apologize(link is external) on Canadian soil for abuses that occurred at church-run residential schools. What happens next, however, remains unclear. The motion is not binding. The motion received all-party support in a May 1 vote, 269-10.” By Catholic Courier

CARDINALS

Francis names 14 cardinals, surpassing numbers appointed by Benedict and John Paul
“Pope Francis named fourteen new Catholic cardinals(link is external) May 20, again diversifying representation in the most elite body of church prelates with selections from places as far-flung as Iraq, Pakistan and Japan and solidifying his influence on the group that will one day elect his successor. In a surprise announcement at the end of his traditional Regina Coeli prayer with crowds in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said he would install the new cardinals during a consistory at the Vatican June 29.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter
— Pope Francis has made 14 new cardinals. Here’s what you need to know(link is external), By Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

BISHOPS

U.S. bishops search for next compliance auditor for charter to protect children
“The search process has begun for the next compliance auditor for the U.S. bishops’ clergy sexual abuse policies(link is external). In a press release April 30, the National Review Board of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops announced a request for proposals for firms to conduct the 2020-2022 annual audits of the Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People, also known as the Dallas Charter.” By Brian Roewe, National Catholic Reporter

Chilean bishops: We have come to Rome in ‘pain and shame’
“The 34 Chilean bishops have come to Rome ‘in pain and shame(link is external)’ because of the victims who have suffered abuse in their church, and they are conscious that as bishops they have erred. They have come ‘in a spirit of humility and openness,’ willing to hear what Pope Francis has to say to them, and ‘ready to collaborate with him and do whatever he asks.’ That was the message that two representatives of the Chilean bishops communicated to the international press at a conference at the Vatican Radio center on May 14.” By Gerard O’Connell, America: The Jesuit Review

In career defined by the priest abuse scandal, Bishop LaValley seeks a path forward
“Bishop Terry LaValley grew up in the Plattsburgh area and says the priest abuse scandal has been devastating(link is external). His decisions shape the experience of dozens of victims and define his own legacy. Yesterday (May 10) we heard from Bishop Terry LaValley about his decision not release the name of dozens of former Roman Catholic priests in the North Country who faced credible allegations of sexual misconduct. This morning, we’re going to hear more from Bishop LaValley about how the Diocese of Ogdensburg is still coping with the clergy abuse scandal more than a decade after it erupted.” By Brian Mann, North Country Public Radio

Chilean bishops say pope’s meetings with survivors show them path to follow
“Under increasing scrutiny about the handling of clergy sexual abuse cases(link is external) over decades, Chile’s Catholic bishops say that Pope Francis’ recent emotional meetings at the Vatican with three abuse victims ‘shows us the path that the Chilean Church is called to follow.’ In a May 10 statement from the standing committee of their bishops’ conference, the Chilean prelates also confirm they will be meeting with Francis over four days May 14-17. The pope called the bishops to Rome en masse last month.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

PRIESTS

How the Church can ordain a better priest
“But most disturbing for the laity and the more seasoned clergy is the younger clergy’s ecclesiology or vision of church. Though having never lived in the pre-Vatican II church, they want to revive a clerical culture(link is external), Eucharistic adoration, Benediction, the Latin Mass, novenas and a ‘Father knows best’ mentality. These made sense in the 1940’s because the church’s theology supported them. Not anymore. One solution is to revise the way we train priests in the seminary. At its recent convention, the Association of U.S. Catholic Priests (AUSCP) called on the U.S. bishops to make sure teachings of the Vatican II become the foundation of priestly formation.” By Alexander Santora, NorthJersey.com

WOMEN RELIGIOUS

Vatican reminds cloistered nuns not to tweet too much
“The Vatican has issued new guidelines for cloistered nuns(link is external), reminding them that they’re supposed to live separated from the world and in silence — and therefore shouldn’t be tweeting too much or downloading too much news. The instructions from the Vatican’s office for religious orders cover a host of administrative and financial issues. Included are norms for when a monastery must be closed because the number of nuns shrinks to the point that the community is no longer viable — an increasingly frequent occurrence.” By Associated Press in Miami Herald

VATICAN

More Chilean sex abuse victims speak up during pope summit
“Another group of Chilean church sex abuse victims(link is external) is making its voice heard as the country’s Catholic leadership meets with Pope Francis, demanding that the Vatican recognize crimes, cover-ups and the need for reparation. A statement from six named victims of the Marist Brothers religious community – and other unnamed survivors of Marist assaults – was issued Wednesday on the second day of the emergency summit Francis convened with 34 Chilean bishops.” By Eva Vergara, Associated Press

Vatican treasurer’s trial on historical sex offenses to last 10 weeks, court hears
“The trial of Vatican treasurer George Pell(link is external), who has pleaded not guilty to charges of historical sexual offenses, is expected to last 10 weeks, an Australian court heard on Wednesday (May 2). The County Court of Victoria state will hold a second hearing on May 16 to plan how to proceed, with the prosecution and defense agreeing to press for two separate trials, each estimated to take about five weeks.” By Reuters in Straits Times

PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

Former member of pope’s sex abuse commission looks back at tenure
“Bill Kilgallon is looking back on his three years as a member of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors(link is external) with sense of achievement, alongside a certain sense of frustration. Kilgallon’s three-year term on the commission came to an end last year, and he was not reappointed to a second term, an outcome he had anticipated. When asked to point to the achievements by the commission in its first term, he pointed first to the establishment of the body itself, which involved the bringing together of people from different professional backgrounds from all around the world to work as a team.” By Michael Otto, National Catholic Reporter

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Pope calls dicastery to promote reflection on role of women
“Pope Francis has updated the statutes of the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life, adding among other things a specific reference to the office’s responsibility for promoting a deeper reflection on the role of women in the church(link is external) and society. ‘The dicastery works to deepen the reflection on the relationship between men and women in their respective specificity, reciprocity, complementarity and equal dignity,’ the new statutes said. ‘Valuing the feminine ‘genius,’ it offers a contribution to ecclesial reflection on the identity and mission of women in the church and in society, promoting their participation.’” By Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service, in The Pilot

VATICAN II

The end of the affair? ‘Humanae Vitae’ at 50
“On July 29, 1968, Pope Paul VI published his encyclical on the regulation of birth, introducing what we call here the Humanae Vitae affair. Now approaching its golden jubilee, the encyclical was published at a time of twofold crisis, one theological, the other cultural(link is external). Paul’s theological teaching, ‘each and every marital act must of necessity retain its intrinsic relationship to the procreation of human life,’ had never been taught before in the Catholic tradition and further fueled the post-Vatican II theological wars in the church. Humanae Vitae (‘Of Human Life’) itself further fueled the post-World War II culture wars over the meaning of sexuality. The scars from both these wars are still evident. They have inserted themselves into the papacy of Pope Francis, oblivious to the fact that he has moved away from the Catholic obsession with sex and birth control toward the beauty of a virtuous, just and loving marriage. His focus is on the complexity of human experience and relationships, which Humanae Vitae failed to adequately consider.” By Michael G. Lawler and Todd A. Salzman, National Catholic Reporter

VOICES

A deeper reckoning
“When Pope Francis appointed Juan Barros Madrid bishop of Osorno, Chile, in 2015, violent protests broke out in the streets and in the cathedral at his installation Mass. Barros was a protégé of the notorious priest Fernando Karadima, a charismatic and influential figure in the church of Santiago who had engaged in the sexual abuse of minors over the course of three decades. Karadima was sentenced by an ecclesiastical court in 2011 to a life of prayer and penitence. Yet four of Karadima’s favorites, who had turned a blind eye to his abusive behavior and defended him when he was initially accused, were later made bishops; Barros was one of those four. When Pope Francis proclaimed Barros’s innocence and expressed belief in his side of the story over the victims,’ it immediately became an international scandal. Much is at stake in this troubling case(link is external).” By Rita Ferrone, Commonweal

Vatican silence on Cardinal Pell’s trial is a turn from a long history
“Cardinal George Pell is going on trial in Australia to face charges he sexually abused minors. As victims’ advocate Anne Barrett Doyle told my colleague Josh McElwee, this trial is a ‘turning point’ in the long saga(link is external) of compelling accountability by church leaders. It is even more of a turning point than Doyle may realize. Because the big story here is the dog that did not bark, the fact that the Vatican has made no protest at the prospect of a prince of the church standing trial before a civil magistrate.” By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter

A wake-up call to liberal theologians
“The estrangement between academic theology and the institutional Church is one reason many younger Catholics are now turning to neo-traditionalist circles for instruction(link is external). A new generation is re-examining what’s happened in the church since the 1960s and reacting against the theology that came out of the Second Vatican Council. Some younger Catholics are also questioning the legitimacy of the secular, pluralistic state. This is why the concerns of academic theology are no longer merely academic.” By Massimo Faggioli, Commonweal

Ahead of pope’s meeting with Childe bishops, laity calling for more power
“Days before Pope Francis is scheduled to meet with over 30 Chilean bishops to discuss the clerical sexual abuse crisis in the country, victims are speaking out, and the laity of the diocese at the center of the story are demanding to have a voice in the naming of their bishop(link is external) … The statement also demands that the laity be consulted in the decisions that need to be made to resolve the crisis, instead of being ‘mere observers and receptors of important decisions already taken – either in Rome, the bishops’ conference, or the Apostolic nunciature.’ The statement called for an end to ‘unilateral decision-making,’ adding that the Church is living through a moment which is calling it to a ‘profound and genuine conversion.’” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

As Chile bishops arrive in Rome, recalling 48 hours that shook the Church
“In one of our earliest talks over the years, the late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago gave a precocious young reporter a valuable piece of advice: ‘Be careful about using the word ‘unprecedented,’ he said. ‘In the Catholic Church, everything has happened at least once(link is external).’ Thus it is that as the bishops of Chile arrive in Rome this weekend for meetings with Pope Francis Tuesday through Thursday (May 15-17) on that country’s clerical sexual abuse crisis, we can certainly call the summit ‘extraordinary,’ but not a complete novelty.” By John L. Allen, Jr., Cruxnow.com

Theologians call for regular consultation of laity in church decisions
“The Catholic Church needs to seek the input, commitment and talents of all of its members if it is to be truly catholic and to evangelize effectively, said a new document from the International Theological Commission … The document explored ways the church already exercises synodality(link is external), including through parish councils, diocesan presbyteral councils, national bishops’ conferences, regional councils of bishops, the synods of bishops of the Eastern Catholic churches, the world Synod of Bishops and ecumenical councils, like Vatican II. While synodality is based on the baptismal gifts and responsibilities of each Catholic, the document said, it is not a call for some form of a Catholic parliament. The pope and the bishops, assisted by their priests, still retain their decision-making authority.” By Catholic News Service in The Catholic Spirit of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul & Minneapolis

CHURCH FINANCES

Vatican’s financial critique failed to address structural flaws, systemic rewards
“The ‘order’ of our postmodern milieu is defined by markets. Once markets were mere economic exchanges. Now market-like forces shape our tastes, our values, our morals and, as President Donald Trump reminds us each day with his morning tweets, even our truths. Yet, much as fish might not perceive the very waters in which they swim, so too we but dimly perceive the operation of market forces at work around us(link is external) and at work in our souls.” By Stephen Schneck, National Catholic Reporter

Priest in Johnson County allegedly stole more than $40,000 from his church
“A Catholic priest in Johnson County has been charged with stealing more than $40,000(link is external) from a Gardner parish while he served as pastor. Father Joseph Cramer was booked into the Johnson County Jail Tuesday (May 8) night and was released after posting a $5,000 bond.” By Tony Rizzo, The Kansas City Star

Ex-head of Vatican bank goes on trial for embezzlement
“The former president of the Vatican bank went on trial(link is external) Wednesday (May 9) on charges he and his lawyer embezzled 57 million euros ($68 million) in Vatican real estate sales, a case that shows the Holy See’s willingness to prosecute shady financial deals that may have involved top cardinals. Angelo Caloia appeared in the Vatican courtroom, while his onetime lawyer and 95-year-old co-defendant, Gabriele Liuzzo, was absent, citing his age. A third suspect died during the investigation.” By Nicole Winfield, Associated Press, in The Sacramento Bee

Man stole identity, sought $1M from Catholic Church sex abuse settlement
“A Covington man used another person’s identity to try to collect $1 million from a settlement fund for victims of sexual abuse by the Catholic Church(link is external), court documents say. According to a federal indictment unsealed this week, the 32-year-old Covington man had already been awarded $750,000 for a claim he filed in 2006. The charges he faces do not involve that claim.” By Kevin Grasha, Cincinnati Enquirer

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

Pending report on Catholic child sex abuse in Pennsylvania could renew efforts to amend statue of limitations law
“A statewide grand jury report on sexual abuse within Catholic dioceses, including the ones in Greensburg and Pittsburgh, could be an opening for another effort to abolish Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations(link is external) for child sexual assault. At least that’s what state Rep. Mark Rozzi, D-Berks County, said he intends to push for when the widely-anticipated report is released.” By Debra Erdley, TribLive.com

Statute of Limitations reform: no clock on this crime
“The state Legislature needs to address the statute of limitations regarding child sex cases(link is external). There are far too many cases that cannot be prosecuted because victims did not report these heinous crimes when they were children. ‘Children are targeted by predators because they are vulnerable, they are young and they struggle with shame, confusion or fear,’ state Attorney General Josh Shapiro said. ‘But once a victim finds the courage to come forward, law enforcement must take action.’” By Tribune-Review Editorial Board on TribLive.com

Local rep sponsors bill to help victims of sexual abuse
“Rep. Carol Hagan McEntee has joined with other advocates for victims of sexual abuse to fight to abolish the statute of limitations(link is external) for pressing civil charges against alleged sexual abusers. Introduced in the House by McEntee (D-Dist. 33, South Kingstown, Narragansett) and in the Senate by Sen. Donna M. Nesselbush (D-Dist. 15, Pawtucket, North Providence), the legislation proposed would eliminate the current seven-year civil statute of limitations (SOL) for injuries suffered as a result of sexual abuse.” By Kendra Gravelle, the Narragansett Times

Legislators weighing time limits on sex abuse lawsuits
“Legislation introduced in response to the Larry Nassar scandal at Michigan State University, approved last month by the state Senate, would retroactively extend the civil statute of limitations(link is external) for victims who were younger than 18 at the time they were assaulted. It would give victims a one-year window to sue for incidents dating back as far as 1997 … For future abuse, minor victims would have up to their 48th birthday to pursue criminal charges or up to a decade to file lawsuits against abusers or enabling institutions. The proposed extensions, especially the window for civil suits, face opposition as they await House consideration.” By Jonathan Oosting, Detroit News

New York’s Catholic bishops ramp up lobbying against Child Victims Act
“The state’s Catholic Conference has spent $1.8 million over six years lobbying Albany to, among other things, derail a bill to make it easier for sex abuse victims to sue(link is external). The Democratic-led state Assembly approved the Child Victims Act last week, but its prospects for passage in the Republican-led Senate are less likely … But the Catholic Conference says the act would force institutions to defend misconduct ‘about which they have no knowledge, and in which they had no role.’ By Matthew Spina, The Buffalo News

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Abuse victims meet with Pope Francis: ‘We need concrete actions’
“Mr. (Juan Carlos) Cruz joined James Hamilton and José Andrés Murillo, also victims in their youth of a notorious Chilean pedophile priest, at a news conference in Rome on Wednesday (May 2) to discuss their intense and emotional sojourn(link is external) this past week as guests of the pope in the Vatican. But even as the three men expressed gratitude for the meeting — ‘I have never seen anyone so contrite,’ Mr. Cruz said of Francis — they urged the pope to transform ‘his loving words’ of apology into ‘exemplary actions’ to end sexual abuse and its cover-up in the Roman Catholic Church.” By Elisabetta Povoledo, The New York Time

Victims of clergy abuse across Pennsylvania brace for ‘very bad storeis’ in huge grand jury report
“After nearly two years of investigating sexual abuse of children within six Catholic dioceses across Pennsylvania, a grand jury is getting close to issuing its report(link is external). State Rep. Mark Rozzi, a survivor of clergy abuse and an advocate for statute of limitations reform, has told The Morning Call and PennLive that the grand jury investigation would be wrapping up this month or next.” By Brandie Kessler, York Daily Record

Editorial: Catholic Church’s responsibility is to victims, not its coffers
“Entering into a fight is sometimes the only way to get what you want. Other times, it just leaves you with a black eye. That’s what is happening to the Catholic Church as it fights to keep some victims of sexual abuse from seeking redress(link is external). A story in Monday’s (May 7) Buffalo News detailed how the New York State Catholic Conference spent $1.8 million over six years on lobbying in Albany, including a push to stop the Child Victims Act, a bill that would make it easier for victims of child molestation to file lawsuits or bring criminal charges against their abusers.” By The Buffalo News Editorial Board

Convicted Guam archbishop’s presence at papal event alarms survivor advocates
“Abuse survivor advocates are expressing alarm after a Catholic archbishop accused of molesting young men(link is external), who was recently convicted in a canonical trial, appeared on a stage with other prelates at an event in Rome with Pope Francis. Guam Archbishop Anthony Apuron was seen at a May 5 event for the 50th anniversary of the Neocatechumenal Way. He was sitting alongside dozens of other prelates behind Francis as the pontiff took part in a meeting with some 100,000 members of the community in a field on the edge of Rome.” By Joshua J. McElwee, National Catholic Reporter

More action urged against sexual abuse by priests
“Pope Francis has yet to comment on the latest developments regarding Cardinal George Pell(link is external), the highest-ranking Catholic Church official charged with sexual offenses, who faces trial in Australia. Sabina Castelfranco reports from Rome calls have been mounting for greater efforts in the worldwide fight against pedophilia in the Roman Catholic Church.” By Sabina Castelfranco, Voice of America News

In the Catholic Church abuse scandal, things can always get worse
“It what was perceived to be the height of the clerical child abuse scandal(link is external) in the Catholic Church. I had some good priests and involved laypeople tell me that the next shoe to drop was going to drop overseas, in the Catholic missions to remote areas in places like Africa and the islands of the Pacific Ocean. Surely, they told me, if predatory priests were enabled to commit their crimes in the crowded urban areas of the United States, the same thing, or worse, must have been going on in distant places beyond the reach of the spotlight, or of ‘Spotlight.’” By Charles P. Pierce, Esquire

CALIFORNIA

Alums accuse Catholic school in San Jose for failing to handle past sex abuse claims
“Dozens of people gathered Wednesday (May 16) night in San Jose over growing concerns an all-girls Catholic high school failed to handle past sexual abuse claims(link is external). Former students organized the meeting. One of the organizers said a teacher touched her inappropriately but the school failed to act. Now, she and other alums are demanding the principal and the president of the school’s board of directors to resign.” By Azenith Smith, KTVU-TV Fox News

IDAHO

A Boise priest abused him and kept him quiet with beer. He was 12. Police never knew.
“For two decades, Mark Holden kept the secret of the man who abused him: a man he believed was next to God(link is external), a man he thought was untouchable. Holden met the Rev. James McSorley in 1971 at Boise’s Sacred Heart parish. In public, Holden served McSorley as an altar boy. In private, Holden said, the 50-year-old priest soon became exploitive, using secluded time with the children to fondle Holden — and possibly others — on multiple occasions over the course of a year.” By Ruth Brown, Idaho Statesman

ILLINOIS

Two decades later, pastor charged with sexual assault of boy in Evanston hotel
“A former Catholic priest with Chicago ties is facing criminal charges for the first time, nearly two decades after he resigned from his post amid several allegations of child sex abuse(link is external). The case that eventually landed 56-year-old Kenneth Lewis in the Leighton Criminal Court Building on Saturday (May 19) in Chicago stems from a decade-old allegation of child molestation in an Evanston hotel room, according to a police source in the northern suburb.” By Nader Issa, Chicago Tribune

MARYLAND

Baltimore Archdiocese removes priest over allegations of child sexual abuse from 1970s
“The following news release was issued by the Archdiocese of Baltimore May 21 concerning the pastor of Our Lady of Pompei in Highlandtown: The Archdiocese of Baltimore has learned of an allegation of child sexual abuse(link is external) against Father Luigi Esposito, 77, pastor at Our Lady of Pompei Church in Baltimore. The alleged abuse occurred in the 1970s while Father Esposito was serving as Associate Pastor at Our Lady of Pompei. The alleged victim claims the abuse began at the age of 14 and occurred multiple times while the minor was at Our Lady of Pompei.” By Catholic Review Staff, Archdiocese of Baltimore

Class action lawsuit filed on behalf of minor students
“Today (May 17), Murphy, Falcon & Murphy filed a class action lawsuit against Saint Frances Academy, a private Roman Catholic high school located in Baltimore City, on behalf of Jill Doe1, a current Saint Frances Academy student, and all current and former students at Saint Frances Academy who were harassed, sexually assaulted, abused, exploited, and/or inappropriately touched by Ryan Penalver(link is external), a former teacher and administrator at Saint Frances Academy.” By Murphy, Falcon & Murphy on PRNewswire

MICHIGAN

Saginaw diocese official, prosecutors meet on abuse claims
“A retired judge who’s reviewing complaints of sexual abuse by priests(link is external) for the Saginaw Roman Catholic Diocese say he’s had an initial meeting with prosecutors. Michael Talbot said Wednesday (May 2, 2018) he met with Saginaw County prosecutors in a spirit of cooperation and asked whether they knew of any allegations against priests who haven’t been removed from ministry.” By Associated Press on Cruxnow.com

MINNESOTA

Former Catholic priest sentenced for criminal sexual conduct
“Dakota County Attorney James Backstrom announced Monday (May 7) 35-year-old Jacob Andrew Bertrand, who was an ordained Catholic priest in the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, Calf., was sentenced after pleading guilty to criminal sexual conduct(link is external). In January, Bertrand pled guilty to one count of third-degree criminal sexual conduct that occurred in 2010.” By KSTP-TV Eyewitness News

Minnesota priest accused of abusing 60 boys on Guam
“The Rev. Louis Brouillard has kept a low profile at his home in Pine City. But the Catholic priest faces growing notoriety on the island of Guam, where he’s been sued by at least 60 men who say he sexually abused them as children(link is external). The tiny Pacific island is reeling from a clergy sex abuse scandal not unlike the one that rocked Minnesota a few years back, with tearful victims revealing memories of sexual indignations committed decades ago. The priest most frequently accused is a 96-year-old man in a senior apartment 7,000 miles away.” By Jean Hopfensperger, Minneapolis Star Tribune

NEW MEXICO

Seven men sue former priest, alleging child sex abuse
“For the countless victims of clergy sex abuse(link is external) in New Mexico, many feel let down by police, prosecutors and other adults who should have helped them. The fight isn’t over. In a new lawsuit, seven men allege that former Catholic Priest Sabine Griego raped them repeatedly between 1968 and 1984. ‘The goal in these seven survivors in focusing on Griego specifically is to draw attention to the fact that he has escaped any kind of prosecution, even though he has been known as a credible abuser for more than 20 years,’ said Levi Monagle, who is one of the attorneys in the case.” By Chris Ramirez, KOB4-TV, Albuquerque, New Mexico

NEW YORK

The men who helped cover up Catholic Church abuse
“The recent revelations of Catholic priests who have been accused of sexual abuse show cases that date back decades(link is external). But why did it take this long for the information to be made public? Below are key figures in the Buffalo diocese dating back to the 1970s. Our I-Team has what they knew and when and the steps they took to keep the abuse out of the public eye.” By Charlie Specht, WKBW-TV News

Clergy abuse victims in Syracuse Diocese have a decision to make
“Some people abused as children by clergy(link is external) in the Syracuse Roman Catholic Diocese must decide by June 18 whether to participate in the diocese’s compensation program, or wait to see if state lawmakers pass a bill that would extend the statute of limitations, so they could sue later … That bill is the Child Victims Act. Besides extending the statute of limitations for people abused as children to sue, it would also open a one-year window, so that those previously barred through the statute of limitations to bring their case to court could do so.” By Gabe Altieri, WSKG-FM

‘I didn’t think anyone would believe me,’ Buffalo woman says she was abused by a Buffalo priest
“Another person who claims sexual abuse(link is external) by a member of the Buffalo Catholic Diocese is coming forward Wednesday (May 9). But for the first time, we’re hearing from a woman, who says she was abused by a Priest in Buffalo in the 90’s. ‘I didn’t think anyone would believe me.’ It’s been 25 years since Evelyn safe says she was sexually abused by Father Robert D. Moss. For the first time, she wants to talk about it. ‘I think it’s disgusting that somebody in power would do something like that.’” By Marissa Perlman, WIVB-TV News

Clergy abuse victims call for Bishop Malone’s resignation
“Sexual abuse victims(link is external) on Monday (May 7) called on Bishop Richard Malone to reveal more information on sexually abusive Buffalo priests or resign as bishop. ‘I think Buffalo, New York is ‘Boston, Massachusetts West,’ said Robert Hoatson, a former priest who runs Road to Recovery Inc., which helps victims of clerical sex abuse. ‘The same level of cover-up that occurred in Boston has occurred in the Diocese of Buffalo.’” By Charlie Specht, WKBW-TV

Priest accused in 1995 of having sex with teen still offering Masses
“Diocese of Buffalo officials assigned the Rev. Fabian J. Maryanski to work in parishes for more than a decade after he was accused of having sexual contact(link is external) with a teenage girl in a church rectory. The priest started his sexual advances on the girl when she was a 15-year-old parishioner at St. Patrick Church in Barker, according to a 1995 letter sent by her lawyer to diocese officials. The letter from Rochester attorney Charles A. West Jr. to then-Bishop Edward D. Head alleged that Maryanski’s sexual advances escalated from hugging and kissing to sex. The abuse is alleged to have started in the mid-1980s, when Maryanski was pastor of St. Patrick Church.” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

NORTH CAROLINA

Why don’t we know names of former North Country priests who face allegations of sex crimes
“The Diocese of Ogdensburg is moving forward with a program to compensate victims of sexual assault and rape by Roman Catholic priests(link is external). But unlike some other Catholic leaders, North Country Bishop Terry LaValley chose not to release names of priests who face credible allegations of wrong-doing.” By Brian Mass, North Country Public Radio

Former priest accused of sexually assaulting multiple children
“Authorities confirmed on Monday (May 7) that a former western North Carolina priest has been arrested on child sex crimes(link is external). Howard Willard White was taken into custody on Thursday and is charged with first-degree forcible sex offense, two counts of indecent liberties with a child, first-degree rape, second-degree forcible rape and second-degree rape.” By Amanda Shaw, FOX Carolina

NORTH DAKOTA

Priest extradited from Philippines pleads guilty to two counts
“A Roman Catholic priest accused of molesting two boys(link is external) in North Dakota in the 1990s has pleaded guilty to two counts of felony gross sexual imposition. Court documents show that Fernando Sayasaya entered the pleas Thursday (May 17) during a scheduling conference. He’s accused of abusing two underage siblings from 1995 to 1998, while he was assigned to the Blessed Sacrament Catholic Church and St. Mary’s Cathedral in the Fargo area.” By Associated Press on CacheValleyDaily.com

OKLAHOMA

Former Tulsa Catholic priest arrested, charged with sexual assault on minor
“A former Tulsa Catholic priest has been arrested and charged with sexual assault of a minor(link is external) in Evanston, Illinois. Evanston police said Kenneth Lewis, 56, allegedly molested a then 13-year-old Tulsa boy at an Evanston Hotel in July 2001. Lewis was with the family on the trip when the incident took place, officers said.” By KJRH-TV News

PENNSYLVANIA

Trail of trauma: Grand jury report expected to shed more light on sexual abuse in dioceses
“Horror stories like these have emerged the world over for more than three decades now, of Roman Catholic priests and others associated with the church exploiting their positions of trust to gain access to children they would molest(link is external). Often, such priests stayed in ministry under knowing bishops and other church higher-ups who put a premium on minimizing scandal and often thought that predators’ criminal impulses could be controlled through spiritual or therapeutic means.” By Peter Smith, Pittsburg Post-Gazette

Former Erie Diocese Bishop: ‘There Was No Such Cover-Up’ in Sex Abuse Case
“Father David Poulson, 64, of Oil City, was a priest in the Erie diocese for four decades until he left in February 2018. Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman of the Erie Diocese issued a new statement Monday (May 14) regarding the charges filed against former priest David Poulson for the sexual abuse of two young boys(link is external). It reads: The Erie Times News stated in its May 14, 2018, edition ‘that the Diocese of Erie engaged in a cover-up of David Poulson’s behavior under the administration of Bishop Donald Trautman,’ according to Attorney General Josh Shapiro. There was no such cover-up. Why would I cover up Father Poulson’s behavior when I had reported to several district atttorneys the behavior of other priests?” By ErieNewsNow.com

AG Shapiro announces arrest of Erie priest on charges of sexual abuse
“Eight years ago, the Rev. David L. Poulson admitted to his bishop that he was aroused by a boy, had sent sex-themed texts to minors(link is external) and was spending time alone with them in violation of diocesan rules, according to a grand jury report accompanying the Roman Catholic priest’s arrest Tuesday (May 8). The now-retired Bishop Donald Trautman ‘admonished’ Father Poulson and told him to ‘cease and desist’ from such behavior, according to an internal church memo cited by the grand jury.” By Peter Smith, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

Former Erie bishop says there was no cover-up of child sexual abuse on his watch
“The bishop who was at the helm in the Diocese of Erie during the years in which state investigators say a priest was abusing two boys, even as the diocese knew about it, is saying there was no cover-up of sexual abuse(link is external). Bishop Emeritus Donald Trautman on Wednesday (May 9) said in a written statement that in 2010, he had received a fourth-hand allegation about Father David Poulson’s contact with a young adult man. Pennsylvania Attorney General Josh Shapiro on Tuesday announced the arrest of Poulson, 64, of Oil City, on charges he sexually assaulted two boys over the course of many years.” By Ivey DeJesus, PennLive.com

Pennsylvania Catholic priest sexually abused at least two boys, made one say confession, AG says
“A Roman Catholic priest was arrested and charged Tuesday (May 8) with sexually abusing at least two boys(link is external) during his four decades in the Erie, Pennsylvania, diocese, and making one of them say confession after the alleged assaults. State Attorney General Josh Shapiro announced the arrest of the 64-year-old Rev. David Poulson, of Oil City, as part of a statewide grand jury investigation.” By Claudia Lauer, Associated Press, in York Daily Record

Handling of child molester colleague nets two friars probation
“Two Franciscan friars who supervised another friar who fatally stabbed himself in the heart while facing child molestation claims(link is external) pleaded no contest to child endangerment charges Friday(May 4) and were sentenced to five years of probation. Prosecutors say Robert J. D’Aversa, 71, of Hollidaysburg, failed to tell officials at Bishop McCort Catholic High School in Johnstown that he reassigned the friar, Brother Stephen Baker, in 2000 because of new credible allegations about Baker’s past.” By Mark Scolforo, Associated Press

WASHINGTON

Former Gonzaga priest and professor sentenced for child porn possession
“A former Gonzaga University priest and professor was sentenced Wednesday (May 16) to six months in jail for downloading and viewing child pornography(link is external). Gary Uhlenkott, 67, pleaded guilty in February to viewing depictions of minors engaged in sexual explicit conduct in the 2nd degree back in April 2013. Uhlenkott had been a Jesuit priest for 25 years at the time and was a professor of music at Gonzaga.” By Rachel DeYoung, KXLY-TV News

WISCONSIN

Diocese of Madison statement regarding sexual abuse of a minor
“The Diocese of Madison offers the following brief statement, regarding the recent arrest and initial appearance in court of a retired priest of the diocese, Fr. William Nolan: The diocese recently learned that Fr. William Nolan (64) was arrested by the Fort Atkinson police, with charges pending. Today (May 17), we were informed that he has been charged with six counts of second-degree sexual assault of a minor(link is external) (under the age of 16), as documented in the formal criminal complaint, filed today in Jefferson County Circuit Court.” By Diocese of Madison in diocese’s newspaper, Catholic Herald

Sex abuse victims ‘appalled’ that archdiocese ‘fixer’ Matt Flynn is running for governor
“Upon the news that Matt Flynn was running for the Democratic nomination for governor, a state GOP spokesperson said, ‘Matt Flynn has sought to cover-up the crimes(link is external)committed against those who are most vulnerable.’ Even as some progressive donors line up behind the 71-year-old former Wisconsin Democratic Party chair, the GOP accusation is, if anything, an understatement.” By Louis Weisberg, Wisconsin Gazette

ARGENTINA

Argentine priest jailed for 25 years for abuse of minors
“An Argentine court sentenced a Catholic priest to 25 years in jail on Monday (May 21) for sexually abusing seven children(link is external) over a period of years. Justo Jose Ilarraz had initially been held under house arrest until the 25-year sentence was confirmed on appeal.  Ilarraz, 57, carried out the abuse at a diocesan school in the city of Parana, 600 kilometers (400 miles) north of Buenos Aires, where he was in charge of discipline and spiritual guidance.” By Agence France-Press on Yahoo.com

AUSTRALIA

Cardinal George Pell’s Sexual Abuse Trials May Be Held in Secret
“An Australian court is to decide on Wednesday (May 16) whether two planned trials for Cardinal George Pell(link is external), the senior Vatican official accused of sexual abuse, will be conducted in secret with the public barred from knowing what took place until the proceedings are over. On Friday (May 11), prosecutors in the state of Victoria applied for a ‘super injunction’ against news coverage of the separate trials. Legal experts described the application as an extreme move aimed at keeping juries in both cases from learning anything that might cause bias.” By Damien Cave, The New York Times

Safeguarding body conducts pilot audit
“Adelaide Archdiocese has participated in a pilot audit of child protection policies and practices(link is external) by the Church’s new national safeguarding body. The Archdiocese is well advanced in aligning its safeguarding practices with the royal commission’s Child Safe Standards and compliance with mandatory reporting laws which was a key factor in the choice of Adelaide for the first pilot audit, according to Tania Stegemann, Director of Compliance, Catholic Professional Standards Ltd (CPSL).” By CathNews.com

Church urged to keep up royal commission ‘momentum’
“The chair of the Church’s new safeguarding body has told a meeting of Australian bishops that the Church needs to maintain the momentum created by the royal commission(link is external). Speaking at the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference Plenary Council in Sydney yesterday (May 10), Catholic Professional Standards Ltd (CPSL) chair Geoff Giudice said that no matter how much better informed the community and the Church is as a result of the royal commission, the danger has not passed.” By CathNews

New body to monitor Church’s ongoing response to abuse tragedy
“A new advisory group announced yesterday is set to play a crucial role in influencing and monitoring the Church in Australia’s ongoing response to the child sexual abuse scandal(link is external). The Implementation Advisory Group has been established by Australian Catholic Bishops Conference and Catholic Religious Australia. Archbishop Denis Hart, president of the Australian Catholic Bishops Conference, said the new group will monitor the response to the findings and recommendations of the Royal Commission into Institutional Response to Child Sexual Abuse and the recommendations of the Truth, Justice and Healing Council, which led the Church’s engagement with the commission.” By CathNews.com

CANADA

Confessions from pedophile priest could help Quebec sex abuse lawsuit
“A convicted pedophile priest has left behind a confession meant to help his victims sue the church. Paul-Andre Harvey died of natural causes May 3 at a minimum security prison in Laval, Que. He was serving a six-year sentence for the sexual abuse of 39 girls(link is external). Over the last several months, Harvey wrote a series of documents in French, explaining his crimes and laying out how he got away with them for decades.” By Mike Armstrong, Global News

CHILE

Chilean bishop suspends 12 priests, apologizes for not acting sooner
“Over the weekend (May 20), Chilean Bishop Alejandro Goić Karmelić suspended several priests after allegations of sexual misconduct(link is external) were raised against them. He apologized for not following up when the accusations were first brought to his attention. ‘I would like to ask forgiveness for my actions in this case,’ the bishop said in a May 19 statement.” By Elise Harris, Catholic News Agency

Chilean bishop says mistakes were made in handling abuse cases
“A Chilean bishop acknowledged the damage inflicted on survivors of clerical sex abuse and the mishandling of cases by church leaders in the country. ‘I am not saying that perhaps we have made mistakes. We have made mistakes(link is external),’ said Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo. Bishop Gonzalez, along with Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, met with journalists May 14 on the eve of a three-day meeting between Pope Francis and 34 Chilean bishops.” By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service

Chileans denounce suffering sex abuse by Marists, priests
“Even as Pope Francis apologized for his failures in connection with Chile’s most famous case of clerical sex abuse, the pope and that country’s deeply discredited Catholic Church are under mounting pressure to address another, even bigger sex scan(link is external)dal. The blooming scandal of the Marist Brothers, a congregation dedicated to education, has not yet drawn great attention worldwide — unlike allegations that a bishop covered up the crimes of a pedophile priest, Rev. Fernando Karadima.” By Eva Vergara, Associated Press, on NewsOK.com

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

All priests who have been ‘credibly’ accused of abuse should be named
“Abuse survivors have criticized the Catholic Church for tokenism and a ‘lack of humility’ and called for priests accused of child abuse to be named(link is external), as the Bishops Conference attempted to draw a line under the issue. The comments came as the Church published new guidelines, titled ‘In God’s Image,’ as a final response to the 2015 McLellan Commission and its findings.” By Stephen Naysmith, The Herald, Scotland

Safeguarding in the Catholic Church in Scotland
“The Bishops’ Conference of Scotland wish to ensure that there is transparency in the arrangements for Safeguarding in Catholic parishes and organizations throughout Scotland. In 2011 the Bishops established the McLellan Commission to review Safeguarding practice in the Catholic Church in Scotland(link is external). Its report was published in 2015, at which time we published our own plan for implementing its recommendations. This plan has led to the publication of IN GOD’S IMAGE which is an ‘Instruction’ from the Bishops of Scotland directing the approach to Safeguarding which must be followed in every Catholic Diocese in Scotland, with effect from 21st May 2018.” By The Bishops Conference of Scotland on bcos.org.uk

Cardinal Nichols should give evidence at sex abuse inquiry, say lawyers
“It is ‘vital’ that Cardinal Vincent Nichols give evidence to the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA)(link is external), a lawyer has told a hearing. Sam Stein QC, said at a preliminary hearing into the Archdiocese of Birmingham, that he has been pressing ‘for some time’ for Cardinal Vincent Nichols to appear in person. Mr Stein said that whilst he appreciated counsel to the inquiry is ‘wanting to take a step-by-step process’ in terms of potentially calling him as a witness, ‘it is obvious that where he was the Archbishop of Birmingham from the year 2000 to 2009, he is key to many of these events.’” By Ruth Gledhill, The Tablet

Child abuse survivors who grew up in ‘hellholes’ run by Home Office and other institutions have been ‘ignored’
“The Home Office, local authorities, their insurance companies, police and social workers who disbelieved abused children, all came under fire. The inquiry set up by Theresa May as Home Secretary heard how these institutions had all failed shockingly to protect many of Britain’s most vulnerable children(link is external) who were in their care. Testimony was heard of how children reporting and fleeing appalling abuse at children homes, were disbelieved by police officers and social workers. How they were returned to ‘the hands of their abuser.’” By Ben Gelblum, The London Economic

GUAM

Archdiocese acknowledges latest allegations of sex abuse
“The Archdiocese of Agana on Thursday (May 10) acknowledged the latest allegations of child sexual abuse(link is external) and lawsuit filed against the church this week, which brings to 168 the total number of clergy sex abuse cases in local and federal courts since 2016. Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes, in a statement, extended prayers for accuser A.A. and all people who have come forward recently with claims of sexual abuse by Guam Catholic clergy or lay person.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Father Antonio C. Cruz, two others told altar boy he would go to hell if he told of sex abuse
“A now deceased priest, an older male active at the Tamuning parish and an altar boy sexually abused(link is external), in or around 1981 or 1982, another altar boy who was told he would go to hell if he said anything to anyone, a lawsuit filed on Wednesday (May 9) states. The lawsuit states the boy also was told he would be shamed and disowned by his own family if he told them anything.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Former church chancellor accused of 15 years of abuse
“A 33-year-old man has come forward alleging he endured nearly 15 years of sexual molestation and abuse(link is external) at the hands of Father Adrian Cristobal, the former Archdiocese of Agana chancellor, leading him to drugs for self-medication. A lawsuit filed in the District Court of Guam by J.C.C., who used initials to protect his identity, alleges the abuse began when he was 11 years old and an altar boy at San Vicente Ferrer/San Roke Catholic Church in Barrigada, where Cristobal served as parish priest and continued until 2013.” By Mindy Aguon, The Guam Daily Post

INDIA

The church has been plagued with cases of sexual abuse, and it’s time the ‘omerta’ is broken
“The 2015 movie ‘Spotlight’ had a profound, lasting impact worldwide, not only because it was a finely made motion picture that spoke about the long-standing issue of child sexual abuse by the church(link is external), but also for the manner in which it highlighted the fact that the church and the whole organizational system of Christian authorities go to elaborate lengths to deny, hide, hush up the crimes and take great measures to shelter and rehabilitate the guilty priests.” By Sanghamitra, OPINDIA.com

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Priest steps aside due to historic abuse investigation
“A Catholic priest has voluntarily stepped aside from his duties in the Northern Ireland diocese of Dromore while police investigate a historical allegation of abuse(link is external) against him. A statement from the diocese says that both it and the priest are co-operating fully with the ongoing PSNI investigation and that they will continue to do so.” By Joe Little, RTE

NEW ZEALAND

Church abuse victims resigned to being left out of inquiry
“Church abuse survivors have resigned themselves to being excluded from the upcoming Royal Commission of Inquiry(link is external). The public consultation period about how the inquiry should run wrapped up a week ago (May 1) and its chair Sir Anand Satyanand has begun going through the 300 submissions. ‘At this stage I have not formed any final views or recommendations,’ he said in a statement last night (May 7). However, Liz Tonks of the Network of Survivors of Faith-based Institutional Abuse said she got a very different impression from meeting with Sir Anand.” By Phil Pennington, Radio New Zealand

SWITZERLAND

Controversial bishop reports priest to police
“Vitus Huonder, the controversial Catholic bishop of Chur in eastern Switzerland, has reported a local priest to the authorities over alleged sexual offenses(link is external). The bishop acted after he received information about a an alleged criminal offence of a sexual nature committed against an adult individual,’ according to the website of the diocese, which reported the incident on Wednesday (May 23).” By Swissinfo.ch

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Francis should seize momentum of Chile resignations / National Catholic Reporter

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Voice of the Faithful on May 24, 2018

The shock of these mass resignations creates an opportunity and momentum that Francis should seize upon to implement the tribunal he proposed three years ago. No more delays. He should act now. (National Catholic Reporter)

Recent weeks have seen several milestone events in the Catholic Church’s decades-long struggle to come to terms with the scandal of clergy sexual abuse and its cover-up by the hierarchy. The headline event was the mass resignation of the Chilean episcopate May 18. While at press time Pope Francis had not yet formally accepted any of the resignations and the full implications of the resignations are still being sorted out, the significance of the event cannot be in doubt.

The contrast between the meeting of Chile’s bishops and Francis in mid-May and Francis’ encounter with journalists in late January could not be starker. In January, Francis twice, very publicly, dismissed the testimony of abuse survivors. He accused them of ‘calumny’ against bishops they accused of ignoring reports of abuse and covering up for abusing clergy.

Within days of making those statements, however, Francis had appointed Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta to investigate the situation in Chile. By April, Francis had received a 2,300-page report, and in an extraordinary public letter, the pope admitted — confessed may be a more appropriate word — making “grave errors” in judgment about Chile’s sex abuse scandal. He invited the survivors he had disparaged to Rome to beg their forgiveness and he summoned the bishops to discuss repairing the damage from the scandal.

By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff — Read more …

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The Pope opens his eyes to abuse / The New York Times

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Pope Francis, Voice of the Faithful on May 23, 2018

It is not yet clear how Pope Francis will handle the mass resignations by the Chilean bishops, as accepting them all would leave the church there leaderless. More important is what he will do to repair the profound damage done to the Catholic Church worldwide by pedophile priests and their enablers. (The New York Times)

The abuse of minors by pedophile priests has been among the most painful sagas of our time, the horror compounded by the knowledge that hierarchs could have stopped the predators if only they had not chosen, for so long, to cover up their actions. Now, at long last, Pope Francis seems to have glimpsed the depth of the global crisis.

“The catalyst was a scandal in Chile, one of Latin America’s most staunchly Catholic countries, where for years the church establishment failed to act on multiple complaints of sexual abuse against an influential priest, Fernando Karadima. On a trip to Chile in January, the pope condemned Father Karadima’s actions but then refused to meet with his victims and dismissed allegations of inaction by bishops as ‘slander.’

“In the outrage that followed, the pope appointed two investigators who produced a damning report confirming systematic efforts by the Chilean Catholic hierarchy to conceal clerical sexual abuse. That led to an apology by Pope Francis for the ‘grave errors’ in Chile and an emergency meeting last week with Chile’s bishops at which all 34 submitted their resignationsand asked forgiveness for the ‘pain they caused the victims, the pope, the people of God and our country …’

“It is not yet clear how Pope Francis will handle the mass resignations by the Chilean bishops, as accepting them all would leave the church there leaderless. More important is what he will do to repair the profound damage done to the Catholic Church worldwide by pedophile priests and their enablers.”

By The New York Times Editorial Board — Read more …

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Australian prelate convicted of covering up sexual abuse / Associated Press on Cruxnow.com

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Catholic Bishops, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 22, 2018

The witness (a former altar boy) alleged (Archbishop Philip) Wilson told him he was telling lies because (Fr. James) Fletcher “was a good bloke.” The witness said Wilson had ordered him out of the confessional and told him to recite 10 Hail Mary prayers as an act of contrition. (AP on Cruxnow.com)

An Australian archbishop who was the most senior Roman Catholic cleric in the world charged with covering up child sex abuse was convicted Tuesday (May 22) and faces a potential two years in prison.

“Magistrate Robert Stone handed down the verdict against Archbishop of Adelaide Philip Wilson in Newcastle Local Court, north of Sydney, following a magistrate-only trial.

“Wilson, 67, had pleaded not guilty to knowing of the crimes of a pedophile priest in the 1970s. He denied under oath in court last month that two former altar boys ever told him that they had been sexually abused by a priest.

By Associated Press on Cruxnow.com — Read more …

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All of Chile’s bishops offer resignations after meeting pope on abuse / Catholic News Service in National Catholic Reporter

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Vatican, Voice of the Faithful on May 18, 2018

After reflecting on the pope’s assessment, he (Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago) added, the bishops decided to hand in their resignations “to be in greater harmony with the will of the Holy Father.” (Catholic News Service in National Catholic Reporter)

Every bishop in Chile offered his resignation to Pope Francis after a three-day meeting at the Vatican to discuss the clerical sexual abuse scandal.

“We want to announce that all bishops present in Rome, in writing, have placed our positions in the Holy Father’s hands so that he may freely decide regarding each one of us,” Bishop Juan Ignacio Gonzalez Errazuriz of San Bernardo said May 18 in a statement on behalf of the country’s bishops.

The unprecedented decision was made on the final day of their meeting May 15-17 with Francis.

Auxiliary Bishop Fernando Ramos Perez of Santiago, secretary-general of the Chilean bishops’ conference, said the pope had read to the 34 bishops a document in which he “expressed his conclusions and reflections” on the 2,300-page report compiled by Archbishop Charles Scicluna of Malta and his aide, Fr. Jordi Bertomeu, during a visit to Chile to investigate the scandal.

By Junno Arocho Esteves, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter — Read more …

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Voice of the Faithful ‘Focus’ News Roundup

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Voice of the Faithful on May 11, 2018


TOP STORIES

Cardinal George Pell to stand trial on historical sex offenses
“Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s third-highest-ranking official, must stand trial on several charges of sexual abuse(link is external), an Australian court ruled on Tuesday, promising to prolong a case that has already dragged on for months, and which many see as a moment of reckoning for a church racked by scandal.” By Adam Baidawi, The New York Times

Chile victims of clergy sex abuse praise talks with Pope
“Men who were sexually abused by a priest in Chile described the private talks they’ve had so far with Pope Francis(link is external) at the Vatican as very helpful and respectful Sunday. James Hamilton, one of three clergy abuse survivors the pope invited to Italy after he discounted some of their assertions, tweeted that his more than two hours of conversation with Francis were ‘enormously constructive.’” By Frances D’Emilio, Associated Press, on Cruxnow.com

In wake of abuse scandal, bishops of Chile talk resignation
“As the date for their upcoming meeting with Pope Francis approaches, several of the 32 Chilean bishops who will be in Rome to meet the pontiff(link is external) May 14-17 are speaking up, some ready to resign, and others ready to demand the resignation of a bishop accused of covering up clerical sexual abuse.” By Inès San Martin, Cruxnow.com

Australian mining town breaks its silence about grim past of sexual abuse
“Rob Walsh was outside Melbourne Magistrates’ Court recently awaiting a pretrial hearing for Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s third-highest-ranking official, when, he said, he unexpectedly walked into the cardinal himself. The encounter wasn’t their first. They both were raised in the same old mining town, which could be why the cardinal extended his hand, inviting Mr. Walsh to shake it. Mr. Walsh declined — a gesture that signified the lasting impact of a decades-long sexual abuse scandal(link is external) that has rocked this town, Ballarat, and sent shock waves around the world.” By Jacqueline Williams, The New York Times

Household names: Junia, Phoebe, & Prisca in early Christian Rome
“Paul’s letter to the Romans is arguably the most significant theological text in Christian history … Few readers focus on the end of the letter, where Paul greets almost thirty people in the nascent assemblies of Roman Christians. After all, it seems mostly like an ordinary exchange of pleasantries and commendations. But pay closer attention to whom Paul addresses and a surprise emerges: the status of women(link is external) in the early church in Rome.” By Michael Peppard, Commonweal

ACCOUNTABILITY

Rundown of sex abuse within the Catholic Church
“Between 1950 and 2013, the Catholic Church in the US received 17,000 complaints from people who said they had suffered sexual abuse from 6,400 clerics(link is external) between 1950 and 1980. In 2012, specialists in contact with the Vatican mooted the figure of 100,000 cases of child sex abuse in the US. Vatican finance chief Cardinal George Pell on Tuesday (May 1) became the highest-ranked Catholic ever to be sent to trial for sex offences, adding to a series of scandals facing the church globally. Here is a rundown of notable cases …” By The Straits Times

Montana diocese reaches $20M settlement with abuse victims
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls-Billings reached a $20 million agreement to settle claims by 86 people(link is external) who said they were sexually abused as children by clergy employed by the Montana diocese dating back to the 1950s, officials said Friday (Apr. 27). The abuse happened at the hands of dozens of priests, deacons and at least one nun in Native American reservations and in towns and cities throughout the diocese’s territory across eastern Montana, attorneys for about half of the plaintiffs said.” By Matt Volz, Associated Press

Sexual abuse scandals deepen Chile mistrust in Catholic Church
“Despite a strong Catholic tradition, Chile is witnessing a growing rift between the people and the church, sharpened by a string of sexual abuse scandals(link is external) that until recently had been ignored by the pope. The extent of the rift became clear in January when Pope Francis visited Chile and sparked outrage by hugging Juan Barros, a controversial bishop who has been accused of covering up abuses by another priest in the 1980s and ’90s.” By The Sun Daily

Power of words: listening must lead to action, abuse survivors say
“Pope Francis’ planned meeting with abuse survivors from Chile could mark a turning point in how the Catholic Church(link is external) deals not just with prevention, but especially with how it responds to accusations. The pope has said he wants the four days of meetings in April to be his chance to ask for forgiveness and express his ‘pain and shame’ for what they have suffered. And Pope Francis, who emphasizes the importance of listening and learning, also sees this as a chance to hear survivors’ suggestions for how to avoid repeating ‘such reprehensible acts,’ the Vatican said April 25.” By Carol Glatz, Catholic News Service

He forced the Vatican to investigate sex abuse. Now he’s meeting with Pope Francis
“When I first interviewed Juan Carlos Cruz eight years ago, he was so ashamed about what had happened to him that he was not sure he wanted his name to be public. In his youth in Chile, he had been sexually abused by the Rev. Fernando Karadima(link is external), one of Chile’s most prominent priests … This week, Mr. Cruz and two other victims of Father Karadima’s will stay at the Vatican in an extended visit with Pope Francis, who issued an extraordinary apology this month for ‘grave errors’ in the handling of sexual abuse cases in Chile.” By Laurie Goodstein, The New York Times

POPE FRANCIS

Pope Francis in the wilderness
“Five years ago, Pope Francis was elected to be an agent of change within a church shaken by scandals and the historic resignation of Benedict XVI. He quickly became a global force in geopolitics, setting the agenda on climate change and care for migrants. World leaders wanted to be near him. Even non-Catholics adored him. Today, Francis is increasingly embattled(link is external).” By Jason Horowitz, The New York Times

A Pope given to apologies has nothing for indigenous Canada
“The past three popes have invested deeply in the forgiveness-begging business(link is external), offering official apologies for the church’s sins against Jews during World War II and Indigenous people in Bolivia, among others. But Canada’s Roman Catholic bishops said late last month that Pope Francis would not apologize in the foreseeable future for the boarding schools where, for more than a century and a half, more than 150,000 Indigenous children were forced to attend in an effort to obliterate their cultures and languages. About 70 percent of children went to schools operated by the church.” By Ian Austen and Jason Horowitz, The New York Times

CARDINALS

Meeting of the Council of Cardinals with Pope Francis
“The Council of Cardinal Advisors assembled with Pope Francis(link is external) in Rome on Wednesday (Apr. 25) for the third and last day of their 24th session … A large part of their work has been dedicated to the draft of a new Apostolic Constitution of the Roman Curia, which will be submitted to the Holy Father for his final approval … Cardinal Sean O’Malley presented to the Cardinals the efforts that have been made to protect minors and vulnerable adults in the Church.” By Joachim Teigen, VaticanNews.va

PRIESTS

Confront racism, Archbishop Gregory tells priests at federation gathering
“As a group of priests gathered to mark the 50th anniversary of their organization, there was some reminiscing, but most of the discussion was about the present and the future, including the need to fight racism, to work more closely with laity and even to re-imagine priesthood altogether … Yet, while the societal challenges have remained over the 50-year history of the NFPC (National Federation of Priests’ Councils), much has changed for priests in the United States(link is external).” By Heidi Schlumpf, National Catholic Reporter

PONTIFICAL COMMISSION FOR THE PROTECTION OF MINORS

Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors Meets in Rome
“The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors (PCPM) met this week (Apr. 22) in Plenary Assembly in Rome. The first day of the meeting was dedicated to hearing from members of the Survivor Advisory Panel(link is external) (SAP) of the National Catholic Safeguarding Commission from England and Wales. The gathering was part of the PCPM’s ongoing commitment to ensuring that the thoughts and contributions of people who have been abused inform all aspects of the Commission’s work.” Press Release from Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors

Kiwi’s three years on the Pope’s commission
“Bill Kilgallon is looking back on his three years as a member(link is external) of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors with sense of achievement, alongside a certain sense of frustration. Mr Kilgallon’s three years term on the commission came to an end last year, and he was not reappointed to a second term, an outcome he had anticipated.” By Michael Otto, NZCatholic.org.nz

CHILD PROTECTION

Women from ‘The Keepers’ discuss experience at Baltimore conference on child sexual abuse prevention
“ Three women featured in the documentary ‘The Keepers’ renewed calls Thursday (Apr. 19) for the Archdiocese of Baltimore to release its files on the priest at the center of the Netflix series(link is external). ‘Open your books, release your records,’ Abbie Schaub said at a conference at the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Schaub, along with Lil Hughes Knipp and Teresa Lancaster, was featured in a panel at the annual symposium of the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse, which is part of the public health school.” By Alison Knezevich, Baltimore Sun

Child sexual abuse in the U.S. costs up to $1.5 million per child death
“Child sexual abuse in the United States is costly(link is external), with an average lifetime cost of $1.1 million per death of female victims and $1.5 million per death of male victims, according to a new study. Researchers measured the economic costs of child sexual abuse by calculating health care costs, productivity losses, child welfare costs, violence/crime costs, special education costs and suicide death costs. They estimated the total lifetime economic burden of child sexual abuse in the United States to be $9.3 billion, based on child sexual abuse data from 2015.” By LaTina Emerson, Georgia State University Public Relations Coordinator

MASS TRANSLATIONS

Archbishop Gregory: the time is right to review Mass translations
“The archbishop who heads the U.S. bishops’ liturgy committee says that controversial changes to liturgical translations that have been fully implemented in Catholic parishes since 2011 may need to be revisited to fix ‘problematic’ sections(link is external) that fail to ‘bring the entire church together.’” By Michael J. O’Loughlin, America: The Jesuit Review

WOMEN IN THE CHURCH

Women appointed to Vatican’s doctrine office
“Pope Francis named five new consultors of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith on Saturday (Apr. 21), including three female academics and two priests(link is external) … While a Vatican spokesman was unable to confirm whether laywomen have previously served as consultors, he did confirm for CNA that women have served as staff members at the dicastery.” By CathNews.com

CHURCH REFORM

Editorial: resist outsourcing evangelization
“In a March 19 essay in the international edition of the French Catholic newspaper La Croix, church historian Massimo Faggioli offers important insights(link is external) about the role of special interest groups, influence and money in the life of the church today. In ‘The tensions between church reform and pushing an agenda,’ Faggioli writes: In the tradition of the church, reform has been driven mostly by the urgent need to correct serious deviations (for instance, simony and corruption) or to respond to new threats facing the church (such as the Holy Roman Empire’s challenge to papal authority) … Backed by big money, special interest groups, informal networks and invisible actors are today penetrating and influencing more and more institutions, including the church.” By National Catholic Reporter Editorial Staff

FUTURE OF THE CHURCH

Changes coming to Catholic parishes
“Another round of church closures appears to be on the horizon(link is external) for the Catholic archdiocese of Halifax- Yarmouth. ‘We have a problem with attendance and with financial issues of the church,’ said Ervin Doak, a retired Saint Mary’s University professor, and a parishioner and volunteer at St. Thomas Aquinas and Canadian Martyrs parish in central Halifax.” By Francis Campbell, Truro Daily Herald

The Pittsburgh Diocese deadline
“Change is inevitable. We see it nationally — tax reform, tariffs, gun control. We see it regionally — fracking, medical innovation, clean energy. We see it on the job — automation, outsourcing, reorganizations, mergers. No one and nothing is immune from change, not even one of the oldest religious institutions in the world, the Catholic Church. As any practicing Catholic in the Diocese of Pittsburgh knows, Saturday (Apr. 28) at 4 p.m. is when Bishop David Zubik announces the new parish groupings(link is external) and clergy assignments that will take effect in October, known as On Mission.” By Jan Kowalski, Pittsburgh Post-Gazette

VOICES

Expert says abuse of power at root of sexual abuse crisis in Church
“The center (Center for Child Protection at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University) works closely with the Vatican on developing polices to deal with sexual abuse and hosts numerous workshops for Church leaders from around the world. Which is why ‘Dalla parte dei piccoli’ [‘On the side of the small ones’] is sure to be discussed when it’s released in May. The book is by Angela Rinaldi, a 28-year-old Italian research assistant at the Center for Child Protection, and she argues the problem of sexual abuse in the Church ‘is a question of abuse of power(link is external).’” By Filipe Domingues, Cruxnow.com

When Americans say they believe in God, what do they mean?
“A new Pew Research Center survey of more than 4,700 U.S. adults finds that one-third of Americans say they do not believe in the God(link is external) of the Bible, but that they do believe there is some other higher power or spiritual force in the universe. A slim majority of Americans (56%) say they believe in God ‘as described in the Bible.’ And one-in-ten do not believe in any higher power or spiritual force.” By Pew Research Center: Religion & Public Life

CHURCH FINANCES

Federal appeals court affirms parish assets separate from archdiocese
“A federal appeals court upheld two lower court rulings that the assets of Catholic institutions, including parishes, are separate(link is external) from those of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis and that they cannot be consolidated with archdiocesan assets in its Chapter 11 bankruptcy. The April 26 ruling came from the 8th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals.” By Maria Wiering, Catholic News Service, in The Pilot

Okemos priest embezzlement grows to $5.4M
“An investigation of a Catholic priest had focused on a $3 million mansion he built in 2007, but new records show the alleged pilfering began long before then. The purported embezzlement started shortly after the Rev. Jon Wehrle founded St. Martha Church in 1988 and continued for 26 years, according to an audit by Plante Moran. In all, the priest is accused of taking $5.4 million from the church(link is external) from 1991 to 2017, the audit shows.” By Francis X. Donnelly, The Detroit News

Vatican continues its financial clean-up
“When it comes to clean-up of the Vatican’s troubled finances, officials often say that no news is good news. Such is the case with a 2017 report from the Financial Information Authority (AIF), in effect the Vatican’s financial watchdog unit. According to the report, suspicious financial activity in the Vatican has decreased(link is external) for the second year in a row.” By Inés San Martin, Cruxnow.com

As much as $100,000 taken from collection plate at Holy Name Cathedral, police say
“Chicago police are investigating whether former security guards at Holy Name Cathedral may have played a role in the theft of up to $100,000 from the historic church’s collection plate(link is external), according to preliminary information from police sources and the security company. No one is in custody, but multiple suspects have been identified, according to Anthony Guglielmi, a police spokesman.” By Elyssa Cherney, Chicago Tribune

Catholic church falls victim to Melbourne’s latest crime spree
“The Catholic Church, one of Victoria’s wealthiest institutions, has found itself repeatedly targeted as part of a crime spree that some believe could be an ‘inside job.’ The Sunday Age can reveal that 23 churches and religious buildings have been robbed in the past two months, with offenders potentially reaping hundreds of thousands of dollars worth of Mass collections(link is external), as well as electronic equipment, keys, and other small items … Another church source had a different view, saying that priests and lay workers were ‘fairly slack’ about putting collections and other money in safe places.” By Farrah Tomazin and Chris Vedelago, The Canberra times

Millennial philanthropy can teach Catholic Church three things
“In 2015, 84 percent of working millennials gave money to a charity. Surprised? You shouldn’t be. Growing up hearing stories of Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and Martin Luther King Jr. in the classroom, millennials are a decidedly socially conscious generation. They prefer to financially support organizations that have a compelling cause. More specifically, they like causes that seek to alleviate burdens associated with poverty … Can the church learn any lessons from what millennials expect from charities?(link is external) My answer — yes, and below I offer three.” By Christian Mocek, National Catholic Reporter

STATUTE OF LIMITATIONS REFORM

Child Victims Act left behind in state’s budget, kept alive by survivors
“The state budget left out the Child Victims Act — a bill supported by the governor and the State Assembly — that would have extended the statute of limitations for child victims of sexual assault(link is external), but adult survivors are not giving up. The bill never made it to the State Senate floor, so the GOP majority leader is the focus of upcoming efforts.” By Elizabeth Floyd Mair, The Altamont Enterprise Regional

CLERGY CHILD SEXUAL ABUSE

Lawyers descend on Buffalo for clergy sex abuse cases
“In the Oscar-winning movie ‘Spotlight,’ Boston attorney Mitchell Garabedian talks openly about the priest who abused his clients and the power of the Catholic Church to keep the scandal a secret … That scene was from 17 years ago, but Garabedian’s anger with the Catholic Church is still front and center, an important part of his message as he brings his high profile to Buffalo in search of sexual abuse clients(link is external) here. Garabedian is one part, a big part, of the out-of-town legal presence that arrived here when the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo announced a compensation fund for victims of clergy sexual abuse.” By Phil Fairbanks, The Buffalo News

CALIFORNIA

Second person comes forward to accuse form Redondo Beach priest of sexual abuse
“A second accuser has come forward alleging sexual abuse(link is external) by former Rev. Chris Cunningham while he served at St. Lawrence Martyr Catholic Church in Redondo Beach from 1998 to 2001. The man, now 30, contacted attorney Anthony DeMarco after reading media reports about DeMarco’s representation of a different accuser at St. Lawrence during the same time period. The attorney reached out to the Southern California News Group Thursday (Apr. 26).” By David Rosenfeld, Daily Breeze

MASSACHUSETTS

New book alleges sex abuse, coverups by Springfield bishops
“‘Death of an Altar Boy,’ a new book exploring the unsolved 1972 murder of Danny Croteau, 13, of Springfield, paints a damning portrait of then Springfield bishop Christopher J. Weldon(link is external) as man who obstructed justice and may have sexually abused a young boy in the 1950s. Drawing on more than 10,000 pages of police and court records and interviews with Croteau’s family, friends, fellow abuse victims and church officials, author E.J. Fleming (“Tread Softly: Bullying and the Death of Phoebe Prince”) looks at the killing and the only publicly named suspect — Richard R. Lavigne, a since defrocked priest who has been the subject of claims from 40 alleged victims of sexual abuse.” By Ray Kelly, MassLive.com

MICHIGAN

Man gives emotional testimony claiming Saginaw priest sexually assaulted him
“When the Rev. Robert J. ‘Father Bob’ DeLand Jr. first appeared in court on sexual assault charges(link is external), he asked a judge when he’d find out who his accusers were. Two months later, the 71-year-old Catholic priest heard testimony from two of the three males who say he molested them. The witnesses testified during two of DeLand’s preliminary examinations held the morning of April 25 before Saginaw County District Judge David D. Hoffman.” By Cole Waterman, Saginaw News

Saginaw Diocese names independent delegate to lead sex abuse investigation
“The Diocese of Saginaw, Michigan, has named an independent delegate to lead its investigation into child abuse in the diocese(link is external), while also releasing the names of several priests who have been defrocked for accusations in their past. Saginaw Bishop Joseph Cistone appeared at a press conference April 13 along with Michigan Appeals Court Chief Judge Michael Talbot, to announce Talbot’s appointment to oversee the diocese’s handling of sex abuse cases.” By James Dearie, National Catholic Reporter

MONTANA

$20M settlement reached in clergy abuse cases
“The Roman Catholic Diocese of Great Falls and Billings reached a $20 million settlement agreement(link is external) Friday (Apr. 27) with more than 80 people who say they were sexually abused by clergy as children, according to attorneys in the case.” By Corin Cates-Carney, Montana Public Radio

NEW YORK

Four priests accused of sexual abuse served at one Buffalo-area parish
“Members of Most Precious Blood Church in Angola were as stunned as any Catholics – and maybe more so – when the Diocese of Buffalo in March publicly named 42 priests who had been accused of child sex abuse. The list released by Bishop Richard J. Malone included not just one priest who served in the village parish, but four(link is external). Parishioners had no idea. ‘The sticker shock was the number, not that it had happened,’ said longtime member Karen A. Erickson. ‘The sticker shock of so many in your community was what had people talking.’” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

Men say Long Island priest who led singing group abused them in mid-1970s
“Eight men who were members of a popular youth folk group at a Catholic church in St. James in the 1970s have filed reports with the Suffolk County district attorney saying they were sexually abused as boys by the charismatic priest(link is external) who ran the group. The men filed the accusations as part of the second phase of a program established by the Diocese of Rockville Centre to compensate clergy sex-abuse victims, according to Manhattan-based attorney Michael Reck, who is representing them.” By Bart Jones, Newsday

The long road to recovery after sexual abuse
“But Father James Spielman wasn’t there to help (David) Husted. He was there to groom him for years of sexual abuse(link is external) — and Husted says, a lifetime of pain. ‘He was thought of as a God,’ Husted said. ‘He was thought of as do no wrong, such a wonderful person. He was so good at what he did, in grooming.’” By Charlie Specht, WKBW-TV I-Team

You asked, we answered: why aren’t accused priests in jail?
“It’s been two months since The Buffalo News first reported that a retired priest from the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo admitted that he sexually abused ‘probably dozens’ of teenage boys(link is external) in the late 1970s and early 1980s. Since then, The News also has published more than 30 stories related to the sexual abuse scandal within the Catholic Diocese of Buffalo. Among The News’ findings …” By Qina Liu, The Buffalo News

Two priests suspended amid probe of sexual abuse allegations
“Two Buffalo-area priests were put on leave this past weekend as the Diocese of Buffalo investigates complaints of childhood sexual abuse(link is external). Bishop Richard J. Malone suspended the Rev. Samuel J. Venne and the Rev. Arthur S. Smith from ministry due to allegations that the priests behaved inappropriately with minors.” By Jay Tokasz, The Buffalo News

Editorial: Evidence of honorable intent
“It’s anyone’s guess whether it will be enough, but no one can say Bishop Richard J. Malone isn’t putting his money where his mouth is: With the announcement that the Diocese of Buffalo is putting the bishop’s mansion up for sale(link is external), it seems clear that the local Catholic Church is serious about securing the money in needs to settle claims of sexual abuse by priests … No properties would be off limits, he pledged – even the bishop’s stately mansion on Oakland Place in Buffalo. Plainly, he meant it.” By The Buffalo News Editorial Board

PENNSYLVANIA

Pennsylvania is national leader in aggressively going after institutional child sex predators
“More than any other state, Pennsylvania is aggressively going after child sex predators(link is external). From multiple grand jury investigations into the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, a similar grand jury probe into the Diocese of Altoona-Johnstown, the prosecution of Jerry Sandusky and the investigation into systemic sex abuse of students at a New Hope private school, state prosecutors have positioned the state as arguably the most aggressive in the nation against child sex crimes. A pending grand jury investigation into six Roman Catholic dioceses in the state is poised to further ratchet up the scope of that outlook. The probe ostensibly will provide a complete look into clergy sex abuse in Pennsylvania.” By Ivey DeJesus, PennLive.com

WEST VIRGINIA

Diocese won’t name sex offenders
“The Roman Catholic dioceses of Wheeling-Charleston and Steubenville don’t plan to issue any lists of alleged sexual offenders(link is external) as dioceses in neighboring states have done in recent weeks. The Roman Catholic Diocese of Erie, Pennsylvania, and the Roman Catholic Diocese of Buffalo, New York, released lists of clergy and laity identified as being sexual abusers. The lists contained the names of living and deceased subjects. But that won’t happen here, church officials have said.” By The Weirton Daily Times

AUSTRALIA

Three years’ jail time for Catholic brother who abused boys, then moved on
“A Catholic brother who was moved by his order to other schools interstate after he sexually abused students at De La Salle College(link is external) in Malvern has been jailed for at least three years. Former De La Salle brother Frank Terrence Keating, 75, was on Friday (Apr. 20) sentenced to five years and three months in jail for indecently assaulting eight students between 1969 and 1977.” By Australian Associated Press in The Age

CANADA

Ontario jury set record punitive award against Catholic Church over priest’s abuse
“A jury has awarded $500,000 in punitive damages against a Roman Catholic religious order over a priest’s abuse of a schoolboy(link is external), accusing it of betraying the community’s trust by covering up abuse and moving a serial predator along to new posts. Rob Talach, a lawyer who represented the victim, Rod MacLeod, now 68, said the case represents the largest punitive award by a civil jury in a sexual-abuse case against the Catholic Church in Canada. Over all, the jury award in the Ontario Superior Court of Justice amounted to $2.5-million, which includes money for lost wages, suffering and lost enjoyment of life.” By Sean Fine, The Globe and Mail

Motion fails: Parliament wanted to direct CCCB on papal abuse apology
“A conservative member of Parliament blocked a motion calling on the Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops to invite Pope Francis to apologize for the Catholic Church’s role in abuse(link is external) at Indian residential schools. However, Charlie Angus, a member of Parliament, said the motion would come up for debate and a vote in the House in the coming weeks. Angus is seeking unanimous government support for a motion to call on the CCCB to formally invite Francis to apologize in Canada, as requested by the 2015 report of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission.” By Deborah Gyapong, Catholic News Service, in National Catholic Reporter

GREAT BRITAIN, SCOTLAND & WALES

Nuns sent 11-yesr-old Scottish boy to Australia
“A witness told the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry hearing in Edinburgh he was 11 when he was forced to migrate overseas in the 1950s. He was then sexually abused by priests(link is external)at the care home he was moved to in Tasmania, the inquiry was told. The man accused the British government at the time of robbing him of a family, a country and an education.” By Diane King, Edinburgh News

Child abuse inquiry: victims must be offered more legal support
“The long running inquiry into child sexual abuse(link is external) has recommended that victims be offered more legal support, and the rules be changed on claiming compensation. The Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA) in England and Wales is midway through its work, but has issued an interim report based on its findings so far.” Ian Woods, By Sky News

We need a public inquiry into child sex abuse in the Catholic Church
“Only a full public inquiry led by a judge will have a chance of uncovering the true extent and nature of child sex abuse(link is external) in the Scottish Catholic Church rather than its spin doctors’ highly selective version of it. Nicola Sturgeon must start that process now in the name of a little boy she once knew a long time ago. In the meantime she should request the presence of the Papal Nuncio to Great Britain, Archbishop Edward Adams, at Holyrood to ask how the Vatican intends to deal with a grossly dysfunctional Catholic leadership in Scotland, one that has betrayed its people.” By Kevin McKenna, The Herald

Child abuse investigation to look into claims at former Aberdeen children’s home
“A national child abuse investigation(link is external) will turn its focus on events at a former Aberdeen children’s home from next week. Former residents and other witnesses connected to Nazareth House on the city’s Claremont Street, are expected to give evidence to the Scottish Child Abuse Inquiry.” By Evening Express

GUAM

Three new clergy abuse lawsuits against Cepeda, Brouillard
“Three new clergy sex abuse lawsuits(link is external) were filed on Monday (Aor. 30) in local and federal courts, two of them alleging abuse by former priest Louis Brouillard in the late 1960s,  and one alleging abuse by the now deceased former priest Raymond Cepeda in the mid 1980s.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

Another priest, Fr. Daniel Cristobal, named in sex abuse lawsuit
“A now deceased Capuchin priest, Father Daniel Cristobal, has been named for the first time in a Guam clergy sex abuse lawsuit(link is external), which was filed Tuesday (Apr. 24) in federal court. The plaintiff, identified in court documents only as C.A. to protect his privacy, said in his lawsuit that Cristobal repeatedly sexually molested and abused him immediately after C.A. became an altar boy in or about 1979 at the Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Santa Rita.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

It takes time to rebuild trust in church after abuse scandal
“Archbishop Michael Jude Byrnes on Tuesday (Apr. 24) said it takes time to win back peoples’ trust in the Catholic Church after the clergy sex abuse(link is external) scandal broke, but he said the Archdiocese of Agana has been making headway in trying to bring a measure of justice to more than 160 victims and in preventing more abuse from happening.” By Haidee Eugenio, Pacific Daily News

IRELAND & NORTHERN IRELAND

Suspended sentence for priest who assaulted two girls at first confession
“A former priest who indecently assaulted two young girls(link is external) as they made their first confession was given an 18-month suspended sentence at Cork Circuit Criminal Court today. John Calnan, 79, now living at the Presbytery, Roman Street, Co Cork, sexually abused each girl as they went into a room alone with him to make their confession.” By RTE

ITALY

Accuser tells her story of abuse and manipulation by the ‘Archangel’
“His followers called him the Archangel. People would come from far and wide to see him, to speak to him, to touch him. The word of Piero Alfio Capuana, the 70-year-old leader of the ‘Catholic Culture and Environment Association,’ or ACCA, a lay movement in the Church, was law. In 2013, when Capuana called ‘Maria,’ at the time only 11, into his study(link is external), she says she followed. When he locked the door behind her, she says she stayed. When he told her to sit on the desk in front of him, she says she sat, and when he ordered her to take off her shirt, she says, eventually, in tears, she obeyed.” By Claire Giangravè, National Catholic Reporter

SICILY

Diocese had warnings about lay group accused of abuse for 40-plus years
“Documents obtained by Crux show that both the Diocese of Acireale on the Italian island of Sicily and the Vatican were aware since the mid-1970s that a powerful lay organization whose leaders today stand accused of sexual abuse of minor girls(link is external) was suspected of ‘deviations of a doctrinal and moral character’ and ‘true scandals’ … Despite several failed attempts in the late 1970s to impose discipline, documents and interviews show the group continued to enjoy loose approval from a string of bishops in Acireale until criminal charges were lodged by civil prosecutors in August 2017.” By Claire Giangravè, Cruxnow.com

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New York’s Catholic bishops ramp up lobbying against Child Victims Act / The Buffalo News

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 7, 2018

To head off the bill and to push other items on its agenda, the Catholic Conference has spent hundreds of thousands a year on lobbyists. For example, the conference last year paid Sheinkopf Ltd. $5,000 a month, the Greenberg Traurig firm $6,000 a month and New York City attorney Stanley K. Schlein another $6,000 a month. The conference represents New York’s Catholic bishops and is headed by the archbishop of New York City, Cardinal Timothy Dolan. (The Buffalo News)

The state’s Catholic Conference has spent $1.8 million over six years lobbying Albany to, among other things, derail a bill to make it easier for sex abuse victims to sue.

“The Democratic-led state Assembly approved the Child Victims Act last week, but its prospects for passage in the Republican-led Senate are less likely.

“The act’s most controversial provision would open a one-year window in which victims currently blocked by New York’s statute of limitations could sue for damages linked to decades-old abuses. But the Catholic Conference says the act would force institutions to defend misconduct ‘about which they have no knowledge, and in which they had no role.’

“To head off the bill and to push other items on its agenda, the Catholic Conference has spent hundreds of thousands a year on lobbyists. For example, the conference last year paid Sheinkopf Ltd. $5,000 a month, the Greenberg Traurig firm $6,000 a month and New York City attorney Stanley K. Schlein another $6,000 a month.

“The conference represents New York’s Catholic bishops and is headed by the archbishop of New York City, Cardinal Timothy Dolan.”

By Matthew Spina, The Buffalo News — Read more …

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Vatican silence on Cardinal Pell’s trial is a turn from a long history / National Catholic Reporter

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 7, 2018

The idea that a cardinal, who was no longer even working in Australia and who could have been given immunity from prosecution by a foreign tribunal quite easily, will be facing a secular jury without so much as a peep of protest from the Vatican is stunning. (National Catholic Reporter)

Cardinal George Pell is going on trial in Australia to face charges he sexually abused minors. As victims’ advocate Anne Barrett Doyle told my colleague Josh McElwee, this trial is a ‘turning point’ in the long saga of compelling accountability by church leaders. It is even more of a turning point than Doyle may realize. Because the big story here is the dog that did not bark, the fact that the Vatican has made no protest at the prospect of a prince of the church standing trial before a civil magistrate.

“I cannot think of a single preoccupation of the Catholic Church that has more frequently defined the stances she takes vis-à-vis the ambient culture than the concern for the church’s independence and freedom. From the Middle Ages onward, popes undertook a delicate balancing act with other powers seeking control of the Italian peninsula. In individual countries, the church often fought for her rights against monarchs who wanted to control the church’s personnel or money or both.”

By Michael Sean Winters, National Catholic Reporter — Read more …

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Cardinal George Pell to stand trial on historical sex offenses / The New York Times

Posted by Voice of the Faithful in Clergy Sexual Abuse, Voice of the Faithful on May 1, 2018

The church has found itself at the center of a spiraling sex abuse scandal, spanning countries and decades. (The New York Times)

“Cardinal George Pell, the Vatican’s third-highest-ranking official, must stand trial on several charges of sexual abuse, an Australian court ruled on Tuesday (May 1), promising to prolong a case that has already dragged on for months, and which many see as a moment of reckoning for a church racked by scandal.

“Belinda Wallington, a Melbourne magistrate, found there was sufficient evidence for prosecutors to bring the cardinal’s case to trial, ending a two-month pretrial hearing, in which witnesses described abuse they said took place decades ago.

“But the majority of charges against the cardinal were either withdrawn or dismissed, including several of the most serious allegations, which were said to have taken place in a playground, on an altar, on a mountaintop and during a 1970s screening of ‘Close Encounters of the Third Kind’ in Ballarat.”

By Adam Baidawi, The New York Times — Read more …

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